JP2718320B2 - Transfer bar connection structure - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a transfer type transfer apparatus used in, for example, an automobile body assembly line.
In particular, the present invention relates to a transfer bar connecting structure which is a center of the transfer type transfer apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in a welding assembly line for a vehicle body, a vehicle body or a body panel to be assembled is tact-fed using a transfer type transfer device. That is, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, for example, the body side W of the automobile is positioned horizontally by a finger 2 provided on the transfer bar 1 and then moved forward by the transfer bar 1 to move the body side W.
When the transfer bar 1 advances by a predetermined stroke and reaches the forward limit position, the transfer bar 1 descends and transfers the body side W to the gauge post 4 on the welding jig 3 side. When the transfer bar 1 descends from the transport height position P1 to the lower limit position P2 and moves away from the body side W, the transfer bar 1 retreats again. In other words, the transfer type transfer apparatus described above transfers the body side W sequentially to the subsequent process side by one step by the transfer bar 1 which reciprocates linearly, but the welding assembly line itself has a length of several tens of meters or more. Therefore, the transfer bar 1 generally secures a required length by connecting a plurality of bar members to each other in a straight line.

FIGS. 9 and 10 and FIGS. 11 and 12 show a connecting structure between bars in the conventional transfer bar 1. FIGS. 9 and 10 show the connecting members 5A and 5B connected to each other. At the end, joining surfaces 6 having a substantially crank shape in a side view are alternately formed, and these joining surfaces 6 and 6 are butted against each other, and a bolt 7 is tightened from the upper surface of one bar member 5B to form both bar members 5A. , 5B are bolted together, while a key member 10 is brought into the closed rectangular keyway space 9 formed by the keyways 8 formed in the respective bar members 5A, 5B from the side surface and fixed by bolts 11. It is like that.

In the structure shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the end surfaces 13, 13 of the bar members 12A, 12B are simply butted against each other, and an auxiliary plate 14 is applied to both sides of the butted portion to provide positioning. And the bar members 12A, 12B and the auxiliary plates 14, 14 are fastened together by bolts 16a and nuts 16b.

[0005]

The transfer bar 1, which is the center of the transfer type transfer apparatus as described above, performs the transfer operation by repeating a simple linear reciprocating motion as is well known. Alternating loads of compression and tension are applied to the connecting portions of 5A, 5B or 12A, 12B, and lateral bending occurs due to variation in centering accuracy of guide rollers (not shown) for guiding the transfer bar 1. And a vertical bending dynamic load acts on the bar material 5A, 5B or 12A, 12B.
The joints between B must have a joint strength enough to withstand these load conditions.

However, in the conventional structure shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, since the bolt holes 17, 18 are unavoidable, the load-bearing effective cross-sectional area is remarkably reduced, and the conventional structure shown in FIGS. Bar material 5A, 5B
If the transfer bar 1 itself has a large cross-sectional area, it cannot be obtained. As a result, the size and weight of the transfer bar 1 are undesirably increased.

The structure shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 has the same problems as those shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, and additionally has an auxiliary plate 14 applied to the side surfaces of the bar members 12A and 12B.
Since the width dimension A is increased by the amount of the above, the gauge posts 4 as various workpiece receivers, the clamp means 19, and the welding equipment are particularly established as in the welding assembly line of the vehicle body shown in FIGS. Under complicated conditions, the adaptation is difficult due to interference with these auxiliary devices.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and has as its object to provide a structure in which the occupied space is small and the necessary and sufficient strength of connection between the bar members can be obtained. is there.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a structure in which bar members forming a transfer bar of a transfer type transfer device are connected to each other in a straight line. While substantially crank-shaped joining surfaces are formed alternately and these joining surfaces are abutted with each other, one of the joining surfaces has a concave surface and the other a convex shape on a vertical wall surface abutted with each other. Forming a fitting portion for preventing relative movement of the bar members in the width direction and the height direction at the butting portion by fitting with each other, and forming key grooves facing each other on the horizontal wall surface of each of the joining surfaces. In addition, the key groove closed space formed by the pair of key grooves has a ball lock mechanism in which balls protrude from the upper and lower surfaces, and a key member shared by the pair of key grooves is pressed from the side. It is characterized in that the.

[0010]

According to this structure, the fitting surfaces formed on the vertical wall surfaces of the joining surfaces are fitted with each other while the joining surfaces of the bar materials are abutted with each other, and are formed by the key grooves of the respective bar materials. Key member into the closed key groove space. Thus, the bar members are firmly fixed to each other by the fastening force of the ball lock mechanism provided on the key member. In this case, the key member mainly bears the compressive and tensile loads in the longitudinal direction of the bar material acting on the joint portion between the bar members, and the bending loads in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction bear on the fitting surfaces of the fitting portions. I do. That is, according to the present invention, all the loads in each direction can be received within the basic cross-sectional shape of the bar material itself, and the bonding strength of the bar material connecting portion is improved, and the bar material having the minimum necessary thickness is used. Will be done.

[0011]

FIG. 1 is a view showing an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG.
Are formed at the ends of the bar members 21A and 21B, which are formed in a staggered manner in a side view, so that the joining surfaces 22 and 23 abut each other.

As shown in FIG. 2, bar members 21A, 21A are provided on one of the vertical wall surfaces 24, 25 and 26, 27 of the joining surfaces 22, 23, which face each other.
The webs 28 and 29 as fitting portions are formed by cutting off both side portions of the web B while leaving the center portion in the width direction of B, and the web 2 is formed on the other vertical wall surfaces 25 and 26.
Projection pieces 32 and 33 having grooves 30 and 31 as fitting portions corresponding to 8 and 29 are formed to protrude in the longitudinal direction of the bar members 21A and 21B. Therefore, the web 28 and the groove 31 and the web 29 and the groove 30 are formed at the same time by making the pair of bar members 21A and 21B to be joined face each other and bringing them closer to each other so that the joining surfaces 22 and 23 abut each other. They will fit each other.

