WO2024095404A1

WO2024095404A1 - Masking jig and electroplating device

Info

Publication number: WO2024095404A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/041022
Authority: WO
Inventors: 山形　昇平
Original assignee: 日立Astemo株式会社
Priority date: 2022-11-02
Filing date: 2022-11-02
Publication date: 2024-05-10

Abstract

A masking jig 100 comprises: a prevention unit 110; and a support unit 160 supporting the prevention unit 110 in a manner that the prevention unit 110 can move to the shaft center direction. The prevention unit 110 has: a cylindrical part 131 that covers the periphery of a lower shaft part of a piston rod, wherein the piston rod has a rod shape and has a central shaft part and the lower shaft part, and the lower shaft part is a part not intended to be plated; and a flange 132 which is provided on the side on which the lower shaft part is inserted into the cylindrical part 131 and is brought into contact with an end face in the shaft center direction of the central shaft part. The prevention unit 110 prevents a substance to be plated from moving toward the lower shaft part.

Description

Masking fixtures, electroplating equipment

The present invention relates to a masking jig and an electroplating device.

Conventionally, there has been proposed an electroplating apparatus equipped with a masking jig for masking the lower portion of a rod-shaped workpiece (member to be plated).
For example, the electroplating apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is a type of electroplating apparatus in which a rod-shaped workpiece suspended by a workpiece support mechanism is immersed in a plating tank equipped with an anode and filled with plating liquid, and the plating tank is provided with a masking jig for masking the lower part of the workpiece, and the lower part of the workpiece is inserted into the masking jig in the liquid to mask it. The masking jig has a recess larger than the outer diameter of the workpiece or a through hole larger than the outer diameter of the workpiece to accommodate the lower part of the workpiece.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-13191

The masking jig described in Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in terms of accurately masking the areas that should not be plated.
An object of the present invention is to provide a masking jig or the like that can accurately mask areas that should not be plated.

To this end, the present invention provides a masking tool that includes a cylindrical section that covers the periphery of the small section, which is a portion of a rod-shaped plated member having a large section and a small section and that is not to be plated, a suppression unit that is provided on the side of the cylindrical section where the small section is inserted and that comes into contact with the axial end face of the large section, and that suppresses the material to be plated from moving toward the small section, and a support unit that supports the suppression unit so that it can move in the axial direction.

The present invention provides a masking tool that can accurately mask areas that should not be plated.

1 is a schematic diagram of an electroplating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which plating is being performed in an electroplating device. 1 is a schematic diagram of a piston rod as an example of a member to be plated. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a masking jig according to the first embodiment as viewed from above. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a cross section taken along line VV in FIG. 4. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the first unit is located at the lowest position. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which a piston rod is inserted into the masking jig according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state before a piston rod is inserted into the masking jig according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which a piston rod is inserted into the masking jig according to the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state of the masking jig when the piston rod is at a target position. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a masking jig according to a second embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an electroplating apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which plating is being performed in the electroplating apparatus 1. As shown in FIG.
The electroplating apparatus 1 includes a gripping mechanism 20 as an example of a gripping part that grips a piston rod 10 as an example of a rod-shaped member to be plated, and a plating tank 30 that contains a plating solution containing a material to be plated. The electroplating apparatus 1 grips a plurality of piston rods 10 with the gripping mechanism 20, and performs plating by immersing the plurality of piston rods 10 in the plating tank 30 arranged below. In the following description, in the axial direction of the piston rods 10 gripped by the gripping mechanism 20 (the vertical direction in FIG. 1), the side where the gripping mechanism 20 is arranged (the upper side in FIG. 1) is referred to as the "upper side," and the side where the plating tank 30 is arranged is referred to as the "lower side."

The electroplating apparatus 1 comprises a number of pillars 11 extending in the axial direction, a plate-shaped horizontal plate 12 suspended across the upper parts of the plurality of pillars 11, two rails 13 extending in the front-to-rear direction (perpendicular to the plane of the paper), and a self-propelled platform 14 running on the two rails 13.
The electroplating apparatus 1 also includes a motor 15 provided on a self-propelled platform 14, a pinion 16 attached to the output shaft of the motor 15, and a rack 17 extending in the front-rear direction and forming a pinion-rack mechanism together with the pinion 16. The self-propelled platform 14 moves in the front-rear direction when driven by the motor 15.

The gripping mechanism 20 includes a lifting cylinder 21 that raises and lowers the piston rod 10, two guides 22 that assist the lifting and lowering, and a plate-shaped lifting plate 23 attached to the lower ends of the lifting cylinder 21 and the two guides 22. The gripping mechanism 20 is also attached to the lifting plate 23 and has multiple gripping sockets 24 that grip the piston rod 10. The multiple gripping sockets 24 rise and fall together with the lifting plate 23 as the lifting cylinder 21 expands and contracts.

The electroplating apparatus 1 also includes a tank 32 for storing the plating liquid, a pump 33, a supply pipe 34 for supplying the plating liquid stored in the tank 32 to the plating tank 30, and a return pipe 35 for returning the plating liquid in the plating tank 30 to the tank 32.
The electroplating apparatus 1 also includes an anode 36 for electroplating, an anode-side bus bar 37, a cathode receiving stand 38, and a cathode-side bus bar 39.

