White body outer covering piece rolling mechanism

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of automobile production and manufacturing, and particularly discloses a white body outer covering piece edge rolling mechanism which comprises a support, a linear pushing piece, a pressing arm, a pressing wheel, a supporting block and a guide wheel. The pressing arm is rotationally connected with the movable end of the linear pushing piece. The pressing wheel is connected to the pressing arm. The supporting block is connected to the support. The guide wheel is connected to the pressing arm. A guide groove is formed in the support for the movement of the guide wheel. When the guide wheel moves in the guide groove, the linear pushing piece pushes the pressing arm to slide in a straight line, so as to bend a workpiece to a first preset angle. When the guide wheel abuts against one end of the guide groove, the linear pushing piece pushes the pressing arm to swing, so as to bend the workpiece to a second preset angle. The white body outer covering piece edge rolling mechanism can realize two-step edge rolling technology through a single driving source, has simple structure, low cost and convenient control, and can avoid scratching the surface of the workpiece through roller pressing, so that the product quality is guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of automotive manufacturing technology, and in particular to a hemming mechanism for body-in-white exterior panels. Background Technology

[0002] Body-in-white exterior panels typically consist of inner and outer panels. The outer panels are usually made of steel with better toughness and have a covering structure for the inner panels. Since the outer panels mostly continuously cover the inner panels, the hemming is usually done using rollers.

[0003] When using robotic rollers for processing, multiple rolling operations are required, each rolling at a specific angle. These multiple rolling operations, combined, can wrap the end of the outer panel over the outer side of the inner panel. Therefore, the above-mentioned rolling method needs improvement in terms of processing speed and cost. Utility Model Content

[0004] To improve the efficiency of hemming, this application provides a hemming mechanism for body-in-white outer coverings.

[0005] The technical solution adopted in this application for a white body outer panel hemming mechanism is as follows: A rolling hem mechanism for a body-in-white exterior panel includes a bracket; A linear actuator, the fixed end of which is connected to the bracket; A pressure arm, which is rotatably connected to the movable end of the linear pusher; The pressure roller, connected to the pressure arm, is used to roll the workpiece. A support block, connected to the bracket, is used to provide support for the workpiece during the rolling process; A guide wheel is connected to the pressure arm. The bracket has a guide groove for the guide wheel to move. When the guide wheel moves in the guide groove, the linear pusher pushes the pressure arm to slide in a straight line to bend the workpiece to a first preset angle. When the guide wheel abuts against one end of the guide groove, the linear pusher pushes the pressure arm to swing to bend the workpiece to a second preset angle.

[0006] By adopting the above technical solution, this application uses a single linear pusher, combined with the cooperation of the guide wheel and the guide groove, to decompose a continuous pushing action into two stages: linear sliding pre-bending and point-swing rolling. It completes the complex two-step rolling process with a simple driving method. Compared with the solution that requires intermittent rolling multiple times and the dual-cylinder solution that requires complex linkage control, the structure of this application is simpler, the drive control is easier, and the cost is lower.

[0007] Optionally, the first preset angle is 90°-110°, and the second preset angle is 180°.

[0008] By adopting the above technical solution, the first preset angle is set to 90°-110°, which conforms to the conventional angle of the first pre-forming step in the sheet bending process. This can effectively prepare for the subsequent flattening process and reduce sheet springback. The second preset angle is set to 180°, which ensures that the outer edge can be completely pressed onto the inner plate to achieve the final tight wrapping and ensure the completion and quality of the edge rolling process.

[0009] Optionally, a rear tail wheel is connected to the pressure arm, and a tail wheel groove is provided on the bracket to constrain the movement trajectory of the rear tail wheel. One end of the tail wheel groove is provided with a wedge-shaped opening so that the rear tail wheel can disengage from the tail wheel groove during the rolling process, allowing the pressure arm to swing freely under the pushing action of the linear pusher.

