JP2012106253A - Mechanism for supplying brazing filler metal and automatic welding device including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mechanism for supplying brazing filler metal, capable of reducing cost required for jointing ends of a pair of brazing filler metals to each other, and an automatic welding device including the brazing filler metal supply mechanism.SOLUTION: A first receiving part 11 includes a placement face 111 on which a first brazing filler metal 10 is placed. A second receiving part 21 is installed in a position opposing to the first receiving part 11 sandwiching a welding position P for welding ends to each other in the welding device, and includes a placement face 211 on which a second brazing filler metal 20 is placed. A first feeding mechanism 12 feeds the first brazing filler metal 10 placed on the first receiving part 11 to the welding position P, and a second feeding mechanism 22 feeds the second brazing filler metal 20 placed on the second receiving part 21 to the welding position P. A control part 31 controls operations of the first feeding mechanism 12 and the second feeding mechanism 22 to make the end of the first brazing filler metal 10 and the end of the second brazing filler metal 20 abut on each other.

Description

  The present invention relates to a brazing material supply mechanism used in a welding apparatus that welds ends of a pair of rod-shaped brazing materials, and an automatic welding apparatus including the same.

  Conventionally, when manufacturing an industrial product, a joining method such as brazing is used to join various parts. At the time of brazing, the operator holds, for example, a rod-shaped brazing material by hand, places the tip of the brazing material in the vicinity of the joint, and melts the tip of the brazing material to bring the part into the joint. Join.

  A new brazing material usually has a specified length (for example, about 50 cm), and there is no particular problem when an operator holds it by hand. However, the brazing material is consumed for each brazing and becomes gradually shorter. When the brazing material is shortened to a certain length (for example, about 10 cm), it is not preferable from the viewpoint of safety to work by holding the brazing material by hand. Therefore, the operator uses a new brazing material instead of the shortened brazing material, or uses a new brazing material added to the shortening brazing material.

  As a means for adding a new brazing material (hereinafter referred to as a long brazing material) to a shortened brazing material (hereinafter referred to as a short brazing material), for example, an end portion of a short brazing material and an end portion of a long brazing material The method of welding is suitable. Patent Document 1 discloses a butt welding method for joining rod-shaped metal materials to each other.

JP-A-1-218774

  However, when using the welding method of patent document 1, the operator needs to perform the operation | work which each fixes a short brazing material and a long brazing material to the holding die of a welding apparatus. In addition, when fixing the brazing filler metal, the end of the short brazing filler metal and the end of the long brazing filler metal are aligned with each other, and the ends of the short brazing filler metal and the long brazing filler metal are butted together. It needs to be in a state. A relatively large amount of work time is required for fixing each brazing material by such an operator, and the labor cost increases accordingly.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of such a point, and an object of the present invention is to provide a brazing material supply mechanism capable of reducing the cost required for joining ends of a pair of brazing materials, and the same. It is providing the automatic welding apparatus provided with.

  The present invention is used in a welding apparatus for welding end portions of a rod-shaped first brazing material (10) and a rod-shaped second brazing material (20), and the first brazing material (10) and the second brazing material. The present invention relates to a brazing material supply mechanism for supplying (20). The brazing material supply mechanism includes a first receiving part (11), a second receiving part (21), a first feeding mechanism (12), a second feeding mechanism (22), a control part (31), It has. The first receiving portion (11) has a placement surface (111) on which the first brazing material (10) is placed. The second receiving portion (21) is provided at a position facing the first receiving portion (11) across a welding position (P) where the end portions are welded to each other in the welding apparatus, It has a mounting surface (211) on which the material (20) is mounted. The first feeding mechanism (12) feeds the first brazing material (10) placed on the first receiving portion (11) to the welding position (P). The second feeding mechanism (22) feeds the second brazing material (20) placed on the second receiving portion (21) to the welding position (P). The controller (31) controls the operation of the first feed mechanism (12) and the second feed mechanism (22) to control the end of the first brazing material (10) and the second brazing material (20). ).

  In this configuration, the first feeding mechanism (12) and the second feeding mechanism (22) are controlled by the control unit (31), whereby the first brazing material ( 10) is sent to the welding position (P), the second brazing material (20) placed on the second receiving part (21) is sent to the welding position (P), and the end of the first brazing material (10) The end of the second brazing material (20) can be brought into contact. As described above, in this configuration, the brazing filler metal alignment mechanism that has been conventionally performed manually by the operator can be automatically performed by the brazing filler metal supply mechanism. Can be reduced. Thereby, the cost concerning joining of the edge parts of a brazing material can be reduced.

  In the brazing material supply mechanism, the placement surface (111) of the first receiving portion (11) extends toward the welding position (P), and the longitudinal direction of the first brazing material (10) is the welding position. The first brazing material (10) can be placed in a posture facing the position (P), and the first receiving portion (11) is a side surface that stands up or obliquely upward from the placement surface (111). (113), and the side surface (113) holds the first brazing material (10) while maintaining the posture in which the longitudinal direction of the first brazing material (10) faces the welding position (P). It is preferable to be able to guide to the welding position (P). The mounting surface (211) of the second receiving part (21) extends toward the welding position (P), and the longitudinal direction of the second brazing material (20) is at the welding position (P). The second brazing material (20) can be placed in a facing posture, and is arranged substantially linearly with the placement surface (111) of the first receiving portion (11) across the welding position (P). The second receiving portion (21) further includes a side surface (213) that stands upward or obliquely upward from the mounting surface (211), and the side surface (213) is formed of the second brazing material (20). It is preferable that the second brazing filler metal (20) can be guided to the welding position (P) while maintaining a posture in which the longitudinal direction of the steel sheet is directed to the welding position (P).

  Conventionally, in a brazing material positioning operation that has been performed manually by an operator, variations in alignment are likely to occur among the workers, and this variation has also led to variations in bonding quality between the brazing materials.

  Therefore, in this configuration, the first receiving portion (11) has the side surface (113), and the second receiving portion (21) has the side surface (213). Accordingly, the first brazing material (10) is accurately guided to the welding position (P) by the side surface (113), and the second brazing material (20) is guided by the side surface (213) to the welding position (P). Will be guided accurately. Thereby, since the precision of alignment of a 1st brazing material (10) and a 2nd brazing material (20) can be improved more, the dispersion | variation in joining quality can be reduced.

  In the brazing material supply mechanism, a plurality of the first brazing materials (10) can be held, and a first replenishing mechanism (13) for sequentially replenishing the first brazing material (10) to the first receiving portion (11). ). In this case, it is preferable that the first replenishing mechanism (13) includes a holding part (131) and a rotating part (133). The holding part (131) has an inclined surface (132) inclined downward, and the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of each first brazing material (10) is directed to the inclined direction of the inclined surface (132). A plurality of the first brazing materials (10) can be placed on the inclined surface (132). The rotating part (133) is disposed at a position adjacent to the lower end of the inclined surface (132), and its axial direction is the longitudinal length of the first brazing material (10) placed on the holding part (131). A groove (135) that has a cylindrical shape facing in a direction substantially parallel to the direction and can accommodate one of the first brazing filler metal (10) is formed on the side surface (113), and is rotatable about an axis. .

  In this configuration, the rotating part (133) rotates in the state in which the first brazing material (10) is accommodated in the groove (135) until the groove (135) is directed obliquely downward or downward, thereby the first brazing material. (10) can be dropped from the groove (135) to the first receiving part (11) side. Thereby, the 1st brazing material (10) can be sent to the 1st receiving part (11) side one by one.

  Specifically, for example, the control unit (31) controls the first supply mechanism (13) to rotate the rotating unit (133), so that the groove (135) is formed on the inclined surface (132). After the first brazing material (10) is received in the groove (135) toward the lower end side, the rotating part (133) is rotated until the groove (135) is directed obliquely downward or downward, and the first One brazing material (10) is dropped from the groove (135) toward the first receiving portion (11).

  When the first supply mechanism (13) is provided, the first supply mechanism (13) extends downward or obliquely downward toward the first receiving portion (11), and A guide portion (137) for replenishing the first receiving portion (11) with the first brazing material (10) dropped from the groove (135) of the rotating portion (133) toward the first receiving portion (11). Furthermore, it is preferable to have it. Further, the first receiving part (11) can be moved forward and backward in a direction intersecting with the extending direction of the guide part (137), and the mounting surface (111) is formed at the front end part thereof. An upper surface (115) is further formed on the rear end side of the mounting surface (111) via a step that rises above the mounting surface (111), and the upper surface (115) and the guide portion ( 137) is preferably set smaller than the diameter of the first brazing material (10). The first supply mechanism (13) preferably further includes a drive unit (139) for moving the first receiving unit (11) forward and backward between an advanced position and a retracted position. The retracted position is a position where the mounting surface (111) of the first receiving part (11) faces the lower end of the guide part (137) in the vertical direction, and the advanced position is the first receiving part. The upper surface (115) of (11) is a position facing the lower end of the guide portion (137) in the vertical direction, and the first brazing material (10) placed on the first receiving portion (11). Is preferably a position sent to the welding position (P).