The electroplating apparatus 1 also includes a masking jig 100 that is placed in the plating tank 30 and that masks a specific portion of the piston rod 10, and a lifting mechanism 50 that holds the masking jig 100 and lifts and lowers it.
The masking jig 100 will be described in detail later.

The lifting mechanism 50 includes a generally U-shaped frame 51 that holds the masking jig 100, a number of nut members 52 that support both ends of the frame 51, a screw 53 that raises and lowers each nut member 52, and a transmission rod 54 and a bevel gear 55 for rotating the screw 53. The lifting mechanism 50 also includes a motor 56 connected to one of the screws 53, and a rotation detector 57 connected to the other screw 53.

In the electroplating device 1 configured as described above, the height of the masking jig 100 can be adjusted according to the length of the member to be plated (in this embodiment, the piston rod 10) and the area to be masked. Meanwhile, the motor 15 is driven to move the member to be plated above the plating tank 30, and at that position the lifting cylinder 21 is driven to lower the member to be plated. The lifting plate 23 is then placed on the cathode receiving platform 38. After that, a predetermined voltage is applied between the anode 36 and the member to be plated via the anode side bus bar 37 and the cathode side bus bar 39. Then, metal ions (such as Cr ions), which are an example of the material to be plated in the plating solution, move toward the member to be plated on the cathode side, and the metal begins to be reduced and precipitated.

(Piston rod, masking jig)
3 is a schematic diagram of a piston rod 10 as an example of a member to be plated, shown in the same orientation as in FIG.
FIG. 4 is an example of a view of the masking jig 100 according to the first embodiment as viewed from above.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a cross section taken along line VV of FIG.
The masking jig 100 is a suitable jig for performing plating processing on the piston rod 10.

{Piston rod}
The piston rod 10 is a component used in the suspension of a vehicle, and holds a piston placed in a cylinder at one end, and the other end is exposed to the outside of the cylinder. For example, in order to prevent the part of the piston rod 10 exposed to the outside of the cylinder from wearing out due to sliding contact with an oil seal that seals the inside of the cylinder, a plating process is performed in which the part that slides against the oil seal is plated with hard chrome.

The piston rod 10 is rod-shaped and made up of multiple cylindrical sections with different outer diameters. It has a central shaft section 10a with the largest outer diameter, an upper shaft section 10b located above the central shaft section 10a, and a lower shaft section 10c located below the central shaft section 10a. A male thread 10d is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the upper end of the upper shaft section 10b, and a male thread 10e is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the lower end of the lower shaft section 10c. The central shaft section 10a is the part that comes into contact with the oil seal, and is therefore the part that needs to be plated by the electroplating device 1, in other words, the part where a thin metal film is to be formed. The male threads 10d and 10e are the parts where a nut is tightened, and are therefore the parts that do not need to be plated, in other words, the parts where a thin metal film is not to be formed.

In other words, the piston rod 10 has a stepped portion with different diameters at the central shaft portion 10a and the upper shaft portion 10b, with the central shaft portion 10a being the large portion with a larger diameter and the upper shaft portion 10b being the small portion with a smaller diameter. The piston rod 10 also has a stepped portion with different diameters at the central shaft portion 10a and the lower shaft portion 10c, with the central shaft portion 10a being the large portion with a larger diameter and the lower shaft portion 10c being the small portion with a smaller diameter. It is preferable not to plate the entire upper shaft portion 10b and the lower shaft portion 10c on which the male threads 10d and 10e are formed, and the upper shaft portion 10b is held by the holding socket 24 of the holding mechanism 20, and the lower shaft portion 10c is masked by the masking jig 100.

First Embodiment
{Masking jig 100}
The masking jig 100 according to the first embodiment includes a suppression unit 110 that suppresses metal ions, which are an example of a material to be plated, from moving toward the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10. The masking jig 100 also includes a support unit 160 that supports the suppression unit 110 movably in the axial direction of the piston rod 10 and in a direction intersecting the axial direction (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "intersecting direction").

[Suppression unit 110]
The suppression unit 110 is provided with a contact member 130 that can come into contact with an end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a of the piston rod 10 on the lower shaft portion 10c side in the axial direction and suppresses metal ions from moving toward the lower shaft portion 10c. The suppression unit 110 also includes a suppression member 140 that surrounds the periphery of the lower end portion of the central shaft portion 10a located above the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 and suppresses metal ions from moving toward the lower shaft portion 10c. The suppression unit 110 also includes a holding member 150 that holds the contact member 130 and the suppression member 140.

The contact member 130 has a cylindrical portion 131 (an example of a tubular portion) that surrounds the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 and at least the male thread 10e, and a flange 132 (an example of a contact portion) provided at the upper end of the cylindrical portion 131. The contact member 130 is an elastic body such as rubber. For example, the contact member 130 can be molded from a thermoplastic fluoropolymer such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF).

The inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 131 is larger than the outer diameter of the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10, and the length of the cylindrical portion 131 in the center line direction is longer than the length of the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10. Therefore, the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 is disposed inside the contact member 130. The inside of the cylindrical portion 131 of the contact member 130 functions as a through hole 133 through which the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 passes.

