Housing of an induction hardening tool

Abstract

A housing (100) of a tool used in induction hardening, in particular a quenching nozzle (1) or a sensor, is disclosed, wherein the housing (100) has a cover element (200) and a base body (400) connected thereto, wherein the base body (400) further comprises at least one coolant inlet (506) and one coolant outlet (508), and the cover element (200) has at least one coolant passage (202; 206; 208; 220; 222; 224; 226) which is fluidically connected to the coolant inlet (506) and the coolant outlet (508) in order to actively cool the housing (100) by means of a coolant.

Description

Technical area

[0001] The present invention relates to a housing for a tool used in inductive hardening, according to the preamble of claim 1. Such a tool can in particular be a quenching spray or a sensor device. Technical background

[0002] To harden workpieces, an induction hardening system can be used, among other methods. This system can harden an entire workpiece or individual sections of a workpiece. For this purpose, the workpiece can be heated locally to up to 1000°C. After heating to the required hardening temperature, the workpiece must then be quenched. During quenching, a quenching fluid, such as water, is applied to the workpiece using a quenching nozzle.

[0003] Since quenching occurs immediately after heating, the quench nozzle must be brought close to the workpiece, which can reach temperatures of up to 1000°C. This exposes the quench nozzle material and the nozzle itself to extremely high temperatures. For this reason, quench nozzles and other induction hardening tools exposed to the high temperatures of induction hardening, such as sensor housings, are manufactured from high-alloy materials to withstand the radiant and convective heat. Manufacturing processes can include casting, 3D printing, welding, and others. These materials can be ceramic or stainless steel alloys, which are typically expensive and / or require complex manufacturing processes to achieve minimal distortion and high precision despite their high melting points.

[0004] The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a quenching shower or, more generally, a housing for a tool used in induction hardening that is more cost-effective and easier to manufacture, but can still withstand the high temperatures of induction metalworking and is not magnetic or ferromagnetic. Summary of the invention

[0005] This problem is solved by a housing for an induction hardening tool, in particular by a quenching shower, according to claim 1.

[0006] The following describes a housing for an induction hardening tool used in induction hardening, in particular a quenching shower or a sensor.

[0007] In order to ensure that the tool or the tool housing can withstand the high radiative and convective heat, it is further proposed that the housing has a cover element and an associated base body, wherein the base body furthermore has at least one coolant inlet and one coolant outlet, and the cover element has at least one coolant passage which is fluidically connected to the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet in order to actively cool the housing by means of a coolant.

[0008] According to a preferred embodiment, the cover element can be designed to accommodate at least part of a sensor device, in particular the measuring part of a sensor.

[0009] According to a further preferred embodiment, the housing is designed as a housing for a quench spray head of an induction hardening system, wherein the cover element has several through-holes designed as spray holes. In addition, a quenching fluid inlet is formed in the base body, which is fluidically connected to the several spray holes, so that a quenching fluid can be applied to a workpiece to be quenched through the spray holes.

[0010] Active cooling allows the tool housing—in other words, the quench nozzle or sensor—to be positioned very close to the inductively heated and therefore glowing workpiece (e.g., 1 mm distance). This can be advantageous for quench nozzles to achieve high quenching pressures, cooling rates, and thus efficient use of the quenching fluid flow. Sensors, too, may require short distances to the workpiece being measured to ensure stable and accurate measurements.

[0011] Furthermore, it is possible to use materials such as plastic or aluminum, which have a relatively low melting point. Using such materials allows for the manufacture of tools or quench spray heads with very high precision and minimal distortion, thus reducing production costs and simplifying the manufacturing process. The use of materials with a low melting point and the associated lower strength also makes it easier to rework the tools (e.g., drilling small holes, milling surfaces, etc.).

