JP2702051B2 - Parts inspection equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a component inspection apparatus for automatically detecting the presence / absence of a component attached to a workpiece and the state of attachment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An assembly line for automatically assembling a plurality of parts, such as bolts and washers, onto a work, for example, a cylinder head constituting a vehicle engine, is widely used. In this case, it is necessary to check whether each bolt is tightened to the cylinder head in a predetermined tightening state or to check whether a washer is interposed. However, it is particularly difficult for an operator to check for the presence or absence of a washer that engages with the head of a bolt. ,
There is a possibility that the inspection accuracy is reduced due to fatigue or the like.

In view of the above, various devices have been proposed for automatically confirming the tightening state of bolts and checking for the presence or absence of a washer on an assembly line. As described above, an apparatus including an air nozzle and a pressure detector for detecting a back pressure of the air nozzle is used.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, compressed air is used, and a filter for cleaning the compressed air is provided upstream of the apparatus in order to maintain the maintenance and reliability of the pressure detector. Equipment must be provided. For this reason, it has been pointed out that the configuration of the apparatus becomes complicated and the equipment cost rises.

The present invention has been made to solve this kind of problem, and provides a component inspection apparatus capable of automatically and reliably detecting the presence or absence of various components and the mounting state thereof with a simple configuration. The purpose is to do.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is provided on a rotating plate and selectively disposed at an inspection position corresponding to various workpieces on which parts are mounted. comprising a plurality of component inspection device, the plurality of component inspecting apparatus, prior SL and the apparatus body freely relatively forward and backward with respect to the workpiece, movably arranged through an elastic member to the apparatus main body, wherein the workpiece A first tracing stylus abutting on the reference portion of
The device body can be moved forward and backward through an elastic body and the first
A second tracing stylus disposed in parallel with the tracing stylus and abutting against the component, and the first tracing stylus abutting against a reference portion of the workpiece
And the second tracing stylus is brought into contact with the component.
In state, detects a separation distance between the first measuring element and the second measuring element for forward and backward direction, a predetermined value the separation interval and ratio
And a detecting means for detecting the mounting state of the component by comparing .

[0007]

In the above-described component inspection apparatus according to the present invention, when the apparatus main body is displaced relatively close to the work, the first tracing stylus comes into contact with the reference portion of the work and is stopped. The tracing stylus engages with a component attached to the workpiece and is stopped, and the detecting means detects the distance between the first tracing stylus and the second tracing stylus in the forward / backward direction. here,
If a component has a mounting defect, the first and second tracing styluses are automatically separated from each other, for example, by a distance smaller than a preset reference distance, and the defective mounting of the component is automatically detected. On the other hand, if the necessary parts are not
It is automatically detected that the interval between the tracing stylus and the second tracing stylus is larger than the reference distance, for example, and the necessary components are not interposed. Therefore, it is possible to automatically and reliably detect the presence or absence of various components, the state of attachment, and the like.

[0008]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a component inspection apparatus according to the present invention.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 10 denotes an automatic tightening inspection line incorporating the component inspection apparatus according to the present embodiment. The automatic tightening inspection line 10 is moved in the transport direction (arrow X).
The carry-in conveyor 12 and the carry-out conveyor 14 extending in the direction (in the direction) are provided. A rotary table 16 is disposed between the carry-in conveyor 12 and the carry-out conveyor 14. Loading conveyor 12
Arrow X on the side of the unloading conveyor 14 along the guide rails 20a, 20b via the cylinder 18.
A pair of loaders 22a and 22b that can move forward and backward in the direction are provided.

On the rotary table 16, work mounting members 24a to 24d are provided at predetermined angular intervals, and the position of the work mounting member 24a is set to the inspection position K in FIG.
And the position of the work mounting member 24c is the tightening position S. A work W is fixed to the work mounting members 24a and 24c, and different works (another work W1 described later) are mounted on the work mounting members 24b and 24d as necessary.

A rotary plate 26 is disposed above the rotary table 16, and on the rotary plate 26, the component inspection device 28, the component fastening device 30, the other component inspection device 32, and the other component fastening device according to the present embodiment. The attachment device 34 is mounted. The component inspection device 28 and the component fastening device 30 correspond to the same work W, and the other component inspection device 32 and the other component fastening device 3
4 corresponds to another work W1.

As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG.
A cylinder 36 is fixed to the lower end of the cylinder vertically downward, and a lifting member 40 is supported by a rod 38 extending from the cylinder 36. The lifting arm 40 includes a mounting arm 42.
Are fixed, and the side inspection units 44 and 46 and the upper inspection unit 48 constituting the component inspection device 28 according to the present embodiment are mounted on the mounting arm 42.