The flange 132 is an annular part with a through hole 133 formed in the center. The flange 132 is provided on the side where the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 131, and is in contact with the axial end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a.

The contact member 130 has a deformation portion 134 around a through hole 133 through which the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 passes, which elastically deforms and comes into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the piston rod 10 when the lower shaft portion 10c is inserted into the through hole 133. The deformation portion 134 is composed of the upper and middle portions of the cylindrical portion 131 and the central portion of the flange 132. The deformation portion 134 has radial slits 135 formed therein, separating it into multiple portions. In other words, the contact member 130 has contact pieces 136 separated into multiple portions, and the slits 135 are formed so that the contact pieces 136 do not come into contact with each other when the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 is not inserted.

In addition, the masking jig 100 is arranged so that the center line direction of cylindrical parts and members such as the cylindrical portion 131 is the same as the axial direction of the piston rod 10.
Hereinafter, a direction (e.g., a direction perpendicular to) the centerline direction (in other words, the axial direction) will be referred to as a "radial direction." In the radial direction, the side of the centerline will be simply referred to as an "inner side," and the side away from the centerline will be simply referred to as an "outer side."

The suppression member 140 has a base 141, which is a circular plate-like portion with a through hole 141a formed in the center, an inclined portion 142 that is inclined diagonally upward from the inner peripheral end of the base 141 and intersects with the axial direction, and a cylindrical portion 143 that is cylindrical and extends downward in the axial direction from the outer peripheral end of the base 141.

The diameter of the through hole 141a of the base portion 141 is larger than the outer diameter of the central shaft portion 10a of the piston rod 10. The outer diameter of the base portion 141 is larger than the outer diameter of the contact member 130.
The inclined portion 142 is formed so that the gap between the inner surface 142a and the outer circumferential surface of the central shaft portion 10a of the piston rod 10 becomes gradually smaller from the upper side to the lower side. In other words, the inclined portion 142 is inclined with respect to the axis so that the gap between the central shaft portion 10a and the inclined portion 142 becomes gradually smaller as it goes toward the contact member 130. The angle θ of the inclined portion 142 with respect to the axis can be exemplified as being less than 45 degrees. The upper outer surface 142b of the upper part of the inclined portion 142 is molded to have the same outer diameter over a predetermined length so as to be parallel to the axial direction. The outer surface below the upper outer surface 142b of the inclined portion 142 is molded so that the outer diameter becomes gradually smaller from the upper side to the lower side so that the wall thickness is approximately the same.

The inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 143 is larger than the outer diameter of the flange 132 of the contact member 130, and the size of the cylindrical portion 143 in the axial direction is larger than the size of the flange 132 of the contact member 130. A male thread 143a is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 143 to be fastened to a female thread 152a formed on the holding member 150.
The suppression member 140 can be made of, for example, metal or resin.

The retaining member 150 has a disk-shaped portion 151 which is a circular plate-shaped portion with a through hole 151a formed in the center, and a cylindrical portion 152 which extends upward in the axial direction from the outer circumferential end of the disk-shaped portion 151.
The hole diameter of the through hole 151a of the disk-shaped portion 151 is larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 131 of the contact member 130 and smaller than the outer diameter of the flange 132 of the contact member 130. The outer diameter of the disk-shaped portion 151 is larger than the outer diameter of the flange 132 of the contact member 130.
The cylindrical portion 152 has an inner circumferential surface formed with a female thread 152 a to which a male thread 143 a formed on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 143 of the suppression member 140 is fastened.
The holding member 150 can be made of, for example, metal or resin.

The suppression unit 110 configured as described above is integrated by placing the contact member 130 between the disk-shaped portion 151 of the holding member 150 and the base portion 141 of the suppression member 140, and tightening the male thread 143a formed on the suppression member 140 and the female thread 152a formed on the holding member 150.

[Support unit 160]
The support unit 160 includes a first unit 170 that supports the suppression unit 110 so as to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and a second unit 210 that supports the suppression unit 110 so as to be movable in the axial direction. The support unit 160 also includes an elastic member 240 disposed between the first unit 170 and the second unit 210, a restricting member 250 that restricts the movement of the first unit 170 relative to the second unit 210, and a lock nut 255 that restricts the movement of the restricting member 250. The elastic member 240 can be, for example, a coil spring.

(First unit 170)
The first unit 170 comprises a base 180 on which the suppression unit 110 rests, a regulating member 190 that restricts axial movement of the suppression unit 110 by clamping the suppression unit 110 between the base 180 and the regulating member 190, and a lock nut 195 that restricts movement of the regulating member 190.

The base 180 has three cylindrical sections, a first cylindrical section 181, a second cylindrical section 182, and a third cylindrical section 183, which are arranged from bottom to top in the axial direction. The first cylindrical section 181 and the second cylindrical section 182 have the same outer diameter but different inner diameters. The second cylindrical section 182 and the third cylindrical section 183 have the same inner diameter but different outer diameters.

The inner diameter of the first cylindrical portion 181 is smaller than the inner diameter of the second cylindrical portion 182, and larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 131 of the contact member 130 of the suppression unit 110. The total length of the axial length of the second cylindrical portion 182 plus the axial length of the third cylindrical portion 183 is longer than the length of the cylindrical portion 131 of the contact member 130. As a result, the base 180 is able to accommodate the cylindrical portion 131 of the contact member 130 inside.

