JP2008049477A - Piston automatic assembling device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device capable of automatically assembling a piston. <P>SOLUTION: The piston automatic assembling device is provided with a block positioning means for positioning a cylinder block by being moved perpendicularly and horizontally and around a crank shaft, a piston positioning means for positioning the piston by being moved to an insertion position, a piston inserting means for inserting the piston into a cylinder bore, a cap positioning means for positioning a con rod cap by being moved to a coupling position, a coupling means for coupling the con rod cap and the like, the block positioning means has a block gripping unit 30 that grips the cylinder block and can rotate the cylinder bore so as to be directed perpendicularly and a shaft rotary unit 40 that is integrally provided on the block gripping unit and rotates the crank shaft. This allows the piston to be automatically assembled to various engines of a series type, a V-type, and the like, thereby improving productivity. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic piston assembly apparatus that automatically inserts a piston with a connecting rod into a crankshaft by inserting a piston with a connecting rod into an engine cylinder block. In particular, the present invention relates to a multi-cylinder having cylinder bores arranged in series, V-type, etc. The present invention relates to an automatic piston assembly apparatus for automatically assembling a piston in an engine.

  As a device for inserting a piston into a cylinder block of an engine, for example, a device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-198830 is known. In the piston insertion device disclosed in this publication, after an in-line four-cylinder engine is transported by a transport line and positioned at a predetermined position, the piston is guided to the cylinder bore using a guide tube, and the piston is inserted by a pushing member from above. It is comprised so that it may push in (patent document 1).

That is, this piston insertion device uses a guide tube when inserting a piston into a cylinder bore, thereby enabling the piston to be smoothly inserted while positioning the piston and the cylinder bore.
Further, the target engine is an in-line multi-cylinder engine in which cylinder bores are arranged in series and are transported by a transport line so as to face upward, and the cylinder block is also positioned by simply stopping in the middle of transport. Therefore, it does not take into account insertion of an engine formed in a direction in which the cylinder bores are different, such as a multi-cylinder engine arranged in a V shape.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-198830

As described above, in the conventional apparatus, the operation of simply inserting the piston is automatically performed, and the assembly of the piston and the connecting rod, including the connection of the connecting rod (connecting rod) after the insertion, Not everything is done automatically.
Therefore, if it is attempted to automatically perform everything from the piston insertion to the assembly to the crankshaft (crank pin), simply stopping the cylinder block conveyed by the conveyance line at a predetermined position and positioning it. Even if the piston can be inserted, it is difficult to fasten the connecting rod.
Further, even though it can be inserted into the cylinder block of the in-line engine, it is difficult to insert it into the cylinder block of the V-type engine.
Furthermore, since a connecting rod cap for sandwiching the crankpin is required for connecting the connecting rod, a method for supplying the connecting rod cap must be considered.

  Therefore, as an engine to be automatically assembled, not only an in-line engine but also a V-type engine or the like, and various engines having different bore diameters, bore pitches, or strokes are transported by the transport line. By simply stopping and positioning the cylinder block, it is difficult to assemble the pistons to all the cylinder bores.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and the object of the present invention is to automatically perform all assembly from piston insertion to connecting rod connection to the engine cylinder block. It is also possible to provide an automatic piston assembling apparatus capable of automatically assembling a piston not only for a single cylinder engine but also for a multi-cylinder engine such as an in-line type or a V type.

  The piston automatic assembly apparatus of the present invention is an automatic piston assembly apparatus that connects a piston to a crankshaft by inserting a piston with a connecting rod into a cylinder bore and fastening a connecting rod cap to a cylinder block having a crankshaft. The cylinder block is moved in the vertical and horizontal directions, rotated around the crankshaft and positioned at a predetermined position, and the piston is inserted into the cylinder block positioned by the block positioning means. Piston positioning means for moving and positioning; piston insertion means for inserting the piston positioned by the piston positioning means into the cylinder bore; and a connecting rod key connected to the connecting rod of the piston inserted by the piston insertion means. And a cap positioning means for fastening the connecting rod cap, and the block positioning means can grip the cylinder block and rotate the cylinder bore to face in the vertical direction. It is characterized by having a block gripping unit and a shaft rotation unit that is provided integrally with the block gripping unit and rotates the crankshaft.

According to this configuration, the block positioning unit vertically and horizontally moves or rotates the cylinder block conveyed by the conveying line to position the cylinder block at a predetermined position, and the piston positioning unit determines the piston conveyed by the conveying line. It is moved and positioned at the insertion position of the cylinder block, and the piston insertion means inserts the positioned piston into the cylinder bore, and the cap positioning means moves the connecting rod cap conveyed by the conveyance line to the fastening position and positions it. As the fastening means fastens the connecting rod cap, the piston is automatically assembled.
In this way, by automating the assembly of the pistons, productivity at the time of engine assembly is improved, and not only for in-line engines but also for multiple engines of different types such as V-type engines, The piston can be assembled.
In particular, the block positioning means has a block gripping unit capable of gripping the cylinder block and rotating the cylinder bore in the vertical direction, and a shaft rotation unit that is provided integrally with the block gripping unit and rotates the crankshaft. Since the block gripping unit has a shaft rotation unit provided integrally with the block gripping unit, the crankshaft can be rotated to a predetermined position by the shaft rotation unit while the block gripping unit grips the cylinder block and directs it in a predetermined direction. it can. Thus, the orientation and positioning of the cylinder block and the crankshaft can be performed simultaneously or continuously, and a series of operations can be performed with high accuracy and smoothness.

In the above configuration, the block positioning means includes a block lifting unit that holds the cylinder block separated by the block gripping unit in a horizontal direction so that the block gripping unit grips the cylinder block that has been transported by the transport line, and a block gripping unit that is held by the block lifting unit. It is possible to adopt a configuration having a block transfer unit that is moved to position and positioned at a predetermined position.
According to this configuration, the block raising / lowering unit raises the cylinder block conveyed by the conveying line, and the block holding unit holds the raised cylinder block and directs it in a predetermined direction. Rotates the crankshaft to a predetermined position, and the block transfer unit moves the block gripping unit in the horizontal direction to position the cylinder block at the predetermined position. As described above, since the cylinder block is oriented and positioned by the respective units, a series of operations are performed with high accuracy and smoothly.

