JP5800726B2 - Cylinder head cleaning method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for cleaning a machined cylinder head in a cylinder head machining line for mass production of cylinder heads for internal combustion engines.

  For example, as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 and the like, a cylinder head that has been subjected to machining such as drilling is cleaned in a cleaning liquid spray atmosphere for the purpose of removing cutting dust and other foreign matters. Yes.

  On the other hand, the bearing hole (camshaft hole) for the camshaft in the cylinder head becomes a circular hole only after bolting after the cam bracket (bearing cap) is seated on the cylinder head. The processing of the bearing hole is performed with a plurality of cam brackets bolted to the cylinder head.

  However, an oil passage may be formed in an opening on a part of the seating surface on the cylinder head side where the cam bracket is to be seated, and when the cylinder head is washed after machining, In order to perform cleaning simultaneously, a specific cam bracket is removed every time prior to the cleaning operation.

Japanese Utility Model Publication 2-31186 JP-A-5-318316

  However, removing the cam bracket each time before cleaning the cylinder head as described above not only increases the work man-hours, but also conveys the cam bracket and bolts removed from the cylinder head synchronously with the cylinder head itself. However, it is necessary to re-bolt the cam bracket to the original cylinder head in a later process, which is not preferable because the management and the conveyance system of the removed cam bracket and bolt become complicated.

  In addition, when the cylinder head is cleaned with the cam bracket removed as described above, the bolt hole (screw hole) for bolting the cam bracket is exposed, so the bolt hole penetrates. On the other hand, since it is not a hole, there is a concern that contamination (foreign matter or impurities) may enter and adhere to the bolt hole, and in some cases, it may be necessary to clean only the bolt hole again.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to such problems, and provides a cleaning method that eliminates the secondary problems associated with the removal of the cam bracket as described above when cleaning the cylinder head.

  The present invention does not completely remove the cam bracket when cleaning the cylinder head after machining, but loosens the bolt that fixes the cam bracket by a predetermined amount to remove the cam bracket attached to the cylinder head in advance. In this state, a predetermined amount of the air is lifted from the seating surface on the cylinder head side, and then it is put into a cleaning atmosphere for cleaning.

  The cleaning atmosphere referred to here includes any cleaning type cleaning atmosphere such as shower cleaning, spray cleaning, jet cleaning (high pressure spray cleaning), jet cleaning, and immersion cleaning.

  According to the present invention, since the cleaning is performed with the cylinder head attached to the cylinder head without completely removing the cam bracket as in the prior art, in addition to the man-hours associated with the removal and re-installation of the cylinder head, Bolt management man-hours can be reduced and the transport system can be simplified. In addition, while the cam bracket is still attached to the cylinder head, the inside of the oil passage can be thoroughly cleaned, and the bolt hole is exposed to the cleaning atmosphere until the bolt remains screwed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent adhesion of foreign matters to the bolt holes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view illustrating a cleaning process to which a cylinder head cleaning method according to the present invention is applied. Schematic explanatory drawing which shows an example of the cylinder head used as washing | cleaning object. The expansion perspective view which shows the detail of the principal part of the cylinder head of FIG. The perspective view at the time of mounting | wearing with the cam bracket in the cylinder head of FIG. The front view which shows the detail of the hand of the handling robot of FIG. The top view of FIG. The left view of FIG. The right view of FIG. The arrow line view which follows the AA line of FIG. The arrow line view which follows the BB line of FIG. The arrow line view which follows the CC line of FIG.

  FIG. 1 and subsequent drawings show a more specific form for carrying out the cylinder head cleaning method according to the present invention. In particular, FIG. 1 is a plan view of a cleaning process provided in the middle of a cylinder head machining line. The outline is shown. 2 to 4 show details of the main part of the cylinder head to be cleaned, and FIG. 5 and subsequent drawings show details of the robot hand that manages the handling of the cylinder head.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the cleaning process 1 provided in the latter stage of the machining line for the cylinder head includes a loading stage S1 that is responsible for loading and unloading the cylinder head W as a workpiece, and two unloading stages S2 and S3. In addition, a cleaning stage S4 and an air blow stage S5 are disposed adjacent to each other. A cleaning booth 2 and a handling robot (industrial robot) 3 are disposed on the cleaning stage S4, while an air blow booth 4 and a handling robot 5 are disposed on the air blow stage S5. A delivery stage S6 is provided between the cleaning stage S4 and the air blow stage S5. In the sealed cleaning booth 2 of the cleaning stage S4, for example, a spray cleaning type or jet cleaning (high pressure spray cleaning) type cleaning liquid spraying atmosphere that is spray cleaning is generated as a cleaning atmosphere. Similarly, in the air blow booth 4 sealed with the air blow stage S5, an air blow atmosphere is generated by, for example, air injection from multiple directions.