The first cylindrical portion 181 has a cylindrical recess 186 formed upward from the lower end surface. A plurality of recesses 186 (e.g., six recesses) are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The upper portion of the elastic member 240 is housed in the recess 186.

The second cylindrical portion 182 has a through hole 187 formed therein, penetrating radially from the inside to the outside. The through hole 187 is an elongated hole shaped like two semicircles connected by a rectangle having sides twice the length of the radii of the semicircles. The through hole 187 is formed so that its size in the axial direction is larger than its size in the circumferential direction. The radius of the semicircle of the through hole 187 is set to be equal to or larger than the radius of the shaft portion 251 of the restricting member 250, which will be described later.

The outer diameter of the third cylindrical portion 183 is larger than the outer diameter of the second cylindrical portion 182. The outer circumferential surface of the third cylindrical portion 183 is formed with a male thread 188 to which a female thread 191a formed on the restricting member 190 is fastened.
The base 180 can be made of, for example, metal or resin.

The regulating member 190 has two cylindrical portions, a first cylindrical portion 191 and a second cylindrical portion 192, which have the same outer diameter but different inner diameters, and a protrusion 193 that protrudes inward from the upper end of the second cylindrical portion 192.
The restricting member 190 can be made of, for example, metal or resin.

The first cylindrical portion 191 has an inner circumferential surface formed with a female thread 191 a which is fastened to a male thread 188 formed on the outer circumferential surface of the third cylindrical portion 183 of the base 180 .
The inner diameter of the second cylindrical portion 192 is larger than the inner diameter of the first cylindrical portion 191. The inner diameter of the second cylindrical portion 192 is also larger than the outer diameter of the holding member 150. The axial size of the second cylindrical portion 192 is larger than the axial size of the holding member 150 of the suppression unit 110.
The protruding portion 193 is a circular plate-like portion with a through hole 193a formed in the center. The diameter of the through hole 193a is smaller than the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 143 of the suppression member 140 of the suppression unit 110. The diameter of the through hole 193a is larger than the outer diameter of the upper outer surface 142b, which is the largest outer diameter of the inclined portion 142 of the suppression member 140.

The first unit 170 configured as above is attached to the base 180 with the lower end surface (lower surface of the disk-shaped portion 151) of the holding member 150 of the suppression unit 110 placed on the upper end surface 189 of the base 180 of the first unit 170. At that time, the inclined portion 142 of the suppression member 140 of the suppression unit 110 is passed through the through hole 193a of the protruding portion 193 of the regulating member 190. Then, the female thread 191a formed on the regulating member 190 is tightened into the male thread 188 formed on the base 180, thereby supporting the suppression unit 110 so that it can move. The downward movement of the regulating member 190 is regulated by a lock nut 195 tightened to the male thread 188 formed on the base 180. The position of the lock nut 195 is determined so that the gap between the upper end surface 189 of the base 180 and the protrusion 193 of the restricting member 190 is larger than the size of the suppression unit 110 sandwiched between the upper end surface 189 of the base 180 and the protrusion 193 of the restricting member 190.

In the first unit 170, the inner diameter of the second cylindrical portion 192 of the regulating member 190 is larger than the inner diameter of the first cylindrical portion 191 and is larger than the outer diameter of the holding member 150 of the suppression unit 110, so a gap is created between the inner surface of the second cylindrical portion 192 and the outer surface of the holding member 150 of the suppression unit 110. Therefore, the suppression unit 110 can move in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction until the outer surface of the holding member 150 contacts the inner surface of the second cylindrical portion 192 of the regulating member 190.

(Second unit 210)
The second unit 210 supports the first unit 170 so as to restrict movement of the first unit 170 in the cross direction and to allow movement of the first unit 170 in the axial direction. More specifically, the second unit 210 includes a support member 220 that supports the lower end of the elastic member 240, and a fitting member 230 into which the base 180 of the first unit 170 is fitted.

The support member 220 has a disk-shaped portion 221, which is a circular plate-shaped portion, and a cylindrical portion 222 that protrudes upward from the upper end face of the disk-shaped portion 221. The outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 222 is smaller than the outer diameter of the disk-shaped portion 221, and the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 222 is equal to the inner diameter of the first cylindrical portion 181 of the base 180.

The cylindrical portion 222 has a recess 226 that is recessed in a cylindrical shape downward from the upper end surface. A plurality of recesses 226 (e.g., six recesses) are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The recess 226 is positioned opposite the recess 186 of the first unit 170, and accommodates the lower portion of the elastic member 240.

The fitting member 230 has a cylindrical portion 231 and a flange 232 that protrudes outward from the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 231.

The inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 231 is equal to or greater than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 222 of the support member 220, and the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 231 is equal to the outer diameter of the disk-shaped portion 221. The fitting member 230 has a lower end portion disposed around the cylindrical portion 222 of the support member 220.
The inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 231 is larger than the outer diameters of the first cylindrical portion 181 and the second cylindrical portion 182 of the base 180 and is smaller than the outer diameter of the third cylindrical portion 183 of the base 180. The outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 231 is larger than the outer diameter of the third cylindrical portion 183 of the base 180.
A through hole 234 that passes through the cylindrical portion 231 in the radial direction from the inside to the outside is formed above the portion where the flange 232 is provided in the cylindrical portion 231. A female thread 235 is formed in the through hole 234.