In the above configuration, the piston positioning means holds the piston transported by the transport line separately from the transport line and holds the piston moved in the horizontal direction for positioning, and holds the piston held by the holding unit vertically. A structure having a piston gripping unit that moves in a direction and a transfer unit that moves the piston gripping unit in a horizontal direction and positions the piston gripping unit at a predetermined position can be adopted.
According to this configuration, the holding unit separates the piston that has been transported by the transport line from the transport line and positions the piston at a predetermined position in the horizontal direction, and the piston gripping unit grips the piston at the predetermined position to perform predetermined processing in the vertical direction. Positioned at the position, the transfer unit moves the piston gripping unit in the horizontal direction and positions it at the insertion position on the cylinder block. In this manner, since the piston is held and positioned by each unit, a series of operations are performed with high accuracy and smoothness.

In the above configuration, the cap positioning means holds the connecting rod cap that has been transferred by the transfer line while holding the connecting rod cap separated from the transfer line and moves the connecting rod cap in the horizontal direction, and holds the connecting rod cap held by the holding unit. It is possible to adopt a configuration having a cap gripping unit that moves in the vertical direction and a transfer unit that moves the cap gripping unit in the horizontal direction and positions it at a predetermined position.
According to this configuration, the holding unit separates the connecting rod cap that has been transported by the transport line from the transport line and positions the connecting rod cap at a predetermined position in the horizontal direction, and the cap gripping unit grips the connecting rod cap at the predetermined position and vertically The transfer unit moves the cap gripping unit in the horizontal direction and positions it at a predetermined position below the cylinder block. Thus, since the connecting rod cap is held and positioned by the respective units, a series of operations are performed with high accuracy and smoothly.

In the above configuration, a configuration in which the cap gripping unit is provided integrally with the piston gripping unit, and the transfer unit of the piston gripping unit also serves as the transfer unit of the cap gripping unit can be adopted.
According to this configuration, since the cap gripping unit is integrated into the piston gripping unit, a single transfer unit is sufficient, and the structure is simplified.

In the above configuration, the piston and the connecting rod cap may be held by the same pallet, and the piston holding unit may also serve as the connecting rod cap holding unit.
According to this configuration, a single holding unit is sufficient, and the structure is simplified.

In the above configuration, the fastening means horizontally holds the connecting rod cap moved by the transfer unit and exerts a fastening force on the fastening bolt, the fastening lifting unit that lifts and lowers the fastening unit, the fastening unit, and the fastening lifting unit horizontally. It is possible to adopt a configuration having a transfer unit that moves in a direction and positions it at a predetermined position.
According to this configuration, at the time of fastening, the transfer unit moves the fastening unit to the corresponding fastening position and positions it, the fastening lifting unit adjusts the height, and the fastening unit screws the fastening bolt, and the connecting rod Fasten the cap. Thus, since the connecting rod cap is positioned and fastened by the respective units, a series of operations are performed with high accuracy and smoothly.

The said structure WHEREIN: The structure which the pallet holding a piston and a connecting rod cap is conveyed by the same conveyance line with the pallet of a cylinder block can be employ | adopted.
According to this configuration, a dedicated transfer line for transferring only the piston and the connecting rod cap is not required, and the transfer system is simplified.

In the above configuration, the apparatus has an upper frame and a lower frame that are spaced apart in parallel in the vertical direction, and the upper frame includes a part of the block positioning means, a part of the piston positioning means, and a part of the cap positioning means. Can be employed, and the lower frame can support a part of the piston insertion means and a part of the fastening means.
According to this configuration, by adopting a frame structure including an upper frame and a lower frame, that is, a gantry robot, a part (unit) of each means is arranged at an optimum position, and each support and movement is performed. Space can be set to an optimal area. As a result, switching of operations by each means is performed smoothly, productivity is improved, and the apparatus can be miniaturized.

