JP5271368B2 - Manufacturing method of ceramic member - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a method for manufacturing a ceramic component, preventing component damage when the ceramic component is taken out during the manufacturing process. The method for manufacturing the ceramic component comprises a take-out step, where a ceramic former of the ceramic component in the manufacturing process is taken out from an accommodating container in which the ceramic former is accommodated. The take-out step comprises a transferring step, where the upper portion of the accommodating container is grabbed by a transporting mechanism and then the accommodating container and the transporting mechanism are inverted together, so as to transfer the ceramic former in the accommodating container to an accommodating portion on the transporting mechanism. The transferring step comprises a first step, where the volume of the space in the accommodating portion right above the ceramic former is reduced after the accommodating container is grabbed by the transporting mechanism and the inversion is performed; and a second step, where the ceramic former is accommodated in the accommodating portion after the inversion.

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a ceramic member, which includes a step of taking out a ceramic member in a manufacturing process from a storage container.

  Various ceramic members such as spark plug insulators, glow plug insulators, or oxygen sensor ceramic members are known as ceramic members. Such a ceramic member is generally formed of an insulating ceramic such as alumina, and is sequentially subjected to various processes such as firing, for example (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-100500

  However, the ceramic member as described above is generally formed to be elongated as a whole and is provided with a vertical hole penetrating the inside in the longitudinal direction, and has a relatively weak shape against impact. In the manufacturing process of the ceramic member, when it is sequentially subjected to various processes as described above, the ceramic member in the manufacturing process stored in the storage container needs to be taken out from the storage container and used for the next process. . At the time of such removal, a ceramic member in the manufacturing process has a shape that is relatively weak against an impact, so that damage may occur in some members. Therefore, in the process of taking out the member as described above, it has been desired to suppress damage to the ceramic member during the manufacturing process and improve the so-called yield.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to suppress damage to a member to be extracted when the ceramic member is being extracted during the manufacturing process.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to solve at least a part of the problems described above, and the invention can be implemented as the following forms or application examples.

[Application Example 1]
In a method for manufacturing a ceramic member, comprising a step of taking out a ceramic formed article that is a ceramic member in a manufacturing process from a storage container in which at least the upper part in which the ceramic formed article is stored is open,
In the take-out step, the upper part of the storage container is gripped by a transport mechanism, and then the storage container is inverted together with the transport mechanism, so that the ceramic formed material in the storage container is placed in a storage part provided in the transport mechanism. Has a transfer process to transfer to
The transfer step includes
A first step of reducing a volume of a space formed immediately above the ceramic formed material in the storage unit after the holding mechanism is gripped by the transfer mechanism and before the reversing operation;
A second step of storing the ceramic formed article in the storage unit after the reversing operation;
A method for producing a ceramic member, comprising:

  According to the method for manufacturing a ceramic member described in Application Example 1, when the ceramic formation is taken out from the storage container, the ceramic member is formed immediately above the ceramic formation in the storage container before the storage container gripped by the transport mechanism. Since the volume of the space to be reduced is reduced, it is possible to suppress the ceramic formation from dropping during the reversal. Therefore, the ceramic formed article can be transferred while suppressing damage to the ceramic formed article caused by dropping.

[Application Example 2]
In the method for manufacturing a ceramic member according to Application Example 1, the storage unit includes an expansion / contraction part having a moving surface disposed on a bottom surface inside the storage unit, and the first step includes the expansion / contraction process. Driving the portion to increase the distance between the moving surface and the bottom surface inside the storage portion, and the second step is to place the ceramic formed article by driving the extendable portion. A method of manufacturing a ceramic member, which is a step of shortening the distance between the moving surface and the bottom surface inside the storage portion. According to the method for manufacturing a ceramic member described in the application example 2, the operation of reducing the volume of the space formed immediately above the ceramic formed material in the storage container by driving the extendable portion including the moving surface, and The operation | movement which accommodates a ceramic formation in a accommodating part can be performed easily.

[Application Example 3]
The method for manufacturing a ceramic member according to Application Example 2, wherein the expansion and contraction portion is disposed on a bottom surface inside the storage portion, includes the moving surface as a part of the surface, and supplies fluid to itself. And the elastic member to be discharged, the first step is to increase the volume of the elastic member by introducing the fluid into the elastic member as an operation of driving the elastic portion, The second step is a method of manufacturing a ceramic member, wherein the volume of the expansion / contraction member is reduced by discharging the fluid from the expansion / contraction member as an operation of driving the expansion / contraction portion. According to the method for manufacturing a ceramic member described in Application Example 3, the operation of reducing the volume of the space formed immediately above the ceramic formed material in the storage container by introducing the fluid into the elastic member or discharging the fluid. And the operation | movement which accommodates a ceramic formation in a accommodating part can be performed easily.

[Application Example 4]
The method for manufacturing a ceramic member according to Application Example 3, wherein the elastic member is formed of a rubber material, expands when the fluid is introduced into itself, and contracts by discharging the fluid. A method for producing a ceramic member which is a shaped member. According to the method for manufacturing a ceramic member described in Application Example 4, since a bag-shaped member formed of a rubber material is used as the expansion and contraction member, when a fluid is introduced into the expansion and contraction member, the ceramic formation in the storage container It becomes easy to make the gap between the elastic member and the elastic member smaller. Further, even when the ceramic formed article falls on the moving surface when the storage container is reversed, the impact of the drop can be sufficiently reduced.

[Application Example 5]
In the method for manufacturing a ceramic member according to Application Example 3, the elastic member includes a bag-shaped member having the moving surface and a foldable side surface that can be folded in a predetermined pattern as at least a part of the surface. In the first step, when the fluid is supplied into the bag-like member, the folding side surface extends, and the moving surface is separated from the bottom surface inside the storage unit. In the second step, By discharging the fluid from the bag-like member, the moving surface on which the ceramic formed article is placed moves so as to be close to the bottom surface inside the storage portion, and the folding side surface is the predetermined A method for producing a ceramic member that is folded in a pattern. According to the method for manufacturing a ceramic member described in Application Example 5, by supplying or discharging a fluid to or from the bag-like member, the bag-like member is between the folded side and the folded side. Therefore, the distance between the moving surface and the inner bottom surface of the storage unit can be easily changed.