The flange 232 is a rectangular plate-like member with a central through hole 236, which is a cylindrical through hole, formed in the center. The diameter of the central through hole 236 is equal to the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 231. The flange 232 is joined to the cylindrical portion 231 inserted into the central through hole 236. An example of a method for joining the cylindrical portion 231 and the flange 232 is welding.

In the flange 232, peripheral through holes 237, which are cylindrical through holes, are formed around the central through hole 236. The peripheral through holes 237 are formed at each of the four corners of the rectangle.
Although the fitting member 230 is composed of two parts, the cylindrical portion 231 and the flange 232, the cylindrical portion 231 and the flange 232 may be integrally formed.

The fitting member 230 configured as described above is joined to the support member 220 with the cylindrical portion 222 of the support member 220 inserted into the lower end of the cylindrical portion 231 and the lower end surface of the cylindrical portion 231 abutting against the disk-shaped portion 221 of the support member 220. An example of a method for joining the support member 220 and the fitting member 230 is welding. Note that the second unit 210 is composed of the support member 220 and the fitting member 230, but the support member 220 and the fitting member 230 may be configured as a single unit.

(Restriction Member 250)
The regulating member 250 is a cylindrical member having a cylindrical shaft portion 251 at one end, a male thread 252 formed on the outer peripheral surface from the center to the other end, and a recess 253 recessed into the shape of a tool from the end face at the other end.

(Assembly of the Support Unit 160)
In the support unit 160 configured as above, the second unit 210 is fixed to the frame 51 of the electroplating apparatus 1 via, for example, bolts having shafts inserted into peripheral through-holes 237 formed in the flange 232 of the fitting member 230. In other words, the fitting member 230 functions as an example of a fixing member fixed to the electroplating apparatus 1.

The first unit 170 has the first cylindrical portion 181 and the second cylindrical portion 182 of the base 180 inserted inside the fitting member 230 of the second unit 210. When inserting the first unit 170 into the second unit 210, the lower end of the elastic member 240 is placed in the recess 226 of the second unit 210, and the circumferential position of the first unit 170 is adjusted so that the upper end of the elastic member 240 fits into the recess 186 of the first cylindrical portion 181 of the base 180 of the first unit 170. In addition, the circumferential and axial positions of the first unit 170 are adjusted so that the through hole 187 formed in the second cylindrical portion 182 of the base 180 of the first unit 170 faces the female thread 235 formed in the cylindrical portion 231 of the fitting member 230 of the second unit 210.

After inserting the first unit 170 into the second unit 210, the male thread 252 is tightened onto the female thread 235 so that the shaft portion 251 of the regulating member 250 passes through the through hole 187 of the first unit 170. Then, the lock nut 255 is tightened onto the male thread 252 of the regulating member 250 to restrict the movement of the regulating member 250 so that the shaft portion 251 of the regulating member 250 remains positioned within the through hole 187 of the first unit 170.

In the support unit 160 configured as described above, the outer diameter of the first cylindrical portion 181 and the second cylindrical portion 182 of the base 180 of the first unit 170 is smaller than the inner diameter of the engaging member 230 of the second unit 210, so that the first unit 170 can move axially relative to the second unit 210.

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the first unit 170 is located at the lowest position, whereas Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the first unit 170 is located at the highest position.
The first unit 170 receives a spring force from the elastic member 240 in a direction to move it upward, and the upward movement is restricted by the lower end of the through hole 187 of the first unit 170 abutting against the shaft portion 251 of the regulating member 250. Therefore, when the first unit 170 is not receiving a downward force, the lower end of the through hole 187 of the first unit 170 abuts against the shaft portion 251 of the regulating member 250, as shown in Fig. 5. The length of the elastic member 240 in the axial direction is set so that the elastic member 240 is in a contracted state when the lower end of the through hole 187 of the first unit 170 abuts against the shaft portion 251 of the regulating member 250.

On the other hand, when the first unit 170 receives the downward force, it moves downward against the spring force of the elastic member 240. The downward movement of the first unit 170 is restricted by the lower end surface of the third cylindrical portion 183 abutting against the upper end surface of the mating member 230 of the second unit 210. Figure 6 shows a state in which the lower end surface of the third cylindrical portion 183 of the first unit 170 abuts against the upper end surface of the mating member 230 of the second unit 210. The downward movement of the first unit 170 may also be restricted by the upper end of the through hole 187 abutting against the shaft portion 251 of the regulating member 250. The axial lengths of the first cylindrical portion 181 and the second cylindrical portion 182 of the base 180 of the first unit 170 are set so that when the lower end surface of the third cylindrical portion 183 of the base 180 abuts against the upper end surface of the fitting member 230 of the second unit 210, a gap is created between the lower end surface of the first cylindrical portion 181 and the upper end surface of the cylindrical portion 222 of the support member 220.