  In this configuration, the first brazing material (10) dropped from the groove (135) of the rotating portion (133) to the first receiving portion (11) side is placed on the guide portion (137) on the upper surface of the first receiving portion (11) ( 115) and placing the first brazing material (10) on the placement surface (111) of the first receiving part (11) by moving the first receiving part (11) to the retracted position. Can do.

  In the brazing material supply mechanism, a plurality of the second brazing materials (20) can be held, and a second replenishing mechanism (23 that sequentially replenishes the second brazing material (20) to the second receiving portion (21). ). In this case, the second supply mechanism (23) extends downward or obliquely downward toward the second receiving portion (21) and is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of each second brazing material (20). It is preferable that a plurality of the second brazing filler metals (20) are provided in the direction so as to be held in a row. Further, the second receiving part (21) can be moved forward and backward in a direction intersecting with the extending direction of the guide part (233), and the placement surface (211) is formed at the front end part thereof. An upper surface (215) is further formed on the rear end side of the mounting surface (211) through a step rising upward from the mounting surface (211), and the upper surface (215) and the guide portion ( 233) is preferably set smaller than the diameter of the second brazing material (20). The second supply mechanism (23) preferably further includes a drive unit (235) for moving the second receiving unit (21) forward and backward between the forward position and the backward position. The retracted position is a position where the mounting surface (211) of the second receiving part (21) faces the lower end of the guide part (233) in the vertical direction, and the advanced position is the second receiving part. The second brazing material (20) placed on the second receiving portion (21) while the upper surface (215) of (21) is a position facing the lower end of the guide portion (233) in the vertical direction. Is preferably a position sent to the welding position (P).

  In this configuration, the second receiving part (21) is moved forward and backward between the forward movement position and the backward movement position by the drive part (235). When the second receiving part (21) is in the retracted position, the first second part located at the bottom of the plurality of second brazing members (20) held in a row in the guide part (233). The two brazing filler metals (20) fall on the step from the lower end of the guide portion (233) and are placed on the placement surface (211). Then, when the second receiving part (21) starts to move toward the forward movement position, the second brazing material (between the upper surface (215) of the second receiving part (21) and the lower end of the guide part (233) ( Since there is only a gap smaller than the diameter of 20), the other second brazing material (20) arranged in the guide portion (233) is restricted from moving downward by the upper surface (215). Therefore, in this configuration, by holding the plurality of second brazing materials (20) in the guide portion (233), the second brazing materials (20) are placed one by one in the second receiving portion (21). Can be replenished to the level difference.

  The automatic welding apparatus of the present invention includes the brazing material supply mechanism (41) and a welded portion (51) for welding the first brazing material (10) and the second brazing material (20) at the welding position (P). The welded portion (51) includes the first brazing filler metal (10) and the second brazing filler metal (20) supplied by the brazing filler metal supply mechanism (41). A clamp portion (53) that clamps in a contact state is provided, and current is supplied to the end portions of the first brazing material (10) and the second brazing material (20) clamped by the clamping portion (53). It is configured as possible.

  In this configuration, the first brazing material (10) and the second brazing material (20) supplied by the brazing material supply mechanism (41) are clamped by the clamp portion (53) in a state in which these end portions are in contact with each other. In such a clamped state, current can be supplied to the end of the first brazing material (10) and the end of the second brazing material (20). Thereby, the edge part of a 1st brazing material (10) and the edge part of a 2nd brazing material (20) are welded.

  In the automatic welding apparatus, the first brazing material (10) and the second brazing material (20) are welded at the welding position (P), and after the clamp by the clamp portion (53) is released, the first brazing material (10) is released. When the brazing material in which the first brazing material (10) and the second brazing material (20) are integrated, the brazing material further includes a regulating member (61) that regulates the inclination of the brazing material. Is preferred.

  For example, when the second brazing material (20) is shorter than the first brazing material (10), the first brazing material (10) and the second brazing material (20) are welded at the welding position (P), and the clamp portion (53 When the brazing material in which the first brazing material (10) and the second brazing material (20) are integrated is dropped, the brazing material is the first brazing material having the longer center of gravity. Since it is on the material (10) side, the posture tends to be inclined when falling. Thus, when the attitude | position of the brazing material after welding inclines, a brazing material may be caught in a part of welding apparatus.

  Therefore, in this configuration, since the regulation member (61) that regulates the inclination of the brazing material when it is dropped is provided, the lengths of the first brazing material (10) and the second brazing material (20) are the same. Even if different, the brazing material after welding can be recovered smoothly.

  In the automatic welding apparatus, the control unit (31) controls the first feed mechanism (12) to move the first brazing material (10) toward the welding position (P). After feeding a predetermined distance based on the prescribed length of (10), the clamp part (53) is controlled to clamp the first brazing material (10), and then the second feed mechanism ( 22) to control the second brazing material (20) toward the welding position (P) until the end of the second brazing material (20) contacts the end of the first brazing material (10). The second brazing material (20) is clamped by controlling the clamp portion (53), and then the end of the first brazing material (10) and the second brazing material (20) It is preferable to supply current to the ends.

  In this configuration, the control unit (31) first clamps the first brazing material (10) having a specified length by sending it to the welding position (P) by a predetermined distance, and then the second brazing. The second brazing material (20) is fed toward the welding position (P) and clamped until the end of the material (20) contacts the end of the first brazing material (10). Therefore, even if the length of the second brazing material (20) is not constant, the first brazing material (10) and the second brazing material (20) can be accurately positioned.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the cost required for joining the ends of a pair of brazing materials.

It is a front view which shows the brazing material supply mechanism concerning one Embodiment of this invention, and the automatic welding apparatus provided with the same. (A)-(E) are schematic which shows operation | movement of the 1st supply mechanism of the said automatic welding apparatus. (A)-(D) are schematic which shows operation | movement of the 2nd supply mechanism of the said automatic welding apparatus. (A)-(D) are schematic which shows operation | movement of the 1st feed mechanism and 2nd feed mechanism of the said automatic welding apparatus. (A)-(F) are schematic which shows operation | movement of the clamp part of the said welding part. (A)-(D) are schematic which shows operation | movement of the said welding part. (A)-(D) are schematic plan views which show the operation | movement at the time of the starting button for supplying an electric current being pushed in the said welding part. (A)-(C) are schematic which shows the operation | movement at the time of the brazing material which welded and integrated the edge parts of a pair of brazing materials, and fell. (D) is the schematic which shows the operation | movement at the time of a brazing material dropping in the automatic welding apparatus concerning other embodiment. It is the perspective view which expanded a part of said welding part. (A)-(C) are front views which show the procedure which joins the edge parts of a pair of brazing materials using the said automatic welding apparatus. (A)-(C) are front views which show the procedure which joins the edge parts of a pair of brazing materials using the said automatic welding apparatus. (A)-(C) are front views which show the procedure which joins the edge parts of a pair of brazing materials using the said automatic welding apparatus. (A)-(C) are front views which show the procedure which joins the edge parts of a pair of brazing materials using the said automatic welding apparatus. (A) is the schematic which shows the state before welding of the edge parts of a pair of brazing materials, (B) is the schematic diagram which shows the state after welding of the edge parts of a pair of brazing materials.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

<Overall structure of automatic welding equipment>
The automatic welding apparatus 71 of this embodiment is an apparatus for automatically welding the end portions of the long brazing filler metal 10 as the first brazing filler metal and the short brazing filler metal 20 as the second brazing filler metal. As shown in FIG. 1, the automatic welding apparatus 71 includes a brazing material supply mechanism 41, a welding part 51, and a control part 31 that controls these operations.

  In the present embodiment, the long brazing filler metal 10 has a rod shape and has a specified length (for example, about several tens of centimeters). On the other hand, the short brazing material 20 is rod-shaped, and the long brazing material 10 is shortened by being used for brazing, and has a length that varies within a certain range (for example, a range of about plus or minus several centimeters). Have The long brazing material 10 and the short brazing material 20 have a substantially cylindrical shape with substantially the same diameter.