[Application Example 6]
The method for manufacturing a ceramic member according to Application Example 5, wherein when the fluid is discharged from the inside of the bag-shaped member, the expansion / contraction part is a distance between the moving surface and a bottom surface inside the storage unit. A method for producing a ceramic member comprising a leveling portion for suppressing variation. According to the method for manufacturing a ceramic member described in Application Example 6, at the end of the second step, the distance between the moving surface on which the ceramic formed material is placed and the bottom surface inside the storage portion is longer than other areas. Can be suppressed.

[Application Example 7]
The method for manufacturing a ceramic member according to Application Example 6, wherein the leveling portion is provided in the vicinity of a discharge port for discharging the fluid from the bag-like member, and a part of the expansion / contraction portion A method for manufacturing a ceramic member, which is a support portion that prevents the discharge port from being blocked. According to the method for manufacturing a ceramic member described in Application Example 7, the second step is completed with the fluid remaining in the elastic member by preventing the discharge port from being blocked by a part of the elastic member. And the distance between the moving surface and the bottom surface inside the storage portion can be made uniform.

[Application Example 8]
The method for manufacturing a ceramic member according to Application Example 2, wherein the expansion / contraction part is a cylinder mechanism capable of changing a distance between a plate-like member constituting the moving surface and the plate-like member and a bottom surface inside the storage part. And a method for producing a ceramic member. According to the method for manufacturing a ceramic member described in Application Example 8, by operating the cylinder mechanism, the operation of reducing the volume of the space formed immediately above the ceramic formation in the storage container, and the ceramic formation The operation of storing in the storage unit can be easily performed.

[Application Example 9]
It is a manufacturing method of the ceramic member of the application example 8, Comprising: The said moving surface is a manufacturing method of the ceramic member provided with a shock absorbing material in the surface facing the said ceramic formation. According to the method for manufacturing a ceramic member described in Application Example 9, it is possible to further enhance the effect of suppressing damage to the ceramic formed product.

[Application Example 10]
The method for manufacturing a ceramic member according to any one of Application Examples 2 to 9, wherein in the second step, the distance between the moving surface on which the ceramic formed article is placed and the bottom surface inside the storage portion is 50 mm. The manufacturing method of the ceramic member which is the process shortened at the speed of / s or less. According to the method for manufacturing a ceramic member described in Application Example 10, it is possible to suppress an impact applied to the ceramic formed product at the end of the second step, thereby suppressing damage to the ceramic formed product.

[Application Example 11]
The method for manufacturing a ceramic member according to any one of Application Examples 2 to 10, wherein the first step includes a step of covering an open portion above the storage container with the expansion and contraction portion. Manufacturing method. According to the method for manufacturing a ceramic member described in the application example 11, the effect of suppressing the drop during the reversal operation can be enhanced for any ceramic formed product stored in the storage container.

  The present invention can be realized in various forms other than those described above. For example, the ceramic member manufacturing apparatus for executing the ceramic member manufacturing method of the present invention and the ceramics manufactured by the ceramic member manufacturing method of the present invention It can be realized in the form of a spark plug having a member, a glow plug, or a method for manufacturing an oxygen sensor.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing how the insulator formed article 10 is taken out using a robot arm 30. 3 is a perspective view schematically showing a configuration of a hand unit 32. FIG. It is explanatory drawing showing the process of transferring the insulator formation thing. It is explanatory drawing showing a mode that the sheath 20 was grasped from the upper part by the hand part 32. FIG. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a state after air is supplied into the bag-shaped member 34. It is explanatory drawing showing a mode that the hand part 32 was reversed with the grasped sheath 20. FIG. It is explanatory drawing showing a mode that air was discharged | emitted from the bag-shaped member. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a state of a spacer 54. It is explanatory drawing showing a mode that air was supplied to the bag-shaped member 34, and it expanded. It is explanatory drawing showing a mode that air was discharged | emitted from the bag-shaped member 34, and it was made to shrink | contract. It is explanatory drawing showing a mode that the fluid was discharged | emitted from the bag-shaped member. It is explanatory drawing showing the experimental result for confirming the effect of each condition. It is explanatory drawing showing the mode in the hand part 32 in step S100. It is explanatory drawing showing the mode in the hand part 32 in step S110. It is explanatory drawing showing the mode in the hand part 32 in step S100. It is explanatory drawing showing the mode in the hand part 32 in step S110.

A. First embodiment:
Below, the manufacturing method of the ceramic member as an Example of this invention is demonstrated. In this embodiment, a method for manufacturing an insulator for a spark plug will be described as a method for manufacturing a ceramic member.

  The spark plug insulator formed of ceramics has an elongated shape as a whole, and has a vertical hole penetrating the inside in the longitudinal direction. When manufacturing such an insulator for a spark plug, for example, a raw material powder obtained by mixing an alumina powder and a predetermined sintering aid powder with a binder (for example, PVA) is press-molded and cut as necessary. By processing, a predetermined shape corresponding to each spark plug insulator is formed. And the insulator for spark plugs is completed by passing through various processes, such as baking, after that. In the following description, a member from when a shape corresponding to an insulator is formed until it is completed as an insulator for a spark plug is referred to as an insulator formation.

  When manufacturing an insulator for a spark plug, in at least a part of the process up to completion of the insulator, the insulator formed product is stored in a container according to each process, and after the process is completed, It is necessary to take out the insulator formation from and transfer the insulator formation to a different container for the next step. The present embodiment relates to the extraction of the insulator formed material from the container used in the previous process between the manufacturing processes. In the present embodiment, an operation of taking out the insulator formation from the storage container in which the insulator formation was stored in the baking process after the baking process in the manufacturing process will be described.

In the firing step, a plurality of insulator formations are accommodated in a storage container called a sheath and carried into a firing furnace, and the insulator formations are subjected to the firing step together with the sheath. The sheath is made of alumina ceramic such as alumina (corundum) or mullite (3Al ₂ O ₃ / 2SiO ₂ ). The size of the sheath and the number of insulator formations accommodated in the sheath may be appropriately set in consideration of the production scale and efficiency, the size of the firing furnace, and the like. When housing the insulator formation in the sheath before firing, the insulator formation is usually placed in the sheath in consideration of manufacturing efficiency and suppression of damage to the insulator formation in the sheath. In the standing state, the insulator formed product is stored without a gap. And since an insulator formation thing shrinks a little by baking, the insulator formation thing after baking will be in the state where some clearance gaps were formed between insulator formation products and were accommodated in the sheath.