(Function of Masking Jig 100)
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which the piston rod 10 is inserted into the masking jig 100 according to the first embodiment.
In the electroplating apparatus 1, when a predetermined voltage is applied between the anode 36 and the piston rod 10 via the anode side bus bar 37 and the cathode side bus bar 39, metal ions Mi in the plating solution move toward the cathode side piston rod 10, and the metal begins to be reduced and precipitated.

On the other hand, the gap between the inner surface 142a of the inclined portion 142 of the suppression member 140 and the outer peripheral surface of the central shaft portion 10a of the piston rod 10 is formed to gradually become smaller from the top to the bottom, so the amount of metal ions Mi that reach the outer peripheral surface of the central shaft portion 10a decreases toward the bottom end of the central shaft portion 10a. In addition, since the inner diameter (hole diameter of the through hole 133) of the cylindrical portion 131 of the contact member 130 of the suppression unit 110 is larger than the outer diameter of the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10, when the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 is inserted into the through hole 133, the cylindrical portion 131 of the contact member 130 covers the periphery of the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10. Therefore, the contact member 130 suppresses the metal ions Mi from moving from the top of the contact member 130 toward the lower shaft portion 10c. In addition, because the cylindrical portion 131 of the contact member 130 surrounds the lower shaft portion 10c, metal ions Mi are prevented from moving from the outside of the cylindrical portion 131, between the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 131 and the inner circumferential surface of the base 180, toward the lower shaft portion 10c located inside the cylindrical portion 131. This prevents a thin metal film from being formed on the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 (metal is reduced and precipitated).

When the piston rod 10 is inserted into the masking jig 100, if the center Ch of the through hole 133 of the contact member 130 and the axis Cs of the piston rod 10 (lower shaft portion 10c) are the same, the gap between the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 131 and the outer surface of the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 will be uniform.

Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a state before the piston rod 10 is inserted into the masking jig 100 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a state after the piston rod 10 is inserted into the masking jig 100 according to the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 8, when the piston rod 10 is inserted into the masking jig 100, if the center Ch of the through hole 133 of the contact member 130 is misaligned with the axis Cs of the piston rod 10 (lower shaft portion 10c), the outer circumferential surface of the lower shaft portion 10c comes into contact with only the upper portions of some of the contact pieces 136, and the contact pieces 136 receive a force in a direction perpendicular to the axis. As a result, the suppression unit 110 moves in a direction according to the force received by the lower shaft portion 10c on the contact pieces 136, and the center Ch of the through hole 133 and the axis Cs of the piston rod 10 tend to become the same. After the piston rod 10 is inserted into the masking jig 100, the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 131 and the outer circumferential surface of the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 tends to become uniform. As a result, metal ions Mi are more reliably prevented from passing from above the contact member 130 through between the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 131 and the outer circumferential surface of the lower shaft portion 10c toward the male thread 10e.

For example, in a configuration in which the contact member 130 cannot move in a direction perpendicular to the axis, if the center Ch of the through hole 133 formed in the contact member 130 is misaligned with the axis Cs of the piston rod 10 (lower shaft portion 10c) when the piston rod 10 is inserted, the outer circumferential surface of the lower shaft portion 10c contacts only the upper ends of some of the contact pieces 136. The piston rod 10 then moves downward while elastically deforming some of the contact pieces 136. As a result, after the piston rod 10 is inserted, a large gap is created between the contact piece 136 that did not contact the outer circumferential surface of the lower shaft portion 10c among the multiple contact pieces 136 and the outer circumferential surface of the lower shaft portion 10c. Then, through this gap, metal ions Mi are more likely to move from above the contact member 130 toward the male thread 10e, making it easier for the male thread 10e of the piston rod 10 to be plated. Furthermore, if the center Ch of the through hole 133 and the axis Cs of the piston rod 10 (lower shaft portion 10c) are misaligned, causing only some of the contact pieces 136 to be repeatedly deformed, the contact pieces 136 will be more likely to be damaged, such as by plastic deformation, and the durability of the masking jig will decrease.

In contrast, according to the masking jig 100 of the first embodiment, even if the center Ch of the through hole 133 of the contact member 130 and the axis Cs of the piston rod 10 (lower shaft portion 10c) are misaligned, the center Ch of the through hole 133 and the axis Cs of the piston rod 10 tend to be the same. In other words, since the suppression unit 110 is movably supported with respect to the support unit 160, even if the center Ch of the through hole 133 and the axis Cs of the piston rod 10 are misaligned when the piston rod 10 is inserted, the center Ch of the through hole 133 and the axis Cs of the piston rod 10 tend to be the same after insertion. As a result, after the piston rod 10 is inserted into the masking jig 100, the gap between the outer peripheral surface of the lower shaft portion 10c and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 131 tend to be equal, and the metal ions Mi are more reliably suppressed from moving from above the contact member 130 toward the male thread 10e. Therefore, the masking jig 100 according to the first embodiment can more reliably prevent the areas to be masked from being plated (a thin metal film being formed).