  According to the piston automatic assembly apparatus of the present invention having the above-described configuration, the block and the piston positioning means, the piston insertion means, the cap positioning means, the fastening means, etc. are employed to automatically assemble the piston and the connecting rod cap. By doing so, it is possible to improve productivity during engine assembly. In addition, since all cylinder bores can be oriented in the piston insertion direction by the block positioning means, the piston assembly is automatically performed not only for in-line engines but also for a plurality of different types of engines such as V-type engines. Can be attached.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
1 to 13 show an embodiment of an automatic piston assembly apparatus according to the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, this apparatus transports a cylinder block B transported by a gantry robot 10 that forms a frame structure and sets the relative positional relationship of various units, and a transport line L1 (such as a linear conveyor). A block lifting unit 20 that is separated and held from the line, a cylinder block B that is held by the block lifting unit 20, a block gripping unit 30 that can be rotated and rotated, and a crankshaft that is provided integrally with the block gripping unit 30 is rotated. The shaft rotation unit 40 and the block gripping unit 30 are moved in the Y direction (horizontal direction), and are provided with a block transfer unit 50 for positioning at a predetermined position.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, this apparatus separates and holds the piston P and the connecting rod cap C that have been transported by the transport line L2 (linear conveyor or the like) from the transport line L2, and is also in the X direction (perpendicular to the Y direction). The holding unit 60 that can be moved and positioned appropriately in the horizontal direction), the piston holding unit 60 that holds the piston P held by the holding unit 60 and moves it in the Z direction (vertical direction), and the connecting rod cap C A cap gripping unit 80 that moves in the direction, a piston gripping unit 70, a transfer unit 90 that moves the cap gripping unit 80 in the Y direction (horizontal direction) and positions the cap gripping unit 80 at a predetermined position are provided.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, this apparatus is pushed by a piston guide unit 100 for guiding the piston P into the cylinder bore, a pushing unit 110 for pushing the piston P guided by the piston guide unit 100 from above, and a pushing unit 110. A connecting rod guide unit 120 that guides the connecting rod R of the piston P while descending, a fastening unit 130 that holds the connecting rod cap C and exerts a fastening force on the fastening bolt CB, a fastening lifting unit 140 that lifts and lowers the fastening unit 130, and a fastening unit 130, the fastening lifting / lowering unit 140, and the connecting rod guide unit 120 are held and moved in the Y direction (horizontal direction) and positioned at a predetermined position.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 (b), the gantry robot 10 includes an upper frame 11 (11a, 11b) and a lower frame 12 (12a, 12b) that are arranged in parallel apart from each other in the Z direction (vertical direction). And is arranged in the middle of the conveying lines L1 and L2 extending in the X direction to support various units.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 (a), the upper frame 11 (11a, 11b) is provided with an LM rail 13 extending in the Y direction to guide the transfer unit 90 on its upper surface, and its lower surface. In order to guide the block transfer unit 50, an LM rail 14 extending in the Y direction is provided. That is, by providing the conveyance paths (rails) on the upper surface and the lower surface of the upper frame 11, respectively, effective use can be achieved as compared with the case where they are provided on separate frames, and the structure can be simplified correspondingly.
As shown in FIG. 2 (b), a ball screw (lead screw) 93 that forms part of the transfer unit 90, a drive motor 95, and a block transfer unit 50 are provided on the inside and end surfaces of the upper frame 11 (11 a, 11 b). A ball screw (lead screw) 52 and a drive motor 54 are arranged.
As shown in FIG. 1, the lower frame 12 (12 a, 12 b) is provided with an LM rail 15 that extends in the Y direction to guide the transfer unit 150 through a fixed base 151 described later.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the block lifting unit 20 is disposed below the transport line L <b> 1, and has a base 22 fixed to a substrate 21 straddling the lower frame 12 and a Z direction (vertical) with respect to the base 22. Elevating table 23 that can be guided up and down in a direction) and can carry the pallet P1, a rotating shaft 24 that is rotatably supported by the base 22, an eccentric cam 25 fixed to the rotating shaft 24, and a rotating table 23 It is formed by a cam follower 26 that is freely provided, a drive motor (not shown) that exerts a driving force on the rotating shaft 24, and the like.

  Therefore, when the pallet P1 on which the cylinder block B is placed is transported by the transport line L1 and is stopped at a predetermined position by the stopper mechanism (not shown), the drive motor operates to raise the lifting table 23. The pallet P1 is lifted and separated from the transport line L1, while the drive motor operates in the opposite direction and the lifting table 23 is lowered to return the pallet P1 to the transport line L1 again.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the block gripping unit 30 includes a holding plate 31 having a substantially rectangular shape, a fixed hanging portion 32 fixed to the holding plate 31 and extending downward, and the holding plate 31 in the Y direction. A movable hanging portion 33 that is movably supported and extends downward, a gripping chuck 34 that is pivotally supported by the fixed hanging portion 32, a gripping chuck 35 that is pivotally supported by the movable hanging portion 33, and the movable hanging portion 33. Are formed by a drive motor 36 that is fixed to the gripping chuck 35 and exerts a rotational driving force on the gripping chuck 35, an actuator 37 that adjusts the relative distance between the fixed hanging portion 32 and the movable hanging portion 33, and the like.
The movable hanging portion 33 is movable in the Y direction by an LM guide whose LM block 33a is connected to the LM rail 31a of the holding plate 31.

  Therefore, when the actuator 37 is operated to draw the movable hanging portion 33, the grip chucks 34 and 35 cooperate to grip the cylinder block B. When the drive motor 36 rotates in this gripping state, the cylinder block B is rotated around the crankshaft S and, for example, the cylinder bore is oriented so as to face the Z direction (vertical direction).

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the shaft rotation unit 40 is formed by a drive motor 41 fixed to the fixed hanging portion 32, a connecting portion 42 that connects the drive motor 41 and the crankshaft S, and the like.
Accordingly, when the drive motor 41 rotates while the cylinder block B is gripped by the gripping chucks 34 and 35, the crankshaft S rotates via the connecting portion 42, for example, the crank corresponding to the cylinder bore into which the piston P is inserted. A pin is positioned below the vertical direction.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the block transfer unit 50 is connected to an LM block 51 fixed to the upper surface of the holding plate 31 and connected to the LM rail 14, a ball screw 52 arranged in the upper frame 11b, and a ball screw 52. The other end is formed by a connecting member 53 connected to the holding plate 31, a drive motor 54 for rotating the ball screw 52, and the like.

  Therefore, when the drive motor 54 rotates in one direction, the block gripping unit 30 or the cylinder block B is moved rightward in the Y direction in FIG. 1 via the connecting member 53 and positioned at a desired position. When the drive motor 54 rotates in the other direction, the drive motor 54 is moved leftward in the Y direction in FIG.

  The cylinder block B is moved in the vertical and horizontal directions or rotated around the crankshaft S by the block elevating unit 20, the block gripping unit 30, the shaft rotating unit 40, the block transferring unit 50, etc., and positioned at a predetermined position. Block positioning means is configured.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the holding unit 60 is disposed below the transfer line L <b> 2, and includes a base 61 fixed to the lower frame 12, a lifting column 62 that moves up and down by air pressure or hydraulic pressure, and a lifting column 62. The guide member 63 having a rail 63a that is held in the X direction and is supported by the guide member 63 so as to be movable, and the movable holding portion 64 that can hold the pallet P2, and the movable holding portion 64 at a desired position in the X direction. It is formed by an actuator 65 or the like that is appropriately moved and positioned.

  Therefore, when the pallet P2 on which the piston P and the connecting rod cap C are placed is transported by the transport line L2, and is stopped at a predetermined position by the stopper mechanism (not shown), the elevating column 62 is lifted to move the movable holding portion. 64 lifts the pallet P2 and separates it from the transport line L2, while the elevating column 62 descends so that the pallet P2 is returned to the transport line L2.

