JP2011224738A - Electric calking machine and attachment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electric calking machine which can easily carry out a recognizing operation of a construction work and assuredly prevent a joint from being forgotten to be calked.SOLUTION: An attachment 3 in which a controller is accommodated is attached to a calking machine body 2. The controller has a function for automatically writing information including the completion of a calking operation in an IC tag attached to each joint. On an upper surface of a case of the attachment 3, a connecting member is provided which has the same form and structure as those of a connecting member provided on an upper surface of a battery adapter 4. On a lower surface of the case of the attachment 3, a connecting member is provided which has the same form and structure as those of a connecting member provided on a lower surface of the calking machine body 2.

Description

  The present invention relates to an electric caulking machine used for caulking and joining a joint to piping in plumbing work for water supply / hot water supply pipes and air conditioning equipment pipes, and is further mounted on the caulking machine body to complete the work. The present invention relates to an attachment having a function of writing history information of a caulking operation including an IC tag attached to a joint.

  There is a type of joint for pipes that is inserted into the pipe and then caulked to the pipe using a dedicated electric caulking machine, and this type of joint is "Metacut" manufactured by Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd. Many products are commercially available, including (registered trademark).

  Conventionally, when this type of joint is joined to a pipe, a construction method has been adopted in which the caulking work is collectively performed after the work of inserting the joint into the pipe is collectively performed in order to increase work efficiency. However, in this construction method, there is a possibility that forgetting caulking may occur due to insufficient confirmation of caulking work. If forgetting caulking is left and heat insulation work in the subsequent process is performed, it is impossible to detect forgetting caulking from the exterior, so when water is passed through the pipe, a water leak accident occurs from the place where the caulking is forgotten There are things to do.

  In order to prevent such a water leakage accident from occurring, various methods for confirming forgetting caulking have been adopted. Patent Document 1 discloses a method in which a ribbon member having a color different from the color of the outer peripheral surface is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the joint. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 12, a method for confirming forgetting caulking described in Patent Document 1 will be briefly described.

  FIG. 12 shows a state where the end of the pipe 110 is inserted into the joint 100. The joint 100 includes a screw portion 101 having a male screw formed around it, a small-diameter nozzle portion 102, and a sleeve 103 having a gap into which a resin pipe 110 can be inserted between the nozzle portion 102. Yes.

  A strip member 104 is wound around the sleeve 103 in advance at a factory before shipment. The ribbon member 104 has a color with a large contrast with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve 103. The ribbon member 104 is formed of a vinyl tape, a film, paper, or the like, and has a cut in the axial direction of the joint 100 so as to be easily torn.

  The joint 100 is coupled to the rigid tube by screwing the threaded portion 101 into a female thread portion provided at the end of the rigid tube (not shown). On the other hand, the joint 100 and the pipe 110 are connected by fitting the end of the pipe 110 to the nozzle portion 102 and then crimping the sleeve 103 in the direction of diameter reduction and holding the pipe 110 by the nozzle portion 102 and the sleeve 103. The

  When the sleeve 103 is caulked in the diameter reducing direction using the electric caulking machine, the thin strip member 104 is torn. By removing the strip member 104 that has been torn from the sleeve 103 by the operator, it is possible to easily determine whether or not to forget caulking from the change in the color of the joint 100 at the time of inspection after completion of the operation.

  As another method for confirming forgetting caulking, there is a method described in Patent Document 2. In this method, a pressure-sensitive or heat-sensitive color developing piece is attached in advance to the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve 103 of the joint 100. When the sleeve 103 is caulked in the direction of diameter reduction using an electric caulking machine, the colored pieces are colored by pressure or heat accompanying caulking. If there is coloration, it means that caulking has been performed, so it is possible to easily determine whether or not forgetting caulking.

JP 2009-2402 A JP 2004-138169 A

  However, the above-described conventional method for confirming forgetting caulking may be overlooked by an operator when the joint is in a place where it is difficult to see, and is not a perfect measure. In addition, since the check data is totaled manually, the totaling work becomes complicated if there are many caulking portions of the joints.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electric caulking machine capable of easily confirming construction and preventing forgetting caulking of a joint with certainty.

To achieve the above object, an electric caulking machine according to the present invention is an electric caulking machine for caulking and joining a joint to a pipe,
A caulking machine body having an action part for caulking the joint, a drive part for driving the action part, and a gripping part for an operator to hold;
A battery adapter in which a battery for supplying power to the drive unit is accommodated in a cylindrical case;
In the cylindrical case, the end of the caulking operation in the caulking machine body is determined based on the value of the current output from the battery, and the IC tag attached to the joint includes the end of the caulking operation An attachment housing a control device for transmitting and storing history information,
On the upper surface of the case of the attachment, a second connection member provided on the upper surface of the case of the battery adapter and mechanically and electrically connectable with a first connection member for connection with the caulking machine body. Is provided,
A fourth connection that is mechanically and electrically connectable to a third connection member for connection to the battery adapter provided on the lower surface of the gripping portion of the caulking machine body on the lower surface of the attachment case. A member is provided.

