JP2001062647A - Assembling device for elastic cylindrical member - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform a reliable work to assemble a boot to a ball joint after expansion of the boot. SOLUTION: An air clamper 7c is employed as a diametric expansion means. An air clamper 7c has a continuous wall surface uniformly expanded throughout a whole periphery only by increasing an air pressure at an internal part. A pressure is uniformly applied to the whole periphery of the opening part 3a of the boot 3 from the air clamper 7c, and the opening part 3a is uniformly expanded throughout a whole periphery. With the uniform diametric expansion state of the boot 3 maintained, a ball joint is inserted through the opening part 3a and reliable assembly is carried out.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an assembling apparatus suitable for assembling a boot to a ball joint.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, a boot made of an elastic material such as rubber is mounted on a ball joint used for a suspension lower arm or a tie rod of an automobile in order to prevent foreign matter from entering a sliding portion. FIG. 5 shows a lower arm 1 of a front suspension as an example in which a ball joint with boots is used. FIG. 5A is a plan view of the lower arm 1 and FIG. 5B is a side view (partially sectional view) of the lower arm 1. The ball joint 2 is covered by a boot 3 as shown. In addition, ball joint 2
The space between the boot and the boot 3 is filled with grease. Therefore, the ball joint 2 is covered without hindering its movement, and the durability can be enhanced by stable lubrication.

FIG. 6 shows that a boot 3 is connected to a ball joint 2.
The main part of the device for assembling in FIG. The boot 3 has openings 3a and 3b, and each of the openings is formed to have a small diameter with respect to the mounting portion of the ball joint 2 (FIG. 5). Therefore, at the time of assembling, it is necessary to temporarily restrict the opening 3a of the boot 3 in a state where the diameter is enlarged, and to insert the mounting portion of the ball joint upward from the enlarged opening 3a. . In order to perform such an operation, the boot assembling apparatus uses the eight pawls 4 whose tip portions 4a are bent in an L-shape, as shown in FIG.
a is arranged in a circular shape by abutting each other, and is supported so as to be radially separated and approachable. Then, in a state where the tips 4a of the claws 4 are in close contact with each other, the tips are inserted into the openings 3a of the boots 3, and then the claws 4 are radially separated from each other. 3a is stretched radially,
It is possible to enlarge the diameter.

[0004] A tab 3c of the boot 3 having an enlarged opening 3a is sandwiched between a boot retainer 5A and a boot retainer 5B (shown by a dotted line in the figure), and the opening 3a of the boot 3 remains in an enlarged state. to bound. Note that the boot retainers 5A and 5B are alternately arranged with the claws 4 and at eight positions at equal intervals.
Also, the boot retainer 5A can be slid up and down with respect to the boot retainer 5B.
The tab 3c can be clamped. After the tab 3c of the boot 3 is clamped, the tips 4a of the claws 4 are again brought into close contact with each other, and the claws 4 are separated from the opening 3a of the boot 3. Thereafter, the boot 3 is lifted by the boot holders 5A and 5B and moved to a predetermined mounting position of the ball joint 2. Furthermore, after the mounted portion of the ball joint 2 is inserted into the opening 3a constrained in the expanded state, the restraint of the tab 3c by the boot retainers 5A and 5B is released.
Using the elastic force of the boot 3 itself, the peripheral end surface of the opening 3a is brought into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the ball joint.

[0005]

The boot enlarging means of the assembling apparatus is arranged in a circular manner so that the tips 4a of the eight claws 4 abut against each other, and can be separated and approached radially. I support it. Therefore, when the claws 4 are radially separated from each other so as to increase the diameter of the opening 3a of the boot 3, the tips 4a of the eight claws 4 are separated from each other while being located on the same circumference, and the opening of the boot 3 is opened. The portion 3a is expanded in a substantially octagonal shape. Therefore, the distance between the vertex portion of the octagon and each side portion is different from the wall surface of the ball joint 2 inserted therein. In order to prevent the octagonal side from interfering with the wall of the ball joint, it is necessary to sufficiently separate the vertex of the octagon from the wall of the ball joint 2. There is a possibility that engagement with the annular engagement groove formed in the portion will not be successful.

