WO2022158321A1

WO2022158321A1 - Fastener joining device, fastener supply method, joining method, and joined body manufacturing method

Info

Publication number: WO2022158321A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/000400
Authority: WO
Inventors: 哲岩瀬; 真三樹奥田; 健司仲宗根
Original assignee: 株式会社神戸製鋼所; 有限会社新城ホールディングス
Priority date: 2021-01-22
Filing date: 2022-01-07
Publication date: 2022-07-28
Also published as: JP2022113007A

Abstract

This joining device comprises: a fastener supply mechanism which delivers hollow fasteners one by one; a fastener joining mechanism which joins the delivered fasteners to respective joining members; a fastener transfer unit which transfers the fasteners; and a supply-side controller and a joining-side controller. One fastener is delivered to the fastener transfer unit from the fastener supply mechanism when no fastener is detected by an arrival sensor of the fastener joining mechanism, and when a passage detection sensor provided along the fastener transfer unit detects the passage of the delivered fastener, pressurized air is fed into a transfer passage of the fastener transfer unit so as to push the fastener in the fastener transfer unit toward the fastener joining mechanism.

Description

Apparatus for joining fasteners, method for feeding fasteners, method for joining, and method for manufacturing joined body

The present invention relates to a fastener joining device, a fastener feeding method, a joining method, and a joining body manufacturing method.

Methods of joining metal materials using fasteners such as rivets include a method of mechanically joining multiple members by caulking with a rivet, a method of joining by SPR (Self-Pierce Riveting), and a method of sandwiching a rivet between electrodes. There is a method of welding, a method of joining hollow rivets by MIG welding, and the like (Patent Documents 1 to 3).

In these joining methods, a device for feeding fasteners such as rivets conveys fasteners through feed conduits within a C-frame and receives fasteners at resiliently biased catch elements at the ends of the feed conduits. , which supplies the fasteners one by one to the driving section (Patent Document 4). This device requires that subsequent fasteners be pushed toward the catch element in order to spread the catch element. In addition, there is also a technique in which a plurality of fasteners are arranged in an overlapping manner and supplied one by one to the joint from the bottom (Patent Document 5).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-207898 WO2018/042472 WO2018/123716 Japanese Patent No. 4355380 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-108621

The joining methods described in Patent Documents 1 to 3 are widely used for joining thin plate parts such as automobile roofs. Fasteners applied to such parts have a substantially flat plate shape when viewed from the side (the overall shape of the head and shaft of the fastener), and are lighter than ordinary bolts and rivets and are easy to turn over. , its handling is very difficult.

Furthermore, a fastener separating mechanism is required to separate fasteners one by one from a state in which a plurality of fasteners are piled up like a conventional driving device. However, if such a separation mechanism is provided near the joint, the mechanism becomes complicated and the weight of the device becomes heavy. It becomes difficult to install and work on. Even if it is attached, the degree of freedom of the joining work is hindered due to the interference of the device, which is a factor in lowering productivity.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a fastener joining apparatus, a fastener feeding method, a joining method, and a joined body, which can rapidly supply a large number of fasteners without complicating the mechanism and can improve the production efficiency of the joined body. The object is to provide a manufacturing method.

The present invention consists of the following configurations.
(1) A fastener feeding mechanism for feeding solid fasteners one by one, a fastener bonding mechanism for bonding the fed fasteners to a bonding member, and a fastener feeding mechanism and the fastener bonding mechanism. a fastener conveying unit that is connected and conveys the fastener; a controller that controls driving of the fastener feeding mechanism and the fastener joining mechanism;
with
The fastener feed mechanism includes:
a parts feeder that aligns a large number of the contained fasteners in a row;
a separating mechanism for separating one fastener from the aligned row of fasteners and sending the fastener to the fastener conveying unit;
a passage detection sensor disposed in the middle of the fastener conveying unit for detecting the passage of the fastener sent toward the fastener joining mechanism;
has
The fastener joining mechanism includes:
a receiver section for receiving the fasteners conveyed from the fastener conveying section;
an arrival sensor for detecting whether the fastener has arrived at the receiver;
has
When the arrival sensor does not detect the fastener, the controller sends one fastener from the separating mechanism to the fastener conveying unit, and the passage detection sensor detects the passage of the sent fastener. is detected, pressurized air is supplied into the transport path of the fastener transport unit to pump the fastener in the transport path toward the fastener joining mechanism;
Fastener joining device.
(2) A fastener feeding mechanism for feeding solid fasteners one by one, a fastener bonding mechanism for bonding the fed fasteners to a bonding member, and a fastener feeding mechanism and the fastener bonding mechanism. A fastener feeding method for joining the fastener to the joining member by a joining device comprising a connected fastener conveying unit for conveying the fastener,
When the arrival sensor for detecting whether the fastener has arrived at the receiver section of the fastener joining mechanism that receives the fastener conveyed from the fastener conveying section does not detect the fastener,
The fastener feeding mechanism cuts one fastener from the row of fasteners in which the fasteners are aligned, and feeds the cut fastener to the fastener conveying unit;
When the passing detection sensor arranged in the middle of the fastener conveying unit detects the delivered fastener,
supplying pressurized air into the transport path of the fastener transport unit to pump the fastener in the transport path toward the fastener joining mechanism;
Fastener delivery method.
(3) A die and a punch are arranged from a retracted position where the fasteners conveyed to the fastener joining mechanism by the fastener feeding method described in (2) are received by the receiver section. A joining method comprising extruding to a joining position and joining the fastener to the joining member at the joining position.
(4) A method for manufacturing a joined body, wherein an intermediate joined body in which the fastener and the joining member are joined by the joining method described in (3) is spot-welded to another joining member.

According to the present invention, a large number of fasteners can be quickly supplied without complicating the mechanism, and the production efficiency of joined bodies can be improved.

