A flexible clamping pressure head and pressing equipment for ball joint pressing.

Abstract

This utility model discloses a flexible clamping head and clamping device for press-fitting ball joints. The flexible clamping head includes a head body with a central recess at the lower end for inserting a portion of the ball joint. Multiple radial guide structures are arranged circumferentially on the head body, each containing a latch. The inner end of the latch has a claw for gripping the ball joint. An elastic reset mechanism is provided on the head body, acting on the latch to subject it to a continuous radially inward elastic force. During the insertion of the ball joint into the central recess, the claw is pressed by the outer wall of the ball joint, causing the latch to slide radially outward. After the ball joint is in place, the claw resets inward under the radially inward elastic force and grips the ball joint. The advantage is that this flexible clamping head can actively, reliably, flexibly, and without damage clamp the ball joint.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of automotive parts assembly tooling technology, and in particular to a flexible clamping head and pressing equipment for ball joint pressing. Background Technology

[0002] In the manufacturing of automotive steering systems, the press-fitting of the steering knuckle and ball joint is a critical assembly process. The two are typically joined by an interference fit, requiring high-precision press-fitting equipment to vertically, align, and without damage press the ball joint into the press-fitting hole of the steering knuckle. The stability and reliability of this process directly determine the quality and performance of the product.

[0003] A Chinese utility model patent, "A Floating Press-fit Fixture for Steering Knuckle Ball Joints" (Publication No.: CN211072497 U), describes a design where an upper press head is connected to an upper support shaft via adjusting bolts. A pressure assembly inside the upper support shaft drives the upper shaft head to extend into the steering knuckle ball joint housing via a guide shaft. A lower press head is mounted on a drive base, with a U-shaped groove at its upper end. A positioning pin is located inside the U-shaped groove, and the steering knuckle ball joint is placed on the U-shaped groove and engages with the positioning pin. The drive base pushes the lower press head to press the steering knuckle ball joint into the steering knuckle ball joint housing. This structure employs a bottom-up lifting press-fit method, which has the following significant technical drawbacks: the heavy steering knuckle positioned at the top results in a high system center of gravity and poor stability; due to the high system center of gravity, vibrations are easily generated during dynamic lifting, potentially causing a misalignment between the steering knuckle ball joint and the steering knuckle ball joint housing, making the press-fit process highly susceptible to scratching the ball joint surface.

[0004] To address the technical shortcomings of bottom-up lifting press-fitting schemes, a top-down pressing press-fitting scheme is proposed. For example, the Chinese utility model patent "A Press-fitting Fixture for Steering Knuckles" (Publication No.: CN 219649147 U) describes a fixture with two positioning seats (left and right) to position the left and right steering knuckles respectively, ensuring reliable and stable positioning of each steering knuckle. During left steering knuckle press-fitting, the left steering knuckle is placed on the corresponding positioning seat, a cylinder pushes the fixture to move the press-fitting hole of the left steering knuckle below the press head, the ball joint is positioned on the press head, and then press-fitting is performed. During right steering knuckle press-fitting, a cylinder pulls the fixture back to move the press-fitting hole of the right steering knuckle below the press head, the ball joint is positioned on the press head, and then press-fitting is performed. This fixture securely clamps the heavy steering knuckle to the lower clamping body, significantly lowering the system's center of gravity and improving stability. The movement of the entire clamping body via a cylinder ensures that the press-fit holes of both the left and right steering knuckles are precisely moved directly below the press head. However, the fixture does not disclose how it clamps the ball joint. If a traditional positioning structure is used, such as one similar to the lower press head described in CN 211072497 U, which uses a "U"-shaped groove with a locating pin to position the ball joint, the following technical problems exist: 1) The "U"-shaped groove and locating pin only position the ball joint, not actively clamp it. At the moment the press head moves or the press-fitting process begins, the ball joint is highly susceptible to falling out of the "U"-shaped groove due to inertia or vibration; 2) To prevent the ball joint from falling, if the press head uses a rigid structure to forcibly clamp the ball joint, the clamping force directly acting on critical parts of the ball joint can easily cause indentations, scratches, or deformation. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a flexible clamping head and pressing equipment for ball joint pressing, which can actively, reliably, flexibly and without damage clamp the ball joint.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to solve the above-mentioned technical problems is as follows: a flexible clamping head for press-fitting ball joints includes a head body. The lower end of the head body is provided with a central recess for inserting a portion of the ball joint. The head body is provided with multiple radial guide structures along the circumference. A buckle is slidably disposed in each radial guide structure. The inner end of the buckle is provided with a claw for gripping the ball joint. The head body is provided with an elastic reset mechanism. The elastic reset mechanism acts on the buckle, subjecting it to a continuous radially inward elastic force. During the process of inserting the ball joint into the central recess, the claw can be pressed by the outer wall of the ball joint, driving the buckle to slide radially outward. After the ball joint is in place, the claw can be reset inward and grip the ball joint under the drive of the radially inward elastic force.