Here, the control device is
A current sensor for detecting a current value output from the battery;
Control means for determining the end of the caulking operation in the caulking machine body based on the current value detected by the current sensor;
Based on the control of the control means, a blocking means for cutting off the power supplied from the battery to the drive unit,
It is preferable that a first communication unit that wirelessly transmits caulking work history information including a determination result by the control unit to the IC tag.

  Furthermore, it is preferable that the control device includes a second communication unit that wirelessly transmits information including a determination result of the control unit to an external portable terminal.

  Further, it is preferable that the control means determines that the caulking work in the caulking machine body has been completed when the current value detected by the current sensor rapidly decreases.

Further, the second connection member has a shape protruding outward from the upper surface of the case of the attachment,
The fourth connecting member has a shape recessed inward from the lower surface of the case of the attachment,
The first connecting member and the fourth connecting member are configured to be fitted to each other, and the second connecting member and the third connecting member are configured to be fitted to each other. Is preferred.

  Preferably, a tag holder for inserting the IC tag is provided on a side surface of the attachment case, and a switch for detecting insertion of the IC tag is provided in the tag holder.

  The attachment case preferably has a horizontal cross section substantially equal to the cross section of the battery adapter case. Alternatively, the attachment case has a horizontal rear or front cross section substantially equal to the cross section of the battery adapter (4) case, and the front portion projects forward from the front of the battery adapter (4). It is preferable that the shape or the rear part protrudes rearward from the rear part of the battery adapter (4).

An attachment according to the present invention is used in an electric caulking machine for caulking and joining a joint to a pipe, and includes an action part for caulking the joint, a drive part for driving the action part, and a grip part for an operator to grasp. An attachment that is mounted between a caulking machine body having a battery adapter in which a battery that supplies power to the drive unit is accommodated in a caulking machine body,
The end of the caulking operation in the caulking machine body is determined based on the value of the current output from the battery, and the caulking operation history information including the end of the operation is transmitted to the IC tag attached to the joint. A control device for storing;
A cylindrical case that houses the control device,
The upper surface of the case is provided with a second connection member that is mechanically and electrically connectable with a first connection member provided on the upper surface of the case of the battery adapter for connection to the caulking machine body. And
On the lower surface of the case, there is provided a fourth connection member that is mechanically and electrically connectable with a third connection member for connection with the battery adapter, provided on the lower surface of the gripping portion of the caulking machine body. It is provided.

  If the electric caulking machine of the present invention is used, since the caulking work history information is written to the IC tag during a series of caulking work, the caulking work and its confirmation work are simplified and the history work is forgotten to be written. There is no fear.

  In addition, the above functions can be realized by simply attaching an attachment between the caulking machine main body and the battery adapter without modifying the existing electric caulking machine, so that the cost increase associated with adding functions can be minimized. .

It is a front view which shows the structure of the electric crimping machine concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the battery adapter of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the attachment of FIG. It is sectional drawing which cut | disconnected the attachment of FIG. 4 by the AA line. It is a figure which shows the structure of the electric system of the electric crimping machine concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a graph which shows the change of the electric current value which flows into the motor for hydraulic cylinder drive in a caulking operation. It is an enlarged view which shows operation | movement of the action part of the electric crimping machine of FIG. It is an enlarged view which shows operation | movement of the action part of the electric crimping machine of FIG. It is an enlarged view which shows operation | movement of the action part of the electric crimping machine of FIG. It is a flowchart explaining the writing process of the historical information to an IC tag. It is a perspective view which shows the other example of an attachment. It is a perspective view which shows the state which inserted the edge part of piping into the coupling.

  Hereinafter, an electric caulking machine and an attachment according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<Configuration of electric caulking machine>
FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an electric caulking machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The electric caulking machine 1 basically includes a caulking machine body 2, an attachment 3, and a battery adapter 4. Before describing the configuration of the electric caulking machine 1, features of the electric caulking machine according to the present invention will be described.

  The electric caulking machine according to the present invention has two characteristic points in construction. The first feature point is that an attachment 3 that accommodates a control device is attached to the caulking machine main body 2, and the control device has a function of automatically writing caulking work history information to an IC tag attached to each joint. It is in the point. The caulking work history information including the completion of the work is automatically written to the IC tag by the control device accommodated in the attachment 3. Therefore, after the caulking work for all the joints is completed, the joint that has been forgotten to be caulked can be surely found by checking the history information of the IC tag attached to each joint.

  The second feature is that a connection member having the same shape and structure as the connection member provided on the upper surface of the battery adapter 4 is provided on the upper surface of the case of the attachment 3, and the caulking machine main body is provided on the lower surface of the case of the attachment 3. The connection member of the shape and structure similar to the connection member provided in the lower surface of this is provided. As a result of adopting such a configuration, it is only necessary to attach the attachment 3 between the caulking machine main body 2 and the battery adapter 4 only when necessary, without adding any hand to the existing electric caulking machine.