[0012] The quenching fluid or another coolant, such as compressed air or water, can be used as the coolant. If a different coolant is used in a quenching shower, it is advantageous for the coolant inlet and the quenching fluid inlet to be designed as separate inlets. Furthermore, it is possible to also supply the quenching fluid inlet with a cooling medium to provide particularly intensive cooling of the quenching shower or the cover element before quenching with the quenching fluid. The quenching fluid inlet can be supplied with either the cooling medium or the quenching fluid, for example, by means of a valve. The aforementioned separate inlets can also be advantageous when using quenching fluid as the coolant, as they ensure that sufficient fluid is available for quenching.This also makes it possible to individually adjust the quenching fluid flow and the coolant flow, so that different amounts of fluid can be used for quenching and cooling.

[0013] Alternatively, if the same fluid is used for both quenching and cooling, the quenching fluid inlet and coolant inlet of the quenching spray head can, of course, be designed as a common inlet. In this case, it can be advantageous to also provide at least one fluid guide device in the housing, designed to direct the quenching fluid to both the spray head openings and the at least one coolant channel.

[0014] According to a further preferred embodiment, the cover element and the base body are detachably connected. This makes it possible to provide different cover element solutions adapted to the respective application, using the same base body. For example, the cover elements can be designed with different spray hole configurations to modify the quenching fluid flow, pressure, or direction and / or adapt it to the workpiece being quenched. Another example would be adapting the cover element to different sensor sizes. This also makes it possible to provide the cover element and the base body from different materials, so that the heat-exposed cover element is made of a material that can withstand higher temperatures than the base body of the tool housing.

[0015] In quench spray heads, the design of the cover element and base body also allows the cover element itself to be adapted to different workpiece geometries and / or surfaces to be cooled. The number of spray holes, the size of the holes, or the angle of inclination relative to the workpiece surface and its relative movement can be adjusted simply by fitting a suitably designed cover element. In the case of a quenching process during heat treatment, this means that the cooling intensity can be controlled to ensure a good microstructure, reduce the risk of cracking, maintain a good level of residual stresses, etc. Another advantage of efficient use of the quenching fluid is that the typical initial vapor phase during quenching with, for example,Water can be reduced, resulting in fewer quenching disturbances (inhomogeneous and slow quenching due to the insulating vapor phase on the hot steel surface) and faster quenching.

[0016] Furthermore, particularly in the case of bearing components that are inductively hardened, the adaptation of the lid element of the quenching shower to the component geometry can lead to a well-defined and locally controlled quenching intensity of the area to be quenched, which can influence the stresses during quenching and the residual stress state after quenching, resulting in a lower risk of cracking and better bearing performance due to homogeneous compressive stresses along the surface.

[0017] The interchangeability due to the detachable connection between the cover element and the base body also allows the coolant supply and distribution to be controlled via different coolant passage designs.

[0018] According to another preferred embodiment, the at least one coolant passage is arranged in at least one of the side walls of the cover element. This allows a major part of the surface facing the workpiece to be inductively hardened to be used for the actual task of the tool, such as quenching or supporting and aligning the sensor, while simultaneously cooling the entire housing.

[0019] It is particularly advantageous if the cover element has a first, second, third and fourth side wall, wherein the first and second side wall and the third and fourth side wall are arranged opposite each other, and the coolant passage has a coolant supply section, a coolant discharge section and a first and a second coolant guide section, wherein the first and second coolant guide section are formed in the first and second side wall, the coolant supply section in the third side wall and the coolant discharge section in the fourth side wall.

[0020] This allows for particularly even and comprehensive cooling of the lid element.

[0021] Furthermore, it is advantageous if the coolant supply section and / or the coolant discharge section are each designed as a chamber-like space. This allows sufficient coolant to be supplied or discharged.

[0022] To ensure particularly good distribution of the coolant in the cover element and to prevent the coolant from accumulating in one area of ​​the housing, for example due to the housing's installation position, it may also be provided that at least one coolant distribution structure is formed in the at least one coolant passage, which is designed to distribute the coolant in the cover element.

[0023] This coolant distribution structure can also be designed as a roughened surface, or additionally feature a roughened surface. The roughened surface provides an increased surface area through which heat can be transferred to the coolant, further improving cooling.