FIG. 1 is a schematic overall configuration diagram of a bonding apparatus. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a fastener. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the fastener shown in FIG. 2; FIG. FIG. 4 is an overall configuration diagram of the fastener feeding mechanism. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the essential parts of the aligning and conveying mechanism and the cutting mechanism. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the cross-sectional shape of the transfer hose. FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the end effector. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the main configuration of the receiver and the pushing portion. FIG. 9 is a schematic sectional view showing the IX-IX line cross section of the receiver shown in FIG. 8 and the die and punch. 10 is a perspective view of the receiver section with the block shown in FIG. 9 removed; FIG. FIG. 11 is a control block diagram of the joining device. FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing the driving procedure of the fastener feeding mechanism. 13(A) to 13(E) are explanatory process diagrams showing the procedure for cutting fasteners in the cutting mechanism. FIGS. 14A to 14C are step-by-step process explanatory diagrams showing the procedure for pumping the fastener using the transfer hose. FIG. 15 is a flow chart showing the driving procedure of the fastener joining mechanism. FIGS. 16A to 16D are process explanatory diagrams showing the procedure from transfer of fasteners to joining in the fastener joining mechanism. FIGS. 17A to 17C are step-by-step explanatory diagrams showing how a joining member into which a fastener is driven is spot-welded.

　Hereinafter, one embodiment of the joining apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[Configuration of joining device]
FIG. 1 is a schematic overall configuration diagram of a bonding apparatus.
The joining device 10 includes a fastener feeding mechanism 100 , a fastener joining mechanism 200 , and a fastener conveying section 300 . The joining device 10 drives the fastener into the joining member to join the fastener and the joining member. An intermediate joined body in which a fastener and a joining member are integrated is spot-welded to another joining member to form a joined body having a desired structure.

The fastener feeding mechanism 100 feeds the fasteners one by one from among the supplied fasteners to the fastener conveying section 300 . The fastener conveying unit 300 has a conveying hose 301 that connects the fastener feeding mechanism 100 and the fastener joining mechanism 200 . It is transported to the joining mechanism 200 . The fastener joining mechanism 200 receives the fasteners conveyed from the fastener feeding mechanism 100 and drives the received fasteners into joining members.

The fastener feeding mechanism 100 is connected to the feed-side controller 40 and driven and controlled according to the drive signal output from the feed-side controller 40 . The fastener joining mechanism 200 is also connected to the joining controller 50 and driven and controlled according to a drive signal output from the joining controller 50 . The feed-side controller 40 and the joining-side controller 50 are computer devices having an arithmetic unit such as a CPU, and a storage unit such as a memory and storage, and are connected so as to be able to communicate with each other. Each of the feed-side controller 40 and the joining-side controller 50 operates each part of the fastener feeding mechanism 100 and the fastener joining mechanism 200 in accordance with a program pre-stored in a storage unit, an input driving program, input information, and the like. drive.

Here, a configuration example in which the feed-side controller 40 and the joining-side controller 50 are separate controllers is shown. A configuration in which controllers are combined may be used.

<fastener>
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the fastener 20, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the fastener 20 shown in FIG.
The fastener 20 has a head portion 21 and a shaft portion 23 . The head portion 21 has a disc shape with a diameter larger than that of the shaft portion 23 , and the shaft portion 23 has a substantially columnar shape protruding from the center of the head portion 21 in the axial direction. An annular groove 25 is provided along the entire circumference of the shaft portion 23 at the connecting portion between the head portion 21 and the shaft portion 23 . The annular groove 25 is formed in a flange 21 a projecting radially outward from the shaft portion 23 of the head portion 21 . A projection 27 is formed on the tip surface of the shaft portion 23 to serve as a projection. The fastener 20 has an axial length shorter than the diameter of the shaft portion 23, and has a substantially flat plate shape when viewed from the side. The fastener 20 has a solid structure without a hollow portion, and the arrival sensor 209, which will be described later, can detect the fastener 20 stopped at the standby position P1.

The details of the fastener feeding mechanism 100, the fastener joining mechanism 200, and the fastener conveying section 300 will be sequentially described below.
<fastener feeding mechanism>
FIG. 4 is an overall configuration diagram of the fastener feeding mechanism 100. As shown in FIG.
The fastener feeding mechanism 100 includes a hopper 110 , a parts feeder 130 , an alignment conveying mechanism 150 , a separating mechanism 170 and a passing detection sensor 190 .

The hopper 110 stores a large number of fasteners 20 and feeds a predetermined amount of fasteners 20 into the parts feeder 130 at predetermined timing. The parts feeder 130 automatically aligns the fasteners 20 in a fixed posture using vibration. Here, the fasteners 20 are aligned with the head portion 21 facing upward and the shaft portion 23 facing downward as shown in FIG. A conveying rail 151 of an aligning conveying mechanism 150 is connected to an exit portion 131 extending from a portion of the outer periphery of the parts feeder 130 while being inclined from the horizontal direction. By supporting the lower surface of the flange 21a of the fastener 20, the conveying rail 151 holds the fastener 20 in a fixed posture, and keeps the fasteners 20 fed from the parts feeder 130 in a row, and moves downstream in the conveying direction. send to Thus, the aligning and conveying mechanism 150 sends the fasteners 20 aligned by the parts feeder 130 to the cutting mechanism 170 while sliding them along the inclined conveying rail 151 by gravity.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the main parts of the aligning and conveying mechanism 150 and the separating mechanism 170. As shown in FIG.
The cutting mechanism 170 is arranged along the inclined conveying rail 151 and has a first plunger 173 having a first rod 171 on the upstream side (upper side) in the conveying direction and a second rod 175 on the downstream side (lower side) in the conveying direction. and a second plunger 177 . The first rod 171 and the first plunger 173 constitute a first stopper, and the second rod 175 and the second plunger 177 constitute a second stopper.

The first rod 171 and the second rod 15 are individually moved forward and backward with respect to the transport rail 151 by the driving of the first plunger 173 and the second plunger 177, and stop the fastener 20 on the transport rail 151 or pass through the stopper. function as The separating mechanism 170 separates one fastener 20 from the row of fasteners 20 aligned on the conveying rail 151 and feeds it to the conveying hose 301 . In the separating mechanism 170 as well, the fastener 20 moves along the slope due to gravity.

