JPH0216863B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a testing device for engines, etc., which includes a plurality of test benches arranged in parallel.

(Prior art and its problems) In this type of test equipment for engines, etc.,
After transporting the engine, etc. to each test bench, connect the various piping (water supply and drainage, exhaust gas, oil, fuel, etc.) and electrical system wiring provided for each test bench to the engine, etc. on the test bench. When the test operation is completed, the piping and wiring are removed from each engine, and then the tested engines are taken out from the test bench.

However, in the conventional test equipment of this type, the piping and wiring provided for each test bench were manually connected to the connecting points such as the engine by an operator. In such a method, it is necessary to deploy a worker to connect and disconnect piping and wiring when carrying in and out of the engine, etc., and it is not possible to achieve rationalization. Moreover, it requires a great deal of time and effort to connect and disconnect the piping and wiring, resulting in a disadvantage that the test cycle time becomes longer.

Therefore, a drive for removing and removing piping and wiring is used to automatically move the end fittings of the piping and wiring installed on each test bench so that they can be connected to the connection point such as the engine on the test bench. The idea was to add a means. However, in one test bench, there are many pipes and wires that must be connected to the engine, etc., and the method is to install a dedicated drive means for disconnecting and disconnecting each of these many pipes and wires. In this case, an extremely large number of driving means for removing and removing piping and wiring are required for the entire test equipment in which multiple test benches are installed in parallel, which not only leads to a significant increase in costs, but also requires a large number of driving means for removing and removing piping and wiring. This will also lead to an increase in the size of the entire test bench.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the present invention is provided with end fittings for various piping and wiring connected to the imported engine, etc., in each of the test benches. At the same time, the end connector is provided with a drop-off prevention means for preventing it from falling off from the connected state to the engine, etc., and a movable trolley capable of reciprocating in the parallel direction of the test bench is provided, This movable trolley is equipped with a manipulator equipped with a clamping means that can be opened and closed and can grip the tip connector, and the manipulator allows the movable trolley to grip the tip connector from the supporting means attached to the corresponding test bench. and pick it up and have them perform the connection work of connecting it to a connection point such as an engine on a test bench, and the removal work of grasping and removing the tip connector from the connection point of the engine etc. and having it supported by the support means. The present invention proposes a testing device for engines, etc., which is constructed as follows.

(Operation of the Invention) In the above-mentioned test device of the present invention, after the movable cart is moved to a position corresponding to the test bench into which the engine etc. have been carried, the manipulator is operated as previously memorized by learning. The gripping means of this manipulator grips and picks up the end connector supported by the support means attached to the test bench, and connects the end connector to a connection point such as an engine on the test bench. I can do it. Of course, even if the connected end connector is not held in the connected position by the manipulator, the drop-off prevention means will prevent it from accidentally falling off from the connected location, such as the engine. Therefore, when there are multiple end connectors,
These plurality of end connectors can be sequentially connected to predetermined locations of the engine or the like by the manipulator.

Once the piping and wiring connections have been completed, the engine, etc. on the test bench can be tested. When this test operation is completed, the movable cart is moved to a position corresponding to the test bench supporting the tested engine, etc., and the manipulator is operated as previously memorized by learning. After gripping and removing the tip fitting from the connection point of the engine or the like using the holding means, the tip fitting can be supported at a predetermined position on the support means attached to the test bench. When there are a plurality of the tip fittings, the plurality of tip fittings can be sequentially removed from the engine etc. by the manipulator and supported at a predetermined position on the support means.

That is, the manipulator provided on the movable trolley can be used for the work of attaching and detaching piping and wiring in a plurality of test benches located within the moving route of the movable trolley.

(Example) An example of the present invention will be described below based on the attached illustrative drawings. In FIG. 1, 1a to 1d are:
Test benches are arranged side by side at equal intervals in the lateral direction, 2 is a conveyor line for transporting engines parallel to the parallel direction of the test benches, 3a to 3d are
The conveyor line 2 and each test bench 1a to 1
Carrying in/out means provided between d and 4a to 4d
is a turning means that carries out the engine on the conveyor line 2 in a right angle direction onto the carry-in/out means 3a to 3d, or vice versa, sends out the engine inherited from the carry-in/out means 3a to 3d at right angles to the conveying direction of the conveyor line 2. It is.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 5 denotes an automatic disconnection means, which is movably supported by a guide rail 6 installed in parallel with the test benches 1a to 1d above the test benches 1a to 1d. It consists of a movable carriage 7 and a manipulator 8 supported on the underside of the movable carriage 7. 9
is a drive chain that reciprocates the movable cart 7, and is rotated in any forward or reverse direction by the motor 10. Reference numeral 11 denotes a cable that supplies driving power and pressure fluid to the manipulator 8 and exchanges control signals with a control device.