In addition, according to the masking jig 100, the axial positional deviation of the piston rod 10 can be absorbed by the support unit 160. For example, when the axial position of the piston rod 10 held by the holding mechanism 20 is lower than the reference position (for example, the position where the end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a of the piston rod 10 contacts the upper end face of the contact piece 136 of the contact member 130 in the state shown in FIG. 5) and the end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a abuts against the upper end face of the contact piece 136, the contact member 130 moves downward. That is, according to the masking jig 100, since the first unit 170 supporting the suppression unit 110 can move downward relative to the second unit 210, for example, when the end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a of the piston rod 10 abuts against the upper end face of the contact piece 136 of the contact member 130, the contact member 130 moves downward. This makes it possible to prevent damage to the deformed portion 134 of the contact member 130 caused by the end surface 10f of the central shaft portion 10a coming into strong contact with the contact member 130, thereby improving durability.

Furthermore, since it is possible to prevent the contact member 130 from being damaged due to the end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a coming into strong contact with the contact member 130, the end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a of the piston rod 10 can be kept in contact with the upper end face of the contact piece 136 of the contact member 130 when plating is performed. In other words, the target axial position of the piston rod 10 gripped by the gripping mechanism 20 can be determined so that the end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a comes into contact with the upper end face of the contact piece 136 of the contact member 130 at a position intermediate between the uppermost position of the first unit 170 shown in FIG. 5 and the lowermost position of the first unit 170 shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the state of the masking jig 100 when the piston rod 10 is at the target position.
By determining the target position as described above, even if the axial position of the piston rod 10 is displaced vertically from the target position, the end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a of the piston rod 10 can be constantly in contact with the upper end face of the contact piece 136 of the contact member 130. As a result, it is possible to prevent metal ions from moving toward the lower shaft portion 10c through a gap between the end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a and the upper end face of the contact piece 136 of the contact member 130. In other words, the masking jig 100 can mask the lower shaft portion 10c, which is a portion that should not be plated, with a high degree of accuracy.

In addition, in the masking jig 100, the inclined portion 142 of the suppression member 140 of the suppression unit 110 is inclined with respect to the axial direction so that the gap between it and the central shaft portion 10a gradually becomes smaller as it goes toward the contact member 130, and the angle θ with respect to the axial direction is less than 45 degrees. Therefore, according to the masking jig 100 of the first embodiment, compared to when the angle θ of the inclined portion 142 with respect to the axial direction is 45 degrees or more, it is more difficult for the metal ions Mi to flow from above the contact member 130 toward the lower shaft portion 10c. As a result, the masking jig 100 of the first embodiment can more reliably prevent the area to be masked from being plated.

In addition, in the masking jig 100, a slit 135 is formed in the contact member 130, and the multiple separated contact pieces 136 do not contact each other when the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 is not inserted. In contrast, in a configuration in which the multiple contact pieces 136 are in contact with each other before the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 is inserted, the contact pieces 136 may collide with each other after the lower shaft portion 10c is inserted, and the contact pieces 136 may come into contact with the central shaft portion 10a. If the contact pieces 136 are in contact with the central shaft portion 10a, a thin metal film is not formed on the lower end of the central shaft portion 10a. As described above, according to the masking jig 100 of the first embodiment, it is possible to highly reliably prevent the parts to be plated from not being plated. However, the slit 135 does not have to be formed in the contact member 130.

In addition, in the masking jig 100, the upper outer surface 142b of the inclined portion 142 of the suppression member 140 of the suppression unit 110 is formed to be parallel to the axial direction. Furthermore, the size of the inclined portion 142 of the suppression member 140 in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction is smaller than the size of the base 180 of the support unit 160 in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction. In this way, the size of the upper outer surface 142b of the inclined portion 142 of the suppression member 140 in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction is suppressed. As a result, when the masking jig 100 is installed in the electroplating device 1, the upper outer surface 142b of the inclined portion 142 of the suppression member 140 is unlikely to interfere with the anode 36 (see FIG. 1). In other words, according to the masking jig 100 of the first embodiment, the shape of the inclined portion 142 of the suppression member 140 is made the above-mentioned shape, thereby improving the space efficiency of the electroplating device 1.

In the masking jig 100, the disk-shaped portion 221 of the support member 220 of the second unit 210 is a circular plate-shaped portion and is configured to block metal ions Mi from moving toward the inside of the first unit 170, but is not limited to this configuration. For example, a through hole may be formed in the center of the disk-shaped portion 221, and a cylindrical collar may be fitted into the outer periphery of the disk-shaped portion 221. Even with this configuration, it is possible to prevent metal ions Mi from moving toward the inside of the first unit 170.

Second Embodiment
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a masking jig 200 according to the second embodiment.
The masking jig 200 according to the second embodiment differs from the masking jig 100 according to the first embodiment in that a support unit 260 corresponding to the support unit 160 does not support the suppression unit 110 movably in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction. The following mainly describes the differences from the masking jig 100 according to the first embodiment. In the masking jig 100 according to the first embodiment and the masking jig 200 according to the second embodiment, parts having the same shape and function are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The support unit 260 according to the second embodiment includes a first unit 270 that supports the suppression unit 110, a second unit 210 that supports the suppression unit 110 so that the suppression unit 110 can move in the axial direction, an elastic member 240 that is disposed between the first unit 270 and the second unit 210, a restricting member 250, and a lock nut 255.