One end of the conveying hose 301 of the fastener conveying section 300 is connected to the discharge port 179 of the separating mechanism 170 . A passage detection sensor 190 is provided near the discharge port 179 at a position within a range where the transport hose 301 is inclined downward. The passage detection sensor 190 is provided downstream of the separating mechanism 170 in the fastener conveying direction, and detects passage of the fastener 20 fed toward the fastener joining mechanism 200 in the conveying hose 301 .

The passage detection sensor 190 here uses an annular magnetic sensor that surrounds the transport hose 301, but is not limited to this, and may use sensors of other types and shapes.

<Fastener Conveyor>
The fastener conveying section 300 includes an elongated conveying hose 301 .
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the cross-sectional shape of the transfer hose 301. As shown in FIG.
The transport hose 301 is formed with a transport path 303 (through hole) for transporting the fastener 20 along its longitudinal direction. The cross-sectional shape of the transport path 303 is such that the fastener 20 to be transported can be transported from one end to the other end of the transport hose 301 while maintaining a constant posture without being reversed in the transport path 303. Well, not particularly limited. As an example, FIG. 6 shows a transport path 303 having a rectangular cross section slightly larger than the maximum height and maximum width of the fastener 20 . The conveying path 303 is airtightly formed, and pressurized air supplied into the conveying path 303 conveys the fastener 20 from one end to the other end of the conveying hose 301 without reversing it.

For the transport hose 301, a resin hose that is lightweight, flexible, and can be arranged flexibly can be applied, but it is not limited to this. For example, at least a part of the fastener conveying section 300 may include a conveying member made of metal or hard resin to which the conveying path is fixed.

An air supply channel 180 having an air pump 181 for supplying pressurized air to the transport path 303 of the transport hose 301 and a valve 183 is connected between the separating mechanism 170 and the fastener transport section 300. there is The air supply path 180 supplies pressurized air generated by the air pump 181 by opening and closing the valve 183 to the transport path 303 at a predetermined timing.

<Fastener joining mechanism>
The fastener joining mechanism 200 includes a multi-axis robot 201 and an end effector 203 provided on the tip axis of the multi-axis robot 201, as shown in FIG. The end effector 203 is connected to the other end of the transport hose 301 , one end of which is connected to the fastener feeding mechanism 100 . The position and posture of the end effector 203 can be arbitrarily set three-dimensionally within the range of degrees of freedom of the robot arm.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the end effector 203. FIG.
The end effector 203 comprises a C-shaped frame 205 , a receiver section 207 , an arrival sensor 209 , an extrusion section 211 and a joint section 213 . The receiver part 207 receives the fastener 20 (not shown) conveyed through the conveying hose 301 . Arrival sensor 209 detects whether fastener 20 has been placed in receiver portion 207 . The pushing portion 211 pushes out the fastener 20 placed in the receiver portion 207 onto the axis of the die 215 and the punch 217 of the joining portion 213 (from the standby position P1 to the joining position P2 in FIG. 9). In the joining portion 213, the fastener at the joining standby position is driven into the joining member to join the fastener and the joining member. The receiver section 207 , the extrusion section 211 and the joint section 213 are each fixed to the C-shaped frame 205 .

The joining part 213 includes a die 215 that is brought into contact with the joining member, a punch 217 that is arranged with the joining member sandwiched between the die 215, and a fastener that is joined by moving the punch 217 toward the die 215. and a punch driving mechanism 219 for punching into the member. The die 215 is fixed to one end 205 a of the C-frame 205 , and the punch 217 and the punch driving mechanism 219 are both arranged at the other end 205 b of the C-frame 205 . This ensures high rigidity during the punching operation. The receiver portion 207 and the push-out portion 211 are compactly housed inside the frame of the C-shaped frame 205 without protruding outside the frame.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the main configuration of the receiver section 207 and the pushing section 211. As shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the IX-IX line cross-section of the receiver section 207 shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a conveying hose 301 is connected to the fastener conveying path 221 of the receiver section 207 at an angle, and the fasteners 20 are supplied from the conveying hose 301 to the fastener conveying path 221 one by one. be. A pair of continuous grooves 221a (only one continuous groove 221a is shown in FIG. 9) for supporting the head portion 21 (flange 21a) of the fastener 20 is formed in the fastener conveying path 221, and the fastener 20 is formed in a pair of grooves. The continuous groove 221a allows the head 21 to be conveyed while maintaining the upward posture.

As shown in FIG. 9, the receiver section 207 includes a lever 225 that can swing about a shaft 223, a compression spring 227 provided on the block 220, and an arrival sensor 209. They are arranged in this order along the tool conveying direction. A compression spring 227 biases the tip 225 a of the lever 225 toward the fastener transport path 221 . Arrival sensor 209 detects fasteners 20 transported along fastener transport path 221 .

The lever 225 presses against the head 21 of the fastener 20 moving on the fastener conveying path 221 by the elastic force of the compression spring 227 to decelerate the fastener 20 . The pressing force of the fastener 20 by the lever 225 depends on the type (shape, size, material, etc.) of the fastener 20, and the elasticity of the compression spring 227 and the position of the adjustment pin 229 that prevents the lever 225 from rotating can be adjusted. is appropriately set by

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of receiver section 207 with block 220 shown in FIG. 9 removed.
The fastener 20 decelerated by the lever 225 hits a pair of receiver pieces 243 arranged on both sides of the fastener transport path 221 and stops. The pair of receiver pieces 243 are each supported swingably around a shaft 245, and have a bent shape in which the downstream sides in the conveying direction approach each other. A spring (elastic body) 247 is arranged in contact with the outer surface of the receiver piece 243 on the downstream side in the conveying direction, which is opposite to the opposing surface. The spring 247 urges the receiver pieces 243 on the downstream side in the conveying direction in a direction to approach each other (arrow Rc). As a result, the pair of receiver pieces 243 makes the width of the fastener conveying path 221 on the downstream side in the conveying direction smaller than the width of the head 21 of the fastener 20 to prevent passage of the fastener 20 .