The carrying-in/carrying-out means 3a to 3d, as shown in FIG. 4, are equipped with a conveyor 12 for carrying in and carrying out, and a rear feeder 13 for carrying in only. The boost feeder 13 has an anti-back pusher 15 that is lowered below the load receiving surface of the conveyor 12 by a cam plate 14 when in the standby position.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, support means 18 for supporting each end fitting 17 of each type of piping 16 connected to the test engine in a fixed position are arranged on both the left and right sides of each of the test benches 1a to 1d. has been done. As shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, the tip connector 1
7 includes a non-perfectly circular held portion 19 and a pair of left and right positioning slits 20, and the support means 1
Reference numeral 8 denotes a support stand 22 provided with a pair of left and right positioning guides 21 that fit into the slits 20 and arranged side by side on a support frame 23.

The manipulator 8 is equipped with a pair of left and right clamping means 24 that can be freely opened and closed to clamp the clamped portion 19 of the distal end connector 17, and the distal end connector 17 supported on the support means 18 is shown in FIG. As shown, it has the necessary degree of freedom to connect to the piping connection 26 of the engine 25, or to remove the tip fitting 17 from the piping connection 26 and transfer it to a predetermined position on the support means 18, and for each test. The engine is configured to be retractable above the engine supported on the benches 1a to 1d to an upper retraction position (position A shown by a phantom line in FIG. 5) where the movable cart 7 can pass as the movable trolley 7 moves. Around the axis 27 perpendicular to the trolley 7
It is configured to be able to turn 180 degrees. This manipulator 8 is one that has the necessary degree of freedom and is selected from among the various manipulators (industrial robots) that are conventionally used to automatically transfer workpieces between a conveyance line and a machine tool. Therefore, a description of its specific configuration will be omitted.

The test benches 1a to 1d are conventionally well-known ones, and as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, they are equipped with free rollers 29 that movably support an engine support pallet 28, and can be raised and lowered by a cylinder unit 30. and a positioning pin 34 that is raised and lowered relative to the lifting table 31 by a cylinder unit 32 and that fits into a positioning hole 33 provided in the pallet 28.
a pallet lifting stand 35 equipped with a pallet lifting table 35, a stopper 36 for regulating the pallet ascent limit, and a support stand 37 with a buffer means for supporting the pallet 28 at the lowering limit position;
It has push-out means 38 for pushing out the pallet 28 onto the loading/unloading means 3a to 3d.

The method of use will be described below. A pallet 28 with an engine 25 supported in a predetermined position by a support attachment 39 is carried from the conveyor line 2 to an empty one of the test benches 1a to 1d, for example, the test bench 1a. That is, the engine-mounted pallet 28 carried onto the conveyor 12 of the carrying in/out means 3a by the turning means 4a is sent onto the lifting table 31 of the test bench 1a by the conveyor 12 and the rear feeder 13 (the fourth (See Figure and right half of Figure 5).

Next, as shown in the left half of FIG. 5, the pallet lifting table 35 is raised, and with the positioning pin 34 fitted into the positioning hole 33 of the pallet 28, the engine-mounted pallet 28 is raised to the upper limit where it contacts the stopper 36. raise. As a result engine 2
5 is precisely positioned at a predetermined position. Once this engine loading work is completed, move the mobile trolley 7.
is moved by the drive chain 9, and the automatic disconnection means 5 is moved to the test bench 1 as shown in FIG.
Move it to the upper position on either the left or right side of a. In this state, the manipulator 8 is moved downward from the retracted position A, and the manipulator 8 is
is operated by automatic control based on movement information that has been learned and memorized in advance, and the end fittings 17 of each pipe 16 supported on support means 18 on one left and right side of the test bench 1a are connected to the engine 25. It is automatically connected to each piping connection part 26 on the same side.