  As a work procedure in the cleaning process 1, the cylinder head W that has been put into the loading stage S1 from the previous process and is waiting is gripped by the hand of the handling robot 3 in the cleaning stage S4, and the handling robot 3 is autonomously operated. The cylinder head W is carried into the cleaning booth 2 and held at a predetermined position. Details of the hand will be described later. When the cylinder head W is carried into the cleaning booth 2, the cleaning liquid jet atmosphere described above is generated in the cleaning booth 2, whereby each part of the cylinder head W after machining is cleaned with the cleaning liquid. If necessary, the posture of the cylinder head W held by the hand may be changed in the cleaning booth 2.

  When a predetermined cleaning time has elapsed, the cylinder head W after cleaning is taken out of the cleaning booth 2 by the autonomous operation of the handling robot 3, transferred to the delivery stage S6, and released from gripping by the hand of the handling robot 3. To do. After that, the handling robot 3 that has released the cylinder head W repeats the same cleaning operation as described above.

  Subsequently, the hand of the handling robot 5 in the air blow stage S5 grips the cylinder head W after washing waiting at the delivery stage S6, and the cylinder head W after washing is moved to the air blow booth 4 by the autonomous operation of the handling robot 5. Carry in and hold in place. When the cylinder head W is carried into the air blow booth 4, the air blow atmosphere described above is generated in the air blow booth 4, thereby draining water to each part of the cylinder head W after cleaning. If necessary, the posture of the cylinder head W held by the hand in the air blow booth 4 may be changed.

  Then, if the cylinder head W is drained in the air blow booth 4, the cylinder head W after draining is taken out from the air blow booth 4 by the autonomous operation of the handling robot 5, and taken out to the unloading stage S2 or S3. Release from gripping by the hand of the handling robot 5. After that, the handling robot 5 that has released the cylinder head W repeats the same operation for draining water as described above.

  Here, when the cylinder head W is cleaned as described above, if the cam bracket is still bolted to the cylinder head W, the oil that opens on the cam bracket seating surface on the cylinder head W side is opened. As described above, the inside of the passage cannot be cleaned, and if the cam bracket is removed together with the bolt in advance, the management and conveying system of the removed cam bracket and bolt becomes complicated.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the cylinder head W is subjected to cleaning in the cleaning liquid injection atmosphere as described above, the cam bracket is used for a specific cam bracket even if the cam bracket is not removed from the cylinder head W. Loosen the fixing bolt by a predetermined amount, in other words, loosen the bolt to the extent that the screwed state with the bolt hole (screw hole) on the cylinder head W side is not completely released, and at least the cylinder head W side. In the state where a specific cam bracket covering and covering the oil passage formed in the seating surface of the cylinder is floated by a predetermined amount α (for example, about 5 mm) from the seating surface on the cylinder head W side, It shall be used for cleaning in the atmosphere.

  For example, in the case of a cylinder head W in a twin cam type four-cylinder engine shown in FIG. 2, cam brackets 6 to 10 of # 1 to # 5 are attached to five locations in the longitudinal direction (cylinder row direction) of the cylinder head W. Since the end opening surfaces 11a to 13a of the oil passages 11 to 13 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are opened on the seating surface 14 side corresponding to the two cam brackets 6 and 7 of # 1 and # 2, The two cam brackets 6 and 7 of # 1 and # 2 are assumed to float by a predetermined amount α from the seating surface 14 on the cylinder head W side. As will be described later with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 in addition to FIG. 2, the four cam brackets 7 to 10 # 2 to # 5 are independently provided for each of the intake camshaft and the exhaust camshaft. Nevertheless, the # 1 cam bracket 6 has a single structure shared by the intake and exhaust camshafts.

  Thus, if the specific cam brackets 6 and 7 are lifted from the seating surface 14 on the cylinder head W side, the end opening surfaces 11a to 13a of the oil passages 11 to 13 open to the seating surface 14 as they are. The interior of the oil passages 11 to 13 can be cleaned with the cleaning liquid jet atmosphere.

  In addition, in the present embodiment, the operation of levitating the specific cam brackets 6 and 7 attached to the cylinder head W from the seating surface 14 on the cylinder head W side and the maintenance of the levitated state are performed first. It is assumed that it is performed by the levitation means attached to the hand of the handling robot 3 described in the above.

  3 and 4 show details of the main part of the cylinder head W shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 shows a state in which the cam brackets 6 to 10 of # 1 to # 5 are removed. 10 shows an attached state.