[0010] By adopting the above technical solution, the cooperation between the rear tail wheel and the tail wheel groove, together with the guide wheel and guide groove, forms a double linear guide in the first stage of the pressure arm sliding, ensuring the stability of the pressure arm's translational movement and preventing it from deviating or swaying. In the second stage of the pressure arm's swing rolling, the open end of the tail wheel groove allows the rear tail wheel to break free from the constraints of the linear trajectory, providing the necessary design freedom for the pressure arm's swing and ensuring a smooth transition from linear motion to rotational motion. Because the open end of the tail wheel groove is wedge-shaped, the rear tail wheel on the inclined pressure arm can more easily slide into the tail wheel groove during the downward movement, facilitating the smooth progress of the next action.

[0011] Optionally, the pressure arm is provided with an auxiliary wheel, which is used to abut against the bracket.

[0012] By adopting the above technical solution, during the rolling process of the pressure arm swinging, the auxiliary wheel forms a rolling contact with the support surface, providing a moving support point for the pressure arm. This can effectively share the reaction force on the pressure arm when rolling the workpiece, prevent unnecessary deflection or vibration of the pressure arm, improve the rigidity and stability of the rolling process, and help ensure the final pressing accuracy and effect.

[0013] Optionally, the bracket has multiple mounting holes, and the support block can be detachably connected to one or more of the mounting holes to adjust the mounting height of the support block.

[0014] By adopting the above technical solution, the installation position of the support block can be flexibly adjusted according to the shape, thickness or specific rolling position of the workpiece, which enhances the adaptability of the rolling mechanism to workpieces of different specifications and improves the versatility of the equipment.

[0015] Optionally, the bracket is provided with a fixing connection hole for mounting the bracket to the robot gripper or fixture table.

[0016] By adopting the above technical solution, the pre-set fixed connection hole allows the hemming mechanism to be conveniently integrated into the gripper at the end of the robot or a fixed fixture station as a standardized functional module, thereby eliminating the need for a dedicated hemming station, helping to shorten the production cycle, and saving production line space and equipment costs.

[0017] Optionally, the bracket has a first weight-reducing hole, and the pressure arm has a second weight-reducing hole.

[0018] By adopting the above technical solutions, the weight reduction design of the support and pressure arm can be carried out while ensuring structural rigidity. In particular, when the mechanism is integrated into the robot gripper, the load on the robot end effector can be effectively reduced, thereby reducing the robot's load, which helps to improve its movement speed and positioning accuracy, and reduce energy consumption.

[0019] Optionally, the linear actuator is a cylinder.

[0020] By adopting the above technical solution and using a cylinder as the power source, it has the advantages of fast response speed, simple structure, low cost, and easy control and maintenance. It is suitable for use as an actuator in automated production lines and is an economical and reliable drive option.

[0021] Optionally, the pressure roller is rotatably connected to the pressure arm.

[0022] By adopting the above technical solution, the workpiece is rolled with a rolling pressure roller, which can effectively avoid scratches on the workpiece surface, ensure the surface quality of the outer cover, and reduce the wear of the pressure roller, thus extending the service life of the mechanism.

[0023] Optionally, the guide wheel is rotatably connected to the pressure arm.

[0024] By adopting the above technical solution, it is ensured that the friction is small and the movement is smooth when the guide wheel moves in the guide groove, which reduces the resistance of the mechanism operation and the wear of the components, thereby extending the service life and improving reliability.

[0025] In summary, this application includes the following beneficial technical effects: 1. This mechanism can realize a two-step rolling process with a single drive source. It has a simple structure, low cost and convenient control. At the same time, the use of roller pressing can avoid scratches on the workpiece surface and ensure product quality.

[0026] 2. The design of the rear tail wheel and auxiliary wheel increases the stability and rigidity of the mechanism during movement, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the hemming action; while the adjustable support block enhances the mechanism's adaptability to different workpieces.

