JPH0716731B2 - Clamping device for hemming material - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a clamp device attached to a lower die for placing and fixing a hemmed material on the lower die when hemming is performed using a roller type hemming device. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The applicant of the present invention previously filed Japanese Patent Application No. 3-8149.
No. 0 or Japanese Patent Application No. 60-103059 discloses "roller type hemming device".

In this roller type hemming device (hereinafter, simply referred to as "hemming device"), a hem roller is attached to a robot hand in which a predetermined movement locus is stored in advance, and the hem roller is mounted along the peripheral edge of the material to be hemmed. It is configured to perform hemming processing by rolling by applying pressure, and according to this device, the hem roller can accurately follow the peripheral edge of the material to be hemmed and perform rolling, thereby achieving continuous smooth hemming processing. It was something that could be done.

A lower die for mounting a hemmed material is also used in the hemming device, and a clamp device for fixing the hemmed material is attached to the lower die. For example, there is a device configured as shown in FIG. 6 or 7.

The clamp device 40 shown in FIG.
Are provided at appropriate positions along the circumference of the push bolt 40a, push arm 40b, link mechanism 40c, handle 4
0d, the clamp column 40e, etc., and the operator manually positions the hemmed material W by manually operating the handle 40d and pressing the push bolt 40a against the hemmed material W.

The clamp device 50 shown in FIG. 7 has a clamp arm 53 capable of pressing the peripheral edge of the hemmed material W.
Is rotatably supported in the vertical direction using, for example, an air cylinder 52, and the air cylinder 52 is configured to be centrally controlled by a control device of a robot hand.
The clamp and unclamp operations can be remotely controlled.

Clamping device 40 or 50 as described above
As a result, the material W to be hemmed was firmly fixed on the lower mold 41 or 51, whereby the function of the hemming device could be sufficiently exerted.

[0008]

However, the above-mentioned conventional clamp device has the following problems. That is, in the illustrated both clamp devices 40 or 50, since the pushing arm 40b or the clamp arm 53 is positioned so as to straddle the peripheral portion of the hemmed material W, the hem roller moves when the hem roller moves.
It is necessary to take measures so as not to interfere with 0 or 50. For that reason, conventionally, the movement trajectory of the robot hand has been corrected to avoid the clamp device 40 or 50. For this reason, there has been a problem that a program input to the robot hand or teaching work becomes complicated and complicated.

If hemming is performed while avoiding the clamp device 40 or 50, the portion to be clamped remains without being hemmed. Therefore, this portion is removed again from the lower mold 41 or 51 and is re-remembered. Need to be processed. For this reason, it is difficult to perform continuous smooth hemming and an extra step is required, which results in impairing the function of the roller hemming device.

The present invention has been made to solve the problems associated with these conventional clamping devices. The hem roller is continuously rolled along the periphery of the material to be hemmed without avoiding the conventional clamping device. An object of the present invention is to provide a clamp device for a hemmed material that can be used.

[0011]

In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the present invention provides a clamp device main body having a clamp arm for pressing the peripheral edge of a hemmed material to the lower mold, and the clamp device main body. A roller position detecting means for detecting the approach and passage of the hem roller with respect to, and the clamp arm to the unclamp position by detecting the approach of the hem roller via the roller position detecting means,
The hemming material clamping device is provided with a control means for operating the clamping device body so as to detect the passage of the hem roller and return the clamping arm to the clamping position.

[0012]

According to the above construction, when the hem roller approaches the main body of the clamp device, the roller position detecting means detects the approach of the hem roller and the detection signal is transmitted to the control means. Upon receipt of this signal, the control means actuates the clamp device body, and the clamp arm moves to the unclamp position. As a result, the clamp arm retracts from above the bent portion of the material to be hemmed, so that the hem roller can move while rolling the bent portion as it is and pass through the clamp portion.

Further, at the time when the clamp portion has completely passed, the position of the hem roller is again detected by the roller position detecting means, and this detection signal is transmitted to the control means. As a result, the clamp device body operates, the clamp arm moves to the clamp position again, and the hemmed material is pressed and fixed.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In the roller-type hemming device, the hem roller r that is rolled along the peripheral edge of the hemmed material W is attached to the robot hand R in which a predetermined movement trajectory is stored in advance via the centralized control device Rc as in the conventional case. It is mounted and configured without any particular change.