[0024] It is particularly preferred that the coolant distribution structure is provided in the first and / or second coolant guide section. According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the coolant distribution structure is designed such that several, preferably parallel, coolant channels are formed in the first and / or second side wall. This enables a high coolant flow rate and ensures that coolant flows through the coolant passage regardless of the spatial orientation of the housing.

[0025] In the case of a quench spray head, a further preferred embodiment is achieved in that the spray holes are arranged to form a spray hole array, with a recess furthermore provided in the cover element, which is formed in the area of ​​the spray hole array and is designed to receive the quenching fluid and transfer it to the spray holes. This ensures that each spray hole is supplied with the same quantity of quenching fluid.

[0026] This uniform application can be further increased if, as another preferred embodiment shows, an intermediate element is provided between the base body and the cover element, wherein the intermediate element is designed to distribute the quenching fluid evenly from the quenching fluid inlet towards the spray holes. Naturally, such an intermediate element can also be provided in a housing for a sensor.

[0027] In the case of an intermediate element for quenching nozzles, it is also advantageous if the intermediate element has several elongated holes, preferably arranged in the area of ​​the nozzle hole array. This ensures, even with the aid of the intermediate element, that the quenching fluid is supplied evenly to all nozzle holes, so that each nozzle hole is supplied with the same amount of quenching fluid at the same time.

[0028] According to a further preferred embodiment, alternatively or additionally to the recess formed in the cover element, the recess can also be formed in the intermediate element.

[0029] Further advantages and advantageous embodiments are set forth in the description, the drawings, and the claims. In particular, the combinations of features set forth in the description and the drawings are purely exemplary, so that the features may also be present individually or in other combinations. Brief character description

[0030] The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings. The exemplary embodiments and the combinations shown in the exemplary embodiments are purely exemplary and are not intended to define the scope of the invention. This scope is defined solely by the appended claims.

[0031] They show: Fig. 1: a schematic view of a quench spray as a preferred embodiment; Fig. 2: a schematic exploded view of the quench spray made of Fig. 1 Fig. 3: a schematic sectional view through the quench spray head made of Fig. 1 ; Fig. 4: a schematic sectional view through the cover element of the in Fig. 1 The illustrated quench spray head, and Fig. 5: another schematic sectional view through the quench spray head made of Fig. 1 Detailed description of the invention

[0032] In the following, identical or functionally equivalent elements are identified by the same reference symbols.

[0033] The Figures 1 - 5The figures show various views of a quench spray head, which is used in particular for quenching inductively heated workpieces. This quench spray head 1 is described as an example of a housing for an induction tool. Alternatively, instead of a quench spray head 1, a sensor housing or similar device can also have the features described below.

[0034] Figure 1 schematically shows a spatial view of the quench spray nozzle 1, while Figure 2 an exploded view of the individual parts shows and the Figures 3, 4 and 5 to display different sectional views.

[0035] As can be seen from the figures, the quenching spray head 1 comprises a multi-part housing 100, which in the illustrated embodiment has a cover element 200, an intermediate element 300, and a base body 400. The individual components 200, 300, and 400 are, as shown in particular, Figures 2 and 3As can be seen, the components are assembled to form the housing 100. For a fluid-tight connection between the elements 200, 300 and 400, sealing elements 610, 612, 614, 616, for example in the form of O-rings or sealing cords, are further provided, which in the illustrated embodiment are arranged in grooves 310, 312, 314, and 316 formed in the intermediate element 300.

[0036] Furthermore, the base body 400 can be equipped with different elements 300 or 200 for various applications, enabling it to fulfill different tasks. For example, the base body 400 could be used both as the base for a quenching spray nozzle and as the base for a sensor, with only the intermediate element 300 and the cover element 200 being adapted and designed accordingly for the different tasks. For instance, for a sensor housing, the intermediate element 300 could be designed as a sensor carrier, and the cover element 200 could have corresponding recesses to allow the sensor or sensor element to take measurements.

[0037] Furthermore, Figures 1, 2 and 3It can be seen that the base body 400 has several connection options on the side facing away from the cover element 200 in order to feed a quenching fluid and / or a coolant into the housing 100. In the illustrated embodiment of the quenching shower, a quenching fluid inlet 502, a coolant inlet 506 and a coolant outlet 508 are provided for this purpose.