Further, the bar material 2 of each of the joining surfaces 22 and 23 is provided.
Rectangular key grooves 36 and 37 facing each other are formed on horizontal wall surfaces 34 and 35 along the longitudinal direction of 1A and 21B, and the bottom surfaces of these key grooves 36 and 37 are formed as shown in FIG. A conical ball groove 38 is formed. Then, when the two joining surfaces 22 and 23 abut against each other as described above, as shown in FIG.
37, a rectangular and closed loop keyway closed space 3
A key member 40 is press-fitted or driven into each key groove closed space 39 from the side thereof.

The key member 40 is, as shown in FIG.
A pair of ball plungers 41, 42 projecting from the upper and lower surfaces of the key member 40, and these ball plungers 41, 42
A ball lock mechanism 44 comprising a coil spring 43 for urging the ball plunger is built in. The key member 40 is driven into the key groove closed space 39 from the side thereof, as shown in FIG. 41 and 42 engage with the ball grooves 38 of the key grooves 36 and 37.

Therefore, according to the structure of this embodiment, FIG.
As shown in the figure, the webs 28, 2 of each bar material 21A, 21B
9 and the grooves 30 and 31 are fitted to each other and
The two bar materials 21A,
By driving the key member 40 into the key groove closed space 39 formed by the key grooves 36 and 37 of the key member 21B, the bar members 21A and 21B are firmly connected to each other by the fastening force of the ball lock mechanism 44 provided in the key member 40. Be combined.

The compressive and tensile loads in the longitudinal direction of the transfer bar 1 acting on the joint between the bar members 21A and 21B are mainly borne by the fitting portions between the key grooves 36 and 37 and the key member 40. Transfer bar 1
The so-called lateral bending load for bending the web in the horizontal plane is mainly caused by the webs 28 and 29 and the grooves 30 and 31 which fit each other.
Bear on both sides. Further, the so-called vertical bending load for bending the transfer bar 1 in the up-down direction is mainly caused by the projections 32 and 33 and the webs 28 and 29 which are fitted to each other.
The upper and lower surfaces of the cutouts 45 and 46 on both sides of the upper and lower sides bear the load.

As described above, all the elements involved in the connection between the bar members 21A and 21B are contained within the basic sectional shape of the bar members 21A and 21B, and there is no need to form a bolt hole or the like. Even if the bar members 21A and 21B have a small thickness, the required minimum thickness is sufficient.

The driving and pulling out of the key member 40 at the time of joining and releasing the bar members 21A and 21B are performed by using a C-shaped vise 47 as shown in FIG. The transfer bar 1 can be easily assembled and disassembled at the installation location.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, the joining surfaces having a substantially crank shape in a side view are alternately formed at the ends of the bar members connected to each other, and these joining surfaces are abutted with each other. Of the joining surfaces, one is concave and the other is convex on the vertical wall surfaces that are abutted with each other. Forming a fitting portion for preventing relative movement, forming key grooves facing each other on the horizontal wall surface of each of the joining surfaces, and forming a key groove closed space formed by the pair of key grooves on upper and lower surfaces. Since the key member shared by the pair of key grooves is press-fitted from the side with a ball lock mechanism for projecting a ball, there is no need to form a bolt hole or the like in the bar material as in the related art,
Since a large load-bearing effective cross-sectional area as a bar material can be secured, the bonding strength between the bar materials is greatly improved.

Further, since all the elements involved in the connection between the bar members are contained within the effective sectional shape of the bar members,
Unlike conventional auxiliary plates, there are no overhangs to the outside of the bar material, which makes it possible to reduce the size and space of the trough rubber, so that various welding jigs, such as a vehicle assembly line, are complicated. And can be applied without difficulty even when the space is significantly restricted.

Furthermore, since the final connection between the bar members is maintained by a single key member having a ball lock mechanism, the bar material is compared with a conventional structure using a plurality of bolts and knock pins. There is an effect that assembly and disassembly can be easily performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line bb in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the keyway shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a connected state of the bar members shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the key member shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of driving and extracting the key member shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an explanatory plan view showing a configuration of a main part of a welding assembly line for an automobile body.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line aa in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing a connection structure of a conventional trough fiber.

FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing another connection structure of a conventional trough fiber.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory side view of FIG. 11;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Trunk fiber 21A, 21B ... Bar material 22, 23 ... Joint surface 24, 25 ... Vertical wall surface 26, 27 ... Vertical wall surface 28, 29 ... Web (fitting part) 30, 31 ... Groove part (fitting part) 34, 35 ... horizontal wall surfaces 36, 37 ... key groove 39 ... key groove closed space 40 ... key member 41, 42 ... ball plunger 43 ... coil spring 44 ... ball lock mechanism

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A structure in which bar materials forming a transfer bar of a transfer type transfer device are connected in a straight line, and a joining surface having a substantially crank shape in a side view is attached to an end portion of the bar materials connected to each other. While these staggered surfaces are formed alternately and butted against each other, the vertical wall surfaces of each of the joined surfaces butted against each other,
One is concave, the other is convex, and they are fitted to each other to form a fitting portion that prevents relative movement of the bar members in the width direction and the height direction at the butting portion, Key grooves facing each other are formed on the horizontal wall of the surface, and a key lock closed space formed by the pair of key grooves has a ball lock mechanism in which balls protrude up and down. A connection structure for transfer bars, wherein a key member shared by the grooves is press-fitted from the side.