As shown in FIG. 9 , the arrival sensor 209 is arranged above the standby position P1 of the fastener 20 . The arrival sensor 209 of this configuration detects arrival (presence or absence) of the fastener 20 through a through hole 231 formed in the receiver section 207 . As the arrival sensor 209, for example, a non-contact sensor such as a laser sensor using laser light can be used, but the arrival sensor 209 is not limited to this. When the arrival sensor 209 is a laser sensor, the fastener 20 placed at the standby position P1 is irradiated with detection light through the through hole 231 . Reflected light reflected by the fastener 20 is received, and the presence or absence of the fastener 20 at the standby position P1 is detected according to the received reflected light.

A pusher 233 of the pushing part 211 is arranged movably in the direction of the arrow K1 in the space 235 on the shaft part 23 side (lower side in FIG. 9) of the fastener 20 at the standby position P1. When the pusher 233 moves in the direction K1, the fastener 20 is pushed out in the direction of the arrow K2. At this time, the pair of receiver pieces 243 shown in FIG. 10 are rotated in the direction opposite to the arrow Rc around the shaft 245 against the elastic force of the spring 247 by the fastener 20 pushed out downstream in the conveying direction. . As a result, the receiver pieces 243 on the downstream side in the conveying direction are separated from each other, the width of the fastener conveying path 221 is widened, and the fastener 20 is pushed out from the standby position P1 to the joining position P2.

At the joining position P2, as shown in FIG. 9, the die 215 and the punch 217 described above are arranged. The punch 217 has a hollow cylindrical shape and is supported by the C-shaped frame 205 so as to be movable toward the die 215 by being driven by the punch drive mechanism 219 shown in FIG. A sensor (punch sensor 237) that detects the fastener 20 at the joining position P2 is arranged on the punch base end side of the punch 217 (opposite side of the die 215 side tip).

The fastener 20 pushed out to the joining position P2 hits the stopper member 239 and is positioned. The punch sensor 237 detects the presence or absence of the fastener 20 pushed out to the joining position P2 through the through hole 217a of the punch 217. As shown in FIG. As the punch sensor 238, similarly to the arrival sensor 209, for example, a non-contact sensor using a laser beam or the like is adopted, but it is not limited to this.

[Procedure for driving the joining device]
Next, a procedure for driving the bonding apparatus 10 having the above configuration will be sequentially described.
<Procedure for Transferring Fasteners by Fastener Feeding Mechanism>
FIG. 11 is a control block diagram of the joining apparatus 10. As shown in FIG. FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing the driving procedure of the fastener feeding mechanism 100. As shown in FIG.
First, the feed-side controller 40 transmits a drive signal SPF to the parts feeder 130, and the parts feeder 130 vibrates to align the fasteners 20 supplied from the hopper 110 (FIG. 4) in a line to the alignment transport mechanism 150. send out (S11).

The fasteners 20 sent to the aligning and conveying mechanism 150 are sent to the separating mechanism 170 along the conveying rails 151 of the aligning and conveying mechanism 150 .
13A to 13E are process explanatory diagrams showing the procedure for cutting the fastener 20 in the cutting mechanism 170. FIG.

In the separating mechanism 170, as shown in FIG. 13A, the first rod 171 of the first plunger 173 on the upstream side in the conveying direction is pulled back from the conveying path of the conveying rail 151 (PASS position), and the downstream side in the conveying direction is pulled back. The second rod 175 of the second plunger 177 is pushed out to the transport path of the transport rail 151 (STOP position). When a plurality of fasteners 20 reach the separating mechanism 170 in this state, the leading fastener 20-1 comes into contact with the second rod 175 and stops. As a result, the plurality of fasteners 20 sent from the aligning and conveying mechanism 150 are arranged in the separating mechanism 170 (S12).

Here, the arrival signal SRE output by the arrival sensor 209 shown in FIGS. 9 and 11 and indicating whether or not the fastener 20 is present at the standby position P1 (FIG. 9) is checked (S13), When the fastener 20 exists at the standby position P1, the fastener 20 at the standby position P1 is sent to the joining position P2, removed, and discharged from the standby position P1 (S14). Confirmation of the arrival signal SRE and ejection processing of the fastener 20 are carried out by communication between the feed side controller 40 and the joining side controller 50 .

When it is confirmed that there are no fasteners 20 at the standby position P1, one fastener 20 is delivered from the cutting mechanism 170 toward the fastener joining mechanism 200 (S15). A specific procedure for cutting one fastener 20 at this time by the cutting mechanism 170 will be described.

After the plurality of fasteners 20 arrive at the separating mechanism 170, the feeding controller 40 outputs a driving signal SP1 to the first plunger 173. The first plunger 173 receives the drive signal SP1 and pushes the first rod 171 to the STOP position as shown in FIG. 13(B). As a result, the leading fastener 20-1 is sandwiched between the first rod 171 and the second rod 175, as shown in FIG. 13C.

Then, the feed controller 40 outputs a drive signal SP2 to the second plunger 177. The second plunger 177 receives the drive signal SP2, pulls the second rod 175 back to the PASS position, and feeds only the leading fastener 20-1 downstream in the conveying direction, as shown in FIG. 13(D). After that, the second plunger 177 pushes the second rod 175 to the STOP position as shown in FIG. 13(E), and the first plunger 173 pushes the first rod 171 as shown in FIG. 13(A). to the PASS position. As a result, the fastener 20 to be sent next comes into contact with the first rod 171 and stops.

By repeating the above operation, a plurality of fasteners 20 sent from the aligning and conveying mechanism 150 are cut one by one and sent downstream in the conveying direction at a predetermined timing. Then, the leading fastener 20 - 1 sent out from the separating mechanism 170 is conveyed through the conveying hose 301 toward the fastener joining mechanism 200 . Note that the configuration and operation of the separating mechanism 170 shown in FIG. 13 are an example, and are not limited to this method.