  Hereinafter, first, the configuration of the electric caulking machine 1 will be described with a focus on the second feature point with reference to FIGS. The caulking machine main body 2 caulks the joint 100 described above, has a shape that is very similar to a pistol, and is provided with an action part 210 that performs caulking action at the muzzle position of the pistol.

  A drive unit 230 is provided in the barrel portion of the pistol. The drive unit 230 accommodates a hydraulic cylinder 231 that drives the action unit 210 and a drive motor 232 (see FIG. 5). The hydraulic cylinder 231 is configured such that the cylinder moves back and forth by the rotation of the motor 232.

  The part corresponding to the grip of the pistol is the grip part 240, and the grip part 240 is provided with an operation button 241 for driving the motor 232. The operation button 241 corresponds to a pistol trigger.

  Further, a connection part 242 for attachment 3 and battery holder 4 is formed at the lower end of the grip part 240. An opening into which the upper end portion of the attachment 3 or the battery holder 4 is inserted is formed on the lower surface of the connection portion 242.

  The action part 210 is provided with a press die 211 and a yoke die 214. The press die 211 and the yoke die 214 are formed with caulking portions 212 and 215 having a semi-cylindrical concave shape that is substantially the same as or slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the sleeve 103 shown in FIG. . Further, flat butt portions 213 and 216 are connected to both sides of the caulking portions 212 and 215, respectively.

  The press die 211 is connected to a hydraulic cylinder 231 (see FIG. 5), and is configured to be advanced and retracted in the axial direction by the hydraulic cylinder 231.

  One end of the yoke die 214 is pivotally supported by the caulking machine main body 2 via a rotating shaft 217, and a protrusion that is locked in the groove of the locking member 221 is provided at the other end. The caulking operation by the caulking machine main body 2 will be described later with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 2 shows the appearance of the battery adapter 4. In the electric caulking machine 1, when the attachment 3 is not used, the battery adapter 4 is directly attached to the caulking machine body 2 for use. A battery 402 (see FIG. 5) is accommodated in a cylindrical case 401 having a substantially pentagonal cross section.

  A terminal convex portion 403 that is a connecting member between the battery adapter 4 and the caulking machine main body 2 is provided on the upper end surface of the case 401. On the other hand, a terminal recess (not shown) having a recess of a shape corresponding to the terminal protrusion 403 is provided in the opening on the lower surface of the connecting portion 242 of the caulking machine body 2.

  A pair of terminals 411 for discharging and a plurality of terminals 412 for charging are attached to the terminal convex portion 403. When the terminal convex portion 403 is fitted into the terminal concave portion of the caulking machine main body 2, the pair of terminals 411 are connected to the pair of terminals 243 (see FIG. 5) of the caulking machine main body 2.

  Therefore, the battery adapter 4 and the caulking machine main body 2 are mechanically and electrically connected by inserting and fitting the terminal convex portion 403 into the terminal concave portion of the caulking machine main body 2. Note that the charging terminal 412 is used when charging the battery and is not directly related to the present invention.

  A slider (not shown) having a hook-like claw 431 for preventing falling off is provided at the upper rear portion of the case 401. The slider is fitted in a rectangular hole formed on the side surface of the case 401 and can move in the front-rear direction, but is normally biased outward by a spring. When the terminal convex portion 403 is fitted into the terminal concave portion of the caulking machine body 2, the claw 431 engages with a hook-like claw (not shown) formed on the inner wall of the opening of the connection portion 242 of the caulking machine body 2. Thus, the battery adapter 4 is prevented from dropping from the caulking machine main body 2.

  Next, the configuration of the attachment 3 will be described. FIG. 3 shows the appearance of the attachment 3, and FIG. 4 shows a cross section of the attachment 3 of FIG. 3 cut along the line AA. The attachment 3 is mounted between the caulking machine main body 2 and the battery adapter 4, and a control device 300 shown in FIG. 5 is accommodated in a cylindrical case 301 having a cross-sectional shape substantially similar to that of the battery adapter 4.

  A terminal convex portion 302 having the same shape as the terminal convex portion 403 of the battery adapter 4 is provided on the upper surface of the case 301, and a terminal concave portion (see FIG. 5) provided on the lower surface of the gripping portion 240 of the caulking machine body 2. A terminal recess 303 having the same shape as that of the terminal recess 303 is provided. A pair of terminals 311 connected to the pair of terminals 243 of the caulking machine main body 2 are attached to the side surface of the terminal convex portion 302, and the pair of terminals 411 of the battery adapter 4 are connected to the side surface of the terminal concave portion 303. A pair of terminals 312 are attached.

As shown in FIG. 4, the case 301 of the attachment 3 is hollow, and circuit components constituting the control device 300 shown in FIG. 5 are accommodated in the hollow. These circuit components are distributed and arranged on circuit boards 305a, 305b and 305c supported by the chassis 304, as indicated by broken lines in the figure. The chassis 304 is fixed to the inner wall of the case 301 with screws or the like. In addition, spacers 306 are arranged between the circuit boards 305a to 305c so as to maintain the respective intervals.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a tag holder 307 is provided on the side surface of the cylindrical case 301, and a slit for inserting the IC tag 5 is formed in the upper part. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a fuse 313 and a switch 314 are attached to a part of the case 301. Note that the terminal 311 and the terminal 312 are connected by two wires, and the circuit components arranged in the case 301 are connected by wires, but the wires are omitted in FIG. 4 to avoid complexity. is doing.