That is, as shown by imaginary lines in FIGS. 6 and 7, the tip clamping means 24 of the manipulator 8 grips the clamped portion 19 of the connector 17 supported on the support base 22 of the support means 18 from the left and right sides. hold it between them. At this time, both the left and right protrusions 19a of the held part 19 fit into the recesses 24a of the holding means 24, and relative rotation between the two is prevented. Instead of such a clamped part 19, a positioning pin may be provided protruding from the clamped part of the connector 17, and the clamping means 24 may be provided with a positioning hole into which the pin fits in the clamped state. . In this case, the connecting tool 17 and the clamping means 24
and relative movement in the axial direction of the connector 17 is also prevented.

Once the connecting tool 17 is clamped by the clamping means 24, the connecting tool 17 is moved in parallel directly upward so as to be pulled out from between the positioning guides 21, and then
As shown by the solid line in FIG. 5, the manipulator 8 is operated so as to fit into a specific pipe connection part 26 of the engine 25 that corresponds to the clamped connector 17. At this time, the flexible pipe 16 is pulled by the connector 17 and drawn out from inside the test bench 1a.

As shown in FIG. 6, the end fitting 17 of the pipe 16 is equipped with a fitting that reduces its diameter by the pressure air supplied from the air supply pipe 40 arranged along the pipe 16 and also serves as a prevention device for falling off. A fluid leakage prevention seal 41 is provided, and when the connector 17 is fitted into the piping connection part 26 on the engine side by the clamping means 24 of the manipulator 8, a fluid leakage prevention seal 41 attached to the tip of the connector 17, for example, By automatically opening the solenoid valve based on the signal from the sensor and sending pressurized air into the air supply pipe 40, the seal 41 expands inward and comes into close contact with the piping connection 26 on the engine side, causing the connection tool to close. 17 at the connection position and connects the connection tool 17 and the connection part 26 in an airtight manner. Of course, means for mechanically reducing the diameter of the seal 41 is provided in the connecting tool 17, and the clamping means 2
4 may be provided with a device for driving the seal diameter reducing means.

Once the various piping connections on one side of the engine 25 have been completed through the piping connection work described above, the manipulator 8 is raised to the retracted position A, and the movable trolley 7 is moved by the drive chain 9 to the engine 25. Move it to the upper position on the opposite side.
Thereafter, the manipulator 8 is rotated 180 degrees around the vertical axis 27 and operated again under automatic control as described above, and the piping connection 26 on the other side of the engine 25 is connected to the support means on the same side. 1
The pipe fittings 17 supported on 8 are respectively automatically connected as described above.

Once the various piping and necessary electrical wiring (not shown) have been connected to the predetermined locations of the engine 25 in the manner described above, the engine 25 is started in the same manner as conventional methods and various tests are performed. However, in this test, the lifting platform 35 and the lifting platform 3
1 is lowered and the engine-mounted pallet 28 is transferred onto the support stand 37 with shock absorbing means.

After use, the automatic disconnection means 5 is used for driving with the manipulator 8 raised to the retracted position A in order to connect various piping to the engines 25 carried into other test benches 1a to 1d. Target test bench 1 by chain 9
Move to the upper position of b to 1d. Further, when the test of the engine 25 is completed, the automatic disconnection means 5 is moved to the position corresponding to the engine 25 for which the test has been completed, and the manipulator 8 is clamped at the tip in the direction completely opposite to that during the connection work. In order to move the means 24, the engine 25 is automatically operated based on information learned and stored in advance.
The end fitting 17 of each pipe 16 connected to
is removed from the piping connection 26 on the engine side, and the connector 17 is placed on the support base 22 of the support means 18.
The positioning guide 2 is inserted into the positioning slit 20 of
1 are transferred so that they fit together. Note that, prior to this connection removal work, the solenoid valve is automatically switched, the air supply pipe 40 is opened, the seal 41 is expanded, and the connection 17 can be pulled out from the piping connection 26. becomes. Further, this connection removal work may be performed while the engine-mounted pallet 28 is supported on the support stand 37 with buffer means, but in order to improve the positional accuracy of the engine 25, the pallet 28 can be removed using the lifting stand 35. This can also be done with the positioning pin 34 fitted into the positioning hole 33.