  FIG. 1 is an explanatory view schematically showing a state in which the insulator formed product 10 is taken out from the sheath 20 that houses the insulator formed product 10 after the firing process by using the robot arm 30. As described above, the sheath 20 accommodates the plurality of insulator formations 10 therein, and has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with the top opened. The robot arm 30 constitutes a transport mechanism for transferring the insulator formed article 10 from the sheath 20. The robot arm 30 includes a hand unit 32 in which a space serving as a storage unit 31 is formed, and an arm unit 33 connected to the hand unit 32.

  The hand portion 32 includes a rectangular bottom surface portion 36, and four side surface portions 35 (side surface portions 35 a to 35 d) arranged along each side of the bottom surface portion 36 in a direction perpendicular to the bottom surface portion 36. . In FIG. 1, the lower end side of the hand part 32 is opened, but in this embodiment, the hand part 32 is reversed and the insulator formed material is transferred to the storage part 31 that is a space in the hand part 32. To do. For this reason, a portion positioned below after the hand portion 32 is inverted is referred to as a bottom surface portion 36. In addition, in the hand part 32 of a present Example, the connection part to which the arm part 33 is connected is provided in the side part 35a (part facing the side part 35d shown in FIG. 1).

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of the hand unit 32. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the hand unit 32 is viewed from the opened lower end side in FIG. In the present embodiment, the side surface portion 35 a is fixed to the bottom surface portion 36. The side surface portions 35 b and 35 c can be changed between a state in contact with the bottom surface portion 36 and a state in which the side surface portions 35 b and 35 c are separated from the bottom surface portion 36. The side surface portion 35d is connected to the bottom surface portion 36 via the hinge portion 37, rotates about the hinge portion 37, and can open and close the side surface formed by the side surface portion 35d.

  The side surfaces 35b and 35c are brought into contact with the outer periphery of the bottom surface portion 36 and the side surface portion 35d is closed to close the gap between the side surface portions 35 in the hand portion 32. As a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. In such a state, the inner periphery of the opening below the hand portion 32 has substantially the same shape and size as the outer periphery of the opening above the sheath 20. When transferring the insulator formation in the sheath 20 into the hand portion 32, the side portions 35 b and 35 c are separated from the outer periphery of the bottom surface portion 36, and the side portion 35 d is opened and the sheath portion is opened by the hand portion 32. The upper opening of 20 is covered. Then, the side surface portions 35b and 35c are brought into contact with the outer periphery of the bottom surface portion 36, the side surface portion 35d is closed, and the sheath 20 is grasped from the upper side by the hand portion 32. In FIG. 1, the operation of lowering the position of the hand portion 32 to grasp the upper portion of the sheath 20 is represented by a white arrow, and the side portions 35 b and 35 c are moved toward the bottom surface portion 36 to grasp the upper portion of the sheath 20. The operation is represented by a horizontal arrow. Note that the shape of the hand portion 32 and the mode of operation when the sheath 20 is gripped are not limited to the mode of FIG. 2 as long as the sheath 20 can be gripped from above.

  FIG. 1 shows a state in which the sheath 20 that houses the insulator-formed product 10 that has been removed from the firing furnace after being fired is transported by the roller conveyor 40 to a position where the robot arm 30 should be transferred. It has been. The movements of the hand unit 32 and the arm unit 33 of the robot arm 30 are controlled by a control unit including a computer (not shown). That is, the robot arm 30 moves the arm portion 33 to an arbitrary position within the movable range, rotates the hand portion 32 using the connection portion with the arm portion 33 as a fulcrum, the side surface portion 35b, Operations such as movement of 35c and opening and closing of the side surface portion 35d can be performed. Furthermore, the robot arm 30 can perform fluid supply and discharge operations to the bag-shaped member 34 described later at a set speed in accordance with a command from the computer. The robot arm 30 executes various operations as described above in a predetermined order in accordance with a program to transfer the insulator formation 10 in the sheath 20 to the storage portion 31 in the hand portion 32, and further, The operation of transferring to the transfer container 45 for supplying the insulator formation product 10 to the next manufacturing process is performed.

  FIG. 3 is an explanation of a part of the insulator manufacturing process, in which the insulator formed article 10 accommodated in the baked sheath 20 is transferred to the transfer container 45 using the robot arm 30. FIG. 4 to 7 are explanatory diagrams showing the state of each process shown in FIG. FIGS. 4 to 7 schematically show a state in which one side of the hand portion 32 and the sheath 20 is removed and the inside is viewed. Also, in FIG. 4 to FIG. 7, the description of the arm part 33 connected to the hand part 32 is omitted. Below, based on FIG. 3 thru | or FIG. 7, while describing the specific structure which concerns on transfer of an insulator formation, the operation | movement which transfers an insulator formation is demonstrated one by one. The operation using the robot arm 30 is executed based on the command of the control unit including the computer as described above. However, in the following explanation regarding the transfer operation of the insulator formation, the robot arm 30 is used. Will be described as the subject of the operation.

  When transferring the insulator formation 10 from the sheath 20, first, the robot arm 30 grasps the sheath 20 from above by the hand portion 32 (step S100). FIG. 4 shows a state in which the sheath 20 is grasped from above by the hand portion 32. As shown in FIG. 4, a bag-like member 34 is provided on the inner bottom surface of the hand portion 32 as a telescopic member that supplies and discharges fluid therein. The bag-like member 34 is folded in a predetermined pattern at a moving surface 50 provided at a position facing the insulator formation when the sheath 20 is grasped by the hand portion 32 and a fold provided at a predetermined position. The folded side surface 52 is provided as at least a part of the surface. The moving surface 50 is a flat surface formed slightly smaller than the inner periphery in the cross section of the hand portion 32 parallel to the bottom surface portion 36, and has a substantially rectangular shape in this embodiment. A space (housing portion 31) is formed between the bag-shaped member 34 and the insulator formation in the sheath 20.