As shown in FIG. 1, the side inspection unit 44
Is disposed relative to a work W to which a bolt 50 and a washer 52 as components are attached and retractable relative to the work W, and is disposed on the apparatus main body 54 via a coil spring (elastic body) 56 so as to be movable forward and backward. A first tracing stylus 60 abutting against a reference portion 58 of the workpiece W, and being disposed in the apparatus main body 54 so as to be able to advance and retreat via a coil spring (elastic body) 62 and in parallel with the first tracing stylus 60. Measuring element 64 which is brought into contact with the head end face 50a of the bolt 50
And a detecting means 66 for detecting a gap H corresponding to an interval L at which the first tracing stylus 60 and the second tracing stylus 64 are relatively separated from each other in the forward and backward directions (the direction of arrow A).

The main body 54 constitutes a cylinder, and includes a guide rod 68a fixed to the mounting arm 42,
It is supported movably in the direction of arrow A along 68b. A bracket 70 is provided on the apparatus main body 54, and a first casing 72 and a second casing 74
Are fixed.

In the first casing 72, bearings 78a and 78b are provided with a collar 76 interposed therebetween, and the bearing 78b is engaged and supported by a spacer 80. First
The tracing stylus 60 is connected to the first through the bearings 78a and 78b.
A rotation preventing pin 84 is inserted into a long hole 82 provided in the first tracing stylus 60 while being disposed in the casing 72. A flange 86 is provided on the rear end side of the first probe 60.
Are formed, and the coil spring 5
6 is engaged and the first tracing stylus 60 is moved to the work W side (arrow A).
Direction).

Second casing 74 and second tracing stylus 64
Has the same configuration as the first casing 72 and the first tracing stylus 60, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The detecting means 66 includes a bracket 88 fixed to the rear end of the second tracing stylus 64, a distance sensor 90 mounted coaxially with the first tracing stylus 60 on the bracket 88, and a first measuring unit 66. A dog member 92 fixed to the rear end of the child 60 so as to face the distance sensor 90 is provided.

The side inspection unit 46 has the same configuration as the side inspection unit 44, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The upper inspection unit 48 is provided with a pair of first tracing styluses 60, 60 and second tracing stylus 64, 64 in a single apparatus main body 54 so as to be able to advance and retreat, respectively, and is the same as the side inspection unit 44. The constituent elements are given the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

The component inspection device 28 has been described above. However, the other component inspection device 32 is configured to correspond to another work W1.
8, the detailed description thereof is omitted.

Next, the operation of the component inspection apparatus 28 thus configured will be described in relation to the automatic tightening inspection line 10.

As shown in FIG. 2, the work W conveyed by the carry-in conveyor 12 is gripped by the loader 22a and delivered to the work mounting member 24a arranged at the inspection position K. The work W, which has been fixed to and has been subjected to the inspection work described later, is gripped by the loader 22b and sent out to the unloading conveyor 14.
The new work W fixed to the work mounting member 24a is
After being turned to the tightening position S by the rotation of the turntable 16, the bolt 50 is tightened through a washer 52 at a predetermined position under the action of the component tightening device 30.

When the tightening operation is completed, the rotary table 16
Is rotated to place the work W fixed to the work mounting member 24a at the inspection position K, while the inspection position K
Is held at the tightening position S while holding the new work W. This inspection position K
At this time, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG.
Is driven to lower the rod 38, the rod 3
8 and the mounting arm 42 integrally with the lifting member 40 held by
Is lowered, and the component inspection device 28 is positioned corresponding to the workpiece W.

Therefore, only the operation of the side inspection unit 44 will be described below, and the operations of the side inspection unit 46 and the upper inspection unit 48 will be omitted because they are the same.
As shown in FIG. 1, when the device main body 54 moves in the direction of arrow A under the action of a pressure fluid (not shown), first,
0 abuts against the reference portion 58 of the workpiece W, and the first tracing stylus 60 is relatively opposed to the first casing 72 in the direction opposite to the arrow A direction against the elastic force of the coil spring 56. Moving.

When the apparatus body 54 further moves in the direction of arrow A, the tip of the second tracing stylus 64 comes into contact with the head end face 50a of the bolt 50, and the movement of the second tracing stylus 64 is stopped. Then, the first tracing stylus 60 and the second tracing stylus 64 are maintained until the device main body 54 reaches a predetermined position and is stopped.
Are opposed to the coil springs 56 and 62, respectively.
Arrow A for casing 72 and second casing 74
It moves relatively in the opposite direction.