Further, when the actuator 65 is operated, the movable holding portion 64 is appropriately moved to a predetermined position in the X direction, and the assembled piston P and connecting rod cap C are gripped by the piston gripping unit 70 and the cap gripping unit 80. It is designed to be appropriately positioned at the position to be performed.
A connecting rod R having one bearing metal (not shown) is attached to the piston P in a swingable manner, and the other bearing metal (not shown) and a fastening bolt CB are attached to the connecting rod cap C. It is attached in advance.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 5, the piston gripping unit 70 includes a support portion 71 that extends in the Z direction, a movable arm 72 that is movably supported in the Z direction (vertical direction) with respect to the support portion 71, An actuator 73 that moves and positions the movable arm 72 to a desired height position (for example, a gripping position and an insertion position of the piston P), four gripping pieces 74 disposed at the lower end of the movable arm 72, and the piston P Further, it is formed by an actuator 75, a detector 76, and the like that drive the gripping piece 74 so as to be detached. The detector 76 measures the interval at the gripping position (closed position), and detects whether or not the piston ring has dropped from the ring groove based on the measurement result of the interval.
As the actuators 73 and 75, a drive motor and a lead screw, a cylinder drive mechanism using air pressure or hydraulic pressure, an electromagnetic drive mechanism, and the like are used.

  Accordingly, when the movable arm 72 is lowered to a predetermined height due to the operation of the actuator 73 in one direction, the gripping piece 74 is positioned so as to surround the piston P placed on the pallet P2, and then the actuator 75 As shown in FIG. 5A, the gripping piece 74 presses the piston ring into the ring groove to grip the piston P. At this time, when the detector 76 detects the dropping of the piston ring, the operation is temporarily stopped. Thereby, the operator can perform a rework work. Thereafter, the movable arm 72 rises to a predetermined height together with the gripped piston P by the operation of the actuator 73 in the reverse direction.

The cap gripping unit 80 is attached to the lower end of the movable arm 72 forming the piston gripping unit 70 as shown in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, and a pair of gripping pieces 81 for gripping the connecting rod cap C, It is formed by an actuator 82 or the like that drives the gripping pieces 81 to approach and separate from each other.
As the actuator 82, a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder mechanism, an electromagnetic drive mechanism, or the like is used.

  Therefore, when the movable arm 72 is lowered to a predetermined height by the operation of the actuator 73 forming the piston gripping unit 70 in one direction, the pair of gripping pieces 81 are positioned on both sides of the connecting rod cap C placed on the pallet P2. Subsequently, when the actuator 82 is operated, the pair of gripping pieces 81 grip the connecting rod cap C. Thereafter, the movable arm 72 rises to a predetermined height together with the connected connecting rod cap C by the operation of the actuator 73 in the reverse direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 2B and 4, the transfer unit 90 includes a movable base 91 that straddles the upper frame 11 (11a, 11b) and holds the piston gripping unit 70 (and the cap gripping unit 80). An LM block 92 fixed to the lower surface of the base 91 and slidably connected to the LM rail 13, a ball screw 93 disposed in the upper frame 11a, connected to the ball screw 93 and moved in the Y direction by its rotation and others The end portion is formed by a connecting member 94 connected to the movable base 91, a drive motor 95 for rotating the ball screw 93, and the like.

  Therefore, the piston gripping unit 70 (and the cap gripping unit 80), that is, the piston P (connecting rod cap C) moves rightward in the Y direction in FIG. 1 via the connecting member 94 when the drive motor 95 rotates in one direction. When the drive motor 95 rotates in the other direction, it is moved leftward in the Y direction in FIG. 1 via the connecting member 94 and positioned above the holding unit 60. .

  By the holding unit 60, the piston gripping unit 70, and the transfer unit 90, the piston P on the pallet P2 is moved and positioned at the insertion position in order to insert the piston P into the cylinder block B positioned by the block positioning means. Piston positioning means is configured.

  Further, the holding rod 60, the cap gripping unit 80, and the transfer unit 90 move the connecting rod cap C on the pallet P2 to fasten the connecting rod cap C to the connecting rod R of the piston P inserted into the cylinder block B. Thus, a cap positioning means for positioning to a predetermined position (cap support part 133 of the fastening unit 130 described later) is configured.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the push-in unit 110 includes a fixed frame 111 that is fixed over the upper frame 11, a support portion 112 that is disposed in the center of the fixed frame 111 and extends in the Z direction, and a support portion 112. The push rod 113 and the push rod 113 (push portion 113a) having a push portion 113a that is supported movably in the Z direction (vertical direction) and can come into contact with the upper surface of the piston P at the lower end portion are placed at a desired height position ( For example, it is formed by an actuator 114 or the like that is moved to and positioned at a standby position before pressing and a descent stop position during alignment.
As the actuator 114, a drive motor, a lead screw, a cylinder driving mechanism using air pressure or hydraulic pressure, or the like is used.

  Therefore, when the actuator 114 is operated in one direction in a state where the cylinder block B and the piston P are positioned at predetermined positions by the block transfer unit 50 and the transfer unit 90 in advance, the push rod 113 (the pressing portion 113a) is lowered. The piston P is pushed into the cylinder bore to perform the insertion operation.