  Next, the robot arm 30 supplies a fluid to the bag-shaped member 34 to increase the volume inside the bag-shaped member 34 (step S110). In the robot arm 30 of the present embodiment, a fluid supply channel for supplying fluid to the bag-shaped member 34 and a fluid discharge channel for discharging the fluid from the bag-shaped member 34 are provided (not shown). ) These fluid flow paths are fixed to the arm portion 33 so that at least a part of the fluid flow path is along the arm portion 33. In this embodiment, air is used as the fluid. The fluid supply flow path has one end connected to the air compressor and the other end opened at the bottom surface portion 36 and connected to the bag-shaped member 34, and supplies pressurized air into the bag-shaped member 34. It is possible. The fluid discharge channel has one end opened at the bottom portion 36 and connected to the bag-shaped member 34, and the other end is provided with an opening / closing valve and a speed controller. It is possible to discharge at a desired speed. By supplying air into the bag-shaped member 34, the volume inside the bag-shaped member 34 increases, and by discharging the air inside the bag-shaped member 34, the volume inside the bag-shaped member 34 decreases. In the present embodiment, a flow path 39 shared by the fluid supply flow path and the fluid discharge flow path is provided, and the flow path 39 opens at the center of the bottom surface portion 36 to form a bag-shaped member. 34 is connected to the inside. The flow path 39 is branched into a flow path connected to the air compressor and a flow path including an opening / closing valve on an end side different from the connection portion with the bag-shaped member 34.

  FIG. 5 shows a state after air is supplied into the bag-shaped member 34 after the sheath 20 is gripped from above by the hand portion 32. When air is supplied into the bag-shaped member 34, the folded side surface 52 of the bag-shaped member 34 extends, the moving surface 50 gradually moves away from the bottom surface portion 36 of the hand portion 32, and becomes an insulator formation in the sheath 20. Gradually approach. Therefore, by supplying air into the bag-like member 34, the volume of the space formed immediately above the insulator formation in the storage portion 31 of the hand portion 32 gradually decreases. At this time, the open part above the sheath 20 is covered with the bag-like member 34.

  Here, the bag-shaped member 34 has a shape that becomes a substantially quadrangular prism shape as a whole when inflated, and when the moving surface 50 is a bottom surface, the folded side surface 52 corresponds to four side surfaces. The folding side surface 52 of the present embodiment is such that the length in the extending direction from the bottom surface portion 36 when the expansion is finished is the distance from the bottom surface portion 36 to the insulator formation when the sheath 20 is gripped by the hand portion 32. It is formed to be almost equal. Therefore, the moving surface 50 can be brought into contact with the insulator formation 10 by supplying air to the bag-shaped member 34 and sufficiently extending the folded side surface 52 of the bag-shaped member 34.

  When the bag-like member 34 is inflated, the robot arm 30 reverses the hand portion 32 together with the grasped sheath 20 (step S120). FIG. 6 shows a state in which the hand portion 32 is inverted together with the grasped sheath 20. As shown in FIG. 5, when the bag-shaped member 34 is expanded to close the space formed immediately above the insulator formation and then reversed, the insulator formation 10 is almost moved within the sheath 20. Inverted and placed on the moving surface 50 of the bag-like member 34.

  After the hand part 32 is reversed, the air is discharged from the bag-like member 34 (step S130). FIG. 7 shows a state in which air is discharged from the bag-like member 34 after the reversing operation. By discharging air from the bag-shaped member 34, the folded side surface 52 of the bag-shaped member 34 is folded in a predetermined pattern, and the moving surface 50 moves so as to be close to the bottom surface portion 36 of the storage portion 31. As the moving surface 50 moves, the insulator formed article 10 placed on the moving surface 50 also moves into the storage unit 31 in the hand unit 32. With the completion of the discharge of air from the bag-shaped member 34, the transfer of the insulator formed article 10 to the storage portion 31 inside the hand portion 32 is completed. In the present embodiment, at the end of the air discharge from the bag-shaped member 34, the bag-shaped member 34 is returned to the state before the air supply shown in FIG.

  As described above, since the moving surface 50 has a substantially rectangular shape and the expanded bag-shaped member 34 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, when the air is discharged from the bag-shaped member 34 and the folding side surface 52 is folded, The moving surface 50 approaches the bottom surface portion 36 of the hand portion 32 while maintaining a substantially horizontal state. In the present embodiment, in the step of discharging air from the bag-shaped member 34, the amount of air discharged from the bag-shaped member 34 is controlled so that the speed at which the moving surface 50 approaches the bottom surface portion 36 is 50 mm / s or less. doing.

  The hand portion 32 of this embodiment includes a spacer 54 on the bottom surface portion 36 as a configuration for moving the moving surface 50 while maintaining horizontality when discharging air. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the state of the spacer 54 arranged on the bottom surface portion 36. FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing a state in which air is supplied to the bag-like member 34 to be expanded in a 9-9 cross section shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing a state in which air is discharged from the bag-like member 34 and contracted in the same cross section as FIG. 9.

  The spacer 54 is formed to have a predetermined height with respect to the surface of the bottom surface portion 36, and a central portion 55 provided at a position surrounding the opening of the flow path 39 in the bottom surface portion 36, and the bottom surface portion 36. And a peripheral portion 56 provided along the outer periphery. The central portion 55 is provided with a plurality of grooves 57, and a space formed between the central portion 55 and the peripheral portion 56 and the opening of the flow path 39 can communicate with each other by the grooves 57. It has become. When the air is discharged from the bag-like member 34 to change from the state of FIG. 9 to the state of FIG. 10, the air in the bag-like member 34 remains in the groove 57 even after the moving surface 50 comes close to the bottom surface portion 36. It can flow to the flow path 39 via. The state of the flow of air discharged from the bag-like member 34 is indicated by arrows in FIG. The shape of the spacer 54 may be different from that shown in FIG. A support provided on the bottom surface portion 36 in the vicinity of a discharge port for discharging air from the bag-shaped member 34 and can prevent the discharge port from being blocked by a part of the bag-shaped member 34. Part.

  Note that the sheath 20 is removed from the hand portion 32 after the shrinkage of the bag-like member 34 shown in FIG. The removal of the sheath 20 from the hand portion 32 may be performed, for example, by adsorbing the sheath 20 using an unillustrated adsorption device that generates negative pressure.