[0038] Furthermore, the Figures 1 and 2 The cover element 200 has several spray holes 202 arranged in rows and columns, forming a spray hole array 204. Furthermore, the cover element 200 has a fluid receiving chamber 203 located within the spray hole array 204, which serves to distribute quenching fluid evenly to the spray holes 202. The spray holes 202 are, as detailed in the Figures 3 and 4The quenching fluid, which is introduced into the housing 100 via the quenching fluid inlet 502, can exit to cool a workpiece being machined. For this purpose, the base body 400 has a recess 402 that is fluidically connected to the quenching fluid inlet 502. The recess 402 opens into a cavity 404, which is also formed in the base body. This cavity 404 serves to collect the quenching fluid before it is discharged to the spray holes 202. This is necessary to ensure that the quenching fluid is distributed evenly across the spray hole array 204, so that all spray holes 202 are supplied with the same quantity of quenching fluid and at the same quenching fluid pressure at the same time.

[0039] To ensure that the quenching fluid is distributed within the cavity 404 even at high quenching fluid pressures, the intermediate element 300 is designed as a baffle plate that distributes the flow of the quenching fluid. For this purpose, the intermediate plate has elongated holes 302 that allow fluid passage towards the spray hole array 204. These elongated holes 302 are covered by baffle structures 320, which deflect the quenching fluid passing through them and distribute it within the fluid receiving chamber 203 of the cover element. The elongated holes 302 and the baffle structures 320 ensure that the quenching fluid is not only transferred centrally into the spray hole array 204, but that all spray holes 202 are supplied with the same pressure and the same quantity of quenching fluid. This ensures that the workpiece is uniformly supplied with quenching fluid across the entire surface of the quenching spray.

[0040] Alternatively, the intermediate element and / or the lid element can be designed to allow for a targeted, variable distribution of quenching fluid onto the workpiece, both temporally and in terms of quantity. This can be used to precisely control the stresses during quenching and the resulting residual stresses, which can reduce the tendency for cracking.

[0041] Furthermore, the sectional view of Fig. 3 , that the intermediate element also has a cavity 304 which is fluidically connected to the cavity 404 in which quenching fluid can be received in sufficient quantity to release it as evenly as possible at the same time towards the shower hole field.

[0042] As mentioned above and in the sectional view of Figure 3As can be seen, the intermediate element 300 has structures 320 which cause the quenching fluid, which is introduced at high pressure through the quenching fluid inlet 502 into the cavity 404 and 304 and is guided via the elongated holes 302 towards the shower hole field 204, to accumulate in the cavity 304 and be deflected or distributed after passing through the elongated holes 302, so that the entire fluid receiving space 203 is supplied with quenching fluid before the quenching fluid passes through the shower holes 202.

[0043] In the illustrated embodiment Fig. 3 The shower holes are designed as straight drill holes, but it can also be, as in particular Figure 4This shows that the spray holes are angled, for example, to allow a quenching fluid jet to be directed at an angle. It is also possible that angled and straight spray holes 202 are provided in the same cover element. Furthermore, the spray holes may have different diameters or geometries. For example, the spray holes, or a portion of them, 202 may be conical, creating a nozzle effect.

[0044] Furthermore, the Figures 1 to 5The housing 100 can also be actively cooled with a cooling fluid. This active cooling makes it possible to use materials for the cover element 200 or the intermediate element 300 that would normally not withstand, or only insufficiently withstand, the high temperatures and the high radiant and convective heat input of the inductively heated workpieces. For example, thanks to the active cooling, aluminum or plastic can be used for the cover element 200.

[0045] To enable this active cooling of the housing 100, the housing 100, as mentioned above, has a coolant fluid inlet 506 and a coolant fluid outlet 508. Corresponding coolant passages are formed in the housing 100, or in the individual parts 200, 300 and 400, which connect the coolant inlet 506 with the coolant outlet 508 and guide the coolant through the housing, thus actively cooling it.

