Riveting apparatus and production system for water heaters

Abstract

The application belongs to the technical field of electrical appliances, and particularly relates to a riveting device and a production system of a water heater. The riveting device is used for riveting a rear shell of the water heater, and comprises a feeding unit, a riveting unit and a discharging unit. The feeding unit is used for feeding a first shell and a second shell. The riveting unit is sequentially distributed in multiple, and the multiple riveting units are used for respectively pressing a rivet column arranged in a riveting hole, so that the rivet column is stepwise deformed to reach a target shape, and the first shell and the second shell form the rear shell. The discharging unit is used for discharging the rear shell from the riveting unit. The riveting device is beneficial to improving the automation degree of assembly of the rear shell, thereby improving the production efficiency of the rear shell, and meanwhile, direct contact of workers with the riveting unit in work is avoided, and the safety risk in the production process is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of electrical technology, specifically relating to a riveting device and a production system for a water heater. Background Technology

[0002] The rear casing of the water heater consists of two parts: a surrounding panel and a bottom plate. The surrounding panel and the bottom plate are connected as a whole by riveting.

[0003] In the existing technology, when assembling the rear shell, the side panels and the bottom plate are assembled by hand and then placed in a riveting device for riveting. After completion, the rear shell is removed by hand.

[0004] However, when manually removing the back cover from the riveting equipment, workers are prone to injury due to operational errors or equipment malfunctions, posing a high safety risk. Utility Model Content

[0005] This application provides a production system for riveting equipment and water heaters, which helps to improve the safety of the assembled shell.

[0006] On one hand, this application provides a riveting device for riveting the rear shell of a water heater, comprising: a feeding unit for feeding the first shell and the second shell; a riveting unit, wherein multiple riveting units are arranged sequentially, and the multiple riveting units are used to apply pressure to the rivets passing through the riveting holes, so that the rivets deform step by step to achieve the target shape, and the first shell and the second shell form the rear shell; and a unloading unit for unloading the rear shell from the riveting unit.

[0007] In one possible implementation, the plurality of riveting units provided in this application include: a first riveting unit and a second riveting unit, wherein the first riveting unit is used to process the rivet post from an initial form to an intermediate form; the second riveting unit is used to process the rivet post from the intermediate form to the target form; wherein, in the initial form, the rivet post extends along the axial direction of the riveting hole; in the intermediate form, the angle between the sidewall of the rivet post and the axis of the riveting hole is 45°-70°; and in the target form, the sidewall of the rivet post abuts against the periphery of the riveting hole.

[0008] In one possible implementation, either the first riveting unit or the second riveting unit provided in this application includes: a base; a mounting base located on the upper side of the base and defining a working space between the mounting base and the base; a support column disposed between the base and the mounting base for supporting the mounting base; a riveting head movably disposed in the working space for applying pressure to the rivet; and a driving member disposed on the mounting base for driving the riveting head to move up and down.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the mounting base provided in this application has a movable hole extending through its own thickness direction; the driving member includes a driving body and a piston member, the driving body is located on the side of the mounting base opposite to the base, the piston passes through the movable hole and is connected to the riveting head.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the drive component provided in this application includes one of a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, and an electric cylinder.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the feeding unit provided in this application includes: a feeding platform having a first inlet end and a first outlet end; a feeding conveying mechanism disposed on the feeding platform for transporting materials from the first inlet end toward the first outlet end; and a feeding transfer robot for transferring materials from the first outlet end to the riveting unit located at the head end.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the unloading unit provided in this application includes: an unloading platform having a second infeed end and a second discharge end; an unloading conveying mechanism disposed on the unloading platform for transporting the rear shell from the second infeed end to the second discharge end; and an unloading transfer robot for transferring material from the riveting unit at the end to the second infeed end.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the riveting equipment provided in this application further includes: a enclosure that encloses a working area, the working area having an entrance and an exit opposite each other along a first direction; a loading platform located at the entrance, with a first infeed end located outside the working area and a first discharge end located inside the working area; a unloading platform located at the exit, with a second infeed end located inside the working area and a second discharge end located outside the working area; and both the loading transfer robot and the unloading transfer robot are located within the working area.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the plurality of riveting units provided in this application are all located on one side of the working area along the second direction, and the loading transfer robot and the unloading transfer robot are located on the other side of the working area along the second direction.