  After the insulator formed product 10 is transferred into the storage unit 31, the robot arm 30 moves the arm unit 33 to move the insulator formed product 10 stored in the storage unit 31 to the vicinity of the transfer container 45. Then, the insulator formed product 10 is transferred to the transfer container 45 (step S140). When transferring the insulator formation 10 from the storage portion 31 to the transfer container 45, the robot arm 30 opens the side surface portion 35d of the hand portion 32, and the bottom surface so that the hinge 37 side is lower. Tilt part 36. Thereby, the insulator formation thing in the accommodating part 31 moves to the transfer container 45, and is transferred. When the transfer of the insulator formation 10 to the transfer container 45 is completed, the robot arm 30 repeats the operation described above according to the program.

  Note that the fluid supplied to or discharged from the bag-like member 34 in order to change the volume inside the bag-like member 34 may be other than air. For example, other types of gases such as inert gas, liquids such as water, antifreeze, and oil, or gel substances may be used.

  The bag-like member 34 can be formed of a cloth such as a woven fabric or a non-woven fabric, for example. It has sufficient strength to place the insulator formation 10 on the moving surface 50, has airtightness capable of holding the fluid inside, and sufficient durability to repeat extension and folding operations. It only has to be. If the insulator formation 10 at the time of transfer is a temperature higher than room temperature, it is only necessary to further have heat resistance according to the temperature of the insulator formation 10.

  Of the surface of the bag-like member 34, the portion that becomes the moving surface 50 may be arranged to overlap with a material cloth, for example, or may be provided with a reinforcing member inside so as to increase rigidity more than other portions. good. Thereby, when the bag-shaped member 34 contracts, it becomes easy to maintain the levelness of the mounting surface of the insulator-formed product. However, the surface layer that can come into contact with the insulator formation 10 when the bag-like member 34 is extended on the moving surface 50 is a soft material, more specifically, when the bag is in contact with the insulator formation 10, It is desirable to be made of a material that can be deformed according to the shape of the body forming object 10. Thereby, the damage of the insulator formation 10 at the time of contact | abutting of the moving surface 50 and the insulator formation 10 can be suppressed.

  According to the insulator manufacturing method of the first embodiment configured as described above, when the insulator formation product 10 is taken out from the sheath 20, the insulator formation material is formed in the sheath 20 before the hand portion 32 is reversed. Since the space formed immediately above is closed by the bag-shaped member 34, it is possible to prevent the insulator formed article 10 from dropping when the hand portion 32 is reversed. Therefore, the insulator formed product 10 can be transferred while suppressing damage to the insulator formed product 10 due to the fall of the insulator formed product 10. Moreover, the manufacturing cost of an insulator can also be suppressed by suppressing the damage in a manufacturing process in this way.

  A configuration in which the moving surface 50 and the insulator formed article 10 are not brought into contact with each other when the bag-like member 34 is extended is also possible. Even in the case where some space is left between the moving surface 50 and the insulator formation product 10, since the fall distance at the time of reversal is shortened, the effect of suppressing damage at the time of reversal can be obtained.

  Further, according to the insulator manufacturing method of the first embodiment, when the fluid is discharged from the bag-shaped member 34, the speed at which the moving surface 50 approaches the bottom surface portion 36 is 50 mm / s or less. The amount of fluid discharged from the member 34 is controlled. Therefore, when the shrinkage of the bag-like member 34 is stopped, the impact applied to the insulator formed product 10 can be sufficiently suppressed, and damage to the insulator formed product 10 accompanying the transfer operation can be suppressed.

  In the present embodiment, since the member having the moving surface 50 and the folded side surface 52 is used as the bag-like member 34, the folded side surface 52 is folded in a predetermined pattern when contracted, and the height of the moving surface 50 is increased. When the drop is caused, the horizontal state of the moving surface 50 can be more easily maintained. Further, since the spacer 54 having the groove 57 is provided in the bag-like member 34, the horizontality of the moving surface 50 is more easily secured when the shrinkage of the bag-like member 34 is finished. FIG. 11 shows a bag-like member similar to the bag-like member 34, but the fluid is discharged from the bag-like member 134 without the spacer 54, and the discharge port is blocked by the bag-like member 134. 10 is an explanatory diagram represented in the same cross section as FIG. In FIG. 11, the same reference numerals are assigned to the parts common to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11, if the spacer 54 is not provided, the discharge port may be blocked by the bag-shaped member 134 and the fluid discharge may be stopped. In such a case, the bag-shaped member 134 may be stopped. The fluid remains inside, and the height of the outer peripheral portion of the moving surface 50 becomes high. When the height of the outer periphery of the moving surface 50 is increased, as shown in FIG. 11, for example, when the side surface portion 35 d is opened and the insulator formation material 10 in the hand portion 32 is transferred to the transfer container 45 in the next step. Then, the insulator formation product 10 falls from a higher position, and the possibility that the insulator formation product 10 is damaged increases. As in the present embodiment, by making the entire moving surface 50 sufficiently close to the vicinity of the bottom surface portion 36, damage caused by dropping from a high position can be sufficiently suppressed even during transfer in the next process. be able to.

  In the first embodiment, when the fluid is discharged from the inside of the bag-shaped member 34, the grooved spacer 54, which is a support portion, is used as a leveling portion that suppresses variation in the distance between the moving surface 50 and the bottom surface portion 36. However, a different configuration may be used. For example, a plurality of discharge ports provided in the bottom surface portion 36 for communicating the inside of the bag-shaped member 34 and the flow path 39 may be provided by being dispersed in the surface of the bottom surface portion 36. As described above, even when the fluid is simultaneously discharged from the plurality of discharge ports, it is possible to ensure the horizontality of the moving surface 50 while suppressing the blocking of the discharge port by the bag-like member 34.

  Further, in this embodiment, when the fluid is supplied into the bag-shaped member 34, since the open portion above the sheath 20 is covered with the bag-shaped member 34, any insulator formation product is formed when the hand portion 32 is reversed. 10 can also be placed on the moving surface 50. For this reason, the bag-like member 34 can enhance the effect of suppressing the fall of the insulator formed product 10 during reversal.

