JP2002019946A - Work Following Clamp - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [PROBLEMS] To temporarily reduce a work load on an operator when temporarily clamping a work on a conveyor, and to improve production efficiency. In order to inspect a completed work (W) conveyed on an assembly conveyor (1), in an apparatus for temporarily clamping the work (W) on the conveyor (1), an endless track in which a part of a conveyance path overlaps an upper part of the conveyor (1). 2, a plurality of clamp jigs 3 can be made to travel, adjacent clamp jigs 3 are connected to each other by a connecting wire 4, and a work W is held by a work locking tool 6 of any one of the clamp jigs 3. When the workpiece W is pressed and fixed, all the clamp jigs 3 follow the endless track 2 as the workpiece W moves.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a clamp device for performing a completion inspection on an assembly conveyor used for assembling a general-purpose engine, for example.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, in an assembly line for assembling a general-purpose engine, parts and the like are sequentially assembled in an engine case and the like conveyed by a slat conveyor or the like, and when assembly is completed, a completion inspection is performed on the conveyor. In the completion inspection, the engine is temporarily clamped on a conveyor so that an inspector manually pulls an engine starting cable. Therefore, conventionally, as shown in FIG. 9, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, an inspector P clamps a work W conveyed by a conveyor 51 at a position x in the drawing by a clamp jig (not shown) and inspects the work W while moving with the work W. After the inspection, when the inspection is completed at the position of y, the clamp jig is returned to the position of x again, and the same procedure is repeated.

[0003]

However, in the conventional method, the clamp jig must be returned each time, and the labor for the inspector is large, and the production efficiency is not good.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to reduce the labor burden on inspectors at the time of completion inspection on an engine assembly line or the like, and to improve production efficiency.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to a clamp device for temporarily fixing the posture and the like of a workpiece conveyed by a conveyor, wherein an endless track is provided on an upper portion of the conveyor and a part thereof is provided. Are overlapped with a part of the conveyor path, and a plurality of clamp jigs that can travel freely are provided on this endless track, and adjacent clamp jigs are connected with each other with a connecting jig, and one of the clamp jigs is used. When the work is clamped, each clamp jig follows the movement of the work and runs on an endless track without power.

As described above, a plurality of clamp jigs can be made to travel freely on the endless track arranged on the conveyor, and one of the clamp jigs clamps the work, and all the clamp jigs are moved as the work moves. If it follows, for example, the workpiece being clamped is unclamped, and when clamping the next workpiece, the next clamp jig that travels on an endless track can be used, as in the past. The operation of bringing back the clamp jig can be eliminated.

Further, since a separate driving force for running the clamp jig is not required, the equipment configuration is simplified, and, for example, the work conveyance pitch and the interval between the clamp jigs can be substantially matched. In this case, the clamp jig is always located at the position where the work is clamped, so that the work can be performed efficiently. Here, the procedure for clamping and unclamping the work is arbitrary, and may be performed automatically or manually.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the clamp jig is provided with a work engaging member which can be moved up and down via a link mechanism by operating the operation lever, and the operation of the operation lever is manually performed in the clamping operation. The unclamping operation is automatically performed when a part of the operation lever comes into contact with the stopper.

[0009] With such a configuration, the equipment configuration can be further simplified. However, when the operating lever is operated to be in the clamped state, for example, a link mechanism and a spring are combined so that the clamped state is maintained. It is preferable to configure.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the height of the work locking member can be adjusted according to the height of the work.

If the height of the work locking member is made adjustable in this way, it can be conveniently applied to all models even when the height of the work differs depending on the model, for example.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here, FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the configuration of a work-following type clamp device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of a clamp jig, FIG. 3 is a side view thereof, and FIG. FIG. 5 to FIG. 7 are explanatory diagrams of a component configuration and the like for adjusting the height of the work stopper, and FIG.
FIG.

[0013] The work-following clamp device according to the present invention is, for example, in a general-purpose engine assembly line, when the posture and position of a work are temporarily fixed on an assembly conveyor for assembly completion inspection, a physical burden on an operator. Has been reduced and work efficiency has been improved.
As shown in FIG. 1, an endless track 2 on which a part of a transport path overlaps is provided on an upper portion of a conveyor 1 on which a workpiece W is transported.

A plurality of clamp jigs 3 are provided on the endless track 2 so as to be able to travel, and adjacent clamp jigs 3 are connected to each other by a connecting wire 4 as a connecting tool as described later.
(FIG. 2) are connected at predetermined intervals.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the clamp jig 3 includes a main body 5 that can run on the rail 2a of the endless track 2;
A work locking device 6 that can move up and down with respect to the main body 5, an operation lever 7 and a link mechanism 8 for moving the work locking device 6 up and down are provided. A spring 10 for urging the work locking member 6 upward is disposed between the first and second springs.