  The brazing material supply mechanism 41 supplies the long brazing material 10 and the short brazing material 20 to the welded portion 51. The brazing material supply mechanism 41 includes a first receiving unit 11, a second receiving unit 21, a first feed mechanism 12, a second feed mechanism 22, a first supply mechanism 13, and a second supply mechanism 23. I have. The welded portion 51 welds the end portions of the long brazing material 10 and the short brazing material 20 supplied by the brazing material supply mechanism 41 at the welding position P. This welding position P is located between the 1st receiving part 11 and the 2nd receiving part 21, and is a position which the edge parts of the long brazing material 10 and the short brazing material 20 contact | abut.

  In addition, in drawings, such as FIG. 1, the front of the automatic welding apparatus 71 is displayed as the front F, and the back is displayed as the back R. Further, a horizontal direction perpendicular to the front F and the rear R is displayed as a horizontal direction D. Further, the direction D in which the long brazing filler metal 10 placed on the first receiving portion 11 is sent to the welding position P is indicated as direction D1 and the short brazing placed on the second receiving portion 21 among the directions D. A direction in which the material 20 is sent to the welding position P is indicated as a direction D2.

<First receiving part>
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2A, the first receiving portion 11 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is a flat shape having a thickness smaller than the depth in the front-rear direction and the width in the lateral direction D. As shown in FIG. 2D, the first receiving part 11 has a placement surface 111, a side surface 113, and an upper surface 115. The first receiving unit 11 is supported by a drive unit 139 described later, and moves forward and backward in accordance with the operation of the drive unit 139 in a direction intersecting with an extending direction of a guide unit 137 described later.

  The mounting surface 111 is formed at the front end portion of the first receiving portion 11. The mounting surface 111 extends in a direction substantially parallel to the lateral direction D. When the first receiving portion 11 is in a forward position Pf, which will be described later, the mounting surface 111 extends in the lateral direction D toward the welding position P, and the longitudinal direction of the long brazing filler metal 10 is oriented in the welding position P. A long brazing material 10 can be placed.

  The side surface 113 stands upward or obliquely upward from the placement surface 111. The side surface 113 extends in a direction substantially parallel to the lateral direction D. The side surface 113 can guide the long brazing filler metal 10 to the welding position P while maintaining the posture in which the longitudinal direction of the long brazing filler metal 10 is directed to the welding position P.

  The upper surface 115 is formed on the rear R side with respect to the mounting surface 111 through a step formed by the mounting surface 111 and the side surface 113. At least the front end portion of the upper surface 115 is located above the placement surface 111. The step has a height difference that is larger than the diameter of the long brazing filler metal 10 and smaller than twice the diameter of the long brazing filler metal 10. However, this step may be smaller than the diameter of the long brazing material 10, for example, a small groove into which a part of the long brazing material 10 can be fitted. A gap between the upper surface 115 and a lower end of a guide portion 137 described later is smaller than the diameter of the long brazing material 10.

<Second receiving part>
As shown in FIG. 1, the second receiving part 21 is provided at a position facing the first receiving part 11 across the welding position P. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3A, the second receiving portion 21 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is a flat shape having a thickness smaller than the depth in the front-rear direction and the width in the horizontal direction D. Since the short brazing filler metal 20 shorter than the long brazing filler metal 10 is placed on the second receiving part 21, the width of the second receiving part 21 is accordingly larger than the width of the first receiving part 11. small. As shown in FIG. 3C, the second receiving portion 21 has a placement surface 211, a side surface 213, and an upper surface 215. The second receiving unit 21 is supported by a drive unit 235 described later, and moves forward and backward in accordance with the operation of the drive unit 235 in a direction intersecting with an extending direction of a guide unit 233 described later.

  The mounting surface 211 is formed at the front end portion of the second receiving portion 21. The placement surface 211 extends in a direction substantially parallel to the lateral direction D. When the second receiving portion 21 is in a forward position Pf, which will be described later, the mounting surface 211 extends in the lateral direction D toward the welding position P, and the short length is such that the longitudinal direction of the short brazing material 20 faces the welding position P. The brazing material 20 can be placed. The placement surface 211 is arranged substantially linearly with the placement surface 111 of the first receiving portion 11 across the welding position P at the forward movement position Pf.

  The side surface 213 stands upward or obliquely upward from the placement surface 211. The side surface 213 extends in a direction substantially parallel to the lateral direction D. The side surface 213 can guide the short brazing filler metal 20 to the welding position P while maintaining the posture in which the longitudinal direction of the short brazing filler metal 20 is directed to the welding position P.

  The upper surface 215 is formed on the rear R side with respect to the mounting surface 211 through a step formed by the mounting surface 211 and the side surface 213. At least the front end portion of the upper surface 215 is located above the placement surface 211. The step has a height difference that is larger than the diameter of the short brazing filler metal 20 and smaller than twice the diameter of the short brazing filler metal 20. However, this step may be smaller than the diameter of the short brazing material 20, for example, a small groove into which a part of the short brazing material 20 can be fitted. A gap between the upper surface 215 and a lower end of a guide portion 233 described later is smaller than the diameter of the short brazing material 20.

<Feeding mechanism>
The first feeding mechanism 12 can feed the long brazing material 10 placed on the first receiving portion 11 to the welding position P side so that the end portion thereof is located at the welding position P. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4A, in the present embodiment, a cylinder such as an air cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, and an electric cylinder is used as the first feed mechanism 12. The first feed mechanism 12 includes a cylindrical cylinder body 121 and a piston 122 that can move forward and backward with respect to the cylinder body 121 along the longitudinal direction of the cylinder body 121.

  The piston 122 is disposed closer to the welding position P than the cylinder body 121. The axial direction of the piston 122 is substantially parallel to the direction in which the placement surface 111 extends and the longitudinal direction of the long brazing material 10 placed on the placement surface 111. The piston 122 moves forward and backward using air pressure, hydraulic pressure, electric power and the like as a power source. The piston 122 moves the long brazing filler metal 10 toward the welding position P in the direction D1 in a state where the tip of the piston 122 abuts against the end of the long brazing filler metal 10 placed on the placement surface 111 when moving forward. Press to.

  The second feeding mechanism 22 can feed the short brazing filler metal 20 placed on the second receiving portion 21 to the welding position P side so that the end thereof is located at the welding position P. In the present embodiment, a cylinder similar to the first feed mechanism 12 is used as the second feed mechanism 22. The second feed mechanism 22 has a cylinder body 221 and a piston 222.

  The piston 222 is disposed closer to the welding position P than the cylinder body 221. The axial direction of the piston 222 is substantially parallel to the direction in which the placement surface 211 extends and the longitudinal direction of the short brazing material 20 placed on the placement surface 211. The piston 222 pushes the short brazing filler metal 20 in the direction D2 toward the welding position P in a state where the tip of the piston 222 is in contact with the end of the short brazing filler metal 20 placed on the placement surface 211 when moving forward. .

<First supply mechanism>
The first supply mechanism 13 can hold a plurality of long brazing filler metals 10 and sequentially supplies the long brazing filler metal 10 to the first receiving portion 11. As shown in FIG. 2A, the first supply mechanism 13 includes a holding unit 131, a driving unit 139 for moving the first receiving unit 11 forward and backward, a rotating unit 133, and the rotating unit 133. A rotation driving unit 134 and a guide unit 137 are provided for rotation.

  The holding part 131 has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. The holding part 131 has an inclined surface (upper surface) 132 that is inclined downward. A plurality of long brazing filler metals 10 can be placed on the inclined surface 132 so that the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of each long brazing filler metal 10 (the radial direction of the long brazing filler metal 10) faces the inclined surface 132. is there. Therefore, the width of the holding portion 131 in the lateral direction D is designed to be slightly longer than the length of the long brazing filler metal 10.

  In addition, the holding portion 131 has an upstanding surface that rises upward from both ends in the lateral direction D of the inclined surface 132. In addition, illustration of these standing surfaces is abbreviate | omitted in FIG. By providing these standing surfaces, the plurality of long brazing materials 10 placed on the inclined surface 132 are aligned in the above-described direction. Moreover, since these standing surfaces can regulate the movement of each long brazing filler metal 10 in the lateral direction D on the inclined surface 132, each long brazing filler metal 10 can be prevented from falling from the holding portion 131. . Furthermore, since these standing surfaces can suppress the positional deviation (variation of the mounting position) in the lateral direction D of each long brazing filler metal 10 on the inclined surface 132, a plurality of long surfaces are provided as shown in FIG. The positions of the end portions of the brazing filler metal 10 (positions in the lateral direction D) can be aligned.