  In the case where the bag-like member 34 is used in order to reduce the volume of the space formed immediately above the insulator formation in the storage portion 31 as in the first embodiment, the robot arm 30 is increased in size. It can be easily used in common for transferring different insulator formations. For example, the amount of air supplied to the bag-like member 34 (air supply time, etc.) can be set so that the volume of the space can be made sufficiently small in accordance with the smallest insulator to be manufactured. In such a case, when the bag-like member 34 is formed of a sufficiently soft (low-rigidity) material and applied to the largest insulator that is scheduled to be manufactured, the internal pressure of the bag-like member 34 is reduced. Even if the height increases, it is possible to make it not swell too much. Thus, if the difference in the size of the insulator that is scheduled to be manufactured is within a certain range, even if the size of the insulator to be manufactured is changed, the control value by the computer There is no need to change.

B. Experimental example for the first embodiment:
FIG. 12 is an explanatory view showing the result of an experiment conducted for confirming the effect of each condition according to the insulator manufacturing method of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 12, nine types of experiments were performed with different conditions relating to the manufacturing method. In these experimental examples, as in the first embodiment, the insulator formation 10 housed in the sheath 20 is transferred to the transfer container 45 using the robot arm, and the presence or absence of the bag-like member 34, the spacer The presence / absence of 54 and the conditions relating to the contraction speed of the bag-like member 34 are different from each other. As for the conditions relating to the presence or absence of the bag-like member 34, only Experimental Example 1 uses a robot arm provided with a hand part that does not have a bag-like member, and Experimental Example 2-9 is a bag similar to the first example. A robot arm having a hand portion having a shaped member 34 is used. Regarding the conditions relating to the presence or absence of the spacer 54, the spacer 54 was not provided in the bag-like member 34 in Experimental Example 2-5, and the spacer 54 was provided in the bag-like member 34 in Experimental Example 6-9. The contraction speed of the bag-shaped member 34 is a speed at which the distance between the moving surface 50 and the bottom surface portion 36 when the bag-shaped member 34 is discharged when the bag-shaped member 34 is provided in the hand portion. Say. Regarding conditions relating to the contraction speed of the bag-shaped member 34, Experimental Examples 2 and 6 are 100 mm / s, Experimental Examples 3 and 7 are 50 mm / s, Experimental Examples 4 and 8 are 10 mm / s, and Experimental Examples 5 and 9 are 5 mm. / S. Under each condition, the operation of transferring the insulator formation was performed 5000 times, and the occurrence rate of cracks in the insulator formation was examined.

  Compared with Experimental Example 1 and Experimental Example 2 in FIG. 12, the crack occurrence rate is reduced from 1% to 5 ppm, and by using the bag-like member 34, the insulator formed product is reversed when the hand portion 32 is reversed. The effect which suppresses the impact added to 10 was confirmed. Moreover, when the experimental example 2 and the experimental example 6 are compared, the crack occurrence rate is reduced from 5 ppm to 3 ppm, and when the experimental example 3 and the experimental example 7 are compared, the crack occurrence rate is reduced from 3 ppm to 1 ppm. Yes. From such a result, the insulator 54 is transferred to the transfer container 45 by disposing the spacer 54 in the bag-like member 34 and ensuring the horizontality of the moving surface 50 when the bag-like member 34 is contracted. The effect which suppresses the damage of the insulator formation at the time of changing was confirmed. Furthermore, when Experimental Examples 2 to 5 or Experimental Examples 6 to 9 are compared, it is found that the crack generation rate can be significantly reduced by setting the shrinkage rate to 50 mm / s or less, and the shrinkage rate is 50 mm / s or less. As a result, the effect of suppressing the impact applied to the insulator formed product 10 when the shrinkage of the bag-like member 34 was completed was confirmed.

C. Second embodiment:
In the first embodiment, the expansion and contraction is arranged on the bottom surface portion 36 so that the internal volume (volume of the expansion / contraction member) is increased by the introduction of the fluid and the internal volume (volume of the expansion / contraction member) is decreased by the discharge of the fluid. Although the bag-like member 34 is used as the member, a different configuration may be used. For example, a bag-shaped member formed of a stretchable rubber material may be used instead of the bag-shaped member 34 including the moving surface 50 and the folded side surface 52 as the elastic member. Such a configuration will be described below as a second embodiment.

  FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 are explanatory diagrams showing a state in the middle of manufacturing in the method for manufacturing an insulator according to the second embodiment. The second embodiment has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment except that a bag-like member 134 is provided instead of the bag-like member 34 as an elastic member provided in the hand portion 32 of the robot arm 30. Therefore, the same reference numerals are given to the parts common to the first embodiment, and the detailed description is omitted. FIG. 13 shows the inside of the hand unit 32 in step S100 as in FIG. FIG. 14 shows the inside of the hand unit 32 in step S110 as in FIG. As shown in FIG. 14, in the second embodiment, after gripping the sheath 20 with the hand portion 32, a fluid such as air is supplied to the balloon-like bag-shaped member 134, so that it is directly above the insulator formation 10. Reduce the volume of space formed. Thereafter, the hand portion 32 that has grasped the sheath 20 is reversed (step S120), the fluid is discharged from the bag-like member 134, and the insulator formed article 10 is transferred to the storage portion 31 of the hand portion 32 (step S130). In addition, the insulator formation product 10 is transferred to the transfer container 45 (step S140).

  According to the insulator manufacturing method of the second embodiment configured as described above, the effect of suppressing damage to the insulator formation 10 due to the transfer operation can be obtained as in the first embodiment. That is, instead of the flat moving surface 50 of the first embodiment, even if a moving surface that forms part of the surface of the balloon and expands and contracts by supplying and discharging the fluid is provided on the bottom surface portion 36, the moving surface is moved. By performing the reversal operation after bringing the surface close to the insulator formation 10, damage to the insulator formation 10 due to reversal can be suppressed.