The main body 5 includes a roller supporting portion 5s having a plurality of rollers r engaged with the rail 2r of the endless track 2,
A top plate portion 5t attached to the roller support portion 5s via a shaft j, and a plate portion 5p hanging below the top plate portion 5t are provided. A rail 5r is provided, and a shock absorber 5q is mounted on the back side of the plate 5p.

A connecting wire 4 connected to the roller supporting portion 5s of the adjacent clamp jig 3 is attached to the roller supporting portion 5s, and the connecting wire 4 is attached to the rail 2r of the endless track 2. Wire guide 11
(FIG. 2).

The operation lever 7 has a configuration in which both ends extend in parallel with an intermediate portion which is bent stepwise, and an intermediate portion near the bent portion is formed by the plate portion 5.
p is hinged to a hinge pin 12 on the front surface of the main body 5 around the pivot point 12p (the axis of the hinge pin 12).
Is rotatable with respect to. One side (left side in FIG. 2) of the operation lever 7 with the pivot point 12p interposed therebetween.
Is an operation unit 7s, and a roller 14 is provided at the extension end on the other side.

The link mechanism 8 includes a link member 15 linked to a connecting portion 25 near the pivot point 12p of the operation lever 7, and the other end of the link member 15 is connected to a cylindrical member 16 or a spring 17 And a connecting bolt 20 connected to a hinge pin 19 on the connecting plate 20 side. A slide guide 21 is attached to the back side of the connecting plate 20 to which the link member 15 is connected. 21 is slidably engaged with the vertical rail 5r. The work locking device 6 is attached to the lower side of the coupling plate 20.
A presser rubber 24 is attached below 3, and
When the work locking member 6 moves downward, the upper surface of the work W is pressed down and can be positioned and fixed.

When the operator operates the operation portion 7s to rotate the operation lever 7 around the pivot point 12p, the slide guide 21 slides downward via the link member 15, and the work locking member 6 is moved. Presses and clamps the work W, and at the same time, as shown in FIG. 4, the center point of the connecting portion 25 of the link member 15 is a line connecting the pivot point 12p and the center point of the connecting bolt 18, that is, a thought point. The workpiece locking tool 6 is designed to enter the position slightly beyond the position, and the work locking tool 6 remains at the lowered position even when the hand is released, regardless of the restoring force of the spring 10.

Further, when the operation lever 7 is operated to lower the workpiece locking member 6, the roller 1 at the other end of the operation lever 7 is moved.
4 is located above the rail 2a of the endless track 2 and is located on the downstream side (for example, near the y position in FIG. 1) of the overlapping portion of the endless track 2 and the carrying path of the assembly conveyor 1. The stopper member 25 (FIG. 8)
(C)) is provided.

By the way, the maximum lowering position of the work locking member 6 is made variable by adjusting the coupling position of the link member 15 and will be described. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, a long hole 15h is provided at a connecting portion of the link member 15 to the coupling bolt 18 side.
At the side of 5h, three pairs of coupling holes aa ', bb', and cc 'are provided at different positions in the axial direction.
The elongated hole 15h is, as shown in FIG.
The boss 19b of the hinge pin 19 into which the boss 8 is screwed is inserted into the boss 19b.
Is movable within the length of the elongated hole 15h along the axial direction.

As shown in the cylindrical member 16 of FIG. 7 viewed from the direction of the line AA in FIG. 6, for example, a pair of connecting pins d-d 'protrude from both ends in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical member 16. The protruding pins dd ′ are connected to any one of the coupling holes aa ′ (or bb ′ or cc) of the link member 15.
)). And this protruding pin d-d
′ To the coupling hole aa ′ (or bb ′) of the link member 15.
Or cc ') and by fitting the connecting bolts 1 in the longitudinal direction of the link member 15.
8 can be displaced. That is, the height position of the work locking member 6 can be substantially changed.

When performing this position adjustment, for example, the cylindrical member 16 is pulled forward while the spring 17 is contracted, and the coupling pin a-d 'in which the coupling pin dd' has been fitted is inserted.
a ′ (or bb ′ or cc ′), and by changing the relative position between the cylindrical member 16 and the link member 15 using the long hole 15 h, a desired coupling hole bb ′ (aa 'Or cc') and the coupling pin dd 'are aligned and released from the cylindrical member 16, the restoring force of the spring 17 causes the coupling pin dd' to form a new coupling hole bb '( aa 'or cc') is inserted. Incidentally, the positions of the three coupling holes aa ′, bb ′, and cc ′ of the link member 15 are set according to the type of the work W (the difference in height).