FIGS. 14A to 14C are step-by-step explanatory diagrams showing the procedure for pressure-feeding the fastener 20 using the transfer hose 301. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 14(A), from a state in which a plurality of fasteners 20 are arranged in the separating mechanism 170, as shown in FIG. 14(B), the feeding controller 40 drives the second plunger 177. When the signal SP2 is output and the second plunger 177 moves the second rod 175 to the PASS position, the leading fastener 20-1 slides down the conveying rail 151 and moves within the conveying path 303 of the conveying hose 301. When the fastener 20-1 passes the position of the passage detection sensor 190, the passage detection sensor 190 detects passage of the fastener 20-1 and outputs a passage detection signal STU to the feeding controller 40. FIG.

When the passage detection signal STU is input (S16), the feed controller 40 outputs the drive signal SPO to the valve 183 as shown in FIG. 14(C). The valve 183 receives the drive signal SPO and sends pressurized air generated by the air pump 181 to the transport path 303 of the transport hose 301 . Then, the fastener 20-1 moving on the conveying path 303 is accelerated by the supplied pressurized air, and is quickly pumped to the fastener joining mechanism 200 (S17).

<Procedure for Transferring and Joining Fasteners by Fastener Joining Mechanism>
Next, procedures for transferring and joining fasteners by the fastener joining mechanism 200 will be described.
FIG. 15 is a flow chart showing the driving procedure of the fastener joining mechanism 200. As shown in FIG.
As described above, the fasteners 20 are conveyed one by one from the fastener feeding mechanism 100 to the waiting position P1 (see FIG. 9) of the fastener joining mechanism 200 through the conveying hose 301 . The fasteners 20 at the standby position P1 are pushed out to the joining position P2 and hammered into the joining member 30 one by one.

16A to 16D are process explanatory diagrams showing the procedure from transfer of the fastener 20 to joining in the fastener joining mechanism 200. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 16(A), the conveyed fastener 20 (the leading fastener 20-1 described above) is biased by the compression spring 227 as shown in FIG. 16(B). It is decelerated by contact with the lever 225, and is sandwiched between the pair of receiver pieces 243 and stopped at the standby position P1. The arrival sensor 209 placed at the standby position P1 detects the fastener 20 stopped at the standby position P1 (S21), and outputs an arrival signal SRE to the joining controller 50 when detected (see FIG. 11) ( S22).

When the fastener 20 reaches the standby position P1, the joining-side controller 50 checks the output of the detection signal of the fastener 20 from the punch sensor 237 (S23). When the punch sensor 237 detects the fastener 20, the fastener 20 remains at the joint position P2, so the pusher 211 is driven to eject the fastener 20 from the joint position P2 (S24).

When the punch sensor 237 does not detect the fastener 20 , the joint-side controller 50 outputs a drive signal SPU to the pushing section 211 . Then, as shown in FIG. 16C, the pusher 211 receives the drive signal SPU, moves the pusher 233 toward the joining position P2, and pushes out the fastener 20 at the standby position P1 to the joining position P2 (S25). ).

At this time, the fastener 20 is pressed against the stopper member 239 shown in FIG. The punch sensor 237 outputs a detection signal SPT of the fastener 20 . Also, the pusher 233 is returned to the original retracted position.

Then, the joining-side controller 50 receives the detection signal SPT of the fastener 20 output by the punch sensor 237 and recognizes that the fastener 20 has been set at the joining position P2 (S26).

Next, the joining-side controller 50 outputs a drive signal SRB to the multi-axis robot 201 shown in FIG. and the die 215 . That is, the fastener 20 and the joining member 30 are sandwiched between the punch 217 and the die 215 (S27).

Then, the splice-side controller 50 outputs a drive signal SPS to the punch drive mechanism 219 . Then, as shown in (D) of FIG. 16, the punch drive mechanism 219 receives the drive signal SPS and pushes the punch 217 toward the die 215 . As a result, the shaft portion 23 of the fastener 20 punches out the joining member 30 and is integrated with the joining member 30 (S28).

One fastener 20 is fixed to the joining member 30 by the above procedure. Note that the method of joining the fastener 20 to the joining member 30 is not limited to this, and other known joining methods may be used.

Next, a procedure for spot welding the joining member 30 into which the fastener 20 is driven will be described.
<Spot welding>
FIGS. 17A to 17C are step-by-step explanatory diagrams showing how the joining member 30 into which the fastener 20 is driven is spot-welded.

As shown in (A) of FIG. 17, the joining member 30 into which the fastener 20 is driven is firmly crimped by the material 30a entering the annular groove 25 of the fastener 20 through plastic flow. Since the fastener 20 does not fall off from the joining member 30 in the intermediate joined body 60 between the fastener 20 and the joining member 30, the handleability of the intermediate joined body 60 is enhanced.

As shown in FIG. 17B, the intermediate joint 60 and the other joining member 33 are superimposed in the plate thickness direction, and the head 21 of the fastener 20 is aligned with the pair of welding electrodes 01 and 01. It is sandwiched between 403 . A welding current I is then passed between the pair of

welding electrodes

401 and 403 . As a result, as shown in FIG. 17C, a joined body 70 having a nugget N formed between the tip of the shaft portion 23 of the fastener 20 and the joining member 33 is obtained.

Although an example in which one fastener 20 is provided is shown here, any number of fasteners 20 can be provided at arbitrary positions.

According to the joining apparatus 10 configured as described above, the operation of the fastener feeding mechanism 100 cutting the fasteners 20 one by one and feeding them to the transfer hose 301 is performed when the arrival sensor of the fastener joining mechanism 200 does not detect the fasteners 20 . is executed. Therefore, double feeding of the fastener 20 to the fastener joining mechanism 200 can be prevented.