The first unit 270 includes a base 180, a restricting member 290 that restricts the axial movement of the suppression unit 110 by sandwiching the suppression unit 110 between the base 180, and a lock nut 195 that restricts the movement of the restricting member 290.

The restricting member 290 has two cylindrical portions, a first cylindrical portion 291 and a second cylindrical portion 292, which have the same outer diameter but different inner diameters, and a protrusion 193 that protrudes inward from the upper end of the second cylindrical portion 292.

The first cylindrical portion 291 has an inner circumferential surface formed with a female thread 291 a which is fastened to a male thread 188 formed on the outer circumferential surface of the third cylindrical portion 183 of the base 180 .
The inner diameter of the second cylindrical portion 292 is equal to or smaller than the inner diameter of the first cylindrical portion 291 and is equal to the outer diameter of the holding member 150 of the suppression unit 110. Therefore, no gap is generated between the inner peripheral surface of the second cylindrical portion 292 and the outer peripheral surface of the holding member 150 of the suppression unit 110, and the second cylindrical portion 292 restricts movement of the suppression unit 110 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction.

In the first unit 270 configured as described above, the regulating member 290 is attached to the base 180 with the lower end surface of the holding member 150 of the suppression unit 110 placed on the upper end surface 189 of the base 180. At this time, the inclined portion 142 of the suppression member 140 of the suppression unit 110 is passed through the through hole 193a of the protrusion 193 of the regulating member 290. The female thread 291a formed on the regulating member 290 is then tightened into the male thread 188 formed on the base 180, thereby holding the suppression unit 110. The downward movement of the regulating member 290 is regulated by a lock nut 195 tightened onto the male thread 188 formed on the base 180. The position of the lock nut 195 is determined so that the gap between the upper end surface 189 of the base 180 and the protruding portion 193 of the restricting member 290 is the same as the size of the suppression unit 110 sandwiched between the upper end surface 189 of the base 180 and the protruding portion 193 of the restricting member 290.

In the support unit 260 according to the second embodiment, the second unit 210 also supports the first unit 270, which holds the suppression unit 110, so that it can move in the axial direction. Therefore, according to the masking jig 200, even if the end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a of the piston rod 10 hits the upper end face of the contact piece 136 of the contact member 130, the contact member 130 moves downward, so that damage to the deformed portion 134 of the contact member 130 caused by the central shaft portion 10a coming into strong contact with the contact member 130 can be suppressed. As a result, the durability of the masking jig 200 is improved.

In addition, even if the axial position of the piston rod 10 is displaced vertically from the target position, the end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a of the piston rod 10 and the upper end face of the contact piece 136 of the contact member 130 can always be in contact with each other. As a result, it is possible to prevent metal ions from moving toward the lower shaft portion 10c through the gap between the end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a and the upper end face of the contact piece 136 of the contact member 130. In other words, the masking jig 200 can mask the lower shaft portion 10c, which is a portion that should not be plated, with a high degree of accuracy.

1...Electroplating device, 10...Piston rod (an example of a plated member), 10a...Central shaft portion (an example of a large portion), 10c...Lower shaft portion (an example of a small portion), 10e...Masking jig, 10f...End surface, 100, 200...Masking jig, 110...Suppression unit, 130...Contacting member, 131...Cylindrical portion (an example of a tubular portion), 132...Flange (an example of a contacting portion), 140...Suppressing member, 150...Holding member, 160, 260...Supporting unit, 170, 270...First unit, 180...Base, 190...Regulating member, 195...Lock nut, 210...Second unit, 220...Supporting member, 230...Fitting member (an example of a fixing member), 240...Elastic member, 250...Regulating member

Claims

a suppression unit having a cylindrical portion that surrounds the small portion, which is a portion of a rod-shaped plated member having a large portion and a small portion and that is not to be plated, and a contact portion that is provided on the side where the small portion is inserted into the cylindrical portion and that comes into contact with an axial end face of the large portion, the suppression unit suppressing the material to be plated from moving toward the small portion;
a support unit that supports the suppression unit movably in the axial direction;
A masking fixture comprising:
The support unit includes a first unit that supports the suppression unit so as to restrict movement of the suppression unit in the axial direction, and a second unit that supports the first unit so as to restrict movement of the first unit in a direction intersecting the axial direction and to allow movement of the first unit in the axial direction.
The masking tool according to claim 1 .
the second unit has a fixed member fixed to a plating device;
The support unit has an elastic member disposed between the fixed member and the first unit in the axial direction.
The masking tool according to claim 2 .
the first unit supports the suppression unit to allow movement of the suppression unit in the transverse direction;
The masking tool according to claim 2 .
The first unit has a base on which the suppression unit is placed, and a restricting member that restricts movement of the suppression unit in the axial direction by sandwiching the suppression unit between the base and the restricting member, and supports the suppression unit movably in the intersecting direction relative to the base until the outer circumferential surface of the suppression unit contacts the inner circumferential surface of the restricting member by forming a gap between the inner circumferential surface of the restricting member and the outer circumferential surface of the suppression unit.
The masking tool according to claim 4.
A plating tank containing a plating solution containing a material to be plated;
A gripping portion that grips a member to be plated;
The masking jig according to claim 1 , which is disposed in the plating tank; and
An electroplating apparatus comprising: