JPH0333459B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Industrial Application Field) The present invention is a method for applying oil to an O-ring in which a cartridge-type oil filter is attached to the end face of an engine placed on an assembly station. This invention relates to an oil filter assembly device that screws together the oil filter.

(Prior art) In the past, an operator manually operated the oil filter.
After applying oil to the ring and visually inspecting the presence or absence of the O-ring, the oil filter is temporarily tightened to the oil filter screwing location of the engine, and then the oil filter is screwed using a tightening tool.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) In the above-mentioned conventional technology, the oil filter is assembled to the engine manually, resulting in poor work efficiency. It is desirable to be able to measure improvements.

By the way, when applying oil to the O-ring of the oil filter, if you place the oil filter in a horizontal position in the oil tank, the oil tank will have a depth that will allow the entire oil filter to be immersed, since the oil application surface of the O-ring will be facing sideways. This is necessary because the oil tank becomes larger, and an oil application nozzle is installed to increase the oil tank size.
Applying oil to the ring would make the device complicated and expensive.

Therefore, the problem is how to apply oil to the O-ring.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an assembly device that solves these problems and satisfies the above needs.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has a cartridge-type oil filter attached to an O-ring which is attached to the end face of the cartridge-type oil filter on the side of the engine fixed on the assembly station. In an assembling device that applies oil and screws, a workpiece conveyor, an oil tank, and an oil tank are arranged on the side of the assembling station in order from the outside in the direction away from the assembling station. At the same time, an oil filter is placed above the lateral side of the assembly station, and an oil filter is taken out from the supply station in a vertical position and placed in the oil layer, and after applying oil to the O-ring, the oil filter is installed. A transfer means for transferring the engine to the conveyor in a horizontal position is provided, and a tightening tool having a socket at the tip for fitting the oil filter is installed at the end of the conveyor at the location where the oil filter of the engine is screwed on the assembly station. The oil filter is provided so as to be movable forward and backward toward the conveyor, and is further provided with an O-ring detection means for inspecting the presence or absence of the O-ring in the oil filter conveyance path from the starting end of the conveyor to the delivery position to the fastener. .

(Operation) First, the oil filter is taken out from the supply station in a vertical position by the transfer means, inserted into the oil tank, and oil is applied to the O-ring.

In this case, since the oil filter is inserted vertically and facing downward, the oil tank may have a relatively shallow depth in which only the oil-coated surface of the O-ring is immersed. Next, the oil filter is placed in a horizontal position on the work conveyor, and the presence or absence of the O-ring is inspected by the O-ring detection means. If the O-ring has not fallen off, the oil filter is removed by a tightening tool placed at the end of the conveyor. is assembled to the oil filter screw attachment point of the engine.

In this case, as mentioned above, the oil filter is taken out in a vertical position and placed in the oil tank to apply oil to the O-ring, so the O-ring may fall off from the oil filter, and an oil filter without an O-ring may be assembled into the engine. However, in the present invention, the O-ring detection means is arranged in the oil filter conveyance path from the starting end of the workpiece conveyor to the delivery position to the tightening tool, so if the O-ring has fallen off, it will be detected. This oil filter is not assembled into the engine, so incorrect installation of the oil filter can be reliably prevented.

(Example) Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, reference numeral 1 indicates an assembly station in the middle of the assembly line. On the other hand, a workpiece conveyor 4, an oil tank 5, and a supply station 2 are arranged in order outward, and an oil filter A is conveyed to the supply station 2 by a conveyor 3 arranged outside. The supply station 2 is moved by the transfer means 6 provided above the lateral side of the assembly station 1.
The oil filter A is taken out in a vertical position and placed in the oil tank 5, and after applying oil to the O-ring B assembled at the end of the oil filter A, the oil filter A is placed in a horizontal position and placed on the work conveyor 4. I decided to transfer it.

A fastener 7 having a socket 7a at the tip into which the oil filter A is inserted is provided at the terminal end of the workpiece conveyor 4, and a fastener 7 is provided at the end of the work conveyor 4, and a fastener 7 is provided from the starting end of the conveyor 4 to the delivery position to the fastener 7. An O-ring detection means 8 is provided on the conveyance path to check the presence or absence of the O-ring B, and the O-ring detection means 8 is installed to check the presence or absence of the O-ring B on the oil filter A.
can be assembled to the oil filter screwing location of the engine C using the fastener 7.

