JPS5834710B2 - How to fix boots - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for fixing a rubber boot used for waterproofing or dustproofing a single component.

The boot is generally fixed by fitting its cylindrical end onto the outer circular surface of the boot fixing portion of the covering member, and wrapping and tightening a steel belt around the cylindrical end.

Conventionally, a one-touch joining belt has been used as the above-mentioned steel belt, and the belt is made into an annular shape by binding both ends of the belt so that the diameter is slightly larger than the diameter of the cylindrical end. The lever attached to the belt reduces the diameter of the belt and tightens the cylindrical end.

Therefore, in a drive wheel front axle of an automobile in which constant velocity joints are arranged at both ends of the intermediate shaft part, the parts of the constant velocity joints are covered with boots, and the small diameter cylinder of the boot is fitted onto the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate shaft part. When the joint belt is fixed with the above-mentioned connecting belt, if the connecting belt breaks and is replaced with a new one, the intermediate shaft section must be removed from one of the constant velocity joints. Even though it cannot be attached to the cylindrical end, it is a simple belt replacement task.
However, the problem is that the work is complicated and takes a lot of time.

In view of the above points, the present invention has been developed by winding a steel belt around the cylindrical end of the boot, pressing it from the outside, cutting the belt into a predetermined length, and welding the overlapping parts of both ends of the belt with a laser beam. By doing so, the boots can be fixed and the belt replaced quickly, and a protective measure is provided between the lower surface of the polymer and the outer surface of the cylindrical end to prevent burnout due to the heat of the cylindrical end during welding. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for fixing boots that can prevent the above problems.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a drive wheel front axle used in a front wheel drive vehicle, and an intermediate shaft portion 2 and constant velocity joints 3 are provided at both ends thereof.
Each constant velocity joint 3 is covered with a boot 4.

The small-diameter cylindrical end 5 of the boot 4 is rotated around the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate shaft portion 2 as a member for fixing it, and the large-diameter cylindrical end 6 is connected to a constant velocity joint as a member for fixing it. It is fitted onto the outer circumferential surface of the outer enlarged diameter portion 7 of No. 3.

A steel belt 8 is wound around the external surface of each of the ends 5, 6, and the steel belt 8 allows each of the cylindrical ends 5,
6 is fixed to the intermediate shaft portion 2 and the outer enlarged diameter portion 7 of the constant velocity joint 3.

Since both end portions 5 and 6 of the boot 4 are fixed by the same method, the fixing of the boot 4 to the intermediate shaft portion 2 will be explained in the order of steps below.

In the first step, as shown in FIG. 2, the cylindrical end 5 of the boot 4 is
It fits into the boot fixing part 9 of.

Next, the vertically movable pressing jig 10 is moved downward, and the pressing piece 11 protruding laterally from the lower end is attached to a part of the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical end 5 along the extrinsic surface generatrix direction. Press and immerse.

As shown in FIG. 3, a ramp jig 12 is disposed around the cylindrical end portion 5, and each component piece can move forward and backward independently. A gap S is formed between the cylindrical end 5 and the outer solid surface so that the steel belt 8 can be inserted smoothly.

2nd step As shown in FIG. 4, the steel belt 8 is conveyed from the roll 13 by the two pairs of conveyor rollers 14 and inserted into the gap S, and when the tip of the steel belt 8 slightly passes over the pressing piece 11, The conveyance of the steel belt 8 is stopped.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5, each component of the clamp jig 12 is advanced to press the steel belt 8 wound on the same surface on the outside of the cylindrical end 5 from the outside against the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical end 5.

Third step As shown in FIG. 6, the beam guide jig 16, which is disposed above the pressing piece 11 so as to be vertically movable and has the laser beam transmission path 15 formed in the vertical direction, is moved downward. The steel belt 8 is cut to a predetermined length by a cutter portion 17 formed at the lower edge, and both ends of the steel belt 8 are overlapped on the pressing piece 11 by the lower surface.

Since the steel belt 8 is pressed by the clamp jig 12 when cutting the steel belt, it will not loosen.

Fourth step As shown in FIG. 7, a laser beam 19 is irradiated through a condensing lens 18 and passed through a laser beam transmission path 15 of a beam guide jig 16 to the overlapping portion of the steel belt 8 to weld it.

Since the heat generated in the overlapping portion during welding is prevented from propagating to the cylindrical end portion 5 by the pressing piece 11, the cylindrical end portion 5 will not be burned out by the heat.

Thereafter, when the beam guide jig 16 is moved upward, each component of the clamp jig 12 is moved back, and the pressing piece 11 is pulled out, the pressed part of the cylindrical end 5 returns to its original state due to its elasticity. The boot fixing structure shown in FIG. 1 in which the extrinsic surface is in close contact with the same inner surface of the steel belt 8 is obtained.

The large diameter cylindrical end 6 of the boot 4 is also fixed to the outer enlarged diameter part 7 of the constant velocity joint 3 by a steel belt 8 in the same manner as described above.

It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to a boot that covers a constant velocity joint, but can also be applied to fixing a boot that covers other members.

As described above, according to the present invention, the cylindrical end of the boot is fitted onto the outer surface of the boot fixing part of the member, a steel belt is wound around the cylindrical end and pressed from the outside, and then the steel belt is pressed from the outside. The belt is cut to a predetermined length and the overlapping parts at both ends of the belt are welded using a laser beam.The high energy of the laser beam makes it possible to weld the overlapping parts in an extremely short time, and the boots can be fixed quickly. be exposed.

Also, since the steel belt was wound around the cylindrical end of the boot and then cut, the diameter of the cylindrical end of the boot
There are no restrictions on its position, and the steel belt can be replaced extremely easily.

Furthermore, since a pressing jig is interposed between the lower surface of the overlapped steel belt and the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical end, the heat generated during welding of the overlapping portion is propagated to the cylindrical end by the pressing jig. This prevents the cylindrical end from burning out.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a driving wheel front axle for a vehicle equipped with a boot fixing structure obtained according to the present invention, and FIGS. 2 to 7 are process explanatory diagrams of an embodiment of the present invention. 2... Intermediate shaft portion as a member, 4...
Boot, 5... Tubular end, 8... Steel belt, 9... Boot fixing part, 10...
...Press jig, 12... Clamp jig, 15
. . . Laser beam transmission hole, 16 . . Beam guide jig, 19 . . . Laser beam.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Fitting the cylindrical end of the boot onto the outer circumferential surface of the boot fixing part of the covering member, and inserting a pressing jig along the generatrix direction into a part of the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical end; a step of winding a steel belt around the outer surface of the cylindrical end and pressing it from the outside; cutting the steel belt to a predetermined length and polymerizing both ends of the steel belt on the pressing jig; A boot comprising a step of pressing the overlapping portion with a beam guide jig formed with a laser beam transmission path, and a step of irradiating the overlapping portion with a laser beam through the beam transmission path to weld the overlapping portion. Fixing method.