  As shown in FIG. 4, as with the battery adapter 4, a drop-off prevention slider 331 is fitted into a rectangular hole provided in the upper rear portion of the case 301. The slider 331 can move in the front-rear direction as indicated by an arrow, but is normally urged outward by a spring 332 disposed between the slider 331 and the partition 308.

  A hook-like claw 333 is formed at the upper end of the slider 331. The hook 333 is engaged with a hook-like claw (not shown) formed on the inner wall of the opening of the connection part 242 of the caulking machine body 2. This prevents the attachment 3 from falling off the caulking machine main body 2.

  Similarly to the connection part 242 of the caulking machine main body 2, an opening part 309 for connection to the battery adapter 4 is formed in the lower part of the attachment 3, and an inner wall of the opening part 309 has a hook-like shape for preventing falling off. A nail 310 is formed.

  The terminal convex portion 302 of the attachment 3 shown in FIG. 3 is fitted into a terminal concave portion (not shown) of the caulking machine body 2, and the terminal convex portion 403 of the battery adapter 4 is fitted into the terminal concave portion 303 of the attachment 3. Thus, the caulking machine main body 2, the attachment 3, and the battery adapter 4 are mechanically and electrically connected.

  When fitting the terminal convex portion 302 of the attachment 3 into the terminal concave portion (not shown) of the caulking machine main body 2, the slider 331 is pushed with a finger and the claw 333 is moved inward, and the terminal convex portion 302 is moved. The part 302 is inserted into the opening of the caulking machine main body 2. After the terminal convex portion 302 of the attachment 3 is completely inserted into the terminal concave portion of the caulking machine main body 2, when the finger is released from the slider 331, the claw 333 for preventing the attachment 3 from falling off becomes the connection portion 242 of the caulking machine main body 2. It is possible to prevent the attachment 3 from falling off by engaging with a claw (not shown) on the inner wall of the opening.

  Similarly, when the terminal convex part 403 of the battery adapter 4 is fitted into the terminal concave part 303 of the attachment 3, the slider (not shown) of the battery adapter 4 is pushed with a finger and the claw 431 is moved inward, The terminal convex portion 403 is inserted into the opening 309 of the attachment 3. After the terminal convex part 403 of the battery adapter 4 is completely inserted into the terminal concave part 303 of the attachment 3, when the finger is released from the slider, the claw 431 for preventing the battery adapter 4 from falling off becomes the claw of the opening 309 of the attachment 3. The battery adapter 4 can be prevented from falling off.

  As described above, the electric caulking machine 1 according to the present invention does not require any modification for attaching the attachment 3 to the caulking machine body 2. As the attachment 3 incorporating the control device 300, a terminal convex portion having the same shape and structure as the terminal convex portion of the battery adapter 4 is provided on the upper surface of the case 301, and is provided on the lower surface of the caulking machine main body 2 on the lower surface of the case 301. A terminal recess having the same shape and structure as the terminal recess is provided. Then, by fitting these members together, the attachment 3 is mounted between the caulking machine body 2 and the battery adapter 4, and at the same time, the caulking machine body 2 and the battery adapter 4 are electrically connected.

  In the present embodiment, the attachment has a terminal convex portion formed on the upper surface of the case and a terminal concave portion formed on the lower surface, but is not necessarily limited to this shape. What is necessary is just to change the shape and structure of the connection member provided in the upper surface and lower surface of an attachment according to the shape and structure of the connection member provided with a caulking machine main body and a battery adapter.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the structure of the electric crimping machine 1 is demonstrated centering on a 1st feature point. FIG. 5 shows the configuration of the electric system of the electric caulking machine 1. In FIG. 5, each electronic component is connected by a single wiring, but is actually connected by two wirings for plus and minus. In order to avoid complication of the drawing, it is displayed by one wiring.

  The caulking machine main body 2 has a built-in hydraulic cylinder 231 driven by a motor 232. A switch 244 that is turned on / off in conjunction with the movement of the operation button 241 is provided between the motor 232 and the terminal 243. The hydraulic cylinder 231 includes a hydraulic pump, a valve for switching the moving direction of the cylinder, and the like. However, since these members are not directly related to the present invention, description thereof is omitted.

  Further, as described above, the caulking machine main body 2 and the attachment 3 include the terminal 243 provided in the terminal concave portion (not shown) of the gripping portion 240 of the caulking machine main body 2 and the terminal convex portion 302 on the upper surface of the case 301 of the attachment 3. Are electrically connected to each other by a terminal 311. Similarly, the attachment 3 and the battery adapter 4 are electrically connected by a terminal 312 provided in the terminal concave portion 303 on the lower surface of the case 301 of the attachment 3 and a terminal 411 provided on the terminal convex portion 403 on the upper surface of the case 401 of the battery adapter 4. Connected.