[0015] In one possible implementation, this application also provides a transition platform located between two adjacent riveting units; the loading transfer robot is used to transfer the material from the preceding riveting unit to the transition platform; and the unloading transfer robot is used to transfer the material from the transition platform to the following riveting unit.

[0016] On the other hand, this application also provides a water heater production system, including the riveting equipment described in any of the above claims.

[0017] The riveting equipment and water heater production system of this application are used to rivet the back shell of the water heater. The riveting equipment is equipped with a feeding unit, a riveting unit, and an unloading unit. The back shell includes a first shell and a second shell. When riveting the back shell, the worker first pre-installs the first shell and the second shell and puts them into the feeding unit. The feeding unit then places the first shell and the second shell into the riveting unit. Multiple riveting units are set, and multiple riveting units rivet the first shell and the second shell in sequence to achieve distributed processing to obtain the back shell, ensuring the riveting effect. Finally, the unloading unit unloads the back shell to complete the assembly. In this way, during the riveting process of the back shell, the worker does not need to directly contact the riveting unit. He only needs to place the first shell and the second shell on the feeding unit. This helps to avoid injury to the worker due to operational errors or riveting unit failures, thereby improving the safety of the back shell assembly process. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the riveting equipment provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the rear shell of a water heater provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0021] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0022] 100-Riveting equipment;

[0023] 110 - Feeding unit; 111 - Feeding platform; 1111 - First infeed end; 1112 - First discharge end; 112 - Feeding and conveying mechanism; 113 - Feeding transfer robot;

[0024] 120 - Riveting unit; 121 - First riveting unit; 1211 - Base; 1212 - Mounting base; 1213 - Support column; 1214 - Driving component; 122 - Second riveting unit;

[0025] 130 - Unloading unit; 131 - Unloading platform; 1311 - Second infeed end; 1312 - Second discharge end; 132 - Unloading conveying mechanism; 133 - Unloading transfer robot;

[0026] 140 - Enclosure component; 141 - Entrance; 142 - Exit;

[0027] 150 - Transition Platform;

[0028] 200 - Back cover;

[0029] 210 - First shell;

[0030] 220 - Second housing.

[0031] The accompanying drawings illustrate specific embodiments of this application, which will be described in more detail below. These drawings and descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the concept in any way, but rather to illustrate the concept of this application to those skilled in the art through reference to particular embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0032] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solutions of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0033] The terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," etc. (if present) in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this utility model are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of the utility model described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein.

[0034] In this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0035] As described in the background section, in the prior art, when assembling the rear shell, the side panels and bottom plate are assembled manually and then placed in a riveting device for riveting. After completion, the rear shell is then removed manually. However, when manually removing the rear shell from the riveting device, workers are prone to injury due to operational errors or equipment malfunctions, posing a high safety risk.

[0036] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a riveting equipment and a production system for a water heater, used for riveting the rear shell of a water heater. The riveting equipment includes a feeding unit, a riveting unit, and an unloading unit. The rear shell includes a first shell and a second shell. When riveting the rear shell, the worker first pre-installs the first and second shells and places them into the feeding unit. The feeding unit then places the first and second shells into the riveting unit. Multiple riveting units are configured, and these units sequentially rivet the first and second shells to achieve distributed processing and obtain the rear shell, ensuring the riveting effect. Finally, the unloading unit unloads the rear shell to complete the assembly. In this way, during the riveting process, the worker does not need to directly contact the riveting unit; they only need to place the first and second shells on the feeding unit. This helps to avoid worker injury due to operational errors or riveting unit malfunctions, thereby improving the safety of the rear shell assembly process.