The material to be hemmed W is, for example, a vehicle door panel consisting of an outer panel W _O and an inner panel W _I, and the peripheral edge of the outer panel W _O is bent at a substantially right angle in advance, and the bent portion W is formed. It is a state in which the peripheral edge of the inner panel W _I is overlapped along the inner side of _E , and the bent portion W _E is folded back to the inner panel W _I side by the hemming process to make an inner panel W _I.
The outer panel W _O and the inner panel W _I are integrally joined by sandwiching the peripheral edge of the.

Such a material W to be hemmed is placed on the lower mold 5 in advance prior to the hemming process, and is fixed by the clamp device bodies 1 to 1 described below attached to the lower mold 5. Each of the clamp device bodies 1 to 1 has the same configuration and is installed along the periphery of the lower mold 5 at appropriate intervals.

The clamp device of this embodiment has a clamp device body 1 having a clamp arm 2 for pressing the peripheral edge of the material to be hemmed W against the lower die 5, and the hem roller r for the clamp device body 1. Roller position detecting means 10 for detecting the approach and passage of the hem roller r and the approach of the hem roller r through the roller position detecting means 10 to move the clamp arm 2 to the unclamp position.
And a control means 20 for operating the clamp device body 1 so as to detect the passage of the hem roller r and return the clamp arm 2 to the clamp position.

Each structure will be described below.
First, as shown in FIG. 1, the clamp device body 1 includes a lower die 5
A bracket 3 attached to the side of the air cylinder, a double-acting air cylinder 4 rotatably supported by the bracket 3 in the vertical direction, and a rotatably attached end of a rod 4a of the air cylinder 4. The clamp arm 2 is provided with a link member 6 which is hung between a substantially central portion of the clamp arm 2 and the bracket 3 and whose both ends are rotatably supported. A rod link of the air cylinder 4.
By reciprocating a, the clamp arm 2 can be moved between the clamp position and the unclamp position.

Reference numeral 7 in the drawing denotes a tension coil spring mounted between the rear end of the clamp arm 2 and the lower end of the link member 6, and the coil spring 7 allows the clamp arm 2 to move.
Is always urged in a direction to rotate upward, and the tip end portion is bent at the bent portion of the material W to be hemmed by always preceding the upward rotation operation when moving to the clamp position or the unclamp position. It does not interfere with W _E.

As shown in FIG. 4, the clamp position of the clamp arm 2 straddles the bent portion W _E of the material to be hemmed W, and its tip portion is the outer panel W _O and the inner panel W.
It is the position where the overlapping part with _I is pressed,
The unclamping position is a position where the clamp arm 2 retreats from above the bent portion W _E of the hemmed material W as shown in FIG. 3 and does not interfere with the robot hand R and the hem roller r.

A sensor (hereinafter referred to as "reed switch") 4 which is integrally attached to the air cylinder 4 is provided.
b and 4c are attached. This reed switch 4b,
As shown in FIG. 5, 4c is relay-connected between the centralized control device Rc of the robot hand R described above and a control means 20 described later. The reed switches 4b and 4c
The action of will be described later.

Next, the roller position detecting means 10 will be described. The roller position detecting means 10 is provided to detect the approach and passage of the hem roller r with respect to the clamp device body 1, and as shown in FIG. 2, the moving direction of the hem roller r (that is, the robot hand R). On the other hand, limit switches 12 and 13 are arranged before and after the clamp device body 1. The limit switches 12 and 13 are attached at predetermined intervals to both ends of a sensor bracket 11 which is provided so as to project in the left-right direction in the drawing with respect to the clamp device body 1 described above.
Further, both limit switches 12 and 13 are attached such that the actuators 12a and 13a thereof project above the upper surface of the lower die 5 (the surface on which the hemmed material W is placed), and the movement of the hem roller r ( (Move from the right side to the left side in the figure)
At this time, the tip of the robot hand R pushes the actuator 12a or 13a in the traveling direction to detect the position of the hem roller r.