Also, the fasteners 20 sent to the fastener joining mechanism 200 are sent to the joining position by the pushing mechanism after being placed at the standby position. The next fastener 20 is sent from the fastener feeding mechanism 100 and placed in the vacant standby position. When the fastener 20 is joined to the joining member at the joint position, the next fastener 20 is sent from the standby position to the joint position where the next fastener 20 is in an empty state. In this way, when the fastener 20 is supplied from the joining position to the joining position, the next fastener 20 is immediately supplied to the joining position from the waiting position, so the waiting time for conveying the fastener 20 is greatly shortened. . Further, since the fasteners 20 can be continuously supplied, they can be loaded at a uniform timing regardless of the number of bonding points. On the other hand, in the conventional method of stocking a fixed number of fasteners as a unit near the joint position, it is necessary to load the next unit of fastener after a certain number of joints, so the timing of loading according to the number of joints cannot be set flexibly.

In addition, unlike the conventional method, there is no need to provide a fastener cutting mechanism near the joining position, so the fastener joining mechanism 200 does not have a complicated configuration, and the weight can be reduced and workability can be improved. Therefore, production efficiency can be improved.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it is also possible for those skilled in the art to combine each configuration of the embodiments with each other, modify and apply based on the description of the specification and well-known technology. It is intended by the invention and falls within the scope for which protection is sought.

As described above, this specification discloses the following matters.
(1) A fastener feeding mechanism for feeding solid fasteners one by one, a fastener bonding mechanism for bonding the fed fasteners to a bonding member, and a fastener feeding mechanism and the fastener bonding mechanism. a fastener conveying unit that is connected and conveys the fastener; a controller that controls driving of the fastener feeding mechanism and the fastener joining mechanism;
with
The fastener feed mechanism includes:
a parts feeder that aligns a large number of the contained fasteners in a row;
a separating mechanism for separating one fastener from the aligned row of fasteners and sending the fastener to the fastener conveying unit;
a passage detection sensor disposed in the middle of the fastener conveying unit for detecting the passage of the fastener sent toward the fastener joining mechanism;
has
The fastener joining mechanism includes:
a receiver section for receiving the fasteners conveyed from the fastener conveying section;
an arrival sensor for detecting whether the fastener has arrived at the receiver;
has
When the arrival sensor does not detect the fastener, the controller sends one fastener from the separating mechanism to the fastener conveying unit, and the passage detection sensor detects the passage of the sent fastener. is detected, pressurized air is supplied into the transport path of the fastener transport unit to pump the fastener in the transport path toward the fastener joining mechanism;
Fastener joining device.
According to this fastener joining device, the fastener feeding mechanism separates the fasteners one by one and feeds them to the fastener joining mechanism. productivity can be improved.

(2) The fastener joining device according to (1), wherein the cutting mechanism is provided on a conveying rail that slopes downward, and slides down one of the cut fasteners downstream in the conveying direction by gravity.
According to this fastener joining apparatus, a drive source for moving the fastener downstream in the conveying direction is not required, and the mechanism can be simplified.

(3) The separating mechanism includes a first stopper arranged upstream in the conveying direction of the leading fastener among the plurality of fasteners arranged in a row along the conveying rail, and the leading fastener. a second stopper arranged downstream of the conveying method of
The first stopper stops the fasteners after the leading fastener from moving downstream in the conveying direction,
The second stopper stops movement of the leading fastener downstream in the conveying direction,
The fastener joining device according to (2), wherein only the leading fastener is moved downstream in the conveying direction by releasing the second stopper.
According to this fastener joining device, a plurality of fasteners are stocked on the conveying rail by the second stopper, and the leading fastener is separated between the first stopper and the second stopper by the first stopper, and the second fastener is By releasing the stopper, the leading fastener can be fed downstream in the conveying direction while the first stopper dams up the fasteners other than the leading fastener.

(4) the first stopper includes a first rod and a first plunger that advances and retracts the first rod to and from the conveying rail;
The fastener joining device according to (3), wherein the second stopper includes a second rod and a second plunger that advances and retreats the second rod to and from the conveying rail.
According to this fastener joining device, the first rod and the second rod are driven by the first plunger and the second plunger to insert or withdraw from the conveying rail, thereby blocking the fastener passing through the conveying rail. , can be easily passed through.

(5) Any one of (1) to (4), wherein the passage detection sensor is disposed in a range inclined downward from the fastener conveying section on the connection side with the fastener feeding mechanism. The fastener joining device according to 1.
According to this fastener joining apparatus, the passage of the fastener is detected within the inclined range of the fastener conveying section, so the fastener in the fastener conveying section can be reliably detected.

(6) The fastener joining device according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the passage detection sensor is a magnetic sensor.
According to this fastener joining apparatus, fasteners can be reliably detected in a non-contact manner.

(7) The fastener has a disk-shaped head and a shaft portion with a diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the head portion, and has a shaft length shorter than the diameter of the shaft portion (1) to (6). A device for joining fasteners according to any one of the preceding claims.
According to this fastener joining apparatus, a flat plate-shaped fastener having an axial length shorter than the diameter of the shaft portion can be joined to the joining member.

(8) The fastener joining mechanism includes a pushing portion that pushes the fastener from a retracted position where the fastener is received by the receiver portion to a joining position where the fastener is joined to the joining member. A device for joining fasteners according to any one of the preceding claims.
According to this fastener joining apparatus, the fasteners sent from the fastener cutting mechanism are temporarily stocked at the standby position, and the stocked fasteners at the standby position are supplied to the joining position. As a result, the fasteners can be quickly fed to the joining position as compared to the case where the fastener cutting mechanism directly feeds them to the joining position.

(9) The receiver sections are arranged on both sides of a conveying path for the fastener conveyed from the fastener conveying section, and are supported toward the center of the conveying path in the width direction so as to approach and separate from each other. a pair of receiver strips;
The fastener joining device according to any one of (1) to (8), further comprising an elastic body that biases the pair of receiver pieces toward the center in the width direction of the conveying path.
According to this apparatus for joining fasteners, the fasteners being conveyed can be stopped by the elastically biased receiver piece and can be held without returning to the conveying path.