[0037] The technical solution of this application and how the technical solution of this application solves the above-mentioned technical problems are described in detail below with specific embodiments. These specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be described again in some embodiments. The embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0038] It should be noted that the riveting equipment provided in this application embodiment can be applied to various water heater production systems.

[0039] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, this application provides a riveting device 100 for riveting the rear shell 200 of a water heater. The rear shell 200 includes a first shell 210 and a second shell 220, both of which are provided with riveting holes. The riveting device 100 includes a feeding unit 110, a riveting unit 120, and a discharging unit 130. The feeding unit 110 is used to feed the first shell 210 and the second shell 220. The riveting units 120 are arranged in sequence, and the multiple riveting units 120 are used to apply pressure to the rivets passing through the riveting holes, so that the rivets deform step by step to achieve the target shape, and the first shell 210 and the second shell 220 form the rear shell 200. The discharging unit 130 is used to discharge the rear shell 200 from the riveting unit 120.

[0040] In this embodiment, when riveting the rear shell 200, the worker only needs to pre-assemble the first shell 210 and the second shell 220 together and then place them into the loading unit 110. The riveting unit 120 can then rivet the first shell 210 and the second shell 220 of the loading unit 110 to obtain the rear shell 200. Finally, the unloading unit 130 unloads the material. During the entire processing, the worker does not need to directly contact the riveting unit 120, which helps to prevent injury to the worker caused by the pressure applied by the riveting unit 120 due to operational errors or equipment failure, thereby ensuring the personal safety of the worker and improving the safety of the rear shell 200 assembly process.

[0041] Furthermore, after the riveting equipment 100 automatically completes the feeding through the feeding unit 110, the riveting holes of the first housing 210 and the second housing 220 are aligned one by one. Then, multiple riveting units 120 arranged in sequence apply pressure to the rivets passing through the riveting holes, causing the rivets to expand evenly and finally lock into the target shape during the process of gradual controlled deformation. This helps to ensure that the first housing 210 and the second housing 220 are consistently and firmly joined along the entire length direction, thereby forming a complete rear housing 200. Finally, the unloading unit 130 automatically removes the rear housing 200. The entire process does not require manual intervention, which not only helps to ensure the stability of the riveting between the first housing 210 and the second housing 220, but also helps to save manpower and improve the production efficiency of the rear housing 200.

[0042] Furthermore, by setting multiple riveting units 120, the rivets are formed gradually in stages, allowing the internal stress of the rivets to be released progressively. This helps avoid cracks or localized warping caused by a single strong pressure, thereby improving the flatness of the rear shell 200's edges. Subsequent assembly processes, such as attaching sealing strips to the rear shell 200 in the water heater production system, can eliminate the need for a leveling step, further improving the production efficiency of the water heater production system. Simultaneously, it also helps ensure a uniform distribution of tensile strength at the riveting points of the rear shell 200, preventing abnormal noises or loosening of the water heater under long-term thermal expansion and contraction cycles, thus improving the production quality of the water heater.

[0043] The pressure curve of each riveting unit 120 can be set independently. The first shell 210 and the second shell 220 of the rear shell 200 in different water heaters may have different thicknesses. For different plate thickness combinations, the parameters can be adjusted to quickly change the type, which is highly flexible and helps to expand the application range of the riveting equipment 100.

[0044] See also some of the possible implementation methods. Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the multiple riveting units 120 in this embodiment include: a first riveting unit 121 and a second riveting unit 122. The first riveting unit 121 is used to process the rivet from an initial form to an intermediate form; the second riveting unit 122 is used to process the rivet from the intermediate form to a target form. In the initial form, the rivet extends along the axial direction of the riveting hole; in the intermediate form, the angle between the sidewall of the rivet and the axis of the riveting hole is 45°-70°; and in the target form, the sidewall of the rivet abuts against the periphery of the riveting hole.

