JP2010076037A - O-ring fitting apparatus and o-ring fitting method - Google Patents

Abstract

An O-ring having a longer circumference than an O-ring mounting groove is automatically mounted.
[Solution]
While the O-ring is pushed into the annular O-ring mounting groove provided on the workpiece by the rotation roller, the mounting groove and the rotation roller are moved relative to each other, and the pushing point where the O-ring is pushed by the rotation roller is moved. Automates the process of attaching the O-ring, which has a diameter larger than the diameter of the ring mounting groove, to the mounting groove while being compressed. At the indentation point, the rotation direction of the outer periphery of the rotation roller and the direction in which the indentation point relatively moves along the attachment groove are opposite to each other, and the rotation speed is higher than the speed at which the indentation point moves along the attachment groove. Since the rotation speed at which the roller rotates is larger, the O-ring can be mounted while being compressed, and an O-ring having a longer circumference than the mounting groove can be automatically mounted uniformly.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus for mounting an O-ring in an O-ring mounting groove (hereinafter referred to as a mounting groove) provided in a workpiece and a method for mounting the O-ring.

  The operation of attaching the O-ring to the mounting groove provided in the work is generally performed manually. When manually mounting the O-ring, it takes time and effort because the O-ring is inserted little by little into the mounting groove with the fingertips, and the entire assembly is adjusted.

Devices have been developed that automatically install an O-ring in the mounting groove. Patent Document 1 discloses an O-ring mounting device. As shown in FIG. 9, this attachment device is attached by pushing an O-ring into an attachment groove formed on the inside of a cylindrical workpiece.
In this O-ring attachment device, an O-ring 55 is stretched around three cylindrical pushing members 51, 52, 53. In this state, the pushing members 51 and 52 are rotated. Then, the O-ring 55 is pushed into the mounting groove. After the O-ring 55 is pushed in, as shown in FIG. 9B, the three pushing members 51, 52, 53 are revolved along the mounting groove. By the revolving motion, the bias of the O-ring mounted in the mounting groove is made uniform.
JP 59-24928

  The O-ring attachment device of Patent Document 1 can be attached to the attachment groove while extending the O-ring, but cannot be attached to the attachment groove while pushing and shrinking the O-ring. When attaching an O-ring having a diameter larger than the diameter of the mounting groove, the technique described in Patent Document 1 causes the O-ring to be left in the mounting groove. When installing an O-ring having a diameter larger than the diameter of the mounting groove, it was still necessary to perform manual mounting.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an O-ring mounting device and an O-ring mounting method capable of automatically performing an operation of mounting an O-ring having a diameter larger than the diameter of the mounting groove on the mounting groove while being compressed.

  In the present invention, the mounting groove and the rotating roller are moved simultaneously with the rotation of the roller for pushing the O-ring into the O-ring mounting groove, and the point at which the O-ring is pushed by the rotating roller (hereinafter referred to as the pushing point) is moved. As a result, the operation of mounting the O-ring having a diameter larger than the diameter of the O-ring mounting groove on the mounting groove while being compressed is automated.

  The O-ring mounting device according to the present invention includes a rotation roller that rotates at a position where the O-ring is pushed into a work mounting groove, and a work piece so that a pushing point at which the O-ring is pushed by the rotation roller moves along the mounting groove. A moving mechanism that relatively moves the rotation roller is provided.

In the present invention, the rotation direction of the outer periphery of the rotation roller at the pushing point and the direction in which the pushing point relatively moves along the mounting groove are set to be opposite to each other. For example, with respect to the mounting groove provided on the inner wall of the annular workpiece, the O-ring is rotated while the cylindrical rotating roller is flush with the mounting groove in the vicinity of the inner wall surface of the annular workpiece and rotates counterclockwise. When mounting by pushing into the mounting groove, as shown in FIG. 8, the rotation roller 1 having the radius r ₁ is rotated counterclockwise at the angular velocity ω ₁ and the pushing point P is rotated clockwise along the mounting groove (radius r ₂ ). as it will be the rotational movement of the angular velocity omega _P, by moving at least one of the workpiece and the rotation roller, the rotation direction of the outer periphery of the rotation roller at the push point, relative movement along the groove mounting indentation point P The directions can be opposite to each other. The auto-rotating roller rotates at the position where the O-ring is pushed into the mounting groove, thereby pushing the O-ring into the mounting groove. The O-ring that has passed the pushing point is in a state where pushing into the mounting groove has been completed. In the attachment device of the present invention, the indentation point advances by reversing the direction of rotation of the outer periphery of the rotation roller at the indentation point and the direction in which the indentation point relatively moves along the attachment groove. That is, the O-ring before being pushed is continuously pushed into the mounting groove.