[0007] The buckle body is provided with a radially protruding limiting plate. The radial guide structure is a stepped hole connecting the central recess and the outside of the pressure head body. The inner section of the stepped hole is adapted to the buckle body, and the outer section of the stepped hole is adapted to the limiting plate. In this structure, the limiting plate and the stepped surface of the stepped hole precisely define the limit position of the buckle's radial inward sliding. This limit position is designed as the optimal working position for the claw to extend into the central recess. Structurally, this ensures that when the limiting plate and the stepped surface of the stepped hole are in contact, the claw can reliably grip the ball joint, fundamentally preventing insufficient clamping force or failure due to excessive buckle retraction.

[0008] The elastic reset mechanism includes an elastic element independently configured for each of the latches. In this structure, the clamping force sources of each jaw are independent and uncoupled. By precisely matching the parameters of each elastic element, such as the spring stiffness, the initial clamping force output by all jaws can be theoretically consistent, providing a fundamental structural prerequisite for achieving a uniform and stable centripetal clamping force.

[0009] The pressure head body is circumferentially mounted with a number of cover plates equal to the number of elastic elements. The elastic elements are springs, which are sleeved on the body of the buckle and compressed between the limiting plate and the cover plate. In this structure, the springs are compressed between the limiting plates by the cover plates, forming a compact, modular force-applying unit that is easy to assemble and maintain by adjusting the clamping force by replacing the springs.

[0010] The pressure head body is provided with a mounting platform for each of the cover plates. In this structure, the mounting platform provides a stable and flat mounting reference for the cover plate, ensuring the perpendicularity of the cover plate to the pressure head body after installation, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the direction of the spring force.

[0011] The top and bottom of the chuck are designed as guide ramps. In this structure, the guide ramps at the top and bottom of the chuck allow the ball joint to be smoothly inserted and removed during insertion and removal, greatly reducing assembly resistance and the risk of scratching the ball joint surface; the two guide ramps allow the axial cross section of the chuck to be approximately triangular, making the structure more reasonable.

[0012] The two guide ramps are connected by an arc-shaped surface, which serves as the clamping part. In this structure, using the arc-shaped surface as the clamping part increases the contact area with the outer wall of the ball joint, dispersing concentrated stress into distributed stress, further preventing damage to the ball joint surface. At the same time, the arc-shaped surface can better adapt to the contour of the ball joint, enhancing the stability of the clamping.

[0013] A positioning pin is provided in the central recess, which is adapted to the central through hole of the ball joint. In this structure, the positioning pin cooperates with the central through hole of the ball joint to achieve the positioning of the ball joint, while the jaws are responsible for adaptively and actively clamping the ball joint. Together, the two achieve comprehensive and stable constraint of the ball joint.

[0014] A pressing device, characterized in that it includes the aforementioned flexible clamping head.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of this utility model are: 1) By setting up an elastic reset mechanism, the latch is subjected to a continuous radial inward elastic force. This means that after the ball joint is in place, the multiple claws arranged circumferentially will actively and continuously hold the ball joint. In this way, whether the pressure head moves or the pressing starts, this continuous elastic force can firmly hold the ball joint, effectively overcoming inertia or vibration, fundamentally solving the problem of the ball joint easily falling off, and achieving reliable clamping.