As shown in FIG. 7, the pressing portion 113 a has a substantially cylindrical shape as a whole, and has a diameter-expanded portion 113 a ′ that can come into contact with the piston P, and a diameter-reduced portion 113 a ″ positioned above the diameter-expanded portion 113 a ′. It is formed by.
The reduced diameter portion 113a ″ is provided with a plurality of chucks 115 and an actuator (not shown) for driving the chucks 115 so that they can protrude and retract from the outer peripheral surface toward the radially outer side. The plurality of chucks 115 are for simultaneously abutting against inner peripheral surfaces of a guide cylinder 104 and a cylinder bore (cylinder block B), which will be described later, to perform centering of the two before the piston P is pushed. .
That is, the actuator 114 and the actuator (not shown) immerse the chuck 115 and lower the pressing portion 113a to the area extending over the guide cylinder 104 and the cylinder bore, and then the chuck 115 is protruded to align the two. A drive mechanism is configured.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 to 10, the piston guide unit 100 is disposed below the pushing unit 110, and is fixed with an LM rail 101 a that is laid across the upper frame 11 and extends in the X direction on the lower surface. Plate 101, movable base 102 having LM block 102a slidably connected to LM rail 101a, actuator 103 for moving and positioning movable base 102 to a predetermined position in the X direction, and different inner diameters held by movable base 102 Three guide cylinders 104 (104a, 104b, 104c), three guide pieces 105 (105a, 105b, 105c) disposed above corresponding to each guide cylinder 104, and the selected guide cylinder 104 as a cylinder Actuator 106 pressed against top surface of block B It is formed by the holding member 107 or the like for holding the guide tube 104 directly.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, each guide cylinder 104 has a substantially tapered shape in which the inner diameter D1 of the lower region is narrowed to be smaller than the inner diameter D2 of the upper region, and the inner diameter D1 of the narrowed lower region is It is formed so as to have the same dimension as the inner diameter of a predetermined cylinder bore, and four notches 104 ′ that allow the gripping piece 74 to enter are formed at the upper end.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the holding member 107 is supported so as to be movable in the Z direction via an LM guide 108 (LM rail 108a, LM block 108b) extending in the Z direction. 106 to move in the Z direction. Further, each guide cylinder 104 is held by a holding member 107 via a coil spring 109, and can be moved slightly in the Z direction when pressed against the upper end surface of the cylinder block B.
Each guide piece 105 is formed so as to be opened and closed by an actuator (not shown). When the piston P is positioned in this region, the guide piece 105 is positioned in a parallel closed position as shown in FIG. R swinging is restricted.

The movable base 102, the actuator 103, the LM guide (LM rail 101a, LM block 102a) and the like constitute a guide cylinder switching mechanism that appropriately selects a plurality of guide cylinders 104 and positions them above the switching cylinder bore.
Further, the actuator 106 performs two steps of performing a first drive for positioning the guide cylinder 104 at a non-contact position close to the upper end surface of the cylinder block B and a second drive for bringing the guide cylinder 104 into close contact with the upper end surface of the cylinder block B. A drive mechanism is configured. As the actuator 106, a cylinder driving mechanism or the like using pneumatic pressure or hydraulic pressure is used.

The operation of the piston guide unit 100 and the pushing unit 110 will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. First, as shown in FIG. 11A, the guide cylinder 104 is moved to the cylinder block B by the first drive of the actuator 106. It is positioned at a non-contact position close to the upper end surface of.
Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 11B, by driving the actuator 114, the push rod 113 is lowered while the chuck 115 is immersed, and the outer peripheral surface of the press portion 113a (particularly, the substantially central region of the chuck 115). Is positioned at a position facing both the inner peripheral surface of the guide cylinder 104 and the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder bore.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 11C, by driving an actuator (not shown), the chuck 115 protrudes outward in the radial direction and contacts both inner peripheral surfaces. Thereby, centering (centering) of the guide cylinder 104 and the cylinder bore is performed.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 11 (d), the holding member 107 is lowered by the second drive of the actuator 106 in a state where the chuck 115 is in contact with the center and the guide cylinder 104 is moved to the cylinder block B. It is pressed so as to be in close contact with the upper end surface of.

  After that, the chuck 115 is immersed, and the push rod 113 is lifted by the reverse drive of the actuator 114, then comes out of the guide tube 104 and returns to the standby position. As described above, the actuator 106 performs the two-stage driving of the first driving and the second driving, so that the guide cylinder 104 is smoothly and surely centered and is accurately centered. It will be fixed at.

Subsequently, the piston P is positioned above the guide cylinder 104 by the piston gripping unit 70 and the transfer unit 90. Then, as shown in FIG. 12A, by driving the actuator 73, the movable arm 72 is lowered to a predetermined position where a part of the grip piece 74 enters the guide cylinder 104 and stops.
At this time, the guide piece 105 acts so as to temporarily restrict the swinging of the connecting rod R, and then at a predetermined timing (a connecting rod guide unit 120, which will be described later, rises, and the leading end portion 124a of the guide rod 124 is screwed into the screw hole. After entering the R1 and positioning the connecting rod R) open and retract. Thereafter, the piston P is lowered to a predetermined open position.

  Thereafter, the gripping piece 74 is opened to release the piston P, and the movable arm 72 is raised and stopped at the standby position by the reverse drive of the actuator 73. At this time, even if the gripping piece 74 opens the piston ring, the inner circumferential surface of the guide cylinder 104 restricts the expansion beyond a predetermined level, so that the piston ring does not separate from the ring groove and the inner circumference of the guide cylinder 104 It is held in the ring groove while contacting the surface.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 12B, the driving of the actuator 114 lowers the pushing rod 113 again with the chuck 115 being immersed, and the pressing portion 113 a comes into contact with the upper surface of the piston P. Further, as the push rod 113 moves downward, the piston rod P is reliably and smoothly inserted into the cylinder bore as shown in FIG. 12C due to the action of the connecting rod guide unit 120 described later. become. At the same time, the presence / absence of a bearing metal attached to the connecting rod R is detected by detecting the position where the piston P (connecting rod R) comes into contact with the crankshaft S and stops.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 13 and 14, the connecting rod guide unit 120 is disposed in a lower region of the piston guide unit 100 and the pushing unit 110, and is straddled on the lower frame 12 and is movable in the Y direction. The movable base 121, the support portion 122 fixed to the movable base 121 and extending in the vertical direction, and the support member 122 are supported by the LM guide (LM block 123a, LM rail 123b) so as to be movable up and down in the Z direction (vertical direction). The two guide rods 124, the movable rack 125 that moves integrally with the guide rod 124, the fixed rack 126 fixed to the support member 122, and the movable rack 125 and the fixed rack 126 are disposed so as to be rotatable. , A movable member 128 that supports the gear 127 and is movable in the Z direction, and a movable member 12. Is formed by an actuator 129 such that positioning with elevating a predetermined position in the Z direction.

  Therefore, when the movable member 128 starts to rise by driving the actuator 129 from the state shown in FIG. 13, the gear 127 rotates counterclockwise, and the movable rack 125, that is, the guide rod 124 starts to rise. When the guide rod 124 is raised to a predetermined position, the tip end portion 124a enters the screw hole R1 of the connecting rod R and restricts the swinging of the connecting rod R.