[0027] 3. The mechanism has a compact design and a standard installation interface, which can be easily integrated into the robot gripper or fixture station, thereby optimizing the production process, effectively shortening the process cycle, saving production stations, and having good economic benefits and application value. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram illustrating the installation position of the hemming mechanism in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the present application used to illustrate the hemming mechanism; Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A magnified view of a portion of point A in the middle; Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A magnified view of a portion of point B in the middle; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the hemming mechanism provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the pressure arm in the hemming mechanism provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the support structure in the hemming mechanism provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the hemming mechanism provided in this application embodiment in its initial state; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the hemming mechanism provided in this application after folding the workpiece to the first preset angle; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the hemming mechanism provided in this application after the workpiece is folded to the second preset angle.

[0029] Reference numerals: 1. Bracket; 11. Tail wheel groove; 111. Wedge-shaped opening; 12. Mounting hole; 13. Fixed connection hole; 14. First weight reduction hole; 15. Guide groove; 2. Linear pusher; 3. Pressure arm; 31. Second weight reduction hole; 4. Pressure roller; 5. Support block; 6. Guide wheel; 7. Rear tail wheel; 8. Auxiliary wheel; 9. Outer plate; 10. Inner plate. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The following combination Figures 1-10 This application will be described in further detail.

[0031] This application discloses a hemming mechanism for the outer cladding of a body-in-white. (Refer to...) Figure 1 and Figure 2 The body-in-white outer panel hemming mechanism is located on one side of the body and is used to hem the outer panels on the body.

[0032] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 The outer cover includes an outer panel 9 and an inner panel 10. The hemming mechanism can fold the end of the outer panel 9 upward and cover the end of the outer panel 9 on the top of the inner panel 10.

[0033] Reference Figure 4 The figure shows both the state of the outer panel 9 before and after folding. The state below the inner panel 10 is the state of the outer panel 9 before folding, and the state above the inner panel 10 is the state of the outer panel 9 after folding.

[0034] Reference Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 The body-in-white exterior panel hemming mechanism includes a fixed bracket 1, a movable pressure arm 3, and a cylinder serving as a linear actuator 2. The fixed end of the linear actuator 2 is fixedly connected to the bottom end of the bracket 1, and the movable end of the linear actuator 2 faces vertically upward and is hinged to the pressure arm 3, driving the pressure arm 3 to move relative to the bracket 1. The bracket 1 has multiple fixing holes 13. Bolts inserted into these holes 13 can secure the entire mechanism to a robot gripper or a fixed fixture table, thus eliminating the need for a dedicated hemming station and helping to shorten the production cycle. In this embodiment, the linear actuator 2 is a linear cylinder. In other embodiments, the linear actuator 2 can also be an electric actuator.

[0035] The hemming mechanism also includes a pressure roller 4, a support block 5, and a guide roller 6. The pressure roller 4 is rotatably connected to the end of the pressure arm 3 away from its hinge axis, and the pressure roller 4 is used to abut against the workpiece. The support block 5 is fixedly connected to the bracket 1, and the top wall of the support block 5 is used to support the workpiece. The guide roller 6 is rotatably connected to the pressure arm 3. The bracket 1 has a guide groove 15 for the guide roller 6 to move. The guide groove 15 is vertically arranged and is a strip groove closed at both the top and bottom. The guide roller 6 slides in the guide groove 15, thus guiding the movement of the pressure arm 3 and improving the stability of the movement of the pressure arm 3.