[0016] 2) The clamping force of the ball joint comes from elastic force, rather than the rigid locking of the structure. Therefore, during the process of inserting the ball joint into the central recess, the outer wall of the ball joint presses against the claws, causing the latch to slide radially outward—a flexible yielding process. After the ball joint is in place, the elastic force drives the claws to reset and tighten—a flexible fitting process. The entire clamping process is elastic and smooth, avoiding indentations, scratches, or deformation of the rigid structure on important parts of the ball joint. This achieves non-destructive clamping of the ball joint surface and allows for smooth disengagement after press-fitting, significantly improving the quality of press-fitted products. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the flexible clamping pressure head; Figure 2 This is a front view of the flexible clamping pressure head; Figure 3 for Figure 2 Sectional view along axis AA; Figure 4 for Figure 3 Enlarged schematic diagram of part B in the middle; Figure 5 This is a partial exploded structural diagram of the flexible clamping pressure head; Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the buckle; Figure 7 This is a partial axial sectional view of the pressure head body; Figure 8 A partial front view of the structure after the ball joint is inserted into the central recess of the pressure head body and positioned. Figure 9 for Figure 8 CC-direction sectional view; Figure 10 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a ball joint. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0019] Implementation Case 1: This embodiment proposes a flexible clamping head for press-fitting ball joints, as shown in the figure. It includes a head body 1, with a central recess 11 at the lower end for inserting a portion of the ball joint 9. Four radial guide structures are evenly arranged circumferentially on the head body 1, and a latch 2 is slidably disposed in each radial guide structure. The inner end of the latch 2 is provided with a claw 21 for gripping the ball joint 9. An elastic reset mechanism is provided on the head body 1, which acts on the latch 2, subjecting it to a continuous radially inward elastic force. During the process of inserting the ball joint 9 into the central recess 11, the claw 21 can be pressed by the outer wall of the ball joint 9, driving the latch 2 to slide radially outward. After the ball joint 9 is in place, the claw 21 can be reset inward and grip the ball joint 9 under the drive of the radially inward elastic force. By setting an elastic reset mechanism, the latch 2 is subjected to a continuous radial inward elastic force. This means that after the ball joint 9 is in place, the multiple claws 21 arranged along the circumference will actively and continuously hold the ball joint 9. In this way, whether the pressure head moves or the pressing starts, the continuous elastic force can firmly hold the ball joint 9, effectively overcoming inertia or vibration, fundamentally solving the problem of the ball joint 9 being easy to fall off, and achieving reliable clamping. The clamping force of the ball joint 9 comes from the elastic force, rather than the rigid locking of the structure. Therefore, during the process of inserting the ball joint 9 into the central concave hole 11, the outer wall of the ball joint 9 presses the claw 21 to make the buckle 2 slide radially outward. This is a flexible yielding process. After the ball joint 9 is in place, the elastic force drives the claw 21 to reset and clamp. This is a flexible fitting process. The entire clamping process is elastic and smooth, avoiding the rigid structure from producing indentations, scratches or deformations on important parts of the ball joint 9. This achieves non-destructive clamping of the surface of the ball joint 9, and it can be smoothly released after pressing, which significantly improves the quality of the pressed product.

[0020] Further defining the design, the body 22 of the latch 2 is provided with a radially protruding limiting plate 23. The radial guiding structure is a stepped hole 13 connecting the central recess 11 and the outside of the pressure head body 1. The inner section 131 of the stepped hole 13 is adapted to the body 22 of the latch 2, and the outer section 132 of the stepped hole 13 is adapted to the limiting plate 23. In this structure, the limiting plate 23 and the stepped surface 133 of the stepped hole 13 are engaged to precisely define the limit position of the latch 2's radial inward sliding. This limit position is designed as the optimal working position for the claw 21 to extend into the central recess 11. This structurally ensures that when the limiting plate 23 and the stepped surface 133 of the stepped hole 13 are in contact, the claw 21 can reliably grip the ball joint 9, fundamentally preventing insufficient clamping force or failure caused by excessive inward retraction of the latch 2.

[0021] Furthermore, the elastic reset mechanism includes an elastic element 3 independently configured for each latch 2. The clamping force sources of each jaw 21 are independent and uncoupled. By precisely matching the parameters of each elastic element 3, such as the spring stiffness, the initial clamping force output by all jaws 21 can be theoretically consistent, providing a fundamental structural premise for achieving a uniform and stable centripetal clamping force.

[0022] Further, the pressure head body 1 is circumferentially equipped with a number of cover plates 4 equal to the number of elastic elements 3. The elastic elements 3 are springs, which are sleeved on the body 22 of the buckle 2 and compressed between the limiting plate 23 and the cover plate 4. The cover plate 4 compresses the spring between the limiting plates 23, forming a compact modular force application unit that is easy to adjust the clamping force by replacing the spring (i.e., by changing the specifications of the spring, the push-out force of the buckle 2 can be adjusted according to the actual use), and is easy to assemble and maintain.

[0023] The preferred embodiment is that the pressure head body 1 is provided with a mounting platform 14 for each cover plate 4. The mounting platform 14 provides a stable and flat mounting reference for the cover plate 4, ensuring the perpendicularity of the cover plate 4 to the pressure head body 1 after installation, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the direction of the spring force.