Then, following the operation in which the piston P is pushed (pressed down) by the push-in unit 110, the guide rod 124 descends while guiding the connecting rod R. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the connecting rod R from swinging and contact the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder bore.
In order to ensure that the lowering operation of the guide rod 124 follows the lowering operation of the piston P, the actuator 129 exerts a resistance to the lowering operation while preventing the guide rod 124 from falling off the connecting rod R. The driving force is controlled so as to lower the movable member 128 without being lowered, that is, by air pressure or hydraulic pressure.

The fastening unit 130 and the fastening lifting unit 140 are provided for the movable base 121 and the support member 122 of the connecting rod guide unit 120 as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15.
The fastening unit 130 supports the connecting rod cap C by being held by the movable frame 132 supported by the support member 122 so as to be movable in the Z direction by the LM guide (LM rail 131a, LM block 131b). Cap support part 133, two fastening sockets 134 coupled to fastening bolt CB and exerting a fastening force, actuator 135 for rotationally driving fastening socket 134, detection sensor 136 for detecting the presence or absence of bearing metal, actuator (air cylinder) 137, etc. It is formed by.
Therefore, if the actuator 137 is raised and brought into contact with the crankshaft (crank pin) S before the fastening bolt CB is fastened, the raising of the actuator 137 stops.
The presence / absence of the bearing metal is detected by determining whether the detection sensor 136 is turned on or off at the stopped position. And after confirming that there is a bearing metal by the detection sensor 136, the fastening operation | movement of the fastening bolt CB is performed.

  The fastening lifting unit 140 is formed by an actuator that has one end connected to the support member 122 and the other end connected to the movable frame 132 to move and position the movable frame 132 in the Z direction (vertical direction). . As the actuator, a drive motor and a lead screw, a cylinder drive mechanism using air pressure or hydraulic pressure, an electromagnetic drive mechanism, and the like are used.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 13, and 14, the transfer unit 150 includes a fixed base 151 that is fixed over the lower frame 12, an LM rail 15 that is fixed to the upper surface of the fixed base 151 and extends in the Y direction. The LM block 152 fixed to the lower surface of the movable base 121 and slidably connected to the LM rail 15 and the connecting member 153 provided on the fixed base 151 act to move the movable base 121 in the Y direction. At the same time, it is formed by an actuator 154 provided on the fixed base 151 so as to be positioned at a predetermined position. As the actuator 154, a drive motor and a lead screw, a cylinder drive mechanism using air pressure or hydraulic pressure, an electromagnetic drive mechanism, and the like are used.

  Therefore, when the movable base 121 moves in the Y direction by driving the actuator 154, the connecting rod guide unit 120, the fastening unit 130, and the fastening lifting unit 140 are integrally moved in the Y direction and positioned at a predetermined position. It is done. That is, when guiding the connecting rod R, the movable base 121 is moved leftward in the Y direction in FIG. 1 so that the connecting rod guide unit 120 is positioned below the pushing unit 110. When fastening the connecting rod cap C, the movable base 121 is moved rightward in the Y direction in FIG. 1, and the fastening unit 130 is positioned below the pushing unit 110.

As described above, the transfer unit 150 moves the connecting rod guide unit 120 in the Y direction (horizontal direction) and positions the connecting rod guide unit 120 at a predetermined position, and moves the fastening unit 130 and the fastening lifting unit 140 in the Y direction (horizontal direction). Thus, it also serves as a transfer unit for positioning at a predetermined position. Thus, the structure can be simplified by sharing the transfer unit.
The fastening unit 130, the fastening lifting unit 140, the transfer unit 150, and the like constitute fastening means for fastening the connecting rod cap C to the connecting rod R.

Next, the overall operation of the apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS.
First, as shown in FIG. 16A, the pallet P1 transported by the transport line L1 is stopped at the position of the block elevating unit 20, lifted, and separated from the transport line L1. On the other hand, the pallet P2 transported by the transport line L2 is stopped at the position of the holding unit 60 and lifted to be separated from the transport line L2.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 16B, the block gripping unit 30 grips the cylinder block B, and the block lifting unit 20 is lowered. Then, the block gripping unit 30 rotates the cylinder block B around the crankshaft S as appropriate so that the cylinder bore into which the piston P is inserted is oriented upward in the vertical direction. At the same time, the shaft rotation unit 40 rotates the crankshaft S so that the piston P can be inserted.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 16C, the block gripping unit 30 that grips the cylinder block B is moved in the Y direction (rightward) by the transfer unit 50, so that the lower region of the push-in unit 110 and the piston guide unit 100. Is positioned at the piston insertion position.
Thereafter, the cap gripping unit 80 is positioned immediately above the pallet P2 by the lowering of the movable arm 72, and a pair of gripping pieces 81 grips a predetermined connecting rod cap C.