In order to avoid interference between the boot retainers 5A and 5B and the claws 4, the boot retainers 5A and 5B are alternately arranged with the claws 4, and the entire circumference of the tab 3c of the boot 3 is set at eight positions. Pinch. Therefore, if one place of the boot retainer 5A,
If the tab 3c comes off from 5B, the opening 3a will be in an insufficiently expanded state of a substantially inequilateral heptagon, and the boot 3 will be turned up when the mounted portion of the ball joint is inserted into the opening 3a. There is a possibility that assembly failures such as the above may occur.

The above problem can be solved by making the widths of the claws 4 and the boot holders 5A and 5B smaller and narrowing the intervals, and arranging as many as possible in a circumferential shape. However, even the conventional mechanism for driving the eight pawls 4 and the eight boot retainers 5A and 5B is already quite complicated, resulting in an increase in the size of the device, an increase in the price, and difficulty in maintenance. It has been pointed out that adopting such a structure is impractical. Such a problem is not limited to the case where the boot is assembled to the ball joint of the suspension lower arm, but is common to the devices related to the assembling work of assembling the elastic cylindrical member to the mounted object after expanding the diameter thereof. Was desired.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to more reliably perform an operation of assembling a cylindrical member having elasticity to a work after expanding the diameter of the elastic cylindrical member. .

[0009]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an assembling apparatus for expanding a cylindrical member having elasticity and thereafter assembling the cylindrical member with a workpiece. It is characterized in that it is provided with a diameter expanding means for uniformly expanding the diameter of the cylindrical member from the inside while being inserted into the cylindrical member.

According to the present invention, the diameter expanding means
Since it is possible to uniformly expand the diameter of the elastic cylindrical member from the inside thereof, the inner diameter of the elastic cylindrical member in the expanded state with respect to the outer diameter of the work is set to a diameter at which assembly is reliably performed. Can be set.

In the apparatus for assembling an elastic tubular member according to a second aspect of the present invention, the diameter increasing means has a continuous wall surface whose outer diameter can be enlarged. Then, by expanding the outer diameter of the continuous wall surface, the elastic tubular member is pushed and spread evenly from its inner tubular portion, and the diameter is evenly spread over the entire circumference.

Further, in the apparatus for assembling an elastic tubular member according to a third aspect of the present invention, the continuous wall surface is made of an elastic body having a closed annular chamber. Therefore, by increasing the internal pressure of the closed annular chamber, the elastic body expands, and the outer diameter can be uniformly increased over the entire circumference.

Further, the apparatus for assembling an elastic tubular member according to a fourth aspect of the present invention moves the work to a predetermined assembling position of the work while maintaining the expanded state of the tubular member, and At this position, there is provided an assembling means for releasing the cylindrical member from the expanded state. According to this configuration, after the diameter of the elastic tubular member is uniformly increased, the elastic tubular member is assembled to a predetermined assembling position of the work.

In addition, according to the apparatus for assembling an elastic tubular member according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the assembling means is capable of uniformly restraining the enlarged tubular member over the entire circumference. A restraining means is provided. With this configuration, it is ensured that the expanded state is maintained when the cylindrical member is moved to the predetermined assembling position of the work while maintaining the expanded state.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here, the same or corresponding parts as those of the prior art are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description is omitted.

FIG. 1 schematically shows a boot assembling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus has a cradle 6 for a ball joint (work) 2, a cradle 7 for a boot (elastic tubular member) 3, and a boot chuck unit (assembly means) 8. The ball joint 2 is placed on the cradle 6 in a state of being mounted on the lower arm 1. Therefore, the upper surface of the receiving table 6 has a shape capable of fixing the end of the lower arm 1. The lower arm 1 is also supported by another receiving stand (not shown), and the whole is stably held.