  The rotating portion 133 is disposed at a position adjacent to the lower end portion of the inclined surface 132 (the edge portion of the front F of the inclined surface 132). The rotating part 133 has a cylindrical shape whose axial direction is directed in a direction (lateral direction D) substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the long brazing filler metal 10 placed on the holding part 131.

  As shown in FIG. 2C, a groove 135 that can accommodate one long brazing filler metal 10 is formed on the side surface of the rotating portion 133. The groove 135 is recessed from the side surface of the rotating part 133 in the radial direction and extends substantially parallel to the axial direction of the rotating part 133. The length of the groove 135 in the axial direction is set slightly larger than the length of the long brazing filler metal 10. Further, the recess dimension of the groove 135 is set to such an extent that one long brazing filler metal 10 can be accommodated. Specifically, for example, the recess size of the groove 135 can be set to be approximately the same as the diameter of the long brazing material 10.

  As shown in FIG. 1, both end portions of the rotation unit 133 are supported by a rotation drive unit 134 and a rotation support unit 136, respectively. The rotating unit 133 rotates around the axis of the rotating unit 133 when the rotation driving unit 134 operates. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2 (A), the rotating part 133 is in the groove 135 when the groove 135 faces the lower end part of the inclined surface 132 (the opening of the groove 135 faces obliquely upward). One long brazing filler metal 10 can be received. Then, when the rotating portion 133 rotates in a predetermined direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 2A) from this state, and the groove 135 faces obliquely downward as shown in FIG. The material 10 falls naturally.

  The guide part 137 guides the long brazing filler metal 10 dropped from the groove 135 to the first receiving part 11. The guide portion 137 includes a landing surface 137a on which the dropped long brazing material 10 lands, a rear side surface 137b connected to the lower end portion of the landing surface 137a and extending obliquely downward to the vicinity of the upper surface 115 of the first receiving portion 11, and And a front side surface 137c that is positioned in front F of the rear side surface 137b and extends obliquely downward.

  The landing surface 137a is an inclined surface that is inclined downward toward the front F. The landing surface 137a is provided in an area that covers at least the rotating portion 133 from below. The distance between the rear side surface 137 b and the front side surface 137 c is adjusted to be larger than the diameter of the long brazing material 10 and smaller than twice the diameter of the long brazing material 10. The upper end portion of the front side surface 137 c is located at the front F of the rotating portion 133. Specifically, the upper end portion of the front side surface 137c is substantially at the same height as the axis of the rotating portion 133. The gap between the lower end portion of the rear side surface 137 b and the upper surface 115 of the first receiving portion 11 and the gap between the lower end portion of the front side surface 137 c and the upper surface 115 of the first receiving portion 11 are smaller than the diameter of the long brazing filler metal 10. And when the 1st receiving part 11 advances and retreats, it adjusts so that each lower end part may not contact the upper surface 115. FIG.

  The drive unit 139 moves the first receiving unit 11 forward and backward between the forward movement position Pf and the backward movement position Pr. The retracted position Pr is a position where the placement surface 111 of the first receiving portion 11 faces the lower end of the guide portion 137 in the up-and-down direction (position in FIG. 2A). The advance position Pf is a position where the upper surface 115 of the first receiving portion 11 faces the lower end of the guide portion 137 in the vertical direction, and the long brazing material 10 placed on the first receiving portion 11 is at the welding position P. This is the position to be sent (position in FIG. 2B).

  As the drive unit 139, for example, a cylinder similar to the first feed mechanism 12 can be used. The drive unit 139 includes a cylindrical cylinder body 139a and a piston 139b that can move forward and backward with respect to the cylinder body 139a along the longitudinal direction of the cylinder body 139a. The front end portion of the piston 139b is connected to the rear end surface of the first receiving portion 11. When the piston 139b moves in the front-rear direction with respect to the cylinder body 139a, the first receiving portion 11 moves forward and backward.

<Second supply mechanism>
The second replenishing mechanism 23 can hold a plurality of short brazing materials 20 and sequentially replenishes the second receiving portion 21 with the short brazing materials 20. As illustrated in FIG. 3A, the second supply mechanism 23 includes a holding unit 231, a guide unit 233, and a driving unit 235.

  The holding part 231 has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. The holding portion 231 has an inclined surface (upper surface) 232 that is inclined downward. A plurality of short brazing filler metals 20 can be placed on the inclined surface 232 so that the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of each short brazing filler metal 20 (the radial direction of the short brazing filler metal 20) faces the inclined surface 232. Therefore, the width of the holding portion 231 in the horizontal direction D is designed to be slightly longer than the length of the short brazing material 20.

  In addition, the holding portion 231 has an upstanding surface that rises upward from both ends in the lateral direction D of the inclined surface 232. In addition, illustration of these standing surfaces is abbreviate | omitted in FIG. 3 (A)-(D). By providing these upstanding surfaces, the plurality of short brazing members 20 placed on the inclined surface 232 are aligned in the above-described direction. Moreover, since these standing surfaces can restrict the movement of each short brazing material 20 in the lateral direction D on the inclined surface 232, each short brazing material 20 can be prevented from falling from the holding portion 231.

  The guide part 233 guides the short brazing filler metal 20 placed on the inclined surface 232 to the second receiving part 21. The guide portion 233 is connected to the lower end of the inclined surface 232 and extends obliquely downward to the vicinity of the upper surface 215 of the second receiving portion 21, and the front side surface that is positioned forward F of the rear side surface 233 a and extends obliquely downward. 233b.

  The distance between the rear side surface 233a and the front side surface 233b is adjusted to be larger than the diameter of the short brazing filler metal 20 and smaller than twice the diameter of the short brazing filler metal 20. The upper end portion of the front side surface 233 b is located above the lower end portion of the inclined surface 232. The gap between the lower end portion of the rear side surface 233a and the upper surface 215 of the second receiving portion 21 and the gap between the lower end portion of the front side surface 233b and the upper surface 215 of the second receiving portion 21 are smaller than the diameter of the short brazing filler metal 20, And when the 2nd receiving part 21 advances and retreats, it adjusts so that each lower end part may not contact the upper surface 215. FIG. Between the rear side surface 233a and the front side surface 233b, a plurality of short brazing materials 20 are arranged in a row in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of each short brazing material 20 toward the second receiving portion 21.

  The drive unit 235 moves the second receiving unit 21 forward and backward between the forward movement position Pf and the backward movement position Pr. The retracted position Pr is a position where the mounting surface 211 of the second receiving portion 21 faces the lower end of the guide portion 233 in the up-down direction (position in FIG. 3A). The advance position Pf is a position where the upper surface 215 of the second receiving portion 21 faces the lower end of the guide portion 233 in the vertical direction, and the short brazing material 20 placed on the second receiving portion 21 is sent to the welding position P. (The position shown in FIG. 3B).

  As the drive unit 235, for example, a cylinder similar to the first feed mechanism 12 can be used. The drive unit 235 includes a cylindrical cylinder body 235a and a piston 235b that can move forward and backward with respect to the cylinder body 235a along the longitudinal direction of the cylinder body 235a. The front end portion of the piston 235b is connected to the rear end surface of the second receiving portion 21. The piston 235b moves in the front-rear direction with respect to the cylinder body 235a, whereby the second receiving portion 21 moves forward and backward.

<Welding part>
As shown in FIG. 1, the welded portion 51 includes a first clamp portion 53 for clamping the long brazing filler metal 10, a clamp driving portion 54 for opening and closing the first clamp portion 53, and a clamp for the short brazing filler metal 20. A second clamp part 55 for opening, a clamp drive part 56 for opening and closing the second clamp part 55, a drive part 57 for moving the second clamp part 55 relative to the first clamp part 53, and an activation button 58, A pressing portion 59 that presses the start button 58, a regulating member 60, and a base portion 61 that is a base for supporting them are provided.

  The 1st clamp part 53 and the 2nd clamp part 55 are the state in which these edge parts contact | abutted in the welding position P, respectively in the long brazing material 10 and the short brazing material 20 which are supplied by the brazing material supply mechanism 41. Clamp. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5A, the first clamp portion 53 includes a lower holding portion 531, an upper holding portion 532, a rod-like portion 533, a shaft 534, a spring 535, and a first support portion 537. And have.