[0046] The coolant passages, especially those of the cover element, can additionally be equipped with a rough surface, thereby increasing the overall surface area that is cooled, which in turn increases the cooling effect.

[0047] The coolant passage can be configured in various ways, with the side surfaces 210, 212, 214, and 216 in the cover element 200 being actively cooled in order to maintain the cover element 200 at a temperature level at which no damage is to be expected. To transfer the coolant from the coolant inlet 506 towards the cover element 200, a through-opening 406 or 306 is provided in both the base element 400 and the intermediate element 300, respectively. In the illustrated embodiment, these openings are designed as slot-shaped passages and form chamber-like sections.

[0048] Likewise, in order to transfer the coolant from the cover element 200 back to the coolant outlet 508, a through-opening 408 or 308 is provided in both the base element 400 and the intermediate element 300, which are also designed as slot-shaped passages in the illustrated embodiment and form chamber-like sections.

[0049] Openings 406 and 306 serve as coolant supply openings, and openings 308 and 408 serve as coolant discharge openings.

[0050] The openings 406 and 306 are in turn fluidically connected to a chamber-shaped section 206, which is formed in the side wall 214 of the cover element 200, so that the coolant is transferred from the coolant fluid inlet 506 via the slot-shaped passage 406 of the base body 400 into the slot-shaped passage 306 of the intermediate element 300 and from there into the chamber-shaped section 206, which thus serves as the coolant supply section of the cover element 200.

[0051] Likewise, a chamber-like section 208 is also formed in the opposite side wall 216 of the cover element, which serves to return coolant from the cover element 200 via the slot-shaped passage 308 of the intermediate element 300 and the slot-shaped passage 408 of the base body to the coolant outlet 508, so that the chamber-like section 208 serves as a coolant discharge section of the cover element 200.

[0052] To enable a fluidic connection between the coolant supply section 206 and the coolant discharge section 208, a coolant guide section 220 or 222 is formed in each of the side walls 210 and 212 of the cover element 200, which is particularly in the Figures 4 and 5 is shown. How to continue the Figures 4 and 5 As can be seen, coolant guide structures 224 are arranged in the coolant guide sections 220 and 222, respectively. These structures result in several coolant channels 226 being formed in the side walls 210 and 222, through which coolant is guided and distributed evenly over the entire side surface 210 and 212, respectively. The coolant guide structures 224 ensure that coolant received in the chamber-like coolant supply section 206 is distributed evenly in the side walls 210 and 212 towards the chamber-like coolant discharge section 208, so that both sides 210 and 212 of the cover element 200 are cooled.

[0053] As mentioned above, and especially in the sectional view of Figure 3 As can be seen, the individual elements 200, 300, and 400 are fluid-tightly connected to one another, using sealing elements such as O-ring seals 610, 612, 614, and 616. These sealing elements are arranged such that the slot-shaped passages 306 and 308 are fluidically sealed both to the quenching fluid receiving area 203, 304, 404, and to the external environment, so that the coolant cannot escape to the outside, nor can the coolant and quenching fluid mix. This is particularly important when the coolant and quenching fluid are different fluids.

[0054] Overall, the segmented design, consisting of several sub-elements, allows the housing of the induction tool to be easily adapted to various applications. For example, the cover element 200 can be easily replaced to accommodate different quenching nozzles for various geometries and workpieces. It is also possible to use the same base body 400 to house a sensor instead of a quenching nozzle.