As shown in FIG. 2 (a),
An annular projection 7a for placing the tab 3c of the boot 3 is formed, and a guide 7b inserted into the opening 3a of the boot 3 stands upright at the center of the annular projection 7a. Further, an elastic body (diameter expanding means) 7c having a closed annular chamber is disposed at the tip of the guide 7b. Guide 7
An air pipe (not shown) for supplying compressed air to the annular chamber of the elastic body 7c is formed inside b. And
The elastic body 7c can be expanded by increasing the air pressure in the annular chamber. Hereinafter, the elastic body 7c is also referred to as an "air clamper". In addition, as shown in FIG.
Are fixed to the base 9 with an interval X therebetween.

The boot chuck unit 8 is fixed to the distal end of an arm 10 movable vertically and horizontally in FIG. 1 by an actuator (not shown). The boot chuck unit 8 has a structure in which a cylindrical inner cylinder 8b is slidably provided inside a cylindrical outer cylinder 8a, and the inner cylinder 8b is moved up and down with respect to the outer cylinder 8a by the cylinder 8c. . The inner wall portion of the inner cylinder 8b is used for boot assembling work described later.
It has a wall shape to avoid unnecessary interference with the boot 3 and the ball joint 2. The distal end of the outer cylinder 8a is bent in the inner diameter direction.
b, the tip of the boot 3 is moved closer to the
(The outer tube 8a and the inner tube 8b are also referred to as "restraining means").

Dogs 11 and 12 are provided at an intermediate portion of the arm 10. Since bolts are used for dogs 11 and 12,
The amount of protrusion can be adjusted. When the boot chuck unit 8 is located directly above the cradle 7, the dog 11 is fixed to the base 9 and is located immediately above the switch 13 that indicates the lower limit position of the arm 10 (that is, the unit 8). Since the dogs 11 and 12 are arranged with an interval X therebetween,
When the boot chuck unit 8 moves to just above the cradle 6, the dog 12 will be located just above the switch 13.

Next, a procedure for assembling the boot 3 to the ball joint 2 by the boot assembling apparatus having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 shows a state where the boot assembling device is at the operation origin. In this state, the ball joint 2 together with the lower arm 1 is placed on the receiving table 6, and the boot 3 is placed on the receiving table 7. FIG. 2A shows the receiving tray 7.
2 shows a state in which the boot 3 is placed on an enlarged scale. At this time, the tab 3c of the boot 3 is placed on the annular projection 7a, and the air clamper 7c of the guide 7b contacts the peripheral end surface of the opening 3a. Therefore, the boot 3 is reliably positioned at a predetermined position on the receiving table 6.

Subsequently, the boot chuck unit 8 is lowered from the state shown in FIG. 1, and the tip opening 8d of the outer cylinder 8a is engaged with the annular projection 7a as shown in FIG. 2B.
At this time, the distance between the tip of the outer cylinder 8a and the upper surface of the receiving stand 7 is
When the dog 11 of the arm 10 (FIG. 1) contacts the switch 13, the adjustment is appropriately performed. The distance between the distal end opening 8d and the annular projection 7a is set such that the tab 3c spreads from the annular projection 7a to the distal end of the outer cylinder 8a without being caught when the boot 3 is spread as described later. Have been.