  In particular, when a bag-like member 134 made of a stretchable rubber material is used as the bag-like member as in the present embodiment, when the bag-like member 134 comes into contact with the insulator formation member 10, the bag-like member The moving surface of 134 can be expanded and contracted to be deformed into a shape along the surface of the insulator formation 10, thereby filling a gap between the insulator formation 10 and the movement surface. Therefore, the effect of suppressing the impact applied to the insulator formed product 10 at the time of reversal can be further enhanced. Note that the fluid may be supplied to the bag-shaped member 134 so that a gap remains between the bag-shaped member 134 and the insulator-formed product 10. Even in such a case, since the falling distance of the insulator-formed product 10 at the time of reversal is shortened and the impact can be absorbed by the balloon-like bag-shaped member 134, the insulator-formed product 10 at the time of reversal. The effect which suppresses damage of the is acquired.

  Also in the second embodiment, a support portion similar to the spacer 54 of the first embodiment may be provided in the balloon-like bag-shaped member 134. Further, a plurality of discharge ports for discharging the fluid from the bag-like member 134 may be dispersedly arranged on the bottom surface portion 36. Further, the balloon-like bag-like member 134 may be provided on the side surface portion 35 of the hand portion 32 instead of being provided on the bottom surface portion 36. However, by providing the bag-like member 134 on the bottom surface portion 36, it is possible to enhance the effect of moving the entirety of the plurality of insulator formed products 10 onto the bottom surface portion 36 in the hand portion 32 while suppressing the impact.

  Further, similarly to the first embodiment, by setting the contraction speed, which is the moving speed of the moving surface, to 50 mm / s or less, the insulator formed article 10 is formed when the moving surface completes the approach to the bottom surface portion 36. It is possible to obtain the same effect that suppresses the impact received.

D. Third embodiment:
In 1st and 2nd Example, although the expansion-contraction part provided with a bag-shaped member was used as an expansion-contraction part provided with the movement surface which can be arrange | positioned on the bottom-surface part 36 and can change the distance with the bottom face part 36, As a different structure Also good. An expansion / contraction part provided with a plate-like member constituting the moving surface and a cylinder mechanism capable of changing the distance between the plate-like member and the bottom surface part 36 may be used. Such a configuration will be described below as a third embodiment.

  FIG. 15 and FIG. 16 are explanatory views showing a state in the middle of manufacture in the insulator manufacturing method of the third embodiment. In the third embodiment, an expansion / contraction part provided with a plate-like member 250, a shaft 252 and a cylinder mechanism 259 is used instead of the expansion / contraction part provided with a bag-like member as the extension / contraction part provided in the hand part 32 of the robot arm 30. Used. In the third embodiment, since the configuration other than the expansion and contraction portion is the same as that of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are assigned to the portions common to the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof is omitted. FIG. 15 shows the inside of the hand unit 32 in step S100 as in FIG. FIG. 16 shows the inside of the hand unit 32 in step S110 as in FIG.

  The plate-like member 250 has the same shape as the moving surface 50 provided in the bag-like member 34 of the first embodiment, and is formed of a material such as resin, metal, or wood. The shaft 252 is a rod-like member extending in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the plate-like member 250, and one end thereof is connected to the surface of the plate-like member 250 on the side close to the bottom surface portion 36. The cylinder mechanism 259 is a known actuator that realizes linear motion using hydraulic pressure or air pressure, and is connected to the other end side of the shaft 252. By driving and controlling the cylinder mechanism 259 by the above-described computer for controlling the robot arm, the position of the plate-like member 250 is changed between the state close to the bottom surface portion 36 and the state separated from the bottom surface portion 36. Can be changed.

  As shown in FIG. 16, in the third embodiment, after gripping the sheath 20 with the hand portion 32, the cylinder mechanism 259 is driven to bring the plate-like member 250 closer to the insulator formation product 10, and the insulator formation product 10. The volume of the space formed immediately above is reduced. Thereafter, the hand portion 32 that has grasped the sheath 20 is reversed (step S120), and the cylinder mechanism 259 is driven to bring the plate-like member 250 close to the bottom surface portion 36 and insulated from the storage portion 31 of the hand portion 32. The body formed product 10 is transferred (step S130), and further, the insulator formed product 10 is transferred to the transfer container 45 (step S140).

  Also with the insulator manufacturing method of the third embodiment configured as described above, the effect of suppressing damage to the insulator formation 10 due to the transfer operation can be obtained as in the first embodiment. That is, instead of the flat moving surface 50 of the first embodiment, even when an expansion / contraction portion including the plate-like member 250 is used, after the plate-like member 250 that is the moving surface is brought close to the insulator formation 10. By performing the reversal operation, it is possible to suppress damage to the insulator formation 10 due to the reversal.

  In the plate-like member 250 of the present embodiment, if a cushioning material formed of sponge, rubber, resin, or the like is disposed on at least the surface facing the insulator-formed product 10, the plate-like member 250 becomes the insulator-formed product 10. The buffer material is deformed into a shape along the surface of the insulator formation 10 when the contact is made, and the gap between the insulator formation 10 and the moving surface can be filled. Therefore, the effect of suppressing the impact applied to the insulator formed product 10 at the time of reversal can be further enhanced. The drive control of the cylinder mechanism 259 may be performed so that a gap remains between the plate-like member 250 and the insulator formed product 10. Even in such a case, the falling distance of the insulator formation 10 at the time of reversal is shortened, and the shock at the time of dropping can be absorbed by the cushioning material. The effect which suppresses is acquired.

  In the third embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the contraction speed, which is the moving speed of the moving surface, is set to 50 mm / s or less, so that the plate-like member 250 completes the approach to the bottom surface portion 36. In this case, the same effect can be obtained that suppresses the impact received by the insulator formation 10.

E. Variations:
The present invention is not limited to the above-described examples and embodiments, and can be implemented in various modes without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the following modifications are possible.

E1. Modification 1:
In the first to third embodiments, the insulator formation 10 after firing is transferred. However, the present invention may be applied to transfer the insulator formation 10 before firing. The insulator-formed product, which is elongated as a whole and has a longitudinal hole penetrating the inside in the longitudinal direction, is brittle and fragile regardless of before and after firing. Therefore, the same effect can be obtained if the present invention is applied in the operation of transferring the insulator-formed product stored in the storage container for use in the next step.