[0045] In practical implementation, the riveting process is divided into two stages. The first riveting unit 121 only needs to pre-press the rivet into an intermediate shape, requiring low force and short stroke, resulting in less mold wear. The second riveting unit 122 is used for final shaping, with concentrated energy and controllable deformation. This not only helps to avoid warping of the first shell 210 or the second shell 220 caused by single-stage heavy pressure and improves the riveting quality of the rear shell 200, but also reduces the wear of the riveting unit 120, extends the service life of the riveting equipment 100, and reduces maintenance costs.

[0046] In some embodiments, a detection device may be provided between the first riveting unit 121 and the second riveting unit 122 to detect the intermediate rivet post in a timely manner, thereby eliminating defective parts and further improving the overall assembly efficiency and yield of the back cover 200.

[0047] In the intermediate form, the angle between the side wall of the rivet post and the axis of the rivet hole is 45°-70°. For example, the angle can be 45°, 50°, 55°, 60°, 65° or 70°. Of course, this application embodiment does not limit the specific value of the angle. In specific implementation, it can be reasonably selected within the above range according to the actual thickness of the first shell 210 and the second shell 220.

[0048] See also some of the possible implementation methods. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, either the first riveting unit 121 or the second riveting unit 122 in this embodiment of the application includes: a base 1211, a mounting base 1212, a support column 1213, a riveting head (not shown in the figure), and a driving member 1214. The mounting base 1212 is located on the upper side of the base 1211 and defines a working space between the mounting base 1211 and the base 1212; the support column 1213 is disposed between the base 1211 and the mounting base 1212 and is used to support the mounting base 1212; the riveting head is vertically and vertically disposed in the working space and is used to apply pressure to the rivet; the driving member 1214 is disposed on the mounting base 1212 and is used to drive the riveting head to move up and down.

[0049] In some embodiments, the base 1211 provides a stable placement platform for the first housing 210 and the second housing 220, ensuring that the position of the material is fixed and not easily moved during the riveting process. Meanwhile, the mounting base 1212 is located on the upper side of the base 1211 and forms a working space with the base 1211. The working space provides sufficient space for the lifting and lowering movement of the riveting head, which helps to ensure the safety and independence of the riveting process and reduce the interference of external factors on the riveting accuracy.

[0050] In addition, the support column 1213 is located between the base 1211 and the mounting base 1212, providing a certain degree of support and helping to ensure the stability of the mounting base 1212. It also ensures the overall structural strength of the first riveting unit 121 or the second riveting unit 122, allowing the mounting base 1212 to withstand greater pressure during riveting without deformation or displacement. The driving component 1214 drives the riveting head to rise and fall, enabling the riveting head to accurately align with the rivet column connecting the first housing 210 and the second housing 220 according to preset pressure and speed, and apply sufficient pressure to complete the riveting, thus improving the riveting quality between the first housing 210 and the second housing 220.

[0051] See also some of the possible implementation methods. Figure 1 As shown, the mounting base 1212 of this application embodiment is provided with a movable hole that extends through its own thickness direction; the driving member 1214 includes a driving body and a piston member. The driving body is located on the side of the mounting base 1212 facing away from the base 1211, and the piston passes through the movable hole and is connected to the riveting head.

[0052] Understandably, the movable hole provides a movement channel for the piston, allowing it to move smoothly up and down within the hole. The drive unit is mounted on the side of the mounting base 1212 opposite to the base 1211, which helps avoid occupying working space and also facilitates maintenance and repair. When the drive unit is working, it transmits power to the riveting head through the piston, enabling the riveting head to move up and down at a preset speed and pressure. This ensures that the riveting head can accurately apply pressure to the rivet during riveting, improving the riveting effect of the first riveting unit 121 and the second riveting unit 122.