  The lower clamping portion 531 is fixed to the first support portion 537, and the first support portion 537 is fixed to the base portion 61. The lower holding portion 531 has a groove 531 a extending in the lateral direction D on the surface facing the upper holding portion 532. Further, the upper holding portion 532 has a groove 532a extending in the lateral direction D at a position facing the groove 531a. The long brazing filler metal 10 supplied by the brazing filler metal supply mechanism 41 is fitted into these grooves 531a and 532a. The upper clamping part 532 can clamp the long brazing filler metal 10 together with the lower clamping part 531 for clamping.

  The rod-shaped portion 533 extends obliquely upward from the end portion of the upper clamping portion 532. The shaft 534 supports the rod-shaped portion 533 so as to be rotatable in the vicinity of the center of the rod-shaped portion 533. The spring 535 is provided at a position adjacent to the upper end portion in the rear R of the upper end portion of the rod-shaped portion 533. The spring 535 presses the upper end portion of the rod-shaped portion 533 and biases the rod-shaped portion 533 in a direction in which the lower holding portion 531 and the upper holding portion 532 are closed. The upper end portion of the rod-shaped portion 533 is covered with a resin cover 536.

  The second clamp part 55 has a lower clamping part 551, an upper clamping part 552, a rod-like part 553, a shaft 554, a spring 555, and a support part 557, and has the same structure as the first clamp part 53. Have. The lower clamping portion 551 is fixed to the second support portion 557, and the second support portion 557 is fixed to the base portion 61. The lower clamping part 551 and the upper clamping part 552 have a groove 551a and a groove 552a. The short brazing filler metal 20 supplied by the brazing filler metal supply mechanism 41 is fitted in these grooves 551a and 552a. The upper end portion of the rod-like portion 553 is covered with a resin cover 556. The other configuration of the second clamp portion 55 is described in parentheses next to the reference symbol of the corresponding configuration of the first clamp portion 53 in FIG.

  The lower clamping part 531, the upper clamping part 532, and the rod-like part 533 in the first clamp part 53 are made of an electrically conductive metal and are connected to a power supply (not shown). Similarly, the lower clamping part 551, the upper clamping part 552, and the rod-like part 553 in the second clamp part are made of an electrically conductive metal and are connected to a power source (not shown). Thereby, an electric current can be supplied to the end part of the long brazing material 10 and the end part of the short brazing material 20.

  The clamp drive unit 54 is provided at a position adjacent to the upper end portion in front F of the upper end portion of the first clamp portion 53. The upper end portion of the first clamp portion 53 is sandwiched between the clamp drive portion 54 and the spring 535. As the clamp drive unit 54, for example, a cylinder similar to the first feed mechanism 12 can be used.

  The clamp drive unit 54 includes a cylindrical cylinder body 541 and a piston 542 that can move forward and backward with respect to the cylinder body 541 along the axial direction of the cylinder body 541. Since the clamp drive unit 56 that opens and closes the second clamp unit 55 has the same configuration as the clamp drive unit 54 of the first clamp unit 53, the reference numerals are written in parentheses in the corresponding portions in FIG. The description is omitted.

  The second support portion 557 that supports the second clamp portion 55 can rotate in the direction of the arrow indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 6B around an unillustrated axis provided near the lower end portion thereof. It has a simple structure. When the second support portion 557 is rotated rightward from the state of FIG. 6A and the second support portion 557 is moved to the position shown in FIG. 6B, the second clamp portion 55 is moved to the first clamp portion. The angle between the bar-shaped part 553 of the second clamp part 55 and the bar-shaped part 533 of the first clamp part 53 is an angle θ. The mechanism for moving the second support portion 557 in this way is as follows.

  The second support portion 557 is biased toward the first support portion 537 by the spring 63. One end 631 of the spring 63 is fixed to a column 64 fixed to the base portion 61, and the other end 632 of the spring 63 is fixed to a side surface of the second support portion 557 facing the first support portion 537. . A drive unit 57 is disposed in the vicinity of the upper end portion of the second support portion 557.

  As the drive unit 57, for example, a cylinder similar to the first feed mechanism 12 can be used. The drive unit 57 includes a cylindrical cylinder main body 571, a piston 572 that can be moved forward and backward with respect to the cylinder main body 571 along the axial direction of the cylinder main body 571, and a fitting portion disposed at the tip of the piston 572. 573. The fitting portion 573 has a width larger than the width of the piston 572 and projects outward from the piston 572 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the piston 572.

  A cylindrical body 62 is fixed to the side surface 553a of the rod-like portion 553 of the second clamp portion 55. The cylindrical body 62 has a through-hole that penetrates the cylindrical body 62 in a direction substantially parallel to the axial direction of the piston 572. A piston 572 and a fitting portion 573 are disposed in the through hole. Further, a fitting hole 63 into which the fitting portion 573 can be fitted is formed in the side portion of the cylindrical body 62.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the activation button 58 is fixed to the side surface of the support portion 65 fixed on the base portion 61. The pressing portion 59 is disposed on the side of the activation button 58. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7A, the pressing portion 59 has a driving portion 66 and a rotating rod 67. The drive unit 66 has a cylinder body 661 and a piston 662.

  The rotating rod 67 is a rod-shaped member extending along the lateral direction D, and one end thereof is in contact with or close to the surface of the activation button 58. In the vicinity of the other end of the rotating rod 67, the drive unit 66 is disposed such that the axial direction of the piston 662 extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the lateral direction D. The rotating rod 67 is rotatable around a shaft 671 inserted through the substantially center in the longitudinal direction. The shaft 671 is supported by a support portion 68 (see FIG. 1) fixed to the base portion 61.

  After the long brazing filler metal 10 and the short brazing filler metal 20 are welded at the welding position P, and the clamps by the first clamp part 53 and the second clamp part 55 are released, the regulating member 60 is connected to the long brazing filler metal 10 and the short brazing filler metal. When the brazing material integrated with the material 20 falls, the posture of the brazing material is restricted from being inclined.

  As shown in FIGS. 8A and 9, in the present embodiment, the regulating member 60 is a rod-shaped member, and is disposed between the lower clamping portion 551 of the second clamp portion 55 and the second receiving portion 21. Has been. The lower end portion of the regulating member 60 is fixed to the base portion 61. The longitudinal direction of the regulating member 60 is oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to the lateral direction D, and is inclined obliquely upward so as to be positioned forward F as it goes from the lower end to the upper end.

  The control unit 31 includes a central processing unit (CPU), a memory that stores data such as a program, and a memory that stores data when the program is executed. The control part 31 performs the sequence control which advances each step sequentially according to the order shown in FIGS.

<Operation>
Next, an example of the operation of the automatic welding apparatus 71 will be described. 10-13 is a front view which shows the procedure which joins the edge parts of the long brazing filler metal 10 and the short brazing filler metal 20 using the automatic welding apparatus 71. FIG.

  First, as shown in FIG. 10 (A), the operator supplies a plurality of long brazing filler metals 10 to the holding portion 131 and supplies a plurality of short brazing filler metals 20 to the holding portion 231, and an automatic welding apparatus. The welding start button 73 of 71 is pushed. Thereby, the operation of the automatic welding apparatus 71 is started.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 10B, the control unit 31 controls the drive unit 57 to rotate the second support unit 557 in the right direction so that the second clamp unit 55 is moved from the first clamp unit 53. Separate. The specific operation is as follows.

  First, the piston 572 of the drive unit 57 starts to retract toward the cylinder body 571 from the initial state shown in FIG. At this time, the rod-like part 553 of the second clamp part 55 remains stationary. Then, when the piston 572 further retracts and the fitting portion 573 reaches the position of the fitting hole 63 of the cylindrical body 62, the fitting portion 573 is fitted into the fitting hole 63. When the fitting portion 573 is fitted into the fitting hole 63, the cylindrical body 62 is pulled by the piston 572 and interlocks with the movement of the piston 572.

  When the piston 572 is further retracted, the second support portion 557 rotates rightward about an unillustrated axis provided in the vicinity of the lower end portion thereof, so that the second clamp portion 55 is connected to the first clamp portion 55. It leaves | separates from the part 53. The backward movement of the piston 572 is completed when the piston 572 reaches a preset position (position shown in FIG. 6B). At this time, the rod-shaped portion 553 of the second clamp portion 55 is disposed at a position where the angle formed with the rod-shaped portion 533 of the first clamp portion 53 is an angle θ.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 10B, the control unit 31 controls the clamp driving unit 54 so that the upper clamping unit 532 of the first clamping unit 53 moves away from the lower clamping unit 531. To work. Further, the control unit 31 controls the clamp driving unit 56 to operate the second clamp unit 55 in a direction in which the upper clamping unit 552 of the second clamp unit 55 is separated from the lower clamping unit 551. The specific operation is as follows.