[0036] Reference Figure 8 and Figure 9 When the guide wheel 6 slides in the guide groove 15 and the guide wheel 6 is spaced apart from the top of the guide groove 15, the movable end of the linear pusher 2 extends and pushes the pressure arm 3 to move vertically upward. The pressure wheel 4 at the top of the pressure arm 3 can push the end of the outer plate 9 upward and bend the end of the outer plate 9 upward at a certain angle. This angle is the first preset angle, which is 90°. (Refer to...) Figure 10When the guide wheel 6 abuts against the top of the guide groove 15, the guide groove 15 restricts the upward movement of the guide wheel 6. At this time, the movable end of the linear pusher 2 continues to extend, causing the pressure arm 3 to rotate. The top of the pressure arm 3 swings towards the side closer to the support block 5, so that the pressure wheel 4 at the top of the pressure arm 3 continues to roll the initially bent outer plate 9 until the outer plate 9 is bent to the second preset angle, which is 180°. Therefore, one action of the linear pusher 2 can complete the rolling process of the outer plate 9, and make the end of the outer plate 9 cover the outside of the inner plate 10, which helps to improve work efficiency while reducing equipment costs. When the movable end of the linear pusher 2 retracts, the pressure arm 3 swings in the opposite direction to the vertical position and then moves downward until the guide wheel 6 abuts against the bottom of the guide groove 15.

[0037] In another embodiment, the first preset angle is 110°; in other alternative embodiments, the first preset angle may also be other angles between 90° and 110°.

[0038] A tail wheel groove 11 is also provided on the bracket 1 below the guide groove 15. The lower end of the tail wheel groove 11 is closed, and the upper end of the tail wheel groove 11 has an open wedge-shaped opening 111. The bottom end of the pressure arm 3 is rotatably connected to a rear tail wheel 7, which is located below the guide wheel 6. The rear tail wheel 7 moves vertically up and down in the tail wheel groove 11. During the process of bending the outer plate 9 to the first preset angle, the linear pusher 2 pushes the pressure arm 3 to move vertically upward. At this time, the rear tail wheel 7 moves in the tail wheel groove 11. The tail wheel groove 11 can restrict the movement direction of the rear tail wheel 7, so that the rear tail wheel 7 and the guide wheel 6 work together to further improve the stability of the pressure arm 3 during the upward movement process. During the process of rolling the outer plate 9 from the first preset angle to the second preset angle, the linear pusher 2 pushes the pressure arm 3 to swing. At this time, the rear tail wheel 7 moves out from the wedge-shaped opening 111 at the top of the tail wheel groove 11, thereby ensuring the smooth swinging process of the pressure arm 3.

[0039] An auxiliary wheel 8 is rotatably connected to the support 1. The auxiliary wheel 8 is located below the pressure wheel 4 and above the guide wheel 6. During the movement of the pressure arm 3, the auxiliary wheel 8 always forms rolling support with the surface of the support 1, which can further ensure the stability of the pressure arm 3 during movement and swinging, thereby ensuring the edge rolling effect on the workpiece.

[0040] Reference Figure 5 The bracket 1 is also machined with multiple mounting holes 12. The mounting holes 12 are arranged in multiple sets and evenly spaced along the vertical direction. The support block 5 is detachably installed at the mounting holes 12 by bolts, so that the support block 5 can be installed at different heights on the bracket 1 to adapt to different processing requirements.

[0041] In addition, the bracket 1 has a first weight reduction hole 14 and the pressure arm 3 has a second weight reduction hole 31, which can reduce the weight of the mechanism and thus reduce the load.

[0042] The implementation principle of the hemming mechanism for the outer cladding of a body-in-white in this embodiment is as follows: (Refer to...) Figure 8 In the initial state, the piston rod of the linear pusher 2 is in the retracted state, and the pressure arm 3 is in the vertical state; the guide wheel 6 abuts against the bottom end of the guide groove 15, and the tail wheel 7 is located in the tail wheel groove 11; the outer plate 9 and the inner plate 10 are both clamped and fixed by the external mechanism, and the edge of the outer plate 9 to be rolled is suspended on one side of the top wall of the support block 5.

[0043] Reference Figure 9 During operation, the piston rod of the linear pusher 2 extends, and the piston rod pushes the pressure arm 3 to move. In the first stage, under the constraint of the guide groove 15 on the guide wheel 6 and the constraint of the tail wheel groove 11 on the tail wheel 7, the linear pusher 2 drives the pressure arm 3 to move vertically upward as a whole. The pressure arm 3 pushes the end of the outer plate 9 upward through the pressure wheel 4 until the end of the outer plate 9 is bent to the first preset angle, completing the pre-bending process.