Here, in the approach detection limit switch 12 on the right side of the drawing, the clamp arm 2 moves from the clamp position to the unclamp position with respect to the moving speed of the hem roller r and interferes with the hem roller r or the robot hand R. It is installed at a position separated from the clamp device main body 1 by a distance that can secure the time required to avoid. Also,
The passage detection limit switch 13 on the left side of the drawing is clamped by the hem roller r so as to avoid interference with the robot hand R or the hem roller r when the clamp arm 2 returns from the unclamp position to the clamp position. It is attached at a position that has passed a sufficient distance from the apparatus main body 1. As a result, when the hem roller r moves, the clamp arm 2 retreats to the unclamp position, so that the hem roller r or the robot hand R
Can move along the bent portion W _E (not shown) of the hemmed material W without interfering with the clamp device body 1.

Next, the control means 20 of the clamp device body 1 will be described. This control means 20 controls the input signals of the pneumatic circuit 21 for controlling the operation of the clamp device body 1, the roller position detection means 10 and the reed switches 4b and 4c of the air cylinder 4 as shown in FIG. The electric circuit 22 of FIG.

That is, the air hoses 4d and 4e connected to the air cylinder 4 are connected to the electromagnetic valve 23, which is connected to the air source 24, while the limit switches 12 and 13 and the reed switches 4b and 4c are connected.
Is connected to a ratchet relay 25, which is connected to the solenoids 23a, 23a of the solenoid valve 23.
connected to b.

The ratchet relay 25 is constructed so that the contact is switched every time a signal is input and a voltage is alternately applied to the solenoid 23a or 23b. is there.

The reed switches 4b and 4c are relay-connected between the centralized control device Rc of the robot hand R and the control means 20, specifically, the ratchet relay 25, and are connected via the ratchet relay 25. Centralized control device R
It is also attached from c so that all the clamp device bodies 1 to 1 can be operated collectively.

By the way, the ratchet relay 25 is a relay having the property of switching the contacts regardless of the kind of the input signal as described above, and therefore, the reed switch which is turned on when the clamp arm 2 is in the clamp position. 4b is connected to an unclamping operation switch (not shown) of the centralized control device Rc, while the reed switch 4c that is turned on when the clamp arm 2 is in the unclamping position is a clamping operation switch (not shown) of the centralized control device Rc. Connected).

As a result, only the operation switch for unclamping becomes effective at the time of clamping, and only the operation switch for clamping becomes effective at the time of unclamping, and the operation switch for clamping is turned on at the time of clamping, or for unclamping at the time of unclamping. The ratchet relay 25 does not switch even if the operation switch is operated.

This example is constructed as described above,
According to this configuration, the following operational effects are achieved. According to the roller type hemming device, the hemmed material W
Hemming is performed by rolling the hem roller r along the bent portion W _E of the hem, and at this time, the hemmed material W is placed on the lower die 5 as shown in FIG. The outer panel W _O and the inner panel W _I are positioned and fixed by the (clamp arm 2) so as not to shift their positions.

In this clamped state, the clamp arm 2 presses the tip of the clamp arm 2 against the overlapping portion of the panels W _O and W _I so as to straddle the bent portion W _E of the material to be hemmed W, and the hem roller. The transfer route of r is blocked. In the above state, the operation of the clamp device will be described below step by step.

In FIG. 2, the hem roller r moves from the right side to the left side and is pressed along the bent portion W _E of the hemmed material W. When the hem roller r is at a position sufficiently separated from the clamp device body 1, the limit switches 12 and 13 are in the off state, and the contact of the ratchet relay 25 at this time turns on the solenoid 23b on the clamp side of the electromagnetic valve 23. It has been switched to the side to. When the solenoid 23b is turned on, the rod 4a of the air cylinder 4 projects upward, whereby the clamp arm 2 is pressed by the hemmed material W and is in a clamped state.

From this state, when the hem roller r approaches the clamp device body 1 and the tip of the robot hand R pushes the actuator 12a of the approach detection limit switch 12 on the right side of the drawing, the limit switch 12 is turned on, The contacts of the ratchet relay 25 are switched, the solenoid 23b is turned off, the solenoid 23a is turned on,
The electromagnetic valve 23 is switched. As a result, the rod 4a of the air cylinder 4 descends, and the clamp arm 2 moves to the unclamp position (state shown in FIG. 3). By moving the clamp arm 2 to the unclamp position in this way,
The interference between the clamp arm 2 and the hem roller r is avoided, and the hem roller r is directly rolled along the bent portion W _E.