  First, when the piston 542 (562) of the clamp drive unit 54 (56) moves in the protruding direction from the initial state shown in FIG. 5A, the tip of the piston 542 (562) is the upper end of the rod-shaped part 533 (553). Press the part. The pressed rod-like portion 533 (553) rotates around the shaft 534 (554), and the upper holding portion 532 (552) moves in a direction away from the lower holding portion 531 (551). As a result, as shown in FIG. 5B, a gap in which the long brazing filler metal 10 (short brazing filler metal 20) can enter between the upper clamping portion 532 (552) and the lower clamping portion 531 (551). It is formed.

  Next, the control unit 31 controls the first supply mechanism 13 and the second supply mechanism 23 to place the long brazing filler metal 10 and the short brazing filler metal 20 at predetermined positions that are aligned in a straight line with the welding position P interposed therebetween. Deploy. The specific operation is as follows.

  First, in the first supply mechanism 13, the long brazing material 10 is supplied to the placement surface 111 of the first receiving portion 11 at the retracted position Pr. Then, as shown in FIG. 2A, the rotating portion 133 rotates until the groove 135 is inclined upward (a state where the groove 135 is directed to the lower end side of the inclined surface 132). Accept the brazing filler metal 10.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 2B, when the piston 139b of the drive unit 139 moves forward by a preset length, the first receiving portion 11 moves forward to the advance position Pf, and the long brazing filler metal 10 is moved. It is arranged at the predetermined position. At substantially the same time as this operation, the rotating unit 133 rotates until the groove 135 faces obliquely downward, and the long brazing filler metal 10 is dropped from the groove 135. At this time, as shown in FIG. 2C, the first receiving portion 11 has one long brazing filler metal 10 placed on the placement surface 111 and one long piece on the upper surface 115. A brazing material 10 is placed.

  On the other hand, in the second supply mechanism 23, when the second receiving portion 21 is at the retracted position Pr as shown in FIG. 3A, one short brazing filler metal 20 is placed on the placement surface 211. Next, as shown in FIG. 3 (B), the piston 235b of the drive unit 235 advances by a preset length, whereby the second receiving unit 21 advances to the advance position Pf, and the short brazing filler metal 20 is It is arranged at a predetermined position.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 10C, the control unit 31 controls the first feeding mechanism 12 to place the long brazing material 10 placed on the first receiving unit 11 at the end at the welding position. It is sent to the welding position P side so as to be located at P. The specific operation is as follows.

  When the 1st receiving part 11 exists in the advance position Pf, the piston 122 of the 1st feed mechanism 12 and the elongate brazing material 10 mounted in the mounting surface 111 are located in a substantially linear form. Moreover, the 1st clamp part 53 exists in the open state, as shown in FIG.5 (B). In this state, when the piston 122 of the first feed mechanism 12 moves forward by a preset length, the long brazing filler metal 10 is pressed against the piston 122, and as shown in FIG. Is arranged at the welding position P. At this time, the long brazing filler metal 10 is fitted into the groove 531a of the lower holding portion 531 and 532a of the upper holding portion 532.

  Next, as illustrated in FIG. 11A, the control unit 31 controls the clamp driving unit 54 to clamp the long brazing material 10. Specifically, when the control unit 31 receives a signal indicating that the piston 122 has advanced to the forward end, the control unit 31 controls the clamp driving unit 54 to retract the piston 542 as shown in FIG. Thereby, the front-end | tip part of piston 542 leaves | separates from the upper end part of the rod-shaped part 533, and the press by piston 542 is cancelled | released. Since the rod-shaped portion 533 is biased by the spring 535, the rod-shaped portion 533 rotates around the shaft 534. As a result, the upper holding part 532 moves in a direction approaching the lower holding part 531 and the long brazing filler metal 10 is clamped by the upper holding part 532 and the lower holding part 531.

  Next, when the control unit 31 receives a signal indicating that the piston 542 of the clamp driving unit 54 has retracted to the retracted end, the control unit 31 controls the second feeding mechanism 22 as shown in FIG. The short brazing material 20 placed on the portion 21 is sent to the welding position P side so that the end portion thereof is located at the welding position P. The specific operation is as follows.

  When the second receiving portion 21 is at the forward movement position Pf, the piston 222 of the second feed mechanism 22 and the short brazing material 20 placed on the placement surface 211 are arranged substantially in a straight line. Moreover, the 2nd clamp part 55 exists in the open state, as shown in FIG.5 (B). When the piston 222 moves forward in this state, the short brazing filler metal 20 is pressed against the piston 222, and the end of the short brazing filler metal 20 comes into contact with the end of the long brazing filler metal 10 as shown in FIG. And arranged at the welding position P. At this time, the short brazing filler metal 20 is fitted in the groove 551a of the lower clamping part 551 and the 552a of the upper clamping part 552.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the first feed mechanism 12 is controlled based on the preset movement distance of the piston 122, while the second feed mechanism 22 is not the movement distance of the piston 222 but the elapsed time. Control based on time. Further, the pressing force for pressing the long brazing filler metal 10 by the first feeding mechanism 12 is made larger than the pressing force for pressing the short brazing filler metal 20 by the second feeding mechanism 22. For example, the former pressing force can be set to about 5 kg, and the latter pressing force can be set to about 3 kg. The control of the second feed mechanism 22 will be specifically described.

  The control unit 31 starts to advance the piston 222, and keeps pressing the short brazing filler metal 20 with the piston 222 until a predetermined time (for example, 2 seconds) elapses after the piston 222 passes a certain reference position. The two-feed mechanism 22 is controlled. The end of the short brazing material 20 contacts the end of the long brazing material 10 within the predetermined time, and the short brazing material 20 continues to be pressed by the piston 222 until the predetermined time elapses. However, since the pressing force for pressing the long brazing filler metal 10 is larger than the pressing force for pressing the short brazing filler metal 20 by the second feeding mechanism 22, the end of the short brazing filler metal 20 is the long brazing filler metal 10. Stops when it touches the end. By performing such control, even when the length of the short brazing filler metal 20 varies, the end of the long brazing filler metal 10 and the end of the short brazing filler metal 20 are accurately arranged at the welding position P. can do. The predetermined time is set according to the degree of dimensional variation of the short brazing material 20 so that the end portions of all the short brazing materials 20 reach the end portions of the long brazing material 10 within the predetermined time.

  Next, when the predetermined time elapses, the control unit 31 controls the clamp driving unit 56 to clamp the short brazing material 20 as shown in FIGS. 4B and 11C. Since this clamping operation is the same as the operation of the clamp driving unit 54, description thereof is omitted.

  Next, when the control unit 31 receives a signal indicating that the piston 562 of the clamp drive unit 56 has retracted to the retracted end, the first feed mechanism 12 and the control unit 31 as illustrated in FIGS. 4D and 12A. The second feed mechanism 22 is controlled to move the piston 122 and the piston 222 backward.

  Next, when the control unit 31 receives a signal indicating that the piston 122 and the piston 222 have retracted to the retracted end, the control unit 31 controls the drive unit 57 to advance the piston 572 as shown in FIG. Specifically, when the piston 572 of the drive unit 57 starts to advance from the state shown in FIG. 6B, the long brazing material 10 and the short brazing material 20 are in a state where the end portions are in contact with each other, and It is in a state of being clamped by the first clamp part 53 and the second clamp part 55. Accordingly, when the piston 572 starts to move forward, the fitting between the fitting portion 573 and the fitting hole 63 of the cylindrical body 62 is released as shown in FIG. 6C, and the rod-like portion 553 of the second clamp portion 55. And the cylindrical body 62 maintains the stationary state, without moving to the rod-shaped part 533 side of the first clamp part 53.

  Next, when the control unit 31 receives a signal indicating that the piston 572 has advanced to a preset forward end, the control unit 31 controls the pressing unit 59 to press the start button 58 as shown in FIG. The specific operation is as follows.

  When the piston 662 of the drive unit 66 advances from the initial position shown in FIG. 7A, the piston 662 contacts the other end of the rotating rod 67 as shown in FIG. When the piston 662 further advances, the rotating rod 67 rotates about the shaft 671 and the corner portion at one end of the rotating rod 67 pushes the start button 58. As described above, in this embodiment, the operation of pressing the start button 58 is automatically performed, and it is not necessary for the operator to press the buttons around the welded portion 51, so that the safety is excellent.