Next, as shown in FIG. 2C, the air clamper 7c is inflated. The opening 3a of the boot 3 is formed by the air clamper 7c increasing its outer diameter.
Is spread out evenly from the inside. At this time, the continuous wall surface of the air clamper 7c expands uniformly over the entire circumference, so that pressure can be uniformly applied to the entire circumference of the opening 3a of the boot 3. As a result, the opening 3 of the boot 3
“a” is uniformly enlarged over the entire circumference. And tab 3
c is also expanded in diameter, and expands from the annular projection 7a to the tip of the outer cylinder 8a.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3A, the inner cylinder 8b of the boot chuck unit 8 is lowered while the air clamper 7c is inflated. Then, the tab 3c of the boot 3 is held between the bent portion of the outer cylinder 8a and the tip of the inner cylinder 8b. As described above, since the outer cylinder 8a and the inner cylinder 8b are both cylindrical members, the tab 3c is uniformly (continuously) restrained over the entire circumference. If FIG. 2 (c)
Even if the tab 3c of the boot 3 has risen from the annular projection 7a at the point of time, the floating of the tab 3c is suppressed by the inner cylinder 8b. Also, as shown in the drawing, a part of the inner wall of the inner cylinder 8b may contact with a part of the outer wall of the boot 3.
This contributes to the stable holding of the boot 3.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 3B, compressed air is extracted from the air clamper 7c and contracted. Boots 3
Since the tab 3c is evenly constrained over its entire circumference, the opening 3a of the boot 3 is held in a state where the diameter is enlarged in a circular shape. Then, the boot chuck unit 8 is raised while maintaining the expanded state of the boot 3.

Further, the arm 10 is moved leftward in FIG. 1 by a distance X, and the boot chuck unit 8 is moved directly above the receiving table 6. Then, the arm 10 and the boot chuck unit 8 are lowered, and as shown in FIG.
The lower arm 1 placed on the receiving table 6 is brought into contact with the end. At this time, the vertical distance between the outer cylinder 8a and the lower arm 1 placed on the receiving table 6 is determined by the dog of the arm 10 (FIG. 1).
The adjustment is appropriately performed by the contact of the switch 12 with the switch 12.
The stud portion 2b of the ball joint 2 is inserted into the opening 3b above the boot 3, and the peripheral end surface of the opening 3b expands in diameter and closely adheres to the outer wall of the stud portion 2b. The peripheral end surface of the opening 3a of the boot 3 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the main body of the ball joint 2 by an annular engaging groove 2a.
It is set to a position facing a.

Finally, the tab 3c of the boot 3 is unclamped by raising the outer cylinder 8a of the boot chuck unit 8, as shown in FIG. 4B. Then, the diameter of the boot 3 is reduced by its own elastic force, and the opening 3a and the tab 3c fit into the annular engagement groove 2a of the ball joint 2. With the above steps, the operation of mounting the boot 3 on the ball joint 2 is completed. Thereafter, the boot chuck unit 8 returns to the operation origin (FIG. 1).

The operation and effect obtained from the embodiment of the present invention having the above configuration are as follows. First, in the present embodiment, the air clamper 7c is employed as the diameter expanding means. However, the air clamper 7c can evenly expand the continuous wall surface over the entire circumference only by increasing the internal air pressure. . Then, pressure is evenly applied from the air clamper 7c to the entire circumference of the opening 3a of the boot 3,
The diameter of the opening 3a can be evenly increased over the entire circumference. That is, unlike the related art (FIGS. 6 and 7), the diameter of the opening 3a is not expanded in a polygonal shape, but can be uniformly (circularly) expanded. Therefore, the inner diameter of the opening 3a of the boot 3 in the expanded state can be set to an optimum diameter at which the ball joint 2 can be inserted and the assembling is reliably performed. As a result, in the assembling step shown in FIG. 4B, only by unclamping the tab 3c of the boot 3, the opening 3a and the tab 3c can be securely inserted into the annular engagement groove 2a of the ball joint 2. Can be fitted.

Further, by using the air clamper 7c as the diameter expanding means, the control for expanding the diameter to a desired state becomes only the air pressure control, and no complicated mechanism is required.
In addition, since the boot 3 which is an elastic body is pushed and spread by the air clamper 7c which is an elastic body, the boot 3 is used at the time of expanding the diameter.
There is no danger of scratching.