In the O-ring attachment device of the present invention, the rotational speed at which the rotation roller rotates is set to be greater than the speed at which the pushing point moves along the attachment groove. For example, in the case of FIG. 8, the rotation speed of the rotation roller at the indentation point is r ₁ ω ₁ in the tangential direction at the indentation point on the outer periphery of the rotation roller 1. Speed push point P moves along the groove attachment becomes r ₂ omega _P in the tangential direction of the mounting groove in the inner circumference of the workpiece 7. In this case, it made to be _{r 1 ω 1> r 2 ω} P. If this relationship is set, the O-ring can be pushed into the mounting groove while being compressed. An O-ring having a diameter larger than the diameter of the mounting groove can be automatically mounted in the mounting groove.

  Moreover, in this invention, it is preferable that the anti-slip | skid part which provides a frictional force to the surface which contacts the O-ring of an autorotation roller is provided. By providing the non-slip portion, the slip between the autorotation roller and the O-ring is suppressed, and the O-ring can be pushed into the mounting groove more securely while being compressed.

  Moreover, in this invention, the O-ring attachment method attached to an attachment groove can be provided, pressing and shrinking an O-ring with a diameter larger than the diameter of an attachment groove. In the O-ring mounting method of the present invention, the rotation roller rotates at a position where the O-ring is pushed into the workpiece mounting groove, and the pushing point where the O-ring is pushed by the rotation roller moves along the mounting groove. Move the workpiece and the rotating roller relative to each other, and push the O-rings in order along the mounting groove. Furthermore, the rotation direction of the outer periphery of the rotation roller at the indentation point and the direction in which the indentation point relatively moves along the attachment groove are opposite to each other, and the speed at which the indentation point moves along the attachment groove is The rotation speed of the rotation roller is increased, and the O-rings are sequentially pushed into the mounting grooves while being contracted in the circumferential direction. As a result, it is possible to efficiently perform an operation of attaching the O-ring having a diameter larger than the diameter of the attachment groove to the attachment groove while being compressed.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to automatically perform an operation of attaching an O-ring having a diameter larger than the diameter of the attachment groove to the attachment groove while being compressed. The efficiency of O-ring installation work is improved. Further, the compression state of the O-ring can be made uniform in the circumferential direction.

The main features of the embodiments described below are listed below.
(Feature 1) An anti-slip mechanism for the O-ring is provided on the surface of the rotating roller that contacts the O-ring.
(Characteristic 2) The anti-slip mechanism has unevenness with a smoothness enough to bite the O-ring locally but not damage the O-ring.
(Feature 3) An O-ring is attached to an attachment groove formed on the inner surface of the annular workpiece.
(Feature 4) An O-ring is attached to an annular mounting groove formed on the flat surface of the workpiece.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the O-ring mounting device 20 of the present embodiment includes a mounting base 5 on which a workpiece 7 is placed, a rotating roller 1, a rotating motor 3 as a driving means for rotating the rotating roller 1, and the rotating roller 1 as a workpiece. The cylinder 4 is moved in the radial direction, the moving mechanism 2, and the control device 6. In the present embodiment, the moving mechanism 2 rotates the work 7. The control device 6 controls the moving mechanism 2, the rotation motor 3, and the cylinder 4.

  As shown in FIG. 2, an annular work installation groove 10 is formed in the mounting base 5. The workpiece 7 is annular, and the annular workpiece installation groove 10 has a shape for receiving the annular workpiece 7. An O-ring mounting groove 9 is formed on the inner wall of the annular workpiece 7. The depth of the workpiece installation groove 10 is adjusted so that the upper surface of the mounting base 5 and the lower end of the installation groove 9 of the workpiece 7 are aligned at the same height when the annular workpiece 7 is installed in the annular workpiece installation groove 10. It is. The wall surface of the annular workpiece installation groove 10 is finished so as to have a low coefficient of friction, and the annular workpiece 7 is set so that it can rotate lightly in the annular workpiece installation groove 10.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the moving mechanism 2 includes a pusher 13 that holds the workpiece 7 installed in the workpiece installation groove 10. The pusher 13 is attached to the robot hand 18. The robot hand 18 is taught to rotate the pusher 13 along the annular workpiece installation groove 10. When the robot hand 18 rotates the pusher along the annular workpiece installation groove 10, the annular workpiece 7 pressed by the pusher 13 rotates while being guided by the annular workpiece installation groove 10.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the mounting base 5 is provided with a long hole 12. The long hole 12 extends in the radial direction of the annular workpiece 7 installed in the annular workpiece installation groove 10. The rotation roller 1 is disposed above the mounting base 5, and the rotation shaft 11 of the rotation roller 1 passes through the long hole 12 to reach the lower side of the mounting base 5 and is connected to the rotation motor 3. The cylinder 4 moves the entire rotation roller 1, the rotation shaft 11, and the rotation motor 3 along the long hole 12. An anti-slip 14 is provided on the surface where the rotating roller 1 contacts the O-ring (the side surface of the cylindrical rotating roller), and slippage is unlikely to occur between the O-ring and the rotating roller 1. In this embodiment, knurling is applied to prevent slipping.

  FIG. 3A is a plan view of the mounting base 5 of the O-ring mounting device shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3 (a), a long hole 12 is formed from the center of the mounting base 5 to the outside, and a rotating roller along the long hole 12 is formed by a cylinder 4 installed at the bottom of the mounting base 5. 1 and the rotation motor 3 move.

  Next, the operation method and effects of the O-ring mounting device of this embodiment will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 3A, the work 7 is set in the work setting groove 10. At this time, the rotation roller 1 is located on the center side of the mounting base 5 of the elongated hole 12 and is in the state farthest from the workpiece 7.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, the O-ring 8 is installed on the mount 5 so that a part of the O-ring 8 is positioned between the work 7 and the rotation roller 1. This operation can also be performed automatically using a robot hand or the like. For example, a part of the O-ring 8 is pinched with a chuck or the like and suspended at a height at which the lower end of the O-ring 8 touches the mounting base 5, and moves from the outside to the inside of the mounting base 5 along the long hole 12. On the other hand, after the O-ring 8 is hooked on the rotation roller 1, the O-ring 8 is placed on the mount 5. As a result, the O-ring 8 can be installed on the mount 5 so that a part of the O-ring 8 is positioned between the workpiece 7 and the rotating roller 1.

  After installing the O-ring 8, the operation of the O-ring mounting device is started. As shown in FIG. 3C, the control device 6 controls the cylinder 4 to move the rotation roller 1 and the rotation motor 3 along the elongated hole 12 toward the workpiece 7. As a result, a part of the O-ring 8 is pushed into the mounting groove 9 of the workpiece 7.

  In this embodiment, the rotation roller 1 is moved in the radial direction to a position where a slight gap is formed between the inner peripheral surface of the work 7 and the outer peripheral surface of the rotation roller 1. If the distance between the inner peripheral surface of the workpiece 7 and the outer peripheral surface of the rotation roller 1 is too large, the O-ring 8 cannot be pushed into the mounting groove 9. When the outer peripheral surface of the rotating roller 1 is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the work 7, there is a concern about wear. An appropriate value regarding the distance between the inner peripheral surface of the work 7 and the outer peripheral surface of the rotation roller 1 is set in the control device 6 in accordance with the O-ring to be attached and the attachment groove. At this position, the rotation roller rotates and the O-ring 8 is pushed into the work mounting groove 9.

Next, the O-ring 8 is mounted in the mounting groove 9 while rotating the rotating roller 1 and simultaneously rotating the workpiece 7. In addition, the direction (clockwise direction, counterclockwise direction) of rotational movement demonstrated below is a direction which looked at the mounting base 5 from the upper surface. As shown in FIG. 4A, the rotation roller 1 having a radius r ₁ is rotated counterclockwise by the rotation motor 3 at an angular velocity ω ₁ (ω ₁ > 0). The rotation speed of the rotation of the rotation roller is r ₁ ω ₁ . On the other hand, the work 7 having an inner diameter r ₂ is rotated counterclockwise by the robot hand 18 at an angular velocity ω ₂ (ω ₂ > 0).

In this embodiment, the rotation speed r ₁ ω _{1 at} which the outer periphery of the rotation roller 1 rotates and the speed r ₂ ω ₂ at which the mounting groove 9 provided on the inner periphery of the work 7 rotates due to the rotation of the work 7 are r _1. The rotation motor 3 and the moving mechanism 2 are controlled so as to satisfy the relationship of ω ₁ > r ₂ ω ₂ .

  In this way, the O-ring 8 is continuously compressed and attached to the attachment groove 9 by rotating the rotation roller 1 while rotating the workpiece 7. The O-ring 8 that has passed through the pushing point where the rotating roller 1 pushes the O-ring is in a state where the pushing into the mounting groove 9 has been completed.