  A control device 300 is accommodated in the case 301 of the attachment 3. The control device 300 supplies the power of the battery 402 to the caulking machine main body 2. Further, the control device 300 has a function of writing information to the IC tag 5 attached to the joint 100 wirelessly and reading the information written to the IC tag 5 wirelessly. Similarly, the control device 300 has a function of wirelessly communicating with a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) 6 carried by the worker.

  The IC tag 5 is an IC having a wireless (for example, UHF band) communication function. The IC tag 5 does not have a power supply, receives a radio wave transmitted from the control device 300 with an antenna, and operates using the radio wave as an energy source. An ID number is written in advance as identification information in the IC tag 5, and information including the ID number stored in the built-in memory is transmitted to the control device 300 in accordance with an instruction from the control device 300. Write the transmitted information to the memory.

  The PDA 6 is a portable terminal that complies with the Bluetooth standard, and transmits and receives digital information to and from the control device 300 wirelessly. The PDA 6 includes a liquid crystal screen 601 that also serves as a touch panel input device. The PDA 6 is logged on by inputting a name and password of a worker registered in advance, and a communication history with the control device 300 is displayed on the liquid crystal screen 601. Is done. In the memory of the PDA 6, a list of floors and room names of the construction site is stored in advance as a database, and the construction location of the joint 100 is input by the operator selecting a specific floor and room name from the list. In addition, information regarding work history such as construction date and time is displayed on the liquid crystal screen 601.

  Next, the configuration and function of the control device 300 of the attachment 3 will be described. The control device 300 detects the value of the current supplied from the battery 402 to the motor 232 of the caulking machine body 2, determines that the caulking work has been completed when the value has rapidly decreased, and transmits the result to the PDA 6. In addition, the caulking work history information including the information is received from the PDA 6 and written in the IC tag 5.

  The control apparatus 300 includes a microcomputer 315, an RFID module 316, an antenna 317, a Bluetooth module 318, a current sensor 319, an A / D converter 320, a relay 321 and a DC / DC converter 322.

  Note that the microcomputer 315 of the control device 300 constitutes the control means of the present invention, the RFID module 316 and the antenna 317 constitute the first communication means of the present invention, and the Bluetooth module 318 represents the second communication means of the present invention. The relay 321 constitutes the current interrupting means of the present invention.

  The microcomputer 315 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory), and controls the operation of each unit of the control device 300 based on a program stored in the ROM.

  The RFID module 316 transmits and receives information to and from the IC tag 5 in which the ID number is written by wireless communication. As described above, the IC tag 5 operates using radio waves transmitted from the RFID module 316 via the antenna 317 as an energy source, and thus does not include a battery or the like. However, since the energy that can be received by the IC tag 5 is extremely weak, the communicable distance is several meters.

  The Bluetooth module 318 conforms to the Bluetooth standard in the same manner as the PDA 6 and transmits / receives digital information to / from the PDA 6 by wireless communication.

  The current sensor 319 detects a current supplied from the battery 402 to the driving motor 232 of the hydraulic cylinder 231, and the current value detected by the current sensor 319 is converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 320. Then, it is transmitted to the microcomputer 315.

  FIG. 6 shows changes in the value of the current flowing through the drive motor 232 of the hydraulic cylinder 231 during the caulking operation. In the figure, the vertical axis indicates a value obtained by converting a current value into a voltage value, and the horizontal axis indicates an elapsed time. As the caulking work proceeds, the current flowing through the motor 232 increases. When the caulking work is completed, the current value rapidly decreases, and thereafter shows a constant value. Accordingly, it is possible to determine that the caulking work has been completed by extracting the characteristic change of the current value by the microcomputer 315.

  The relay 321 blocks the current supplied from the battery 402 to the motor 232 based on a control signal from the microcomputer 315. When the microcomputer 315 extracts a characteristic change in the current value, the microcomputer 315 determines that the caulking work is completed, operates the relay 321, and interrupts the current from the battery 402.

  The DC / DC converter 322 supplies power to the control unit 315, the RFID module 316, the Bluetooth module 318, and the like. Normally, the battery 402 supplies power with a voltage of 12 V (volts), which is higher than the operating voltage of 3.3 V for the microcomputer 315 and other modules. For this reason, the electric power from the battery 402 is supplied to each circuit component as indicated by the broken arrow after the voltage is lowered by the DC / DC converter 322.

  A limit switch 323 is connected to the microcomputer 315. The limit switch 323 is attached to the lower part of the slit of the tag holder 307 (see FIG. 3), and is turned on when the IC tag 5 is inserted into the tag holder 307.

  In the above-described configuration, the microcomputer 315 determines that the caulking work has been completed when it detects a rapid decrease in the current value detected by the current sensor 319, and sends the construction completion signal together with the joint ID number to the Bluetooth module 318. To the PDA 6 via

  The PDA 6 that has received the construction completion signal creates caulking work history information including construction completion, the installer, and the construction date and time for the corresponding ID number, stores it in the built-in memory, and returns it to the control device 300.