  Subsequently, as illustrated in FIG. 17A, the cap gripping unit 80 is moved in the Z direction and the Y direction, and the connecting rod cap C is transferred onto the cap support portion 133 of the fastening unit 130. At the same time, the guide cylinder 104 selected in advance by the guide cylinder switching mechanism is positioned at a non-contact position close to the upper end surface of the cylinder block B by the first driving of the piston guide unit 100, and the driving of the pushing unit 110 is performed. Thus, the chuck 115 protrudes and abuts in the region extending over the inner periphery of the guide cylinder 104 and the cylinder bore, thereby aligning the cores. Further, the second drive of the piston guide unit 100 causes the guide cylinder 104 to move to the cylinder block B. It is brought into close contact with the upper end surface, and centering (centering) is performed with high accuracy.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 17B, the push rod 113 of the push unit 110 rises and returns to the standby position with the chuck 115 immersed. Further, the piston gripping unit 70 is activated, and the gripping piece 74 moves onto the pallet P2 to grip the predetermined piston P.
Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 17C, in the state where the piston P is gripped, the piston gripping unit 70 moves in the Z direction and the Y direction (rightward) to position the piston P above the guide cylinder 104. To do.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 18A, the pushing unit 110 is operated, and the pushing rod 113 (pressing portion 113a) is lowered to the vicinity of the upper side of the piston P in a state where the chuck 115 is immersed. Further, the connecting rod guide unit 120 is operated, and the guide rod 124 is raised to a predetermined position in the cylinder bore. Subsequently, the piston gripping unit 70 is operated, and the piston P is inserted to the insertion reference position in the guide cylinder 104 (position where the piston ring does not come off the ring groove).
At this time, the connecting rod R is guided by the guide rod 124 to be prevented from swinging, and collision with the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder bore is prevented. Further, when the piston P and the connecting rod R are lowered, the guide rod 124 is moved downward without resistance.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 18B, the piston gripping unit 70 opens the piston P, is moved in the Y direction (leftward), and returns to the standby position. Subsequently, the pushing unit 110 is operated to push the piston P into the cylinder bore (lower), and the guide rod 124 is lowered while guiding the connecting rod R. When the connecting rod R comes into contact with the crank pin of the crankshaft S, the insertion of the piston P is completed.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 18 (c), the connecting rod guide unit 120 lowers the guide rod 124, disengages from the connecting rod R, and returns to the standby position.
Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 19A, by driving the transfer unit 150, the fastening unit 130 is moved in the Y direction (rightward) and positioned at a position where the connecting rod cap C is fastened (switching of work). Action is performed).

  Then, the connecting lift cap 140 lifts the connecting rod cap C to a position facing the connecting rod R, and the fastening bolt 130 is screwed in by the fastening unit 130 (fastening chuck 134 and actuator 135), and the connecting rod cap C is fastened. Thereby, the assembly of one piston P to the cylinder block B is completed. In this fastening operation, the pushing unit 110 presses the piston P from above and positions the piston P reliably.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 19B, the fastening unit 130 is lowered by the fastening lifting unit 140 and is moved in the Y direction (leftward) by the transfer unit 150 to return to the standby position. Further, the piston guide unit 100 and the pushing unit 110 are raised and returned to the standby position.
Here, when assembling another piston P, the series of operations shown in FIGS. 16 (b) to 19 (b) are repeated with the block gripping unit 30 positioned at the insertion position.

  When all the assembling is completed, the block gripping unit 30 is moved in the Y direction (leftward) by the transfer unit 50 to the standby position above the block lifting unit 20 as shown in FIG. Return. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 19 (c), the block gripping unit 30 directs the cylinder block B in a predetermined direction and transfers the cylinder block B to the raised block lifting unit 20, and then the block lifting unit. 20 returns the cylinder block B to the pallet P1. Thereby, the cylinder block B in which the piston P is assembled is conveyed downstream by the conveyance line L1.

  In addition, although the case where all the pistons P were assembled | attached by one piston assembly apparatus was shown here, several piston assembly apparatuses are arrange | positioned with respect to the conveyance lines L1 and L2, and the assembly of piston P is carried out. By sharing this, productivity can be improved.

20 and 21 show another embodiment of the piston assembling apparatus according to the present invention. The same components as those of the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. This apparatus is applied in a conveyance system that does not have a line (the aforementioned conveyance line L2) for conveying the piston P and the connecting rod cap C.
That is, in this apparatus, as shown in FIG. 20, the conveyance line L1 is connected to the pallet P1 ′ with the pallet P1 ′ on which the cylinder block B is placed, and the piston P and the connecting rod cap C being placed. The pallet P2 'is transported together.

  As shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, the holding unit 60 ′ is disposed at a position adjacent to the transport line L1, and is slidably connected to the LM rail 15 provided on the fixed base 151 described above. ', A movable base 61' having a ', a movable holding portion 64' capable of holding a pallet P2 ', an actuator 65' for moving and positioning the movable holding portion 64 'in the Z and X directions by air pressure or hydraulic pressure, and the above-described fixing It is formed by an actuator 66 ′ or the like that is fixed on the base 151 and moves and positions the movable base 61 ′ in the Y direction.

  Accordingly, the pallet P2 'on which the piston P and the connecting rod cap C are placed is transported along with the pallet P1' on which the cylinder block B is placed by the transport line L1, and is moved to a predetermined position by a stopper mechanism (not shown). When the actuator 65 ′ is actuated, the movable holding portion 64 ′ is lifted to lift the pallet P2 ′ to be separated from the pallet P1 ′ and the conveying line L1, while the movable holding portion 64 ′ is lowered to move the pallet. P2 ′ is again connected to the pallet P1 ′ and returned to the conveying line L1.

  Further, when the actuator 66 ′ is operated, the movable holding portion 64 ′ is moved and positioned to a predetermined position in the Y direction, and the actuator 65 ′ moves the movable holding portion 61 ′ in the X direction as appropriate. The piston P and the connecting rod cap C to be assembled are appropriately positioned at positions where they are gripped by the piston gripping unit 70 and the cap gripping unit 80.

  In this apparatus, since the dedicated conveyance line L2 for conveying the piston P and the connecting rod cap C is not necessary, the conveyance system is simplified, which is advantageous for space saving. Further, since the correspondence relationship between the piston P and the connecting rod cap C assembled with the cylinder block B can be confirmed in advance before the conveyance, erroneous assembly or the like can be prevented in advance, and productivity is improved. .

In the apparatus described above, since the assembly of the piston P and the connecting rod cap C is automatically performed, the manual work by the operator can be omitted, and the production cost can be reduced. Further, productivity can be improved as a whole only by adjusting the operation time of the apparatus.
Further, in the block gripping unit 30, the piston gripping unit 70, the cap gripping unit 80, the piston guide unit 100, the pushing unit 110, the connecting rod guide unit 120, the fastening unit 130, etc., all are in the Z direction (vertical direction) and Y direction (horizontal). Since only the two-dimensional movement in the direction (direction) is performed, the positioning and the like of each becomes higher accuracy, and therefore, the piston P and the connecting rod cap C can be assembled with high accuracy.