(10) The fastener joining mechanism includes:
die and
a punch movably arranged toward the die;
a punch drive mechanism for moving the punch toward the die;
with
The fastener extruded between the die and the punch and the joining member are sandwiched between the die and the fastener is driven into the joining member by the punch driving mechanism (8) or The device for joining fasteners according to (9).
According to this fastener joining apparatus, the shaft portion of the fastener is struck against the joining member sandwiched between the die and the punch, and the fastener is joined to the joining member.

(11) The fastener joining device according to (10), wherein the fastener joining mechanism includes a C-shaped frame in which the die is arranged at one end and the punch and the punch driving mechanism are arranged at the other end. .
According to this fastener joining device, since the die and the punch are arranged on the C-shaped frame, high rigidity and stable processing can be performed.

(12) A fastener feeding mechanism for feeding solid fasteners one by one, a fastener bonding mechanism for bonding the fed fasteners to a bonding member, and a fastener feeding mechanism and the fastener bonding mechanism. A fastener feeding method for joining the fastener to the joining member by a joining device comprising a connected fastener conveying unit for conveying the fastener,
When the arrival sensor for detecting whether the fastener has arrived at the receiver section of the fastener joining mechanism that receives the fastener conveyed from the fastener conveying section does not detect the fastener,
The fastener feeding mechanism cuts one fastener from the row of fasteners in which the fasteners are aligned, and feeds the cut fastener to the fastener conveying unit;
When the passing detection sensor arranged in the middle of the fastener conveying unit detects the delivered fastener,
pressurized air is supplied into the conveying path of the fastener conveying unit to pump the fastener in the conveying path toward the fastener joining mechanism;
Fastener delivery method.
According to this fastener feeding method, the fastener feeding mechanism separates the fasteners one by one and feeds them to the fastener joining mechanism. Productivity can be improved by being able to respond.

(13) A die and a punch are arranged from a retracted position where the receiver part receives the fastener conveyed to the fastener joining mechanism by the fastener feeding method described in (12). A joining method comprising extruding to a joining position and joining the fastener to the joining member at the joining position.
According to this joining method, the fasteners sent from the fastener cutting mechanism are temporarily stocked at the standby position, and the stocked fasteners at the standby position are supplied to the joining position. As a result, the fasteners can be quickly fed to the joining position as compared to the case where the fastener cutting mechanism directly feeds them to the joining position.

(14) A method for manufacturing a joined body, comprising spot-welding an intermediate joined body in which the fastener and the joining member are joined by the joining method described in (13) and another joining member.
According to this joined body manufacturing method, various joining members can be easily welded together by spot-welding the fastener and the other joining member.

This application is based on a Japanese patent application (Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-9080) filed on January 22, 2021, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 joining device 20 fastener 21 head 21a flange 23 shaft 25 annular groove 27 projection 30 joining member 40 feed side controller 50 joining side controller 60 intermediate joined body 70 joined body 100 fastener feeding mechanism 110 hopper 130 parts feeder 131 Exit portion 150 Aligning and conveying mechanism 151 Conveying rail 170 Separating mechanism 171 First rod (first stopper)
173 first plunger (first stopper)
175 second rod (second stopper)
177 second plunger (second stopper)
179 outlet 180 air supply channel 181 air pump 183 valve 190 passage detection sensor 200 fastener joining mechanism 201 multi-axis robot 203 end effector 205 C-shaped frame 207 receiver section 209 arrival sensor 211 pushing section 213 joining section 215 die 217 punch 217a penetration Hole 217b Punch Tip 219 Punch Driving Mechanism 220 Block 221 Fastener Conveying Path 221a Continuous Groove 223 Axis 225 Lever 225a Tip 227 Compression Spring 229 Adjusting Pin 231 Through Hole 233 Pusher 235 Space 237 Punch Sensor 239 Stopper Member 243 Receiver Piece 245 Axis 247 Spring 300 Fastener Conveying Part 301 Conveying Hose 303 Conveying Path 401 Welding Electrode 403 Welding Electrode