[0044] Reference Figure 10 After bending the end of the outer plate 9 to the first preset angle, the second stage begins. At this time, the guide wheel 6 moves to the top of the guide groove 15 and abuts against the top of the guide groove 15, which restricts the upward movement of the guide wheel 6. Therefore, as the piston rod of the linear pusher 2 continues to advance, the continuous thrust of the linear pusher 2 causes the pressure arm 3 to swing around the guide wheel 6, which serves as the fulcrum. During the swinging process, the tail wheel 7 moves out of the wedge-shaped opening 111 of the tail wheel groove 11, thus allowing the swinging process of the pressure arm 3 to proceed smoothly. As the pressure arm 3 swings, the pressure roller 4 at the front end of the pressure arm 3 will roll along an arc trajectory to continue pressing down the edge of the pre-bent outer plate 9 until it is flatly covered on the inner plate 10, completing a 180-degree roll-press bonding.

[0045] After the hemming process is completed, the piston rod of the linear pusher 2 retracts, and the pressure arm 3 moves along the opposite path under the action of tension, returning to the initial state and waiting for the next work cycle.

[0046] The above are optional embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, all equivalent changes made to the structure, shape and principle of this application should be covered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A hemming mechanism for exterior body panels, characterized in that: include: Support (1); A linear pusher (2), the fixed end of which is connected to the bracket (1); Pressure arm (3), the pressure arm (3) is rotatably connected to the movable end of the linear pusher (2); The pressure roller (4) is connected to the pressure arm (3) and is used to roll the workpiece; The support block (5) is connected to the bracket (1) and is used to provide support for the workpiece during the rolling process; A guide wheel (6) is connected to the pressure arm (3). A guide groove (15) is provided on the bracket (1) for the guide wheel (6) to move. When the guide wheel (6) moves in the guide groove, the linear pusher (2) pushes the pressure arm (3) to slide in a straight line to bend the workpiece to a first preset angle. When the guide wheel (6) abuts against one end of the guide groove (15), the linear pusher (2) pushes the pressure arm (3) to swing to bend the workpiece to a second preset angle.

2. The hemming mechanism for a body-in-white outer cladding as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The first preset angle is 90°-110°, and the second preset angle is 180°.

3. The hemming mechanism for a body-in-white outer cladding according to claim 2, characterized in that: The pressure arm (3) is connected to a rear tail wheel (7), and the bracket (1) is provided with a tail wheel groove (11) for constraining the movement trajectory of the rear tail wheel (7). One end of the tail wheel groove (11) is provided with a wedge-shaped opening (111) so that the rear tail wheel (7) can be separated from the tail wheel groove (11) during the rolling process, so that the pressure arm (3) can swing freely under the pushing action of the linear pusher (2).

4. The hemming mechanism for a body-in-white outer covering according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pressure arm (3) is provided with an auxiliary wheel (8), which is used to abut against the bracket (1).

5. The hemming mechanism for a body-in-white outer cladding as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The bracket (1) has multiple mounting holes (12), and the support block (5) can be detachably connected to one or more of the mounting holes (12) to adjust the mounting height of the support block (5).

6. The hemming mechanism for a body-in-white outer cladding as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The bracket (1) is provided with a fixing connection hole (13) for mounting the bracket (1) onto the robot gripper or fixture table.

7. The hemming mechanism for a body-in-white outer cladding as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The bracket (1) has a first weight-reducing hole (14), and the pressure arm (3) has a second weight-reducing hole (31).

8. The hemming mechanism for a body-in-white outer cladding as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The linear actuator (2) is a cylinder.

9. The hemming mechanism for a body-in-white outer cladding according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pressure roller (4) is rotatably connected to the pressure arm (3).

10. The hemming mechanism for a body-in-white outer cladding according to claim 1, characterized in that: The guide wheel (6) is rotatably connected to the pressure arm (3).

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