[0053] See also some of the possible implementation methods. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the drive component 1214 in this embodiment includes one of a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, and an electric cylinder.

[0054] It should be noted that the hydraulic cylinder uses high-pressure oil as the medium, providing high output and stable response. It can continuously output a constant tonnage in thick plate riveting or high-strength rivet scenarios. When used with an accumulator, it can also achieve impact pressurization in a short time, ensuring that the riveting point is formed in one go without loosening. The pneumatic cylinder can operate by connecting to the factory's compressed air. It is quick in action, clean and oil-free, and the stroke and pressure of the pressure head can be steplessly adjusted through a proportional valve, reducing energy consumption and noise. The electric cylinder directly converts the rotary motion of the servo motor into precise linear displacement. Under closed-loop control, the displacement accuracy is high. It can programmable set multiple speed and force curves, which can not only prevent crushing with a small force when riveting thin plates, but also instantly increase the thrust to complete the forming of large-diameter rivets when needed, realizing full-process quality traceability and adaptive adjustment.

[0055] Therefore, regardless of whether a hydraulic cylinder, pneumatic cylinder, or electric cylinder is selected, the drive unit 1214 can provide stable and rapid linear power in a compact through-type arrangement. Through the cooperation of the piston and the movable hole, the force is transmitted to the riveting head without loss, so that the riveting head maintains high repeatability of lifting and riveting pressure output in the working space. This ensures that the riveting of the first housing 210 and the second housing 220 is both firm and consistent. At the same time, it helps to simplify the pipeline layout on the back side of the mounting base 1212, facilitates maintenance, and reduces overall energy consumption.

[0056] See also some of the possible implementation methods. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the feeding unit 110 of this application embodiment includes a feeding platform 111, a feeding conveying mechanism 112, and a feeding transfer robot 113. The feeding platform 111 has a first inlet end 1111 and a first outlet end 1112. The feeding conveying mechanism 112 is disposed on the feeding platform 111 for transporting materials from the first inlet end 1111 toward the first outlet end 1112. The feeding transfer robot 113 is used to transfer materials from the first outlet end 1112 to the riveting unit 120 located at the head end.

[0057] In some embodiments, the loading platform 111, the loading and conveying mechanism 112, and the loading and transfer robot 113 form a seamless streamline. After the first housing 210 and the second housing 220 enter from the first infeed end 1111, they are continuously pushed to the first discharge end 1112 by the loading and conveying mechanism 112 without any additional waiting time. The loading and transfer robot 113 directly grabs the first housing 210 and the second housing 220 that have been positioned at the first discharge end 1112 and accurately places them into the first riveting unit 121 in one go. There is no need for manual realignment. The overall handling distance is short and the positioning error is small. After the riveting equipment 100 starts running, the first housing 210 and the second housing 220 are always in a controlled motion state, which helps to avoid common problems such as bumps, scratches and hole offsets in traditional manual loading. This provides a guarantee for the accurate riveting of the first riveting unit 121 and the second riveting unit 122, thereby improving the production efficiency and yield of the rear housing 200.

[0058] Furthermore, the feeding and conveying mechanism 112 can be a conveyor belt, a sliding worktable, etc., and this application embodiment does not limit this. In addition, the feeding unit 110 can also be provided with multiple feeding and conveying mechanisms 112. For example, the feeding and conveying mechanism 112 can be set to two, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the operator can simultaneously place the two assembled first housings 210 and 220 at the first inlet end 1111, and then the two feeding and conveying mechanisms 112 simultaneously transport the two materials to the first outlet end 1112. The grippers of the feeding and transfer robot 113 can simultaneously transport the two materials to the first riveting unit 121 for processing. This allows for the simultaneous processing of multiple materials, further improving the assembly efficiency of the rear housing 200 and thus saving on the production cost of the water heater. Of course, the specific number of feeding and conveying mechanisms 112 is not limited in this embodiment and can be reasonably selected based on the number of materials that the first riveting unit 121 and the second riveting unit 122 can process simultaneously.

[0059] See also some of the possible implementation methods. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the unloading unit 130 of this application embodiment includes an unloading platform 131, an unloading conveying mechanism 132, and an unloading transfer robot 133. The unloading platform 131 has a second inlet end 1311 and a second outlet end 1312. The unloading conveying mechanism 132 is disposed on the unloading platform 131 and is used to transport the rear shell 200 from the second inlet end 1311 to the second outlet end 1312. The unloading transfer robot 133 is used to transfer the material from the riveting unit 120 at the end to the second inlet end 1311.

[0060] In practical implementation, after the second riveting unit 122 completes processing to obtain the rear shell 200, the unloading transfer robot 133 transports the rear shell 200 from the second riveting unit 122 to the second inlet end 1311 of the unloading table 131. The unloading transmission mechanism 132 then transfers the rear shell 200 from the second inlet end 1311 to the second outlet end 1312 to complete the unloading. This achieves automatic unloading, thereby avoiding contact between workers and the second riveting unit 122 and improving the safety of the riveting equipment 100. The unloading transmission mechanism 132 can be a conveyor belt, a sliding worktable, etc., and this embodiment does not limit its use. The number of unloading transmission mechanisms 132 and loading transmission mechanisms 112 is kept consistent to ensure consistent loading and unloading rates, thereby achieving continuous and efficient processing by the riveting equipment 100.

[0061] See also some of the possible implementation methods. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the riveting equipment 100 in this embodiment further includes a enclosure 140, which encloses a working area. The working area has an entrance 141 and an exit 142 opposite each other along a first direction. A loading platform 111 is located at the entrance 141, with a first infeed end 1111 outside the working area and a first discharge end 1112 inside the working area. A unloading platform 131 is located at the exit 142, with a second infeed end 1311 inside the working area and a second discharge end 1312 outside the working area. Both the loading transfer robot 113 and the unloading transfer robot 133 are located within the working area. Figure 1 The X direction is the first direction, and the Y direction is the second direction.

[0062] Understandably, since the riveting heads of the first riveting unit 121 and the second riveting unit 122 apply significant pressure during riveting, workers approaching the riveting unit 120 may be injured due to operational errors, posing a certain safety risk. Therefore, a barrier 140 can be installed to define the work area. The riveting unit 120 is located within the work area, and the barrier 140 can prevent workers from entering the work area, thereby avoiding close contact between workers and the riveting unit 120. This helps reduce the safety risks of the rear shell 200 during assembly and protects the personal safety of workers.

[0063] In addition, by setting the first feeding end 1111 and the second discharging end 1312 outside the working area, the staff can replenish raw materials to the feeding unit 110 or unload materials from the discharging unit 130 at any time without entering the working area. This not only helps to ensure the continuity and stability of the riveting equipment 100's production and improve the assembly efficiency of the riveting equipment 100, but also prevents the staff from entering the working area during the operation of the riveting equipment 100, further improving the safety of the riveting equipment 100.

[0064] See also some of the possible implementation methods. Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment of the application, multiple riveting units 120 are all located on one side of the working area along the second direction, while the loading transfer robot 113 and the unloading transfer robot 133 are located on the other side of the working area along the second direction.

[0065] Understandably, multiple riveting units 120 are arranged along the first direction, while the loading transfer robot 113 and unloading transfer robot 133 are located on opposite sides of the riveting units 120 along the second direction. On the one hand, this allows the loading transfer robot 113 and unloading transfer robot 133 to place the material in the correct position of the riveting unit 120 within a shorter movement path, avoiding excessively long movement paths for the loading transfer robot 113 and unloading transfer robot 133, which helps ensure the reliability of the loading transfer robot 113 and unloading transfer robot 133. On the other hand, it reduces the space occupied by the riveting equipment 100 in the first direction, optimizes the spatial layout, and improves the space utilization rate of the riveting equipment 100.

[0066] See also some of the possible implementation methods. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, this embodiment of the application also includes a transition platform 150, which is located between two adjacent riveting units 120; a loading transfer robot 113 is used to transfer materials from the first riveting unit 120 of the two adjacent riveting units 120 to the transition platform 150; and a unloading transfer robot 133 is used to transfer materials from the transition platform 150 to the second riveting unit 120 of the two adjacent riveting units 120.

[0067] In practice, transferring materials from the first riveting unit 121 to the second riveting unit 122 requires the cooperation of the loading transfer robot 113 and the unloading transfer robot 133. However, if the loading transfer robot 113 directly transfers the materials to the unloading transfer robot 133, a precise docking operation is required between the loading transfer robot 113 and the unloading transfer robot 133, which is relatively complex and places high demands on the performance of the loading transfer robot 113 and the unloading transfer robot 133, and the docking time is relatively long.

[0068] Therefore, a transition platform 150 can be set up. The loading transfer robot 113 first transfers the material from the first riveting unit 121 to the transition platform 150, and then the unloading robot transports the material from the transition platform 150 to the second riveting unit 122. Thus, there is no need for docking between the loading transfer robot 113 and the unloading transfer robot 133, and the precision requirements for the loading transfer robot 113 and the unloading transfer robot 133 are low, which helps to reduce the overall cost of the riveting equipment 100 and improve the assembly efficiency of the back shell 200.

[0069] See Figure 1 As shown in the figure, this application embodiment also provides a water heater production system, including any of the above-mentioned riveting devices 100.

[0070] The structure and working principle of the riveting equipment 100 have been described in detail in the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0071] In this embodiment of the application, by using the above-mentioned riveting equipment 100, the overall automation level of the water heater production system can be improved, thereby increasing the production efficiency of the water heater, while reducing safety hazards in the production and processing of the water heater and improving the safety of the production system.

[0072] In summary, the riveting equipment 100 provided in this embodiment includes a baffle 140, a feeding unit 110, multiple riveting units 120, and a discharging unit 130. The baffle 140 encloses the working area. The multiple riveting units 120 are arranged within the working area along a first direction. The first inlet end 1111 of the feeding unit 110 and the second outlet end 1312 of the discharging unit 130 are located outside the working area, while the first outlet end 1112 of the feeding unit 110 and the second inlet end 1311 of the discharging unit 130 are located within the working area. After the riveting equipment 100 is turned on, the operator only needs to place the pre-installed riveting unit outside the working area. The first housing 210 and the second housing 220 are placed at the first inlet end 1111. The material is conveyed to the first outlet end 1112 by the feeding and conveying mechanism 112. Then, the feeding transfer robot 113 places the material into the riveting unit 120 for riveting. After riveting is completed and the rear housing 200 is obtained, the unloading transfer robot 133 transports the rear housing 200 to the second inlet end 1311. Then, the unloading conveying mechanism 132 conveys it to the second outlet end 1312 to complete the unloading. The worker can then remove the rear housing 200 from the second outlet end 1312 or transport the rear housing 200 to the next workstation in the water heater production system. Therefore, the riveting equipment 100 of this application embodiment can prevent workers from directly contacting the riveting unit 120 during the riveting unit 120's operation, thereby avoiding accidental injury. At the same time, it improves the automation level of the rear housing 200 assembly process, which is beneficial to improving the safety of the rear housing 200 assembly, while saving manpower and improving production efficiency.