  The microcomputer 315 that has received the caulking work history information from the PDA 6 via the Bluetooth module 318 transmits the history information to the IC tag 5 via the RFID module 316 and writes it to the memory.

  These series of operations are automatically performed without any operator operation. Therefore, if the history information of the IC tag 5 attached to the joint 100 is read after the caulking work is completed, the presence or absence of the caulking can be surely confirmed.

  In this embodiment, the RFID module 316 is used as a communication means with the IC tag 5 and the Bluetooth module 318 is used as a communication means with the PDA 6, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to these means. It goes without saying that other means capable of performing communication using radio may be used.

<Caulking work and writing history information to IC tag>
Next, caulking work in the caulking machine main body 2 and writing of history information to the IC tag 5 performed in conjunction with the work will be described. First, a caulking operation in the caulking machine body 2 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  7, 8, and 9 are enlarged views of the action portion 210 of the electric caulking machine 1 of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 7, a locking member 221 for locking the yoke die 214 is disposed on the upper side of the yoke die 214. The locking member 221 is pivotally supported on a rotary shaft 223 provided in the caulking machine main body 2. When the lever 222 is rotated clockwise using a hand, the latching portion 224 on the left side moves upward with the rotating shaft 223 as a fulcrum according to the principle of leverage. The lever 222 is provided with a spring 225 for urging the locking portion 224 counterclockwise. When the lever 222 is removed, the locking portion 224 always returns to the locking position. ing.

  The locking portion 224 is provided with a locking groove 226 indicated by a broken line, and the locking protrusion 218 at the upper end of the yoke die 214 is engaged with the locking groove 226 so that the yoke die 214 is moved. Hold in a caulking position.

  From the caulking posture shown in FIG. 7, as shown in FIG. 8, the lever 222 of the locking member 221 that locks the yoke die 214 is pressed downward to move the locking portion 224 upward, The locking of the yoke die 214 to the locking projection 218 by the locking groove 226 is released.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 9, the unlocked yoke die 214 is rotated counterclockwise, and the sleeve 103 (see FIG. 12) is provided between the locking protrusion 218 and the locking member 221 of the yoke die 214. ) In which the gap S larger than the diameter is formed. Then, the sleeve 103 portion of the joint 100 is inserted from the gap S so as to face the caulking portion 212 of the press die 211.

  Then, using the hand on the side that does not support the caulking machine body 2, the yoke die 214 is again rotated counterclockwise to return to the caulking posture, and then the locking member 221 is acted to act on the yoke die 214. Is fixed (locked) and held in the caulking posture shown in FIG.

  When the operator presses the operation button 241 of the gripping portion 240 of the caulking machine body 2, the switch 244 is turned on, the motor 232 rotates, the hydraulic cylinder 231 is driven to move the press die 211 to the left side, and the yoke die A caulking operation is performed with 214.

  Next, the history information writing process to the IC tag 5 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. FIG. 10 shows a processing flow in the attachment 3 and the PDA 6. The process performed by the attachment 3 is shown on the left side of the figure, and the process performed by the PDA 6 is shown on the right side.

  As a preliminary work, a list of ID numbers corresponding to the number of joints used at the construction site is created using a personal computer (hereinafter abbreviated as “PC”) in the field office. In addition, the created list is written in the memory of the PDA 6, and an ID number is written as identification information in the memory of the IC tag 5 using a tag writer. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the IC tag 5 in which the ID number is written is attached to the joint 100 with a string or the like.

  In addition, as a method of attaching the IC tag 5 to the joint 100, there is a method of adhering the IC tag 5 to the surface of the joint 100 or embedding it inside, in addition to a method of using a string. According to the usage form of the joint 100, an optimal method may be adopted from these.

  The operator inserts the joint 100 into the pipe 110 at the construction site and inserts the IC tag 5 into the tag holder 307 (see FIG. 3) of the attachment 3. At this time, the manual switch 314 of the attachment 3 is set to an on state (connected state) by an operator, and power is supplied to each circuit of the control device 300 via the DC / DC converter 322.

  When the IC tag 5 is inserted into the tag holder 307 by the operator's hand, the insertion of the IC tag 5 is detected by the limit switch 323 installed at the lower part of the holder, and this serves as a trigger for starting the following series of processes. .

  First, the microcomputer 315 of the control device 300 instructs the RFID module 316 to wirelessly transmit a signal to the IC tag 5 and reads the ID number stored in the memory of the IC tag 5 (step S1). Subsequently, the control unit 315 instructs the Bluetooth module 318 to transmit the read ID number of the IC tag 5 to the PDA 6 wirelessly (step S2).

  The PDA 6 that has received the ID number of the IC tag 5 collates the received ID number with an ID number stored in advance in the database (step S3).

  If there is an ID number that matches the database (Yes in step S4), the PDA 6 proceeds to the process of step S5. On the other hand, if there is no matching ID number (No in step S4), a message to that effect is displayed on the liquid crystal screen 601 to notify the operator that there is no matching ID number (step S6).