The engine 25 is disconnected from the pipe 16.
The test benches 1a to 1d are pushed out by the pushing means 38.
It is pushed out from above onto the conveyor 12 of the carrying in/out means 3a to 3d, and this conveyor 12 and the turning means 4a
~4d onto the conveyor line 2.

It is also possible to provide two manipulators for each of the left and right sides of the engine 25 in one mobile cart 7, thereby reducing the time required for connecting and disconnecting piping and wiring. Also, one mobile trolley 7
It is also possible to provide a manipulator dedicated to connection work and a manipulator dedicated to removal work, or it is possible to install a mobile trolley equipped with a manipulator dedicated to connection work and a mobile trolley equipped with a manipulator dedicated to removal work, respectively, in parallel. It is also possible to configure the test bench so that it can be moved back and forth in parallel directions on different movement paths. Furthermore, if there are a large number of test benches arranged in parallel, the test benches arranged in parallel may be divided into several groups, and a movable cart 7 with a manipulator may be provided for each group.

Further, in the above embodiment, the seal 41 whose diameter is reduced by pressurized air is used as a drop-off prevention means for preventing the tip fitting 17 from accidentally falling off from the state where it is connected to the engine, and also serves as a fluid leakage prevention means.
has been provided, but it goes without saying that the invention is not limited to this. Furthermore, the support means 18 of the tip connector 17 may be one in which pins protruding from the support base 22 are provided to fit into a plurality of positioning holes provided on the lower surface of the tip connector 17, or any other type of support means 18 may be used.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the engine, etc. testing apparatus of the present invention, the connection and disconnection work of various piping and wiring on the test bench side for engines, etc. carried into each test bench can be performed without relying on human labor. Although this can be done mechanically and automatically, this work of attaching and detaching piping and wiring is done by a manipulator installed on a mobile cart that can be attached to any test bench among the test benches installed side by side. Moreover, the end fittings of each piping and wiring are equipped with means to prevent them from falling off, and the piping connected to the engine etc.
Since there is no need to keep the end fittings of the wiring in a connected state using the manipulator, for example, as shown in the example, piping and wiring can be connected and disconnected to engines etc. on all test benches installed in parallel. It is also possible to have only one manipulator perform the work.

Therefore, each test bench should be equipped with support means to support the end fittings of various piping and wiring connected to the imported engine, etc. Compared to the case where a dedicated attachment/detachment drive means must be installed for each type of tip connector, it is possible to achieve significant cost reductions, and it is also possible to downsize the test bench including peripheral equipment. be.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a front view of its main parts, Fig. 3 is a vertical side view of the same, and Fig. 4 shows the state of support of the engine carried on the test bench. 5 is a vertical sectional side view showing the same state (right half) and a state in which piping is connected to the engine (left half), and FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional side view showing the piping tip fitting and its support means. A partially cutaway side view, FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the clamped portion of the connecting tool, and FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional front view showing the relative relationship between the supporting means and the connecting tool. 1a to 1d...Test bench, 2...Conveyor line for engine transfer, 3a to 3d...Carrying in/out means, 4a to 4d...Diverting means, 5...Automatic disconnection means, 6...Guide rail, 7... ...Moving trolley, 8...Manipulator, 16...Piping, 17
... Tip connector, 18 ... Supporting means, 19 ... Clamped part, 20 ... Positioning slit, 21 ...
Positioning guide, 22... Support stand, 24... Holding means that can be opened and closed, 25... Engine, 26...
Piping connection part, 28...Engine mounting pallet.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 In a test device in which a plurality of test benches for engines etc. are arranged in parallel, each test bench has various pipes connected to the engine etc. carried in,
A supporting means is provided to support the end connector of the wiring, and the end connector is provided with a fall prevention means to prevent it from falling off from the connection state to the engine, etc., and is capable of reciprocating in the parallel direction of the test bench. A movable trolley is provided, and a manipulator equipped with a clamping means that can be opened and closed and can grip the tip connector is mounted on the movable trolley, and the manipulator allows the movable trolley to control the supporting means attached to the test bench to which the movable trolley corresponds. A connection operation in which the end connector is grasped and picked up from the test bench and connected to a connection point such as an engine on a test bench, and the end connection tool is grasped and removed from the connection point such as the engine and supported by the support means. A test device for engines, etc. that is configured to perform removal work.