  As is apparent from FIGS. 3 and 4, the cylinder head W is formed with a plurality of oil passages 11 to 13 for supplying lubricating oil to the valve operating system, for example. Aside from the bolt holes (screw holes) 17 and 18 for the bolts 15 and 16 for fixing the cam brackets 6 and 7, the seating surface 14 on which the # 2 cam brackets 6 and 7 are seated is provided. The end portions of the oil passages 11 to 13 are opened as end opening surfaces 11a to 13a. As described above, when the cam brackets 6 to 10 of # 1 to # 5 are bolted during machining of the cylinder head W, the end opening surfaces 11a to 13a of the oil passages 11 to 13 are It will be covered by the cam brackets 6 and 7 of # 1 and # 2.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, after machining the cylinder head W and before putting the machined cylinder head W into the washing booth 2 in the washing step 1 of FIG. 1, at least # 1 and # 2 The bolts 15 and 16 of the cam brackets 6 and 7 are loosened, and the cam brackets 6 and 7 are floated in advance from the seating surface 14 on the cylinder head W side by a predetermined amount α in FIGS.

  As apparent from FIG. 11 in addition to FIGS. 3 and 4, a halved bearing recess 19a is formed at each camshaft arrangement position of the intake system and the exhaust system of the cylinder head W. For example, the # 1 cam bracket 6 is similarly formed with a half-shaped bearing concave portion 19b, and when the cam bracket 6 is in a normally assembled state, the half-shaped bearing concave portion 19a on the cylinder head W side and the cam bracket 6 side is formed. , 19b are abutted with each other, so that a circular bearing hole 19 is formed in each. The same applies to the cam brackets 7 to 10 of # 2 to # 5.

  5 to 11 show details of the hand 20 of the handling robot 3 that manages the handling of the cylinder head W in the cleaning stage S4 of FIG. 1. In particular, FIG. 5 is a front view of the hand holding the cylinder head W. FIG. 6 is a plan view. 7 shows the left side view of FIG. 5, FIG. 8 shows the right side view of FIG. 5, and FIGS. 9 to 11 show the AA line, BB line and C-line of FIG. Each arrow figure of C line is shown.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, the hand 20 is attached to the tip of the arm 21 of the handling robot 3 (see FIG. 1) via a quick change type joint (joint) 22. This hand 20 has a pair of gripper arms 24 and 25 that are substantially deformed U-shaped or C-shaped in a side view across a direct acting type actuator (air cylinder) 23 facing each other. It is a thing. The pair of gripper arms 24 and 25 are moved toward and away from each other in the longitudinal direction of the cylinder head W as a work by the expansion and contraction operation of the actuator 23, whereby the cylinder head W is gripped or released. For this purpose, the hand 20 functions as a so-called parallel open / close gripper, and one gripper arm 24 is provided with a stopper 26 for gripping the cylinder head W and a plurality of claw pieces 27, 28 and 29, and the other gripper. Similarly, the arm 25 is provided with stoppers 30 and 31 and a plurality of claw pieces 32, 33 and 34 for gripping the cylinder head W.

  A slide plate 35 is provided inside the upper portion of the other gripper arm 25 so as to overlap the gripper arm 25. The slide plate 35 includes a pair of left and right auxiliary arms 36 protruding downward as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, and is slidably guided and supported by the other gripper arm 25 via a pair of linear guides 37. Yes. Each of the pair of auxiliary arms 36 is provided with a pin 38 to be inserted into the bearing hole 19 on the cam bracket 6 side shown in FIGS. 4 and 11, and the slide plate 35 is operated to extend and retract the lift cylinder 39. Accordingly, a sliding operation in the vertical direction, that is, a lift-up / lift-down operation is possible.

  The slide plate 35 is provided with a pair of left and right swing lever units 40 that are different from each other. 5, 6 and 9, the swing lever unit 40 is a swing lever bent in a substantially L shape at the tip of a piston rod of a short air cylinder 41 capable of linear motion and turning. 42, and if each swing lever 42 is turned 90 degrees in the direction of arrow M in FIG. 9, the swing lever 42 is retracted by a predetermined stroke to the cylinder tube side at that position and vice versa. Is possible. At the tip of each swing lever 42, a pin 43 to be inserted into the bearing hole 19 is provided at a position corresponding to the # 2 cam bracket 7 shown in FIG.

