JPH1133842A - O-ring installing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device capable of effectively, certainly and safely setting an O-ring in a ring-shaped groove formed inside the circumferential surface of an O-ring fitting hole. SOLUTION: A retaining member 1 retaining an O-ring R coaxially in an O-ring fitting hole 5 is inserted to and drawn out of the hole 5 by an air cylinder 2. At this time, an O-ring deforming means 4 shrinks the O-ring R held by the member 1 into a diameter smaller than the inside diameter of the hole 5 during the inserting motion, and releases the deformation of the O-ring R in the insertion ending position in which the O-ring R confronts a ring-shaped groove 19 to elastically return to the initial diameter, and thus setting of the O-ring R is completed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for mounting an O-ring in an annular groove formed on an inner peripheral surface of an O-ring mounting hole.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an O-ring is generally assembled manually by hand, and an O-ring inserted into an O-ring mounting hole is gradually moved by a fingertip into an annular groove at an O-ring mounting position. I was trying to fit it.

[0003]

There are the following problems in the O-ring assembly performed manually as described above.

It takes time and effort to fit the O-ring into the annular groove little by little with a fingertip, resulting in poor workability.

If burrs during processing remain around the O-ring mounting hole, the fingertip may be damaged.

When the annular groove for mounting the O-ring is deep inside the hole, a special tool is inserted into the mounting of the O-ring and the fitting operation is performed while looking into the hole because the finger cannot reach. Must be done, which is more troublesome.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of such a situation.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an O-ring assembling device that can be securely and safely performed.

[0008]

According to the first aspect of the present invention,
The ring assembling apparatus is an apparatus for assembling an O-ring in an annular groove formed on an inner peripheral surface of an O-ring mounting hole, and includes a holding unit that holds the O-ring, and an O-ring that holds the holding unit.
Moving means for inserting and removing the ring with respect to the O-ring mounting hole in a state where the ring is coaxially arranged with respect to the O-ring mounting hole, and the O-ring mounting hole while inserting and moving the O-ring held by the holding member; O-ring deforming means for reducing the diameter of the O-ring at the insertion end position where the O-ring faces the annular groove and for restoring the O-ring elastically to its original diameter while reducing the diameter to a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the O-ring. .

(Operation) According to the above configuration, the O-ring is held in a state where the O-ring is reduced in diameter outside the O-ring mounting hole, and the holding member is inserted into the O-ring mounting hole.

After inserting the holding member to a position where the O-ring held by the holding member faces the annular groove of the O-ring mounting hole, the deformation by the O-ring deforming means is released, and the O-ring is elastically restored to the original diameter. By doing so, the O-ring can be fitted and mounted in the annular groove.

Thereafter, the O-ring is completed by pulling out the holding member from the O-ring mounting hole.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the O-ring assembling apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein an O-ring mounting groove is formed along the circumferential direction on an outer peripheral surface of the holding member. The O-ring deforming means locks a part of the O-ring fitted and held in the O-ring mounting groove with a locking member, so that the O-ring deforms locally along the outer peripheral surface of the holding member or inside the holding member. It is characterized in that it bends and deforms.

(Operation) According to the above configuration, in the O-ring mounting step on the holding member, first, the O-ring is opposed to the O-ring mounting groove mounted on the holding member, and then the locking member is operated. A part of the O-ring is locked to bend locally along the outer peripheral surface of the holding member or inward of the holding member. Thereby, the portion of the O-ring facing the O-ring mounting groove is drawn into the O-ring mounting groove, and the diameter of the O-ring as a whole is reduced to a value close to the outer diameter of the holding member or smaller than that. Become. That is, O
The ring is reduced in diameter to a diameter that can be inserted into the O-ring mounting hole and held by the holding member.

After the O-ring held by the holding member is inserted to the position where the O-ring is opposed to the annular groove of the O-ring mounting hole, when the deformation by the O-ring deforming means is released, the O-ring is elastically restored to its original diameter. Then, the O-ring mounting is completed by pulling out the holding member from the O-ring mounting hole.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the O-ring assembling apparatus according to the first or second aspect, wherein the holding member is rotated about an axis along the insertion direction in the O-ring mounting hole. Characterized in that it is provided with means for causing it to do so.

(Operation) According to the above configuration, after the deformation by the O-ring deforming means is released, the O-ring is elastically restored to the original diameter and fitted into the annular groove, and then the holding member is pulled out from the O-ring mounting hole. By rotating the holding member in the O-ring mounting hole before, even if there is a portion that is not sufficiently fitted into the annular groove at the time of elastic restoration, this rotation causes the O-ring to rotate.
The ring will be securely inserted into the annular groove over its entire circumference.