In the above-described clamp device, when the completed work W is conveyed, for example, at the position x in FIG. 1, the inspector P operates the clamp jig 3 to clamp the work W. That is, the operation lever 7 as shown in FIG. 8A is rotated around the pivot point 12p in a counterclockwise direction to lower the work locking member 6, and as shown in FIG. Hold down and clamp. At this time, the restoring force of the spring 10 acts on the work locking member 6, but the center point of the connecting portion 25 between the link member 15 and the operation lever 7 has moved to a position slightly beyond the conceived point. Even in the released state, the work locking member 6 is not raised.

When the work W is clamped in this state,
The inspector P performs completion inspection, for example, by pulling an engine start cable. During this time, the work W is in a clamped state, so that the inspection can be easily performed, and the clamp jig 3 follows the movement of the work W. As a result, the rail 2a of the endless track 2 travels along with the rail 2a of the endless track 2 at the same time by means of the connecting wire 4 along with all the other clamp jigs 3.

When the inspection is completed and the workpiece W moves to the position of y in FIG. 1, the roller 14 above the operation lever 7 contacts the stopper member 25 as shown in FIG. It receives a force to rotate clockwise. Then, the connecting portion 25 between the link member 15 and the operation lever 7
Move to the restoration side beyond the line connecting the pivot point 12p and the center point of the connecting bolt 18, the spring 10
Due to the restoring force, the work locking member 6 is automatically moved upward and restored, and at this time, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper surface of the work locking member 6 comes into contact with the shock absorber 5q, and the shock is absorbed.

When the workpiece lock 6 moves upward, the work W and the clamp jig 3 are disengaged from each other, the movement of the clamp jig 3 is stopped, and a new clamp is placed at the position x in FIG. The jig 3 is on standby so that it can cope with the next work W.

If the type of the workpiece W to be handled is changed and the height is different, the connecting pins d-d 'of the cylindrical member 16 and the connecting holes a-a' of the link member 15 are obtained in the above-described manner.
By changing the fitting position of (or bb 'or cc'), the height of the work locking member 6 is adjusted. At this time, the fitting position is changed only by pulling the tubular member 16. And can be changed.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. Those having substantially the same configuration as those described in the claims of the present invention and exhibiting the same operation and effect belong to the technical scope of the present invention. For example, the type of the work W is arbitrary.

[0031]

As described above, the work-following clamping device according to the present invention is provided with an endless track at the upper part of the conveyor on which the work is conveyed so that a part thereof overlaps with a part of the conveyor path. A plurality of clamp jigs that can travel freely on an endless track are provided, and adjacent clamp jigs are connected by connecting jigs.If the work is clamped by any one of the clamp jigs, Accordingly, each clamp jig follows, and the labor burden such as the conventional work of bringing back the clamp jig can be reduced. It is preferable to configure the clamp jig according to the second aspect because the facility configuration can be simplified. In addition, if the height of the workpiece locking member is made freely adjustable as described in claim 3, it can be applied to all models even when the height of the workpiece differs depending on the model, which is convenient.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a configuration of a work-following clamp device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a clamp jig.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the same.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a clamp state by a clamp jig.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of a link member.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of a coupling structure of a link member and a hinge pin.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of the cylindrical member viewed from the direction of the line AA in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an operation diagram.

FIG. 9 is a conventional view.

[Explanation of symbols]

1. Conveyor, 2. Endless track, 3. Clamp jig, 4.
Connection wire, 6 ... Work locking tool, 7 ... Operation lever, 8 ...
Link mechanism, 10: spring, 15: link member, 2
5. Stopper member.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A clamp device for temporarily fixing a posture or the like of a work conveyed by a conveyor, the clamp device being provided on an upper portion of the conveyor and arranged so that a part thereof overlaps a part of a conveyor carrying path. Provided with an endless track, a plurality of clamp jigs that can travel on the endless track, and a connector that connects adjacent clamp jigs. When the work is clamped by any one of the clamp jigs, A workpiece-following clamp device wherein each clamp jig follows a movement and travels on an endless track without power. 2. The work-following clamp device according to claim 1, wherein the clamp jig includes a work engagement tool that can be moved up and down via a link mechanism by operating an operation lever. The workpiece-following-type clamping device is characterized in that the clamping operation is performed manually, and the unclamping operation is automatically performed when a part of the operation lever comes into contact with a stopper. 3. The work-following clamp device according to claim 2, wherein the height of the work-locking member is adjustable according to the height of the work.