[0073] The technical solutions of this application have been described above with reference to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it is readily understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of protection of this application is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. These modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A riveting device (100) for riveting the rear casing (200) of a water heater, characterized in that, include: A feeding unit (110) is used to feed the first housing (210) and the second housing (220); Riveting unit (120), wherein there are multiple riveting units (120) arranged in sequence, and the multiple riveting units (120) are used to apply pressure to the rivet prongs passing through the riveting holes, so that the rivet prongs are deformed step by step to achieve the target shape, and the first housing (210) and the second housing (220) form the rear housing (200). The unloading unit (130) is used to unload the rear shell (200) from the riveting unit (120).

2. The riveting equipment (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plurality of riveting units (120) include: a first riveting unit (121) and a second riveting unit (122). The first riveting unit (121) is used to process the rivet post from its initial form to its intermediate form; The second riveting unit (122) is used to process the rivet post from the intermediate shape to the target shape; In the initial state, the rivet extends along the axial direction of the rivet hole; in the intermediate state, the angle between the sidewall of the rivet and the axis of the rivet hole is 45°-70°; and in the target state, the sidewall of the rivet abuts against the periphery of the rivet hole.

3. The riveting equipment (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that, Each of the first riveting unit (121) and the second riveting unit (122) includes: Base (1211); The mounting base (1212) is located on the upper side of the base (1211) and defines a working space between itself and the base (1211); A support column (1213) is disposed between the base (1211) and the mounting base (1212) for supporting the mounting base (1212). A riveting head is vertically mounted in the work space and is used to apply pressure to the rivet post. A drive unit (1214) is provided on the mounting base (1212) for driving the riveting head to move up and down.

4. The riveting equipment (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that, The mounting base (1212) is provided with a movable hole that extends through its own thickness direction; The driving component (1214) includes a driving body and a piston component. The driving body is located on the side of the mounting base (1212) facing away from the base (1211). The piston passes through the movable hole and is connected to the riveting head.

5. The riveting equipment (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that, The drive unit (1214) includes one of a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, and an electric cylinder.

6. The riveting equipment (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding unit (110) includes: The loading platform (111) has a first infeed end (1111) and a first discharge end (1112). A feeding and conveying mechanism (112) is provided on the feeding platform (111) for transporting materials from the first infeed end (1111) toward the first discharge end (1112); A material transfer robot (113) is used to transfer materials from the first discharge end (1112) to the riveting unit (120) located at the head end.

7. The riveting equipment (100) according to claim 6, characterized in that, The feeding unit (130) includes: The unloading platform (131) has a second infeed end (1311) and a second discharge end (1312). A material conveying mechanism (132) is provided on the material unloading platform (131) for transporting the rear shell (200) from the second infeed end (1311) to the second discharge end (1312). A material transfer robot (133) is used to transfer material from the riveting unit (120) at the end to the second feed end (1311).

8. The riveting equipment (100) according to claim 7, characterized in that, The riveting device (100) further includes: Enclosure (140), the enclosure (140) encloses a work area, the work area having an entrance (141) and an exit (142) opposite each other in a first direction. The loading platform (111) is located at the entrance (141), the first feeding end (1111) is located outside the working area, and the first discharging end (1112) is located inside the working area; The unloading platform (131) is located at the outlet (142), the second inlet (1311) is located within the working area, and the second outlet (1312) is located outside the working area; Both the loading transfer robot (113) and the unloading transfer robot (133) are located within the work area.

9. The riveting equipment (100) according to claim 8, characterized in that, Multiple riveting units (120) are located on one side of the working area along the second direction, and the loading transfer robot (113) and the unloading transfer robot (133) are located on the other side of the working area along the second direction.

10. The riveting equipment (100) according to claim 7, characterized in that, It also includes a transition platform (150) disposed between two adjacent riveting units (120); The loading and transfer robot (113) is used to transfer the material from the first of the two adjacent riveting units (120) to the transition platform (150). The material transfer robot (133) is used to transfer the material from the transition platform (150) to the latter of the two adjacent riveting units (120).

11. A water heater production system, characterized in that, The riveting device (100) includes any one of claims 1-10.

Images