[0017]

FIG. 1 shows an example of an embodiment of an O-ring assembling apparatus according to the present invention. The O-ring assembling device basically includes a holding member 1 for holding an O-ring R, and an air cylinder 2 for moving the O-ring R up and down.
A rotary actuator 3 for rotating the holding member 1 about the vertical axis P, and an O-ring deforming means 4 for reducing the diameter of the O-ring R externally fitted to the holding member 1,
Hereinafter, the configuration and function of each unit will be described in detail.

The holding member 1 is formed in a columnar shape having a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the O-ring mounting hole 5 of the work W to be assembled with the O-ring, and has a lower outer periphery along the circumferential direction.
A ring mounting groove 6 is formed. A support shaft 1a is provided upright at the center of the upper surface of the holding member 1, and is concentrically connected to an output shaft 3a of the rotary actuator 3 via a coupling 7. The rotation of the output shaft 3a causes the holding member 1 to rotate. It is designed to be driven to rotate around the center P.

The rotary actuator 3 is mounted on an upper surface of a movable frame 10 which is supported by a support frame 8 via a guide rail 9 so as to be vertically movable, and the movable frame 10 is vertically driven by the air cylinder 2. By doing so, the holding member 1 is configured to move up and down in the vertical direction.

The O-ring deforming means 4 is configured to vertically move the locking member 11 at a plurality of locations (two locations in the figure) on the outer peripheral surface of the holding member 1. The locking member 11 is attached to a support plate 12 which is externally fitted to be vertically movable along the shaft 1a, and the support plate 12 is vertically driven by an air cylinder 14 attached to a support base 13 fixed to the support shaft 1a. It is configured to be.

The locking member 11 is, as shown in FIG.
The holding member 1 is vertically slidably fitted along a guide groove 15 formed on the outer peripheral surface. The outer peripheral surface of the locking member 11 is substantially flush with the outer peripheral surface of the holding member 1. Also,
A locking projection 11a having a curved upper end and an inverted U-shaped concave portion 11b surrounding the locking projection 11a are formed on the lower outer peripheral surface of the locking member 11, and the locking member 11 is lowered. In the state at the end, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 4A, the top of the locking projection 11 a is located below the O-ring mounting groove 6 of the holding member 1, and The lower portion is configured to be located at the same level as the O-ring mounting groove 6 of the holding member 1. Note that the support frame 8 is configured to be movable between an O-ring receiving and mounting portion and an assembly portion to the work W.

In the present embodiment, the holding means is constituted by the holding member 1, the moving means is constituted by the air cylinder 2, and the rotating means is constituted by the rotary actuator 3.

The procedure for mounting the O-ring on the holding member 1 in the O-ring receiving and mounting section and the procedure for mounting the O-ring on the workpiece W will be described below.
The procedure for assembling the ring will be described.

(1) As shown in FIG. 5A, an O-ring R taken out of a magazine (not shown) is placed and set on a support base 16 in a ring receiving / mounting section. At this time, the holding member 1 is inserted into the center hole 1 of the support base 16.
7 and wait for positioning. Further, the locking member 1
1 is positioned at the lower end.

(2) As shown in FIG. 5 (b), when the O-ring R is set on the support, the air cylinder 2 is shortened and driven to hold the holding member 1 in the O-ring mounting groove. Lower until it is at a height opposite to 6.

(3) Next, as shown in FIG. 5 (c), the pushers 18 provided on the support table are moved forward by opposing the lower portions of the locking members 11 so as to move toward the pushers 18 side. A part of the facing O-ring R is pushed into the O-ring mounting groove 6 and the concave portion 11 b of the locking member 11.

(4) As shown in FIG. 5D, in this state, the air cylinder 14 is shortened to drive each of the locking members 11.
Is increased by the set amount. Then, the locking protrusion 11a of each locking member 11 is engaged with a part r of the O-ring R, and the part r of the O-ring R is pulled upward along the outer peripheral surface of the holding member 1; A part r of the O-ring R is locally bent and deformed into a mountain shape. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 3B and 4B, the entire O-ring R is drawn toward the locked and bent side and fitted into the O-ring mounting groove 6. That is, the O-ring R is externally fitted and held on the holding member 1 in a state where the O-ring R is deformed to a diameter close to the outer diameter of the holding member 1.