Claims

A fastener feeding mechanism for feeding solid fasteners one by one, a fastener joining mechanism for joining the delivered fasteners to joining members, and connected to the fastener feeding mechanism and the fastener joining mechanism, a fastener conveying unit that conveys the fastener; a controller that controls driving of the fastener feeding mechanism and the fastener joining mechanism;
with
The fastener feed mechanism includes:
a parts feeder that aligns a large number of the contained fasteners in a row;
a separating mechanism for separating one fastener from the aligned row of fasteners and sending the fastener to the fastener conveying unit;
a passage detection sensor disposed in the middle of the fastener conveying unit for detecting the passage of the fastener sent toward the fastener joining mechanism;
has
The fastener joining mechanism includes:
a receiver section for receiving the fasteners conveyed from the fastener conveying section;
an arrival sensor for detecting whether the fastener has arrived at the receiver;
has
When the arrival sensor does not detect the fastener, the controller sends one fastener from the separating mechanism to the fastener conveying unit, and the passage detection sensor detects the passage of the sent fastener. is detected, pressurized air is supplied into the transport path of the fastener transport unit to pump the fastener in the transport path toward the fastener joining mechanism;
Fastener joining device.
The apparatus for joining fasteners according to claim 1, wherein the cutting mechanism is provided on a conveying rail that slopes downward, and slides down one of the cut fasteners downstream in the conveying direction by gravity.
The separating mechanism includes a first stopper arranged on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the leading fastener among the plurality of fasteners arranged in a row along the conveying rail, and a conveying method for the leading fastener. a second stopper arranged downstream;
The first stopper stops the fasteners after the leading fastener from moving downstream in the conveying direction,
The second stopper stops movement of the leading fastener downstream in the conveying direction,
3. The apparatus for joining fasteners according to claim 2, wherein only said leading fastener is moved downstream in the conveying direction by releasing said second stopper.
The first stopper includes a first rod and a first plunger that advances and retracts the first rod to and from the conveying rail,
4. The apparatus for joining fasteners according to claim 3, wherein said second stopper comprises a second rod and a second plunger for advancing and retreating said second rod with respect to said conveying rail.
The fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the passage detection sensor is arranged in a range inclined downward from the fastener conveying section on the connection side with the fastener feeding mechanism. splicing equipment.
The fastener joining device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the passage detection sensor is a magnetic sensor.
The apparatus for joining fasteners according to claim 5, wherein the passage detection sensor is a magnetic sensor.
5. The fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the fastener has a disk-shaped head and a shank with a smaller diameter than the outer diameter of the head, and the length of the shank is shorter than the diameter of the shank. A joining device for the described fastener.
6. The fastener joining device according to claim 5, wherein the fastener has a disk-shaped head and a shaft portion with a smaller diameter than the outer diameter of the head portion, and the shaft length is shorter than the diameter of the shaft portion. .
7. The fastener joining device according to claim 6, wherein the fastener has a disk-shaped head and a shaft portion with a smaller diameter than the outer diameter of the head portion, and the shaft length is shorter than the diameter of the shaft portion. .
5. The fastener joining mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the fastener joining mechanism includes a pushing portion that pushes the fastener from a retracted position where the fastener is received by the receiver portion to a joining position where the fastener is joined to the joining member. A joining device for the described fastener.
6. The apparatus for joining fasteners according to claim 5, wherein the fastener joining mechanism includes a pushing portion that pushes the fastener from a retracted position where the fastener is received by the receiver portion to a joining position where the fastener is joined to the joining member. .
7. The apparatus for joining fasteners according to claim 6, wherein the fastener joining mechanism includes a pushing portion that pushes the fastener from a retracted position where the fastener is received by the receiver portion to a joining position where the fastener is joined to the joining member. .
9. The fastener joining device according to claim 8, wherein the fastener joining mechanism includes a pushing portion that pushes the fastener from a retracted position where the fastener is received by the receiver portion to a joining position where the fastener is joined to the joining member. .
The receiver sections are arranged on both sides of a conveying path for the fastener conveyed from the fastener conveying section, and are supported toward the center of the conveying path in the width direction so as to approach and separate from each other. a receiver piece;
The apparatus for joining fasteners according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising an elastic body that biases the pair of receiver pieces toward the center in the width direction of the conveying path.
The receiver sections are arranged on both sides of a conveying path for the fastener conveyed from the fastener conveying section, and are supported toward the center of the conveying path in the width direction so as to approach and separate from each other. a receiver piece;
6. The apparatus for joining fasteners according to claim 5, further comprising an elastic body that biases the pair of receiver pieces toward the center in the width direction of the conveying path.
The receiver sections are arranged on both sides of a conveying path for the fastener conveyed from the fastener conveying section, and are supported toward the center of the conveying path in the width direction so as to approach and separate from each other. a receiver piece;
7. The apparatus for joining fasteners according to claim 6, further comprising an elastic body that biases the pair of receiver pieces toward the center in the width direction of the conveying path.
The receiver sections are arranged on both sides of a conveying path for the fastener conveyed from the fastener conveying section, and are supported toward the center of the conveying path in the width direction so as to approach and separate from each other. a receiver piece;
9. The apparatus for joining fasteners according to claim 8, further comprising an elastic body that biases the pair of receiver pieces toward the center in the width direction of the conveying path.
The receiver sections are arranged on both sides of a conveying path for the fastener conveyed from the fastener conveying section, and are supported toward the center of the conveying path in the width direction so as to approach and separate from each other. a receiver piece;
12. The apparatus for joining fasteners according to claim 11, further comprising an elastic body that biases the pair of receiver pieces toward the center in the width direction of the conveying path.
The fastener joining mechanism includes:
die and
a punch movably arranged toward the die;
a punch drive mechanism for moving the punch toward the die;
with
The fastener pushed out between the die and the punch and the joining member are sandwiched between the die and the fastener is driven to the joining member by the punch driving mechanism. A joining device for the described fastener.
The fastener joining mechanism includes:
die and
a punch movably arranged toward the die;
a punch drive mechanism for moving the punch toward the die;
with
The fastener pushed out between the die and the punch and the joining member are sandwiched between the die and the fastener is driven to the joining member by the punch driving mechanism. A joining device for the described fastener.
The apparatus for joining fasteners according to claim 20, wherein the fastener joining mechanism comprises a C-shaped frame having the die arranged at one end and the punch and the punch drive mechanism arranged at the other end.
The apparatus for joining fasteners according to claim 21, wherein the fastener joining mechanism comprises a C-shaped frame having the die arranged at one end and the punch and the punch drive mechanism arranged at the other end.
A fastener feeding mechanism that feeds solid fasteners one by one, a fastener joining mechanism that joins the delivered fasteners to joining members, and a fastener feeding mechanism and a fastener joining mechanism that are connected to each other. A fastener feeding method for joining the fastener to the joining member by a joining device comprising a fastener conveying unit that conveys the fastener,
When the arrival sensor for detecting whether the fastener has arrived at the receiver section of the fastener joining mechanism that receives the fastener conveyed from the fastener conveying section does not detect the fastener,
The fastener feeding mechanism cuts one fastener from the row of fasteners in which the fasteners are aligned, and feeds the cut fastener to the fastener conveying unit;
When the passing detection sensor arranged in the middle of the fastener conveying unit detects the delivered fastener,
pressurized air is supplied into the conveying path of the fastener conveying unit to pump the fastener in the conveying path toward the fastener joining mechanism;
Fastener delivery method.
The fastener conveyed to the fastener joining mechanism by the fastener feeding method according to claim 24 is transferred from the retracted position where the fastener is received by the receiver section to the joining position where the die and the punch are arranged. extruding to join the fastener to the joining member at the joining location;
Joining method.
A method for manufacturing a joined body, wherein an intermediate joined body in which the fastener and the joining member are joined by the joining method according to claim 25 is spot-welded to another joining member.