  When the control unit 31 receives a signal indicating that the start button 58 has been pressed, for example, between the upper clamping unit 532 of the first clamp unit 53 and the upper clamping unit 552 of the second clamp unit 55 from an unillustrated power source. A voltage having a preset magnitude is applied to the. Thereby, a current flows through the end of the long brazing material 10 and the end of the short brazing material 20.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 6C, the second support part 557 is biased toward the first support part 537 by the spring 63, so that the short brazing filler metal 20 is attached to the long brazing filler metal 10 side. (FIG. 14A). Accordingly, when the current flows and the temperature of the end of the long brazing filler metal 10 and the end of the short brazing filler metal 20 rises, the end melts and deforms in the direction of the urging force. It moves to the 1 support part 537 side, and the short brazing filler metal 20 moves to the long brazing filler metal 10 side (FIG. 6D). Thereby, the edge parts of the long brazing material 10 and the short brazing material 20 are welded (welded). Since the welded and integrated brazing material B is welded while being energized as described above, it is deformed so as to spread outward in the radial direction as shown in FIG. The distance by which the short brazing filler metal 20 moves to the long brazing filler metal 10 during welding can be adjusted as appropriate by adjusting the angle θ. This distance can be adjusted to about 1 mm, for example.

  Next, when receiving a signal indicating that welding has been completed, the control unit 31 controls the pressing unit 59 to retract the piston 662 as shown in FIG. 13A, as shown in FIG. Return the rotating rod 67 to the initial position.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2D, the control unit 31 controls the driving unit 139 to retract the first receiving unit 11 to the retracted position Pr. As shown in FIG. 2E, when the first receiving portion 11 is disposed at the retracted position Pr, the long brazing material 10 placed on the upper surface 115 is placed on the placement surface 111. At substantially the same time, the control unit 31 rotates the rotating unit 133 in a predetermined direction (clockwise in FIG. 2E) to accommodate one long brazing filler metal 10 in the groove 135. Further, as shown in FIG. 3D, the control unit 31 controls the drive unit 235 to retract the second receiving unit 21 to the retracted position Pr.

  Next, when the control unit 31 receives a signal indicating that the first receiving unit 11 and the second receiving unit 21 have moved back to the retracted position Pr, as shown in FIGS. 5 (E) and 13 (B), The clamp drive unit 54 and the clamp drive unit 56 are controlled to release the clamp by the first clamp unit 53 and the second clamp unit 55. When the clamp is released, the brazing material B integrated by welding naturally falls downward.

  Since the integrated brazing material B has a center of gravity on the long brazing material 10 side, the posture tends to be inclined when falling as shown in FIG. Thus, when the attitude | position of the brazing material B after welding inclines, as shown in FIG.8 (D), the brazing material B may catch on a part of welding apparatus. Therefore, in this embodiment, since the regulating member 60 is provided above the portion on the short brazing filler metal 20 side, the portion on the short brazing filler metal 20 side abuts on the regulating member 60 as shown in FIG. Then, it can control that this part moves further upwards. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 8C, the integrated brazing material B can be smoothly dropped and recovered.

  Finally, the control unit 31 receives the signal indicating that the clamping by the first clamping unit 53 and the second clamping unit 55 has been released, and after a predetermined time has elapsed (for example, after 2 seconds), The clamp drive part 56 is controlled and the 1st clamp part 53 and the 2nd clamp part 55 are closed (FIG.5 (F) and FIG.13 (C)). This completes the operation of one cycle of the automatic welding apparatus.

<Outline of the embodiment>
The embodiment is summarized as follows.

  In the said embodiment, the 1st feed mechanism 12 and the 2nd feed mechanism 22 are controlled by the control part 31, and the long brazing material 10 mounted in the 1st receiving part 11 is sent to the welding position P, The short brazing filler metal 20 placed on the second receiving portion 21 can be sent to the welding position P so that the end of the long brazing filler metal 10 and the end of the short brazing filler metal 20 are brought into contact with each other. As described above, in the present embodiment, since the brazing filler metal alignment mechanism, which has been conventionally performed manually by the worker, can be automatically performed by the brazing filler metal supply mechanism, the operator's work required for this work is performed. Time can be saved. Thereby, the cost concerning joining of the edge parts of a brazing material can be reduced. Moreover, if the efficiency of welding is improved by automation, the amount of fuel (oxygen, natural gas, etc.) used can be reduced and the cost can be reduced.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, the 1st receiving part 11 has the side surface 113 which can guide the long brazing filler metal 10 to the welding position P, maintaining the attitude | position in which the longitudinal direction of the long brazing filler metal 10 was facing the welding position P. The second receiving portion 21 has a side surface 213 capable of guiding the short brazing filler metal 20 to the welding position P while maintaining the posture in which the longitudinal direction of the short brazing filler metal 20 is directed to the welding position P. . Therefore, the long brazing filler metal 10 and the short brazing filler metal 20 are accurately guided to the welding position P by the corresponding side surfaces 213. Thereby, since the precision of the alignment of the long brazing filler metal 10 and the short brazing filler metal 20 can be further improved, it is possible to reduce variations in joining quality (positional displacement of welded parts, brazing of the brazing filler metal, etc.). . Moreover, if the bonding quality is improved, when brazing is actually performed using a brazing material, foreign matter is mixed into the part (for example, piping) or the brazing material is struck and adhered to the part. Can be suppressed. In addition, if the bonding quality is improved, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of problems such as cracking of the brazing material joint during the brazing operation.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, the control part 31 controls the 1st replenishment mechanism 13, and the groove | channel 135 turns diagonally downward or downward in the state in which the long brazing filler metal 10 was accommodated in the groove | channel 135 of the rotation part 133. By rotating the rotating part 133, the long brazing filler metal 10 is dropped from the groove 135 and the long brazing filler metal 10 is supplied to the first receiving part 11. Therefore, in the present embodiment, by holding a plurality of long brazing filler metals 10 in the holding portion 131, the long brazing filler metals 10 can be supplied to the first receiving portion 11 one by one.

  Further, by using the rotating portion 133, even if the brazing material is long, the brazing material can be smoothly supplied to the first receiving portion 11 one by one. That is, a long brazing material inevitably tends to bend. Therefore, when the degree of bending is large, the brazing material may be clogged inside the guide portion 233 when a replenishing mechanism such as the second replenishing mechanism 23 is used. On the other hand, since the first replenishment mechanism 13 is configured to be housed one by one in the groove 135 of the rotating portion 133, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of the clogging as described above.

  In the above embodiment, since the rotating part 133 is provided, the long brazing filler metal 10 is accommodated in the groove 135 of the rotating part 133, and is naturally moved from the groove 135 to the first receiving part 11 side by the rotation of the rotating part 133. Fall. Thereby, the long brazing filler metal 10 can be sent to the 1st receiving part 11 side one by one.

  In the embodiment, the long brazing filler metal 10 that has dropped from the groove 135 of the rotating portion 133 toward the first receiving portion 11 is guided by the guide portion 137 to the upper surface 115 of the first receiving portion 11, and the first receiving portion 11. Is moved to the retracted position Pr, the long brazing filler metal 10 can be placed on the placement surface 111 of the first receiving portion 11.

  In the embodiment, since the second replenishing mechanism 23 is provided, by holding the plurality of short brazing filler metals 20 in the guide portion 233, the short brazing filler metals 20 are one by one in the second receiving portion 21. It is possible to replenish the step.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, the long brazing filler metal 10 and the short brazing filler metal 20 supplied by the brazing filler metal supply mechanism 41 can be clamped by the clamp portion 53 in a state where these end portions are in contact with each other. In this state, current can be supplied to the end of the long brazing filler metal 10 and the end of the short brazing filler metal 20. Thereby, the edge part of the long brazing material 10 and the edge part of the short brazing material 20 are welded.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, since it has the control member 60 which controls a posture inclination when the brazing material falls, even if the length of the long brazing material 10 and the short brazing material 20 is different. The brazing material after welding can be collected smoothly.

  In the embodiment, the control unit 31 first clamps the long brazing filler metal 10 having a specified length by sending it a predetermined distance toward the welding position P, and then clamps the end of the short brazing filler metal 20. The short brazing material 20 is fed toward the welding position P and clamped until the portion comes into contact with the end of the long brazing material 10. Therefore, even if the length of the short brazing material 20 is not constant, the long brazing material 10 and the short brazing material 20 can be accurately positioned.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  For example, in the embodiment, the first brazing material is a long brazing material having a specified length, and the second brazing material is a short brazing material having a length that varies within a certain range. Although described as an example, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the second brazing material may have a specified length. Further, the first brazing material may have a length that varies. Further, the first brazing material and the second brazing material may have the same length. Further, the second brazing material may be longer than the first brazing material. Further, the first brazing material and the second brazing material are not limited to a cylindrical shape, and may be, for example, a prismatic shape. Furthermore, the thickness of the first brazing material and the second brazing material may be different.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the case where a cylinder was used as a 1st feed mechanism and a 2nd feed mechanism was illustrated, it is not limited to this.