E2. Modification 2:
In the first to third embodiments, the expansion / contraction part is returned to the state before execution of the operation of step S110 in step S130, but a different configuration may be used. In step S130, an operation for shortening the distance between the moving surface of the telescopic portion and the bottom surface portion of the hand portion is performed, and the insulator formed material may be stored in the storage portion of the hand portion. Unless there is, there may be a distance between the bottom surface portion 36 and the moving surface. In the expansion / contraction part, when the state when step S130 is executed differs from the state immediately before step S110, the state of the expansion / contraction part may be returned to the initial state after step S140, for example.

E3. Modification 3:
In the first to third embodiments, in order to reduce the volume of the space formed immediately above the insulator formation in the hand portion, the expansion / contraction portion including the bag-like members 34 and 134, the plate-like member 250, and the like is used. However, a different configuration may be used. For example, a mechanism for lifting and supporting the sheath 20 from the bottom portion is provided in the hand portion 32, and after the sheath 20 is grasped by the hand portion 32, the sheath 20 is lifted up, and the bottom portion 36 of the hand portion 32 and the insulator formation product 10 It is also possible to shorten the distance.

E4. Modification 4:
In the first to third embodiments, the manufacturing method of the spark plug insulator has been described, but a different configuration may be used. For example, the present invention may be applied when manufacturing a glow plug insulator as an auxiliary heat source of a diesel engine or a ceramic member for an oxygen sensor. The oxygen sensor may be an electromotive force type using an oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte such as zirconia, or may be a resistance change type using a sensing substance such as titania. When manufacturing a ceramic member having a slender shape as a whole and having a longitudinal hole penetrating the inside in the longitudinal direction, the same effect can be obtained by applying the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Insulator formation material 20 ... Sheath 30 ... Robot arm 31 ... Storage part 32 ... Hand part 33 ... Arm part 34,134 ... Bag-shaped member 35a-35d ... Side surface part 36 ... Bottom part 37 ... Hinge part 39 ... Channel DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 40 ... Roller conveyor 45 ... Transfer container 50 ... Moving surface 52 ... Folding side surface 54 ... Spacer 55 ... Center part 56 ... Peripheral part 57 ... Groove 250 ... Plate-like member 252 ... Shaft 259 ... Cylinder mechanism

Claims (14)

In a method for manufacturing a ceramic member, comprising a step of taking out a ceramic formed article that is a ceramic member in a manufacturing process from a storage container in which at least the upper part in which the ceramic formed article is stored is open,
In the take-out step, the upper part of the storage container is gripped by a transport mechanism, and then the storage container is inverted together with the transport mechanism, so that the ceramic formed material in the storage container is placed in a storage part provided in the transport mechanism. Has a transfer process to transfer to
The transfer step includes
A first step of reducing a volume of a space formed immediately above the ceramic formed material in the storage unit after the holding mechanism is gripped by the transfer mechanism and before the reversing operation;
A second step of storing the ceramic formed article in the storage unit after the reversing operation;
A method for producing a ceramic member, comprising: A method for producing a ceramic member according to claim 1,
The storage part has an expansion / contraction part with a moving surface arranged on the bottom surface inside the storage part,
The first step is a step of increasing the distance between the moving surface and the bottom surface inside the storage unit by driving the extendable part.
The second step is a step of shortening a distance between the moving surface on which the ceramic formed article is placed and a bottom surface inside the storage unit by driving the expansion and contraction unit. A method for producing a ceramic member according to claim 2,
The expansion / contraction part is disposed on the bottom surface inside the storage part, includes the moving surface as a part of the surface, and includes an expansion / contraction member in which fluid is supplied and discharged.
The first step is to increase the volume of the elastic member by introducing the fluid into the elastic member as an operation of driving the elastic portion,
The second step is a method for manufacturing a ceramic member, wherein the volume of the elastic member is reduced by discharging the fluid from the elastic member as an operation of driving the elastic member. A method for producing a ceramic member according to claim 3,
The method for producing a ceramic member, wherein the elastic member is a bag-shaped member that is formed of a rubber material, expands when the fluid is introduced into itself, and contracts by discharging the fluid. A method for producing a ceramic member according to claim 3,
The elastic member includes a bag-like member having the moving surface and a folding side surface that can be folded in a predetermined pattern as at least a part of the surface.
In the first step, when the fluid is supplied into the bag-shaped member, the folding side surface extends, and the moving surface is separated from the bottom surface inside the storage unit,
In the second step, by discharging the fluid from the bag-like member, the moving surface on which the ceramic formed material is placed moves so as to be close to the bottom surface inside the storage portion, and A method for manufacturing a ceramic member, wherein a folded side surface is folded in the predetermined pattern. A method for producing a ceramic member according to claim 5,
The expansion / contraction part includes a leveling part that suppresses variation in the distance between the moving surface and the bottom surface inside the storage part when discharging the fluid from the inside of the bag-shaped member. . It is a manufacturing method of the ceramic member according to claim 6,
The leveling portion is a support portion that is provided in the vicinity of a discharge port for discharging the fluid from the bag-like member and prevents the discharge port from being blocked by a part of the extendable portion. A method for producing a ceramic member. A method for producing a ceramic member according to claim 2,
The said expansion-contraction part is equipped with the plate-shaped member which comprises the said movement surface, and the cylinder mechanism which can change the distance of the said plate-shaped member and the bottom face inside the said accommodating part. The manufacturing method of a ceramic member. A method for producing a ceramic member according to claim 8,
The moving surface includes a cushioning material on a surface facing the ceramic formed product. A method for manufacturing a ceramic member. A method for producing a ceramic member according to any one of claims 2 to 9,
The second step is a method of shortening the distance between the moving surface on which the ceramic formed article is placed and the bottom surface inside the storage portion at a speed of 50 mm / s or less. A method for producing a ceramic member according to any one of claims 2 to 10,
In the first step, a ceramic member manufacturing method is characterized in that an open part above the storage container is covered with the stretchable part. A method for producing a spark plug comprising a ceramic member,
A method for manufacturing a spark plug, wherein the method for manufacturing a ceramic member according to claim 1 is used when the ceramic member is manufactured. A method of manufacturing a glow plug comprising a ceramic member,
A method for manufacturing a glow plug, which uses the method for manufacturing a ceramic member according to claim 1 when manufacturing the ceramic member. A method for producing an oxygen sensor comprising a ceramic member,
A method for producing an oxygen sensor, wherein the method for producing a ceramic member according to claim 1 is used when the ceramic member is produced.

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