  Therefore, in addition to the pair of pins 38 directly attached to the auxiliary arm 36 of the slide plate 35 as shown in FIG. 8, the tip of the pair of swing lever units 40 as shown in FIGS. Since the pair of pins 43 attached to each other is supported by the common slide plate 35, the total of these four pins 38 and 43 are lifted up simultaneously according to the expansion and contraction of the lift cylinder 39. Or lift down. A lift cylinder 39 for lifting and lowering the slide plate 35 is added to each element mounted on the slide plate 35 using the slide plate 35 as a base body, and # 1 shown in FIGS. And # 2 cam brackets 6 and 7 constitute a floating means 44 for floating a predetermined amount α from the seating surface 14 of the cylinder head W.

  The structure of such a hand 20 is the same for the hand of the handling robot 5 arranged on the air blow stage S5 of FIG.

  Next, the movement when the cylinder head W to be cleaned in the cleaning process 1 of FIG. 1 is gripped by the hand 20 configured as described above will be described.

  A cylinder head W that has been machined is put into the loading stage S1 in the cleaning process of FIG. 1, and all the cam brackets 6 to 10 of # 1 to # 5 shown in FIG. As described above. Of the cam brackets 6 to 10, two cam brackets 6 and 7, # 1 and # 2, are bolts 15 and 16 that fix the cam brackets 6 and 7 to the cylinder head W (FIG. 4). As described above, the cam brackets 6 and 7 can be lifted from the seating surface 14 of the cylinder head W by a predetermined amount α.

  Therefore, when the cylinder head W standing by at the loading stage S1 is gripped by the hand 20 of the handling robot 3 arranged at the cleaning stage S4 in FIG. Due to the action of the levitation means 44, the two cam brackets 6, 7 # 1 and # 2 are lifted up from the seating surface 14 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) of the cylinder head W and autonomously float by a predetermined amount α. It will be.

  Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when the pair of gripper arms 24, 25 approach each other in the longitudinal direction of the cylinder head W that is the object to be gripped as a gripping operation of the hand 20, each gripper arm 24, 25 The cylinder head W is firmly held by the stoppers 26, 30, 31 and the claw pieces 27, 28, 29 and 32, 33, 34 attached thereto. During this gripping operation, the main part of the levitation means 44 is in a lift-down state, and is attached to the slide plate 35 as shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 11 as the gripper arms 24 and 25 approach each other. A pair of pins 38 is loosely inserted into the bearing hole 19 on the # 1 cam bracket 6 side.

  Further, during the gripping operation of the pair of gripper arms 24, 25, the swing lever 42 of the pair of swing lever units 40 is in the upper retracted position P1 as shown in FIG. There is no interference with W.

  When the cylinder head W is gripped by the pair of gripper arms 24 and 25, the swing levers 42 of the pair of swing lever units 40 shown in FIGS. That is, according to the operation of the air cylinder 41, the swing lever 42 swings 90 degrees from the retracted position P1 in FIG. 9 to the specified position P2, and each swing lever 42 is pulled in the right direction in FIG. 6 at the specified position P2. Therefore, the pin 43 at the tip of each swing lever 42 is loosely inserted into the bearing hole 19 of the # 2 cam bracket 7 shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, and the state is self-held.

  Thus, when the pin 38 is inserted into the bearing hole 19 on the # 1 cam bracket 6 side and the pin 43 is inserted into the bearing hole 19 on the # 2 cam bracket 7 side, the lift cylinder 39 extends by a predetermined amount. As the lift cylinder 39 extends, the entire slide plate 35 is lifted up, so that a total of four pins 38 and 43 attached to the slide plate 35 are also lifted up at the same time.

  In this case, as described above, the # 1 cam bracket 6 and the # 2 cam bracket 7 have the fixing bolts 15 and 16 shown in FIG. Since the pins 38 and 43 respectively inserted into the bearing holes 19 corresponding to the cam brackets 6 and 7 are lifted up at the same time, as shown in FIGS. The cam brackets 6 and 7 are lifted up by a predetermined amount α at a time and float from the seating surface 14 of the cylinder head W. As long as the lift cylinder 39 is extended, the floating state of the cam brackets 6 and 7 is self-held.

  Thereafter, the handling robot 3 of the cleaning stage S4 in FIG. 1 inserts the cylinder head W gripped by the hand 20 into the cleaning booth 2 and cleans the cylinder head W in the cleaning liquid jet atmosphere as described above. Will be used.

  In this case, two cam brackets 6 and 7 of # 1 and # 2 of the cylinder head W are in a state of floating by a predetermined amount α from the seating surface 14 of the cylinder head W. The end opening surfaces 11a to 13a (see FIG. 3) of the oil passages 11 to 13 that are open to the seating surface 14 side of the cylinder head W at positions corresponding to the above are exposed to the cleaning liquid injection atmosphere in the cleaning booth 2. It becomes a form to do. Therefore, the cleaning liquid can be reliably introduced into the oil passages 11 to 13, and the oil passages 11 to 13 can be sufficiently cleaned without removing the cam brackets 6 and 7.