(5) As shown in FIG. 5 (e), when the O-ring R is reduced in diameter and is held by the holding member 1, the pusher 18 moves backward, whereby the O-ring R is moved to the holding member 1. Ring installation is completed.

(6) The holding member 1 with the O-ring R mounted thereon is raised by the extension driving of the air cylinder 2 and then moved to just above the workpiece W, and then the air cylinder 2 is shortened and held. The member 1 is lowered and inserted into the O-ring mounting hole 5 of the work W. At this time, the holding member 1 is inserted until the annular groove 19 formed at a predetermined depth position in the O-ring mounting hole 5 and the peripheral surface of the O-ring R face each other.

(7) Next, as shown in FIG. 2, the air cylinder 14 is extended and driven to lower the locking member 11 to the original lower end. Then, the O-ring R is released from the bending deformation and elastically restored to its original diameter, detaches from the O-ring mounting groove 6 of the holding member 1 and fits into the annular groove 19 of the O-ring mounting hole 5.

(8) Next, the rotary actuator 3
To rotate the holding member 1 about its axis P, whereby the O-ring portion that is not correctly fitted in the annular groove 19 is also guided to the annular groove 19 without fail.

(9) Finally, the air cylinder 2 is extended and driven to raise the holding member 1 and remove it from the O-ring mounting hole 5, whereby one O-ring assembly is completed.
Hereinafter, by repeating the above procedure, automatic assembly by an unattended person is sequentially performed.

The present invention can be implemented by being modified into the following forms.

By lowering the locking member 11, O
The O-ring deforming means 4 is configured so that a part of the ring R is locally pushed down and bent to reduce the diameter.

The O-ring deforming means 4 is configured so that the locking member 11 is moved inward of the holding member 1 so that a part of the O-ring R is locally bent and deformed inward to reduce the diameter. .

It is also possible to hold a part of the O-ring R by vacuum suction and bend it upward, downward, or inward.

[0037]

As is apparent from the above description, the following effects can be expected according to the present invention.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the mechanization of assembling the O-ring becomes possible, and the working time can be greatly reduced as compared with the manual work performed by inserting a finger into the O-ring mounting hole. The O-ring can be easily assembled in the annular groove provided deep inside the O-ring mounting hole, and the O-ring can be safely and efficiently assembled without risk of injury to the fingertip. Is now available.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the step of reducing the diameter of the O-ring and holding the O-ring on the holding member is performed mechanically,
It is easy to automate everything from the attachment of the O-ring to the holding member to the attachment to the O-ring attachment hole.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the O-ring restored to the original diameter in the O-ring mounting hole can be fitted over the entire circumference of the annular groove, and a reliable and good assembly without assembling errors. Can be realized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway side view of an O-ring assembling apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway side view in a state where an O-ring is attached to an O-ring mounting hole.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a main part of a holding member.

FIG. 4 is a detailed view showing a main part of a holding member holding an O-ring in a reduced diameter.

FIG. 5 is a process explanatory view showing a procedure for holding an O-ring on a holding member.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Holding member 4 O-ring deformation means 5 O-ring mounting hole 6 O-ring mounting groove 11 Locking member 19 Annular groove RO ring

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Tomita Senda 4-133, Atobe-Honcho, Yao-shi, Osaka Sharp Manufacturing System Co., Ltd.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An apparatus for assembling an O-ring into an annular groove formed in an inner peripheral surface of an O-ring mounting hole, comprising: holding means for holding the O-ring; Moving means for inserting and removing the O-ring in the O-ring mounting hole while being coaxially arranged in the O-ring mounting hole; and moving the O-ring held by the holding member from the inner diameter of the O-ring mounting hole during the insertion movement. While reducing the diameter to a small diameter,
An O-ring assembling device comprising: O-ring assembling means for canceling deformation of the O-ring at an insertion end position where the O-ring faces the annular groove and elastically restoring the O-ring to its original diameter. 2. The O-ring assembling device according to claim 1, wherein the holding member has an O-ring mounting groove formed on an outer peripheral surface thereof along a circumferential direction, A part of the O-ring fitted and held in the O-ring mounting groove is locked by a locking member, and is locally bent and deformed along the outer peripheral surface of the holding member or inward of the holding member. An O-ring assembling device, comprising: 3. The O-ring assembling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a rotating unit configured to rotate the holding member about an axis along an insertion direction in the O-ring mounting hole. O-ring assembling device.