  Moreover, the resin-made cover may be attached to the front-end | tip of the piston of a cylinder. Also, a resin cover is placed on the mounting surface 111 of the first receiving part 11, the mounting surface 211 of the second receiving part 21, the unillustrated landing on which the brazing material B after welding falls and lands. It can also be attached to improve the sliding of the brazing material.

10 Long brazing material 11 First receiving portion 111 Placement surface 113 Side surface 115 Upper surface 12 First feeding mechanism 13 First supply mechanism 131 Holding portion 132 Inclined surface 133 Rotating portion 135 Groove 137 Guide portion 20 Short brazing material 21 Second receiving Section 211 Mounting surface 213 Side surface 215 Upper surface 22 Second feed mechanism 23 Second supply mechanism 231 Holding section 232 Inclined surface 233 Guide section 235 Drive section 31 Control section 41 Brazing material supply mechanism 51 Welding section 53 First clamp section 55 Second Clamp part 60 Restriction member 71 Automatic welding device

Claims (9)

The first brazing material (10) and the second brazing material (20) are used in a welding apparatus for welding the ends of the rod-shaped first brazing material (10) and the rod-shaped second brazing material (20). A brazing material supply mechanism for supplying,
A first receiving part (11) having a placement surface (111) on which the first brazing material (10) is placed;
In the welding apparatus, the mounting is provided at a position facing the first receiving portion (11) across the welding position (P) where the end portions are welded to each other, and the second brazing material (20) is placed thereon. A second receiving part (21) having a placement surface (211);
A first feed mechanism (12) for feeding the first brazing material (10) placed on the first receiving part (11) to the welding position (P);
A second feed mechanism (22) for feeding the second brazing material (20) placed on the second receiving part (21) to the welding position (P);
The operation of the first feed mechanism (12) and the second feed mechanism (22) is controlled so that the end of the first brazing material (10) and the end of the second brazing material (20) are brought into contact with each other. A brazing material supply mechanism comprising a control unit (31). The mounting surface (111) of the first receiving portion (11) extends toward the welding position (P), and the longitudinal direction of the first brazing material (10) faces the welding position (P). The first brazing material (10) can be placed in a posture;
The first receiving portion (11) further includes a side surface (113) that stands upward or obliquely upward from the mounting surface (111), and the side surface (113) is formed of the first brazing material (10). The first brazing material (10) can be guided to the welding position (P) while maintaining a posture in which the longitudinal direction is directed to the welding position (P),
The placement surface (211) of the second receiving part (21) extends toward the welding position (P), and the longitudinal direction of the second brazing material (20) faces the welding position (P). The second brazing material (20) can be placed in a posture, and is arranged substantially linearly with the placement surface (111) of the first receiving part (11) across the welding position (P),
The second receiving portion (21) further includes a side surface (213) that stands upward or obliquely upward from the mounting surface (211), and the side surface (213) is formed of the second brazing material (20). The brazing material supply mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the second brazing material (20) can be guided to the welding position (P) while maintaining a posture in which a longitudinal direction is directed to the welding position (P). A first replenishment mechanism (13) capable of holding a plurality of the first brazing filler metal (10) and replenishing the first brazing filler metal (10) to the first receiving portion (11) in sequence;
The first supply mechanism (13)
A plurality of the first brazing members are provided so as to have an inclined surface (132) inclined downward, and a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of each first brazing material (10) is directed to the inclination direction of the inclined surface (132). A holding part (131) capable of placing (10) on the inclined surface (132);
It arrange | positions in the position adjacent to the lower end part of the said inclined surface (132), and the axial direction faces the direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the said 1st brazing material (10) mounted in the said holding | maintenance part (131). A groove (135) having a cylindrical shape and capable of accommodating one of the first brazing filler metal (10) is formed on a side surface (113) thereof, and has a rotating part (133) rotatable around an axis. The brazing material supply mechanism according to claim 1 or 2.   The controller (31) controls the first supply mechanism (13) to rotate the rotating part (133), and the groove (135) is directed toward the lower end side of the inclined surface (132). After the first brazing material (10) is accommodated in the groove (135), the rotating part (133) is rotated until the groove (135) faces obliquely downward or downward, and the first brazing material (10) is rotated. The brazing material supply mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the brazing material is dropped from the groove (135) toward the first receiving portion (11). The first supply mechanism (13) extends downward or obliquely downward toward the first receiving portion (11) and extends from the groove (135) of the rotating portion (133) to the first receiving portion. (11) A guide portion (137) for replenishing the first receiving portion (11) with the first brazing material (10) dropped to the side,
The first receiving portion (11) can be moved forward and backward in a direction intersecting with the extending direction of the guide portion (137), and the mounting surface (111) is formed at the front end portion thereof. An upper surface (115) is further formed on the rear end side of the surface (111) via a step rising upward from the mounting surface (111).
The gap between the upper surface (115) and the lower end of the guide portion (137) is smaller than the diameter of the first brazing material (10),
The first supply mechanism (13) further includes a drive part (139) for moving the first receiving part (11) forward and backward between the forward movement position and the backward movement position,
The retracted position is a position where the placement surface (111) of the first receiving part (11) faces the lower end of the guide part (137) in the vertical direction,
The advance position is a position where the upper surface (115) of the first receiving portion (11) faces the lower end of the guide portion (137) in the vertical direction, and is placed on the first receiving portion (11). The brazing filler metal supply mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the first brazing filler metal (10) is a position to be sent to the welding position (P). A second replenishing mechanism (23) capable of holding a plurality of the second brazing filler metals (20) and replenishing the second brazing filler metal (20) sequentially to the second receiving portion (21);
The second supply mechanism (23) extends downward or obliquely downward toward the second receiving portion (21), and a plurality of the second supply mechanisms (23) extend in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of each second brazing material (20). The second brazing material (20) of the guide portion (233) that is held in a row,
The second receiving portion (21) can be advanced and retracted in a direction intersecting with the extending direction of the guide portion (233), and the mounting surface (211) is formed at the front end portion thereof. An upper surface (215) is further formed on the rear end side of the surface (211) via a step rising upward from the mounting surface (211).
The gap between the upper surface (215) and the lower end of the guide portion (233) is smaller than the diameter of the second brazing material (20),
The second supply mechanism (23) further includes a drive part (235) for moving the second receiving part (21) forward and backward between the forward movement position and the backward movement position,
The retracted position is a position where the placement surface (211) of the second receiving portion (21) faces the lower end of the guide portion (233) in the vertical direction,
The forward movement position is a position where the upper surface (215) of the second receiving part (21) faces the lower end of the guide part (233) in the vertical direction, and is placed on the second receiving part (21). The brazing filler metal supply mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the second brazing filler metal (20) is sent to the welding position (P). The brazing filler metal supply mechanism (41) according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
An automatic welding apparatus comprising a welded portion (51) for welding the first brazing material (10) and the second brazing material (20) at the welding position (P),
The weld portion (51) is configured such that the first brazing material (10) and the second brazing material (20) supplied by the brazing material supply mechanism (41) are in contact with each other. A clamp part (53) for clamping is provided, and a current can be supplied to the end parts of the first brazing material (10) and the second brazing material (20) clamped by the clamping part (53). Automatic welding equipment.   After the first brazing material (10) and the second brazing material (20) are welded at the welding position (P) and the clamp by the clamp portion (53) is released, the first brazing material (10) And a brazing member integrated with the second brazing material (20), further comprising a restricting member (61) for regulating the inclination of the brazing material when the brazing material falls. Automatic welding equipment. The control unit (31)
The first feeding mechanism (12) is controlled to move the first brazing material (10) toward the welding position (P) based on a predetermined length of the first brazing material (10). After sending the distance, the clamp part (53) is controlled to clamp the first brazing material (10),
Thereafter, the second brazing material (20) is controlled by controlling the second feeding mechanism (22) until the end of the second brazing material (20) contacts the end of the first brazing material (10). After feeding toward the welding position (P), the clamp part (53) is controlled to clamp the second brazing material (20),
9. The automatic welding apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a current is supplied to an end portion of the first brazing material (10) and an end portion of the second brazing material (20).

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