Metal working – Means to assemble or disassemble – Heat exchanger
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-18
2001-09-25
Rosenbaum, I Cuda (Department: 3726)
Metal working
Means to assemble or disassemble
Heat exchanger
C029S890047
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293002
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat exchanger assembling apparatus, and more particularly, to an apparatus for assembling a heater core for vehicle use, which is one type of heat exchanger, in an integrated automation process.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a heat exchanger is assembled manually or in a semiautomatic process. The heat exchanger is assembled through steps of stacking a plurality of tubes, disposing fins for heat radiation between the tubes, arranging supports at both sides of the stacked tubes, assembling a header at both end portions of the tubes and the supports, and assembling a tank to the header. As the above steps are repeated, when a heat exchanger is produced manually or in a semiautomatic process, the number of workers is increased while productivity decreases.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To solve the above problems, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a heat exchanger assembling apparatus for an integrated automated process.
Accordingly, to achieve the above objective, there is provided a heat exchanger assembling apparatus which comprises a tube loading device for loading tubes of a heat exchanger, in an aligned state, in a tray having a plurality of partitions formed at predetermined intervals, a fin supply device for supplying fins supplied through a chute to spaces formed between the partition for the tubes in the tray, by transferring the tray at predetermined intervals, a support supply device for supplying supports in a state of being erected to spaces formed between the partitions at the outermost side in the tray, a vision inspector for inspecting whether the fins, the tubes and the supports are appropriately arranged in the tray without any missing part spaces, a discharging device for discharging the fins, the tubes and the supports from the tray to the table and aligning the fins, the tubes and the supports with respect to the width direction and the lengthwise direction thereof, a transfer device for gripping the fins, the tubes and the supports and transferring the fins, the tubes and the supports to a header assembly table, and a header assembling device. The header assembling device comprises a pressing device for pressing and firmly holding a support on the header assembly table, a picket device for pushing the fins which are located between the tubes into the spaces between the tubes, a header assembly device for maintaining a header and for coupling the header to the tubes by deforming an end portion of the tubes after fitting the header to the tubes so as to assemble the header with the tubes on the header assembly table, and a transfer device for transferring the header assembling device to be close to or separated from the header assembly table.
It is preferred in the present invention that relatively narrow partition spaces for inserting the tubes and relatively wider partition spaces for inserting the fins are formed in the tray and a rack gear is formed on a bottom surface of the tray.
Also, it is preferred in the present invention that the tube loading device comprises a first driving motor, a pair of sprockets rotated by the first driving motor and arranged to be inclined with respect to each other, a chain circulating by the sprockets, and a tube receiving portion installed with respect to the chain and having a space for accommodating the tubes.
Also, it is preferred in the present invention that the tube loading device further comprises loading guides for loading the tubes in a space formed therebetween, a knife for preventing the tubes from falling under the loading guides, a cylinder for selectively compressing or expanding the knife, a first block to which the cylinder is fixed and in which a ball screw groove is formed, a first ball screw in a vertical direction which is inserted in the ball screw groove of the first block and a first bevel gear installed at an upper end of the first ball screw, a first shaft in a horizontal direction where a second bevel gear is installed which is engaged with the first bevel gear, and a second driving motor for rotating the first shaft.
Also, it is preferred in the present invention that the tube loading device further comprises a rotation portion having a blade for pushing the loaded tube one by one, a second shaft in a horizontal direction to which the rotation portion is fixed, a third driving motor for rotating the second shaft, a first gear installed at an end portion of the second shaft, a second gear engaged with the first gear, a third shaft parallel to the second shaft and where the second gear is installed, a third bevel gear where the third shaft is installed, a second block where the rotation portion is rotatably installed at one side thereof and guides are installed at a bottom surface thereof, a fourth shaft rotatably installed penetrating the second block and where a fourth bevel gear engaged with the third bevel gear is installed at an upper end portion thereof and a third gear is installed at an lower end portion thereof, and an insertion portion guided by the guides installed at the bottom surface of the second block, and where an insertion space in which the tubes are vertically inserted is formed and a rack gear engaged with the third gear is installed at one side there.
Also, it is preferred in the present invention that the tube loading device further comprises a fourth driving motor, a second ball screw in a horizontal direction rotated by the fourth driving motor, a bearing portion to be capable of rotating with respect to the second ball screw, a nut coupled to the second ball screw, and guide shafts installed parallel to the second ball screw and to which a bush fixed to the nut is coupled, in which, by connecting the bearing portion or the nut to the first bevel gear, the third bevel gear or the rotation portion, the distance between the loading guides or the insertion portion can be selectively close to or separated from each other.
Also, it is preferred in the present invention that the fin supply device comprises first and second gears engaged with the rack gear formed on the bottom surface of the tray so that the tray can be transferred in one direction, first and second pulleys installed at rotary shafts of the first and second gears, respectively, a belt and a driving motor, installed with respect to the first and second pulleys, for rotating the first and second gears a predetermined angle, and a chute for supplying the pins, installed in the same direction as the rotary shaft of the second gear so that the fins are supplied to a space formed between the partitions of the tray when the tray arrives at a predetermined position.
Also, it is preferred in the present invention that the support supply device comprises a pickup device for gripping the supports and transferring the supports to a predetermined position, a turn shaft device for vertically erecting the supports transferred to a predetermined position by the pickup device, and a robot gripping the supports vertically erected and arranging the gripped supports at a predetermined position of the tray.
Also, it is preferred in the present invention that the pickup device comprises a finger for gripping the supports, a first cylinder for elevating the finger, and a second cylinder for guiding the finger to move in a horizontal direction.
Also, it is preferred in the present invention that the turn shaft device comprises a table on which the supports are placed, a pusher for pushing, the supports placed on the table, a turn shaft having a groove for inserting the supports; and a turn cylinder for rotating the turn shaft a predetermined angle.
Also, it is preferred in the present invention that the vision inspector comprises a roller for supporting and transferring the tray, a stopper device for stopping the tray for a predetermined time, a camera, installed above the tray supported on the roller in a standstill state, for taking a photograph of the tray, and a monitor for displaying an image photographed by th
Cho Kyu-bong
Kim Jae-woo
Oh Chang-yun
Yoon Yong-hee
Cuda Rosenbaum I
Halla Climate Control Corporation
Leydig , Voit & Mayer, Ltd.
Nguyen T.
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