After the apparatus main body 54 is stopped at a predetermined position via a sensor (not shown), the distance sensor 90 constituting the detecting means 66 is driven, and the gap H between the distance sensor 90 and the dog member 92 is detected. , Through the gap H,
A change in the interval L at which the tracing stylus 60 and the second tracing stylus 64 are relatively separated from each other in the direction of arrow A is detected.

That is, when the washer 52 is not interposed, the head end face 50a of the bolt 50 is
2 has moved to the work W side by the thickness of 2. For this reason,
The distance L between the first tracing stylus 60 and the second tracing stylus 64 becomes larger than a predetermined value, and the gap H between the distance sensor 90 and the dog member 92 becomes smaller than the reference value. Thereby, it is detected that the washer 52 is not interposed.

When the bolt 50 has an insufficient tightening, the head end face 50a of the bolt 50 is largely separated from the work W. Therefore, the gap L becomes smaller than the predetermined value, the gap H between the distance sensor 90 and the dog member 92 becomes larger than the reference value, and the tightening failure of the bolt 50 is detected.

As described above, in this embodiment, the first tracing stylus 6
In a state where the leading end of the second measuring element 64 is in contact with the reference portion 58 of the workpiece W and the leading end of the second measuring element 64 is in contact with the head end face 50a of the bolt 50, the first measuring element 60 2
The gap H corresponding to the gap L with the tracing stylus 64 is detected by the detecting means 66.
Automatically detected via. For this reason, the state of various components, that is, the presence / absence of the washer 52 and the improper tightening of the bolt 50, etc. can be easily and reliably detected by the change in the gap H.

Further, unlike the conventional case where compressed air is used, there is no need to provide a filter device for purifying the compressed air, so that the configuration of the component inspection device 28 is simplified and the equipment cost is effectively reduced. Is obtained.
In addition, it is possible to automatically perform an operation that is difficult for an operator to inspect, such as an operation for detecting the presence or absence of the washer 52, and the efficiency and quality of the entire inspection operation can be easily achieved.
Further, by incorporating the component inspection device 28 into the automatic tightening inspection line 10, there is an advantage that automation of the entire assembly line of the work W is facilitated and the number of personnel can be reduced.

The automatic tightening inspection line 10 is provided with another component inspecting device 32 and another component tightening device 34, and can easily cope with different types of workpieces W1.

[0031]

According to the component inspection apparatus of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

When the apparatus main body is displaced relatively close to the work, the first tracing stylus comes into contact with a reference portion of the work and is stopped, and the second tracing stylus is attached to a part attached to the work. The first measuring element and the second measuring element are stopped by being engaged with each other, and a distance between the first measuring element and the second measuring element in the reciprocating direction is detected by the detecting means. Therefore, when a component mounting failure occurs or when a necessary component is not interposed, the interval changes, and this kind of defect can be detected automatically and reliably. Moreover, the configuration is not complicated, the equipment cost can be effectively reduced, and the efficiency and accuracy of inspection work can be easily achieved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of an inspection unit constituting a component inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of an automatic tightening inspection line incorporating the component inspection apparatus.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory front view of the component inspection apparatus.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory side view of the component inspection apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Automatic tightening inspection line 12, 14 ... Conveyor 16 ... Rotary table 24a-24d ... Work mounting member 26 ... Rotating plate 28, 32 ... Parts inspection device 36 ... Cylinder 42 ... Mounting arm 44, 46, 48 ... Inspection unit 50 ... bolt 50a ... head end surface 52 ... washer 54 ... apparatus body 56 ... coil spring 58 ... reference part 60 ... measuring element 62 ... coil spring 64 ... measuring element 66 ... detecting means 72, 74 ... casing 90 ... distance sensor

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A plurality of component inspection devices mounted on a rotating plate and selectively disposed at inspection positions in correspondence with various workpieces to which components are attached ; An apparatus main body relatively movable with respect to the work, a first tracing stylus disposed on the apparatus main body via an elastic body so as to be able to advance and retreat, and abutting on a reference portion of the work; Can be moved forward and backward through an elastic body and the first
A second tracing stylus disposed in parallel with the tracing stylus and abutting against the component, and a first tracing stylus abutting against a reference portion of the workpiece
In both cases, the second tracing stylus is in contact with the component
In, the said first gauge head and the second measuring element for forward and backward direction
Detecting a separation interval, comparing said separation interval with a predetermined value
And a detecting means for detecting a mounting state of the component.