[0024] The preferred solution is that the top and bottom of the chuck 21 are designed as guide ramps 211. The guide ramps 211 at the top and bottom of the chuck 21 allow the ball joint 9 to be smoothly inserted and removed during insertion and removal, which greatly reduces assembly resistance and the risk of scratching the surface of the ball joint 9. The two guide ramps 211 make the axial cross section of the chuck 21 approximately triangular, resulting in a more reasonable structure.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment, the two guide ramps 211 are connected by an arc-shaped surface 212. The arc-shaped surface 212 serves as the clamping part, increasing the contact area with the outer wall of the ball joint 9, dispersing the concentrated stress into distributed stress, and further preventing damage to the surface of the ball joint 9. At the same time, the arc-shaped surface 212 can better adapt to the contour of the ball joint 9, enhancing the stability of the clamping.

[0026] Further, a positioning pin 12 is provided in the central concave hole 11, which is adapted to the central through hole 91 of the ball joint 9. The positioning pin 12 cooperates with the central through hole 91 of the ball joint 9 to realize the positioning of the ball joint 9, while the pawl 21 is responsible for adaptively and actively clamping the ball joint 9. The two together realize the comprehensive and stable constraint of the ball joint 9.

[0027] When the flexible clamping pressure head is in operation, a portion of the ball joint 9 is first vertically inserted into the central recess 11 of the pressure head body 1. During insertion, the end structure 92 of the ball joint 9 first contacts the guide slope 211 of the pawl 21. The outer wall of the ball joint 9 presses against the pawl 21, causing the latch 2 to slide radially outward, at which point the spring is compressed. The ball joint 9 continues to be inserted. Once the ball joint 9 is in place, all the pawls 21 correspond axially to the recessed structures suitable for clamping on the ball joint 9 (such as the necking structure 93 below the end structure 92). Driven by the radially inward elastic force of the spring, the pawls 21 reset inward and engage with the recessed structure. Multiple (e.g., four) pawls 21 engage simultaneously, thereby achieving the purpose of clamping the ball joint 9. After the ball joint 9 is press-fitted into the press hole of the steering knuckle, the pressure head body 1 is moved upward. The pawls 21 slide radially outward again under the pressure of the outer wall of the ball joint 9, allowing the ball joint 9 to easily and smoothly disengage from the central recess 11.

[0028] Implementation Case 2: This embodiment proposes a pressing device, which includes the flexible clamping head of Embodiment 1.

Claims

1. A flexible clamping head for press-fitting ball joints, comprising a head body, wherein the lower end of the head body is provided with a central recess for inserting into a portion of the ball joint, characterized in that: The pressure head body is provided with multiple radial guide structures along the circumference, and a buckle is slidably disposed in each radial guide structure. The inner end of the buckle is provided with a claw for holding the ball joint. The pressure head body is provided with an elastic reset mechanism, which acts on the buckle, subjecting it to a continuous radially inward elastic force. During the process of the ball joint being inserted into the central concave hole, the claw can be pressed by the outer wall of the ball joint, driving the buckle to slide radially outward. After the ball joint is in place, the claw can be reset inward and hold the ball joint under the drive of the radially inward elastic force.

2. The flexible clamping head for ball joint press fitting according to claim 1, characterized in that: The buckle body is provided with a radially protruding limiting plate. The radial guide structure is a stepped hole that connects the central concave hole and the outside of the pressure head body. The inner section of the stepped hole is adapted to the buckle body, and the outer section of the stepped hole is adapted to the limiting plate.

3. A flexible clamping head for ball joint press fitting according to claim 2, characterized in that: The resilient reset mechanism includes a resilient element configured independently for each of the latches.

4. A flexible clamping head for ball joint press fitting according to claim 3, characterized in that: The pressure head body is circumferentially mounted with a number of cover plates equal to the number of elastic elements. The elastic elements are springs, which are sleeved on the body of the buckle and compressed between the limiting plate and the cover plate.

5. A flexible clamping head for ball joint press fitting according to claim 4, characterized in that: The pressure head body is provided with an installation platform for installing each of the cover plates.

6. A flexible clamping head for ball joint press fitting according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top and bottom of the claw are designed as guide ramps.

7. A flexible clamping head for ball joint press fitting according to claim 6, characterized in that: The two guide ramps are connected by an arc-shaped surface, which serves as a clamping part.

8. A flexible clamping head for ball joint press fitting according to claim 1, characterized in that: The central recess is provided with a positioning pin that matches the central through hole of the ball joint.

9. A pressing device, characterized in that: Includes the flexible clamping pressure head as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

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