The unclamped state is maintained until the hem roller r completely passes through the clamp device body 1 and reaches a position sufficiently separated, that is, until the limit switch 13 is turned on, as described below. .

In this way, when the hem roller r is rolled and passes through the clamp device main body 1 to reach a sufficiently distant position,
Next, the tip of the robot hand R pushes the actuator 13a of the limit switch 13. As a result, the limit switch 13 is turned on, the ratchet relay 25 is switched, the solenoid 23b is turned on again, the solenoid 23a is turned off, and the electromagnetic valve 23 is switched. As a result, the rod 4a of the air cylinder 4 projects upward, the clamp arm 2 moves to the clamp position again, and the hemmed material W is pressed and fixed.

As described above, the clamp arm 2 that clamps the material to be hemmed W interrupts the moving path of the hem roller r, but when the hem roller r approaches, the material to be hemmed W is removed. It is withdrawn from above the bent portion W _E , moves to the unclamp position, and this state is maintained.
Then, when the hem roller r rolls over the bent portion W _E and passes through the clamp device body 1 and reaches a position sufficiently separated, the clamp arm 2 moves to the clamp position again to clamp the hemmed material W. To do. That is, the clamp arm 2 of the present example detects the position of the hem roller r and automatically moves to the clamp position or the unclamp position in order to avoid interference with the hem roller r and the robot hand R.

Therefore, regarding the movement of the hem roller r, it is not necessary to consider the existence of the clamp device body 1, that is, the clamp arm 2, and therefore, the hem roller r should be rolled along the bent portion W _E without interruption. The continuous hemming process can be performed.

Although the limit switch 13 detects the passage of the hem roller r in this example, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a timer is set in the electric circuit 22 so that the proximity detection sensor 12 is turned on. After that, the ratchet relay 25 may be switched after a predetermined time has elapsed.

Further, the air cylinder may be replaced by, for example, a hydraulic cylinder, and various embodiments can be implemented without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0040]

According to the present invention having the above-mentioned structure, the hem roller can be moved without considering the existence of the clamp device, and therefore continuous hemming can be performed without interruption.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a clamp device body according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a clamp device body and roller position detection means.

FIG. 3 is an overall side view of a clamp device body in an unclamped state.

FIG. 4 is an overall side view of a clamp device body in a clamped state.

FIG. 5 is an electric system diagram showing a control means and including an air circuit diagram.

FIG. 6 is an overall perspective view of a lower mold provided with a conventional clamp device.

FIG. 7 is a side view of another example of the conventional clamp device, which is the same.

[Explanation of symbols]

R ... robot hand, Rc ... central controller, r ... hem roller W ... the hemming material, W _O ... outer panel, W _I ... inner panel W _E ... bent portion 1 ... clamping device main body, 2 ... clamp arm, 3 ... Bracket 4 ... Air cylinder, 4a ... Rod, 4b, 4c ... Reed switch 5 ... Lower mold 10 ... Roller position detection means 12 ... Limit switch (for approach detection) 13 ... Limit switch (for passage detection) 20 ... Control means, 21 ... Air circuit, 22 ... Electric circuit 23 ... Electromagnetic valve, 23a, 23b ... Solenoid 24 ... Air source 25 ... Ratchet relay

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. When performing a hemming process using a roller-type hemming device in which a robot hand in which a predetermined movement trajectory is stored in advance is equipped with a hem roller that is rolled along the peripheral edge of a material to be hemmed. A clamp device for a hemmed material, which is attached to the lower die to mount and fix the hemmed material on a lower die, the clamp being for pressing a peripheral edge of the hemmed material to the lower die. A clamp device main body provided with an arm, a roller position detecting means for detecting the approach and passage of the hem roller with respect to the clamp device main body, and an approach of the hem roller for detecting the approach of the hem roller via the roller position detecting means. The clamp device main body so that the clamp arm is returned to the unclamp position and the passage of the hem roller is detected to return the clamp arm to the clamp position. Clamping device of the hemming member and control means for operating.