  In addition, even if the bolts 15 and 16 for fixing the two cam brackets 6 and 7 of # 1 and # 2 are loosened, they are still screwed into the mating bolt holes (screw holes). It is possible to avoid a situation in which foreign matter enters and remains attached to the inside of the bolt hole which is important in terms of function.

  Since the structure of the hand 20 as described above is the same as that of the handling robot 5 arranged in the air blow stage S5 in FIG. 1, the cylinder head W is introduced into the air blow booth 4 in FIG. Also in the case of performing, since the two cam brackets 6 and 7 of # 1 and # 2 are in the same floating state, air can be surely introduced into the oil passages 11 to 13, and the cam bracket It becomes possible to drain the water sufficiently to the inside of the oil passages 11 to 13 without removing 6 and 7.

  Here, when performing the cleaning operation of the cylinder head W of another vehicle type having different specifications, a hand corresponding to the specification of the cylinder head W is prepared, and the function of the joint 22 shown in FIG. 7 is used. It can be easily handled by changing the hand.

  In the above-described embodiment, the spray cleaning method or jet cleaning method cleaning liquid spraying atmosphere, which is a jet cleaning, is described as an example of the cleaning atmosphere, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to cleaning in this cleaning liquid spraying atmosphere. It is not a thing.

  There are many methods for cleaning machine elements depending on the size of the object to be cleaned (workpiece) and the level of cleaning required. As a premise, jet cleaning, bubbling (bubble) cleaning, or ultrasonic cleaning may be used in combination.

  The above-described immersion cleaning is a method of cleaning by immersing the object to be cleaned in the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank as is well known, and may actively oscillate the workpiece or the cleaning liquid or both. A method in which the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank in which the object is immersed is vigorously stirred with a pump or blade is called jet cleaning. Similarly, a method in which normal nitrogen gas or clean dry air is blown out with bubbles of a predetermined size in the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank in which the cleaning target is immersed is called bubbling cleaning, and the cleaning liquid in which the cleaning target is immersed A method of irradiating ultrasonic waves in the cleaning liquid in the tank is called ultrasonic cleaning.

  In each of these methods, a predetermined cleaning atmosphere is generated in the cleaning liquid tank in which the object to be cleaned is immersed. Therefore, the cleaning of the cleaning stage S4 in FIG. 1 described in the previous embodiment is performed. Instead of the booth 2, a predetermined cleaning liquid tank is employed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 ... Handling robot 6-10 ... Cam bracket 11-13 ... Oil passage 11a-13a ... End opening surface 14 ... Seating surface 15, 16 ... Bolt 19 ... Bearing hole 20 ... Hand 23 ... Direct acting actuator 24 ... Gripper Arm 25 ... Gripper arm 35 ... Slide plate 38 ... Pin 39 ... Lift cylinder 40 ... Swing lever unit 41 ... Air cylinder 42 ... Swing bar 43 ... Pin 44 ... Lifting means S4 ... Cleaning stage W ... Cylinder head α ... Flying height

Claims (5)

After machining, put the cylinder head attached to the cam bracket to support the camshaft so that it can rotate into the cleaning atmosphere, and at least clean the machined part in the cleaning atmosphere. A way to
A method of cleaning a cylinder head, comprising putting the cam bracket attached to the cylinder head into the cleaning atmosphere in a state where the cam bracket is floated in advance by a predetermined amount from the seating surface on the cylinder head side.   2. The method of cleaning a cylinder head according to claim 1, wherein a bolt for fixing the cam bracket to the cylinder head is loosened to float the cam bracket from the seating surface on the cylinder head side by a predetermined amount.   The cylinder head is subjected to drilling of an oil passage as machining, and the oil passage is opened on a seating surface on the cylinder head side on which the cam bracket is to be seated. Item 3. A method for cleaning a cylinder head according to Item 2. In putting the cylinder head gripped by the handling means into the cleaning atmosphere and cleaning the cylinder head while holding the cylinder head by the handling means,
4. The method of cleaning a cylinder head according to claim 3, wherein the cam bracket is lifted by a predetermined amount from the seating surface on the cylinder head side in advance by the floating means attached to the handling means. The handling means is a robot hand supported on the arm tip of an industrial robot,
5. The floating means attached to the robot hand has a function of self-holding a state in which the cam bracket is lifted by a predetermined amount from the seating surface on the cylinder head side. Cylinder head cleaning method.

Images