As shown in FIG. 4 (b), when the workpiece 7 rotates counterclockwise, the pushing point moves from the position A to the position B. The indentation point rotates in a clockwise direction opposite to the workpiece 7 with a radius r ₂ and an angular velocity ω ₂ . That is, the rotation direction of the outer periphery of the rotation roller 1 at the pushing point and the direction in which the pushing point relatively moves along the mounting groove 9 are opposite to each other. Assuming that the time taken to move from the position A to the position B is a unit time, the length of the curve AB is equal to the speed r ₂ ω _{2 at} which the pushing point relatively moves along the mounting groove 9. On the other hand, the outer peripheral surface of the rotation roller 1 rotates by a distance of r ₁ ω ₁ during that time. If there is no slip between the rotating roller 1 and the O-ring, an O-ring 8 having a length of r ₁ ω ₁ is pushed between AB. That is, the O-ring 8 having a length of r ₁ ω ₁ is pushed into the mounting groove 9 having a length of r ₂ ω ₂ per unit time. As described above, since r ₁ ω ₁ > r ₂ ω ₂ , the O-ring having the length of r ₁ ω ₁ is attached to the mounting groove 9 while being compressed to the length of r ₂ ω ₂ .

If there is no slip between the rotating roller 1 and the O-ring 8, the time required for the rotating roller 1 to make one round with respect to the work 7 and the time required for the peripheral surface of the rotating roller 1 to feed the entire length of the O-ring. Should be equal. That is, when the inner circumference of the workpiece 7 is L _W and the inner circumference of the O-ring before mounting is L 2 _O , L _W / r ₂ ω ₂ = L _O / r ₁ ω ₁ may be satisfied. Actually, the rotational speed at which proper attachment can be performed experimentally is determined in consideration of the elasticity of the O-ring and the effect of slippage between the O-ring and the rotation roller 1.

  The distance obtained by integrating the peripheral speed due to the rotation of the rotating roller 1 over the period required for the pushing point to make one rotation along the mounting groove 9 is set to be equal to or greater than the peripheral length of the O-ring before mounting. Then, when the rotation roller 1 completes one round along the attachment groove 9, it is possible to prevent the O-ring before being pushed in from remaining.

Instead of rotating the work 7, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, the rotation shaft of the rotation roller 1 may be moved along the inner peripheral direction of the work 7. Alternatively, both the rotation shaft of the rotation roller 1 and the work 7 may be moved to relatively move the rotation roller 1 along the attachment groove 9 of the work 7. Specifically, the angular velocity ω ₁ in the direction in which the rotating roller 1 rotates is positive, the angular velocity at which the mounting groove 9 of the work 7 rotates by the moving mechanism 2 is ω ₂ , and the rotating roller 1 moves along the mounting groove 9. When the angular velocity of the rotational motion is ω ₃ , the rotation speed of rotation of the outer periphery of the rotation roller 1 at the pushing point where the O-ring is pushed into the mounting groove 9 is r ₁ ω ₁ , and the pushing point is along the mounting groove 9. since the speed of movement becomes _{r 2 (ω 2 -ω 3)} Te, the _{r 1 ω 1> r 2 (} ω 2 -ω 3)> 0 for rotation speed _{r 1} omega ₁ of rotation of the outer periphery of the rotation roller 1 If it is satisfied, the O-ring can be attached to the attachment groove 9 while being compressed. 5 shows a case where ω ₂ = 0, that is, a case where the workpiece 7 is not rotated. Therefore, according to the above formula, ω ₃ <0, and the rotation roller 1 has a rotation direction and a mounting groove. The direction of the rotational movement moving along 9 is reversed.

  The O-ring mounting device of this embodiment is mounted with the O-ring attached in a state where the mounting groove provided on the inner side of the annular workpiece is installed on a horizontal plane. Even if the form, the direction of installation, and the position of the mounting groove are different, the mounting is possible in the same manner. The rotation direction of the outer periphery of the rotation roller at the indentation point is opposite to the direction in which the indentation point moves relative to the attachment groove, and the rotation roller is faster than the speed at which the indentation point moves along the attachment groove. If the rotation roller is rotated so that the rotation speed at which the rotation is increased, the O-ring can be attached while being compressed.