In the drawing, reference numeral 9 denotes an automatic conveyance truck that supplies bucket carts D, in which oil filters A are arranged and stacked, to the conveyor 3 from a predetermined stock position. 3 to the supply station 2, so that the oil filter A can be taken out from the top bucket D by the transfer means 6,
Further, the empty bucket D is transferred to the dispensing conveyor 1 on the side of the conveyor 3 by the dispensing means 10 which is arranged outside the supply station 2 and can freely move forward and backward.
I made it pay out at 1.

The transfer means 6 includes four gripping tools 13 made of suction cups provided at the lower end of a movable frame 12 that can move horizontally and vertically.
The slider 15 is supported by a guide rail 15a installed horizontally in the guide rail 15a, and a screw rod 15c driven in the forward and reverse directions by a motor 15b is screwed into the slider 15 so that the slider 15 is given lateral movement by the operation of the motor 15b. A rod 16 that is moved up and down by the operation of a motor 16a is vertically installed on the rod 15.
The movable rod 12 is attached to the lower end of the movable rod 12 so that lateral movement and vertical movement are applied to it through the slider 15 and the rod 16 by the operation of the motors 15b and 16a.

Further, a bracket 13a having the four gripping tools 13 arranged in a row is pivotally attached to the lower end of the movable rod 12, and a piston rod of a cylinder 13b attached to the movable rod 12 is connected to the bracket 13a. 13a, the oil filter A is held by these gripping tools 13 by the operation of the cylinder 13b.
The robot can be swung between a horizontal position, which is a horizontal position, and a downward position, which is a vertical position.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the workpiece conveyor 4 has a chain 4 stretched between a pair of sprockets 4a, 4a attached to the lateral side of the machine frame 14.
A plurality of blocks 4c are mounted at equal intervals on b, and the oil filter A can be placed in a horizontal position between each block 4c, and the chain 4b is moved in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 3 by the operation of a cylinder 4d. 1 in direction
It is possible to transport the oil filter A by moving it pitch by pitch.

Further, the oil tank 5 is provided with four sponges 5a inserted so as to be immersed in oil, and when the oil filter A is inserted into the oil tank 5, the O-ring of each oil filter A is attached to each sponge 5a. B
were in close contact with each other, and oil was applied to this through the sponge 5a.

As clearly shown in FIG. 4, the fastener 7 is attached to a slider 17 supported by a rail 17a fixed to the machine frame 14 so as to face the screwed part of the oil filter of the engine C on the assembly station 1. A piston rod of a cylinder 17a fixed to the machine frame 14 is connected to the slider 17, and the clamping tool 7 is fixedly installed.
The slider 17 is moved by the operation of the cylinder 17a.
A forward and backward motion toward the screwing point is applied through the screw.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, the O-ring detection means 8 detects oil fitted into the socket 7a of the fastener 7 on a lifting platform 18 provided at the end of the work conveyor 4. A contact plate 8a that contacts the O-ring B of the filter A is provided so as to be movable forward and backward toward the oil filter A by an air cylinder or other driving source 8b. An air cylinder 18a is installed upright on the bracket 14a, and the lifting platform 18
A pair of guide rods 18b, 18b hanging from
is inserted into a guide hole formed in the bracket 14a, and the piston rod of the air cylinder 18a is connected to the lifting platform 18 so that it can be moved up and down by the operation of the cylinder 18a. An air outlet 8c is provided at the front, and air is forced into the oil filter A from the outlet 8c, so that the presence or absence of the O-ring B can be detected by leakage of the air.

In the illustrated example, as shown in FIG. 6, an O-ring guide 8e having a tapered guide surface 8d is provided on the front surface of the contact plate 8a and is biased forward by a spring 8f. As the contact plate 8a moves forward, the O-ring guide 8e is inserted into the inside of the O-ring B, and the O-ring of the oil filter A is moved by the guide surface 8d.
The misalignment of ring B can be corrected.

Further, at the terminal end of the work conveyor 4, a gripping tool 19 for removably gripping the oil filter A on the conveyor 4 is provided, which can be moved up and down. This can be received and supplied to the fastener 7.