Further, since the diameter expanding means of the boot 3 is only the air clamper 7c inserted into the inside of the boot 3, the entire circumference of the boot 3 is continuously formed like the cylindrical outer cylinder 8a and the inner cylinder 8b. It is possible to use the constraining means arranged continuously. As a result, the tab 3c of the boot 3
Can be uniformly restrained over the entire circumference. In addition, the reliability of the restraint can be improved. Therefore, it is possible to insert the ball joint 2 while reliably maintaining the state in which the opening 3a of the boot 3 is evenly expanded, thereby causing a defect such as the boot 3 being turned up during assembly. There is no fear.

As described above, the boot assembling apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention enables the assembling work of the boot to be carried out reliably, while reducing the size of the apparatus with a simple mechanism and improving the durability. Since it is high and maintenance is easy, it contributes to cost reduction of the boot assembly process. The present invention is not limited to the boot assembling apparatus described in the above embodiment, but can be applied to an assembling apparatus that expands an elastic cylindrical member and then assembles it to an object to be mounted. Things.

[0032]

According to the present invention, the following effects are obtained. First, according to the apparatus for assembling an elastic tubular member according to claim 1 of the present invention, the elastic tubular member is not expanded in a polygonal shape as in the prior art, and the elastic cylindrical member is expanded in diameter. After that, work to assemble into the work,
This can be performed more reliably.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to uniformly expand the diameter of the elastic cylindrical member over the entire circumference, and to expand the diameter of the elastic cylindrical member. Later, the work of assembling the work can be performed more reliably.

Further, according to the third aspect of the present invention, the size of the apparatus can be reduced with a simple mechanism, and the durability and the maintenance are easy, so that the cost of the boot assembling step can be reduced. Can be planned. Further, since the elastic tubular member is pushed and spread by the elastic body, there is no possibility of damaging the elastic tubular member during the diameter expanding operation.

According to the fourth and fifth aspects of the present invention, it is possible to reliably perform the work of assembling the elastic cylindrical member to the work after expanding the diameter of the elastic cylindrical member.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a boot assembling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a procedure for assembling a boot to a ball joint by the boot assembling apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a procedure of assembling the boot to the ball joint, following FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a procedure for assembling the boot to the ball joint, following FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a lower arm of a front suspension including a ball joint.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a main part of a conventional boot assembling apparatus.

FIG. 7 is a top view showing an arrangement of claws of the conventional boot assembling apparatus shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Ball joint 3 Boot 3a Opening 3c Tab 7 Cradle 7c Air clamper 8 Boot chuck unit 8a Outer cylinder 8b Inner cylinder

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Shinji Toyama 1 Toyota Town, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture Inside Toyota Motor Corporation (72) Inventor Takao Ezuka 869-2 Kitajimamachi, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture Inside Quantai Systems Corporation (72 Inventor Hiroyuki Yabugi 3-34, Tobe-cho, Minami-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi F-term in Nagoya Business Headquarters, Tamadic Corporation (reference) 3C030 BB03 BB12 BC01 BC12 3J105 AA23 AB48 AB49 AC03 AC04 CC33

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An assembling device for expanding a diameter of an elastic cylindrical member and then assembling the elastic member with a work, wherein the cylindrical member is inserted from the inside of the cylindrical member evenly from the inside thereof. An assembling apparatus for an elastic tubular member, comprising a diameter expanding means for expanding the diameter. 2. The apparatus for assembling an elastic tubular member according to claim 1, wherein said diameter increasing means has a continuous wall surface whose outer diameter can be enlarged. 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the continuous wall is made of an elastic body having a closed annular chamber. 4. An assembling means for moving the cylindrical member to a predetermined assembling position while maintaining the expanded state of the cylindrical member, and releasing the cylindrical member from the expanded state at the predetermined position. The assembly device for an elastic tubular member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the assembly device is provided. 5. The assembly according to claim 4, wherein the assembling means includes a restraining means capable of uniformly restraining the expanded cylindrical member over the entire circumference. Attachment device.