For example, when an O-ring is attached to a workpiece installed with an annular mounting groove on a vertical plane as shown in FIG. 6A, the rotation axis of the rotating shaft as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6 (c), by using a rotation roller having a recess that partially locks the O-ring, the rotation roller is rotated halfway in a state in which the position of the recess and the mounting groove is aligned. Can be pushed into the mounting groove. Next, as shown in FIG. 6 (d), the rotation roller may be moved in the horizontal direction, and the O-ring may be attached in the same manner using the portion without the depression. For example, in FIG. 6D, a cylindrical rotating roller 1 having a radius r ₁ is rotated at an angular velocity ω ₁ , and a workpiece 7 having an inner peripheral radius r ₂ is rotated in the same direction as the rotating direction of the rotating roller 1. By rotating at ω ₂ so that r ₁ ω ₁ > r ₂ ω ₂ , the O-ring can be attached while being compressed.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7, even when the attachment groove is dug down in the vertical direction, the O-ring can be attached while being compressed in the same manner as in this embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the mounting roller 9 having a radius r ₂ is provided by pressing from the upper surface on the outer peripheral surface of the rotation roller 1 to rotate the rotation roller 1 having a radius r _{1 in} the direction of the arrow at an angular velocity ω _1. If the workpiece 7 is rotated at an angular speed ω ₂ , the peripheral speed of the outer periphery of the rotating roller at the pressing point where the O-ring is pushed into the mounting groove, and the peripheral speed at which the pressing point relatively rotates along the mounting groove. Is in the opposite direction. That is, the rotation direction of the outer periphery of the rotation roller at the pushing point is opposite to the direction in which the pushing point relatively moves along the mounting groove. Furthermore, if the speed _{r 2} omega ₂ and _{r 1 ω 1> r 2 ω} 2 which moves along the rotation speed _{r 1} omega ₁ and mounting indentation point groove 9 rotates the rotating roller 1, shrink press O-ring It is possible to install while.

The block diagram of the O-ring attachment apparatus of an Example. The figure explaining the positional relationship of the mounting groove and mounting base of an Example. The top view of the mount of an Example. 3A is a state before the operation of the apparatus, FIG. 3B is a state where an O-ring is placed, and FIG. 3C is a state where one end of the O-ring is attached to a mounting groove. is there. The figure explaining the attachment operation of an Example. FIG. 4A is a diagram for explaining the rotational motion of the workpiece and the rotating roller, and FIG. 4B is a diagram for explaining the mounting of the O-ring. The figure explaining attachment operation of a modification. The figure explaining attachment operation of a modification. 6A is a diagram of the workpiece used in the modification, and FIGS. 6B and 6C are diagrams for explaining an operation of attaching one end of the O-ring to the attachment groove. (D) is a figure explaining attachment of the whole O-ring. The figure explaining attachment operation of a modification. The figure explaining the direction of rotation and the direction of peripheral speed in rotational motion. The conceptual diagram of the O-ring attachment apparatus of a prior art example. FIG. 9A shows the pushing operation, and FIG. 9A shows the bias suppressing operation.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Rotating roller 2 Moving mechanism 3 Rotating motor 4 Cylinder 5 Mounting base 6 Controller 7 Work piece 8 O-ring 9 Mounting groove 10 Work installation groove 11 Rotating shaft 12 Long hole 13 Pusher 14 Non-slip mechanism 18 Robot hand 20 O-ring attachment device 51 , 52, 53 Work pushing material 54 Work 55 O-ring

Claims (3)

A rotation roller that rotates at the position where the O-ring is pushed into the workpiece mounting groove;
A moving mechanism for moving the workpiece and the rotating roller relative to each other so that a pressing point for pressing the O-ring with the rotating roller moves along the mounting groove;
The rotation direction of the outer periphery of the rotation roller at the pushing point and the direction in which the pushing point relatively moves along the mounting groove are opposite to each other, and the pushing point moves along the mounting groove. An O-ring mounting device, wherein the rotation roller is rotated by a driving means so that the rotation speed of the rotation of the rotation roller is larger than the rotation speed.   The O-ring mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the rotation roller is provided with a non-slip portion that applies a frictional force to a surface in contact with the O-ring. Rotate the rotating roller that rotates at the position where the O-ring is pushed into the work mounting groove,
The workpiece and the rotation roller are moved relative to each other so that the pushing point at which the rotation roller pushes the O-ring moves along the attachment groove, and the O-ring is sequentially pushed along the attachment groove and attached. O-ring mounting method,
The rotation direction of the outer periphery of the rotation roller at the pushing point and the direction in which the pushing point relatively moves along the mounting groove are opposite to each other, and the pushing point moves along the mounting groove. A method of attaching an O-ring, wherein the rotation speed of the rotation of the rotation roller is greater than the rotation speed, and the O-ring is sequentially pushed into the mounting groove while being contracted in the circumferential direction.

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