[0055] Active cooling of the housing makes it possible to manufacture it from other, easier-to-manufacture materials, allowing the use of materials that would not normally withstand the high temperatures. Furthermore, active cooling allows the tool to be positioned closer to the heated workpiece, which in turn improves measurement accuracy and quenching precision. Reference symbol list

[0056] 1 Quenching spray 100 Housing 200 Cover element 202 Spray holes 203 Fluid intake chamber 204 Spray hole field 206 Chamber-like coolant supply section 208 Chamber-like coolant discharge section 210, 212, 214, 216 Side surfaces, side walls 220, 222 Coolant guide sections 224 Coolant guide structures 226 Coolant channels 300 Intermediate element 302 Elongated holes 304 Cavity 306 Slotted passage for coolant supply 308 Slotted passage for coolant discharge 310, 312, 314, 316 Grooves for seal 320 Structures 400 Base body 402 Cover opposite side, recess 404 Cavity 406 Slotted passage for coolant supply 408 Slotted passage for coolant discharge 502 Quenching fluid inlet 506 Coolant inlet 508 Coolant outlet 610, 612, 614, 616 Sealing element

Claims

1. Housing (100) of a tool used in inductive hardening, in particular a quenching shower (1) or a sensor, characterized in that the housing (100) has a cover element (200) and a base body (400) connected thereto, wherein at least one coolant inlet (506) and one coolant outlet (508) are further formed in the base body (400), and at least one coolant passage (202; 206; 208; 220; 222; 224; 226) is formed in the cover element (200), which is fluidically connected to the coolant inlet (506) and the coolant outlet (508) in order to actively cool the housing (100) by means of a coolant.

2. Housing (100) according to claim 1, wherein the cover element (200) is designed to accommodate at least a part of a sensor.

3. Housing (100) according to claim 1, wherein the housing (100) is designed as a housing of a quenching shower (1), and a plurality of through-bores designed as shower holes (202) are provided in the cover element (200), and a quenching fluid inlet (502) is formed in the base body (400), wherein the quenching fluid inlet (502) is fluidically connected to the plurality of shower holes (202) so that a quenching fluid can be applied to a workpiece to be quenched through the shower holes (202).

4. Housing (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cover element (200) and the base body (400) are detachably connectable to one another.

5. Housing (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one coolant passage (202; 206; 208; 220; 222; 224; 226) is arranged in at least one of the side walls (210; 212; 214; 216) of the cover element (200).

6. Housing (100) according to claim 3, wherein the cover element (200) has a first, second, third and fourth side wall (210, 212, 214, 216), wherein the first and second side wall (210, 212) and the third and fourth side wall (214, 216) are each arranged opposite one another, and the coolant passage (202; 206; 208; 220; 222; 224; 226) has a coolant supply section (206), a coolant discharge section (208) and a first and a second coolant guide section (220, 222), wherein the first and second coolant guide section (220, 222) are in the first and second side wall (210, 212), the coolant supply section (206) in the third side wall (214) and the coolant discharge section (208) are formed in the fourth side wall (216).

7. Housing (100) according to claim 4, wherein the coolant supply section (206) and / or the coolant discharge section (208) are each formed as a chamber-like space.

8. Housing (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein furthermore in the at least one coolant passage (202; 206; 208; 220; 222; 224; 226) at least one coolant distribution structure (224) is formed, which is designed to distribute the coolant in the cover element (200).

9. Housing (100) according to claim 8, wherein the coolant distribution structure (224) is formed as a roughened surface or has a roughened surface.

10. Housing (100) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the coolant distribution structure (224) is preferably provided in the first and / or second coolant guide section (220, 222).

11. Housing (100) according to claim 10, wherein the coolant distribution structure (224) is designed such that a plurality of, preferably parallel, coolant channels (226) are formed in the first and / or second side wall (210; 212).

12. Housing (100) for a quenching shower (1) according to one of claims 3 to 11, wherein the shower holes (202) are arranged such that they form a shower hole field (204), wherein a fluid receiving space (203) is further provided in the quenching shower (1), which is formed in the region of the shower hole field (204) and is designed to receive the quenching fluid and transfer it to the shower holes (202).

13. Housing (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein an intermediate element (300) is further provided which is arranged between the base body (400) and the cover element (200).

14. Housing (100) for a quenching shower (1) according to claims 3 and 13, wherein the intermediate element (300) is designed to distribute the quenching fluid from the quenching fluid inlet (502) evenly in the direction of the shower holes (202), wherein preferably the intermediate element (300) has a plurality of elongated holes (302), which are preferably arranged in the region of the shower hole field (204).

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