In the above embodiment, an example is shown as a work sequence by each unit, but the present invention is not limited to this, and other work sequences can be adopted.
In the above embodiment, each unit can be moved in the Z direction (vertical direction) and the Y direction (horizontal direction). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the unit may be movable in the X direction.

It is a schematic block diagram which shows one Embodiment of the piston automatic assembly apparatus which concerns on this invention. FIG. 2 shows a part of the units constituting the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, (a) is a front view showing a block gripping unit, and (b) is a side view showing a block transfer unit and the like. It is a perspective view which shows the holding unit of a piston and a connecting rod cap. It is a front view which shows a piston holding unit and a cap holding unit. (A) is a top view which shows a piston holding unit, (b) is a front view which shows a part of piston holding unit and a cap holding unit. It is a side view which shows a pushing unit. It is a front view which shows a pushing unit and a piston guide unit. It is a front view which shows a piston guide unit. A guide cylinder is shown, (a) is a top view, (b) is sectional drawing. It is a top view which shows a guide cylinder switching mechanism. The positioning operation of the guide cylinder is shown, and (a), (b), (c), and (d) are state diagrams in the respective operations. The piston insertion operation is shown, and (a), (b), and (c) are state diagrams in the respective operations. It is a side view which shows a connecting rod guide unit and a transfer unit. It is a front view which shows a connecting rod guide unit, a fastening unit, a fastening raising / lowering unit, and a transfer unit. (A), (b) is an enlarged view which respectively shows a fastening unit. (A), (b), (c) is a state diagram which shows each operation | movement of a piston assembly apparatus. (A), (b), (c) is a state diagram which shows each operation | movement of a piston assembly apparatus. (A), (b), (c) is a state diagram which shows each operation | movement of a piston assembly apparatus. (A), (b), (c) is a state diagram which shows each operation | movement of a piston assembly apparatus. It is a schematic block diagram which shows other embodiment of the piston automatic assembly apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows other embodiment of a holding | maintenance unit.

Explanation of symbols

10 Gantry robot 11 Upper frame 12 Lower frame 20 Block lifting unit (block positioning means)
30 Block gripping unit (block positioning means)
40 Shaft rotation unit (block positioning means)
50 Block transfer unit (block positioning means)
60, 60 'holding unit (piston / cap positioning means)
70 Piston gripping unit (piston positioning means)
80 Cap gripping unit (cap positioning means)
90 Transfer unit (piston / cap positioning means)
100 Piston guide unit (piston insertion means)
104 Guide cylinder 110 Pushing unit (piston insertion means)
113a Pressing part 115 Chuck 120 Connecting rod guide unit 124 Guide rod 130 Fastening unit (fastening means)
140 Fastening unit (fastening means)
150 Transfer unit (fastening means)
L1, L2 Conveying line B Cylinder block P Piston C Connecting rod cap R Connecting rod CB Fastening bolt

Claims (9)

An automatic piston assembly device for connecting a piston to a crankshaft by inserting a piston with a connecting rod into a cylinder bore and fastening a connecting rod cap to a cylinder block having a crankshaft.
Block positioning means for moving the cylinder block in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction and rotating the cylinder block around the crankshaft to position the cylinder block at a predetermined position;
Piston positioning means for moving and positioning the piston to be inserted into the cylinder block positioned by the block positioning means;
Piston insertion means for inserting the piston positioned by the piston positioning means into the cylinder bore;
Cap positioning means for moving and positioning the connecting rod cap to the connecting rod of the piston inserted by the piston inserting means;
Fastening means for fastening the connecting rod cap;
The block positioning means has a block gripping unit capable of gripping a cylinder block and rotating a cylinder bore so as to face in a vertical direction, and a shaft rotation unit that is provided integrally with the block gripping unit and rotates a crankshaft.
An automatic piston assembly apparatus characterized by that. The block positioning means includes a block lifting unit for separating and holding the cylinder block transported by the transport line from the transport line so as to be gripped by the block gripping unit, and moving the block gripping unit horizontally to a predetermined position. Having a block transfer unit for positioning,
The automatic piston assembly apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The piston positioning means is configured to hold the piston transported by the transport line separately from the transport line and move and position the piston in the horizontal direction, and to grip the piston held by the holding unit in the vertical direction. A piston gripping unit to be moved, and a transfer unit for moving the piston gripping unit in a horizontal direction and positioning it at a predetermined position.
3. The automatic piston assembly apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the piston automatic assembly apparatus is provided. The cap positioning means grips the connecting rod cap held by the holding unit and the holding unit that can hold and hold the connecting rod cap that has been conveyed by the conveying line while being separated from the conveying line and moved horizontally. A cap gripping unit that moves in the vertical direction; and a transfer unit that moves the cap gripping unit in the horizontal direction and positions the cap gripping unit at a predetermined position.
The automatic piston assembly apparatus according to claim 3. The cap gripping unit is provided integrally with the piston gripping unit,
The transfer unit of the piston gripping unit also serves as the transfer unit of the cap gripping unit,
5. An automatic piston assembly apparatus according to claim 4, wherein The piston and the connecting rod cap are held by the same pallet,
The piston holding unit also serves as the connecting rod cap holding unit;
The automatic piston assembly apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the automatic piston assembly apparatus is provided. The fastening means includes a fastening unit that holds the connecting rod cap moved by the transfer unit and exerts a fastening force on a fastening bolt, a fastening lifting unit that lifts and lowers the fastening unit, and the fastening unit and the fastening lifting unit. It has a transfer unit that moves in the horizontal direction and positions it at a predetermined position.
The piston automatic assembly apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the automatic piston assembly apparatus is provided. The pallet holding the piston and the connecting rod cap is transported on the same transport line together with the pallet of the cylinder block.
8. The automatic piston assembly apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the piston automatic assembly apparatus is provided. It has an upper frame and a lower frame that are spaced apart in the vertical direction and arranged in parallel,
The upper frame supports a part of the block positioning means, a part of the piston positioning means, and a part of the cap positioning means,
A part of the piston insertion means and a part of the fastening means are supported on the lower frame.
5. An automatic piston assembly apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

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