  If there is a matching identification number, the PDA 6 transmits a construction start command to the attachment 3 (step S5). The microcomputer 315 that has received the construction start command via the Bluetooth module 318 controls the relay 321 to supply power from the battery 402 to the motor 232 of the caulking machine body 2 (step S7).

  When the operator presses the operation button 241 of the caulking machine main body 2, the switch 244 is turned on, power is supplied to the motor 232, and the caulking work is started. During the work, the current sensor 319 is connected from the battery 402. Is detected (step S8).

  As shown in FIG. 6 described above, the value of the current flowing through the motor 232 during the caulking operation gradually increases with the passage of time, and rapidly decreases when the caulking operation is completed. After that, a constant output is shown. If the microcomputer 315 detects a sudden decrease in the current value (Yes in step S9), the microcomputer 315 determines that the caulking operation of the joint 100 by the caulking machine body 2 has been completed, and controls the relay 321 from the battery 402 to the motor 232. Is stopped (step S10). The control unit 315 further transmits a construction completion signal to the PDA 6 via the Bluetooth module 318 (step S11).

  On the other hand, when the control unit 315 does not detect a sudden decrease in the current value in Step S9 (No), the process returns to Step S8, and the current value is continuously detected by the current sensor 319.

  Next, the PDA 6 receives the construction completion signal transmitted from the control device 300, stores the caulking work history information including the construction completion, the builder, and the construction date and time in a memory and transmits it to the control device 300 (step). S12).

  The microcomputer 315 that has received the caulking work history information from the PDA 6 via the Bluetooth module 318 transmits the history information to the IC tag 5 via the RFID module 316 and the antenna 317 and writes it to the built-in memory (step S13). .

  Thereafter, for all the joints 100 installed at the construction site, the caulking work history information is transmitted to the PDA 6 and the individual history information is written to the IC tag 5 by the same processing as described above.

  After the caulking work is completed, the history information written in the memory of the PDA 6 is uploaded to the hard disk of the personal computer in the field office. The history information captured in the personal computer is stored in the hard disk in association with the ID number by the counting software.

  The worker can confirm the existence of an ID number in which history information is not stored by reading the history information of the caulking work from the personal computer. For example, when 100 joints 100 with ID numbers 001 to 100 are installed at the construction site, if there is only history information with ID numbers 001 to 095, ID numbers 096 to 100 are assigned. It can be seen that there is a possibility that the joint 100 has been forgotten to be caulked.

  Further, a scanning device is prepared which has a built-in tag reader that can read information stored in the IC tag 5 and is attached with a highly sensitive antenna. If the operator carries this scanning device to the construction site and confirms the history information written in all the IC tags 5, the joint 100 that has been forgotten to be caulked can be easily found. Therefore, even if there is a joint 100 that has not been caulked, the joint can be easily found both at the site office and at the construction site. Can be increased.

  As described above, if the electric caulking machine according to the present invention is used, since the caulking work history information is automatically written to the IC tag 5 during a series of caulking work, the caulking work and its confirmation work are performed. It can be simplified, and there is no possibility of forgetting to write history information to the IC tag 5.

  In the electric caulking machine 1 according to the present embodiment, the electric caulking machine can be used in a normal form as long as the battery adapter 4 is directly attached to the grip portion 240 of the caulking machine main body 2 without attaching the attachment 3. On the other hand, if the attachment 3 is mounted between the caulking machine main body 2 and the battery adapter 4 and the caulking work history information is written to the IC tag 5, the history information of the IC tag can be confirmed on a personal computer. Further, by reading the history information of the IC tag using a scanning device, it is possible to surely find a joint that has been forgotten to be caulked.

  In this embodiment, once the construction completion signal is transmitted from the control device 300 to the PDA 6 to create the caulking work history information including the construction completion, the history information is sent to the IC tag 5 and stored in the memory. I am writing. On the other hand, the construction completion signal may be directly written to the IC tag 5 from the control device 300 without using the PDA 6. In this case, the joint history information using a personal computer cannot be confirmed, but if the operator carries the scanning device to the construction site and reads the information stored in the memory of the IC tag 5 of each joint, Easily find joints that have not been caulked. This method eliminates the need for a PDA or personal computer, and is suitable for confirmation of forgetting caulking at a relatively small construction site with a small number of joints.

<Other examples of attachments>
In FIG. 11, the other example of the attachment attached to the electric crimping machine 1 is shown. The attachment 3 shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 is devised so that both can be handled integrally by matching the cross-sectional shape with that of the battery adapter 4. However, on the other hand, the length in the vertical direction becomes longer due to the relationship in which the plurality of circuit boards are arranged in the vertical direction.

  As a result, the overall height of the electric caulking machine 1 including the attachment 3 and the battery adapter 4 is increased, so that the attachment 3 and the battery adapter 4 become an obstacle in the construction site where the piping is vertically and horizontally assembled. The work will be hindered.

  For this reason, in the attachment 3a shown in FIG. 11, the height of the electric caulking machine 1 is made low by utilizing the space below the action part 210 that does not interfere with the operation of the caulking machine body 2 (see FIG. 1).