To explain this in more detail, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the gripping tool 19 is a lower gripping piece 19a fixed to the front side of the abutment plate 8a of the lifting platform 18.
and an upper gripping piece 19c attached to the piston rod of the air cylinder 19b installed upright on the bracket 14a. , 19c grips the oil filter A on the work conveyor 4, and the oil filter A is gripped by the gripping tool 19 by the subsequent lifting of the lifting table 18 against the pressure caused by air entrapment in the cylinder 19b. The fastener 7 can be raised to a predetermined delivery position facing the movement trajectory of the socket 7a of the fastener 7 while being gripped.

Next, to explain the operation of the embodiment, first, the oil filters A of the bucket D on the supply station 2 are gripped by the gripping tools 13 of the transfer means 6, and these oil filters A are taken out from the bucket D in a vertical position. Next, the oil filters A are put into the oil tank 5 by the movement of the movable lever 12 and the rod 13 of the means 6, whereby the O-ring B of each oil filter A is coated with oil.

Next, the oil filter A is pulled up from the oil tank 5 by the movement of the rod 13, and the cylinder 13
b is actuated to the contraction side to place the oil filters A in a horizontal position, and these oil filters A are transferred to the work conveyor 4 by the movement of the movable rod 12 and the rod 13.

Next, the oil filter A is conveyed to the end of the conveyor 4 by the movement of the workpiece conveyor 4, and then the gripper 19 at the end of the conveyor 4 grips the oil filter A on the conveyor 4 and lifts it onto the lifting platform 18. Then, the tightening tool 7 is moved forward to fit the oil filter A held by the gripping tool 19 into the socket 7a, and then the contact plate 8 is
A is advanced to bring it into contact with the O-ring B of the oil filter A, and then air is forced into the filter A from the air outlet 8c. According to this, the leakage of the air causes the O-ring B to The presence or absence of is detected.

Next, the contact plate 8a is moved back and the cylinder 19
b to the extension side to move the upper gripping piece 19c upward and lowering the lifting platform 18 to move the lower gripping piece 19a and the O-ring detection means 8 downward, and then rotate the socket 7a. According to this, the oil filter A is screwed onto the engine C fixed on the assembly station 1.

Thereafter, the fastener 7 is retracted, the engine C is taken out, and the assembly work is completed.

Incidentally, if the O-ring detection means 8 is disposed at the end of the workpiece conveyor 4 as in the above embodiment so that the presence or absence of the O-ring B can be inspected immediately before the oil filter A is screwed on, the workpiece conveyor 4 Even if the O-ring falls off during transport of the oil filter A, this can be detected by the detection means 8, which is advantageous in that erroneous assembly of the oil filter A can be more effectively prevented.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the present invention, the oil filter can be automatically assembled to the side of the engine with oil applied to the O-ring thereof, and work efficiency can be improved. Also, since the oil filter is inserted into the oil tank in a vertical position, the oil filter can be prevented from being erroneously assembled into the engine, so the oil tank can be made smaller and the oil tank can be made smaller.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of an example of the device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a view taken along the - line in FIG.
4 and 5 are enlarged views along the - line and - line in FIG. 2, respectively, and FIG. 6 is a cutaway front view of the O-ring detection means. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Assembly station, 2... Supply station, 4... Work conveyor, 5... Oil tank, 6... Transfer means, 7... Tightening tool, 7a... Socket, 8... O-ring Detection means, A...oil filter, B...O ring, C...engine.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In an assembly device in which a cartridge-type oil filter is attached to the end face of an engine placed on the side of an engine, oil is applied in advance to the O-ring, and the O-ring is screwed onto the side of the engine. A workpiece conveyor, an oil tank, and an oil filter supply station are arranged in this order in the outward direction, with the direction away from the assembly station facing outward, and above the lateral side of the assembly station. , taking out an oil filter from the supply station in a vertical position and placing it in the oil layer;
After applying oil to the O-ring, a transfer means is provided to place the oil filter in a horizontal position and transfer it to the conveyor, and a tightening tool having a socket for fitting the oil filter at the end of the conveyor is installed at the end of the conveyor. An O-ring is installed to move forward and backward toward the oil filter screwing location of the engine on the attached station, and further inspects the presence or absence of the O-ring in the oil filter conveyance path from the start end of the conveyor to the delivery position to the fastener.
An oil filter assembly device for an engine, characterized in that a ring detection means is provided.