  Specifically, as the case 301a, a case is adopted in which the length in the vertical direction is short and the front part protrudes in the horizontal direction and becomes long in the front-rear direction. Thus, the height of the electric caulking machine 1 including the attachment 3a can be lowered by shortening the vertical length while maintaining the capacity of the space in the case.

  In addition, in the attachment 3a shown in FIG. 11, the case 301a whose front part protrudes in the horizontal direction is adopted, but the case where the rear part protrudes in the horizontal direction using the space below the drive part 230 is adopted. However, the same effect can be obtained.

  The electric caulking machine according to the present invention is not limited to water supply / hot water supply pipes and equipment piping for air conditioning, and can be applied to all pipes that require caulking of joints.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electric caulking machine 2 Caulking machine main body 3, 3a Attachment 4 Battery adapter 5 IC tag 6 PDA
210 Acting part 211 Press dies 212, 215 Caulking part 214 Yoke dies 221 Locking member 222 Lever 230 Driving part 231 Hydraulic cylinder 232 Motor 240 Gripping part 241 Operation button 242 Connection part 243 311, 312, 411 Terminal 244, 314 Switch 300 Control Device 301, 301a, 401 Case 302, 403 Terminal convex part 303, Terminal concave part 305a, 305b, 305c Circuit board 307 Tag holder 313 Fuse 315 Microcomputer 316 RFID module 317 Antenna 318 Bluetooth module 319 Current sensor 320 A / D converter 321 Relay 322 DC / DC converter 323 Limit switch 310, 333, 431 Claw 331 Slider 332 Spring 402 Battery

Claims (9)

An electric caulking machine that caulks and joins pipes,
A caulking machine body having an action part for caulking the joint, a drive part for driving the action part, and a gripping part for an operator to hold;
A battery adapter in which a battery for supplying power to the drive unit is accommodated in a cylindrical case;
In the cylindrical case, the end of the caulking operation in the caulking machine body is determined based on the value of the current output from the battery, and the IC tag attached to the joint includes the end of the caulking operation An attachment housing a control device for transmitting and storing history information,
On the upper surface of the case of the attachment, a second connection member provided on the upper surface of the case of the battery adapter and mechanically and electrically connectable with a first connection member for connection with the caulking machine body. Is provided,
A fourth connection that is mechanically and electrically connectable to a third connection member for connection to the battery adapter provided on the lower surface of the gripping portion of the caulking machine body on the lower surface of the attachment case. An electric caulking machine characterized in that a member is provided. The controller is
A current sensor for detecting a current value output from the battery;
Control means for determining the end of the caulking operation in the caulking machine body based on the current value detected by the current sensor;
Based on the control of the control means, a blocking means for cutting off the power supplied from the battery to the drive unit,
2. The electric caulking machine according to claim 1, further comprising: a first communication unit that wirelessly transmits caulking work history information including a determination result of the control unit to the IC tag.   The electric caulking machine according to claim 2, wherein the control device further includes a second communication unit that wirelessly transmits information including a determination result of the control unit to an external portable terminal.   The said control means judges that the crimping operation | work in the said crimping machine main body was complete | finished when the electric current value detected with the said current sensor decreased rapidly. Electric caulking machine. The second connection member has a shape protruding outward from the upper surface of the case of the attachment,
The fourth connecting member has a shape recessed inward from the lower surface of the case of the attachment,
The first connecting member and the fourth connecting member are configured to be fitted to each other, and the second connecting member and the third connecting member are configured to be fitted to each other. The electric caulking machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein   The tag holder for inserting the IC tag is provided on a side surface of the attachment case, and the tag holder is provided with a switch for detecting insertion of the IC tag. The electric caulking machine according to any one of 5 to 5.   The electric caulking machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the attachment case has a horizontal section substantially equal to a section of the battery adapter case.   The attachment case has a horizontal rear or front cross-section substantially equal to the cross-section of the battery adapter (4) case, and the front protrudes forward from the front of the battery adapter (4), The electric caulking machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a rear portion has a shape protruding rearward from a rear portion of the battery adapter (4). Used in electric caulking machines that caulk and join joints to pipes,
An action part for caulking the joint, a drive part for driving the action part, a caulking machine body having a grip part for an operator to hold, and a battery for supplying power to the drive part in a cylindrical case An attachment that is mounted between the battery adapter and
The end of the caulking operation in the caulking machine body is determined based on the value of the current output from the battery, and the caulking operation history information including the end of the operation is transmitted to the IC tag attached to the joint. A control device for storing;
A cylindrical case that houses the control device,
The upper surface of the case is provided with a second connection member that is mechanically and electrically connectable with a first connection member provided on the upper surface of the case of the battery adapter for connection to the caulking machine body. And
On the lower surface of the case, there is provided a fourth connection member that is mechanically and electrically connectable with a third connection member for connection with the battery adapter, provided on the lower surface of the gripping portion of the caulking machine body. An attachment characterized by being provided.

Images