JP2009107003A - Filler guide position adjusting mechanism and adjusting method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

【Task】
The filler guide position adjustment mechanism that does not interfere with the peripheral equipment of the TIG welding robot, and the filler guide attached to the filler guide position adjustment mechanism when the filler guide needs to be replaced or when the filler guide needs to be adjusted. Provided is an adjustment method of the position adjustment mechanism, which can easily and quickly adjust the tip position.
[Solution]
When a new filler guide 40 is attached to the position adjustment mechanism 20, the control device 50 drives and controls the robot based on the reference point generation program stored in the storage device 52. Then, the position adjustment mechanism 20 adjusts the position of the new filler guide 40 so as to eliminate the difference between the position of the tip of the new filler guide 40 moved based on the reference point generation program and the reference point.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a filler guide position adjusting mechanism used in a TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welding robot and an adjusting method thereof.

Conventionally, in TIG welding, in order to secure the amount of deposited metal, a method of increasing the amount of molten metal by supplying a filler wire in the vicinity where an arc is generated and the base metal is melted has been used.
When this is performed using a robot, a filler guide is disposed around a TIG welding torch provided on the wrist of the robot, and the filler wire fed from the filler wire feeding device is supplied at the position and feeding direction. Is mechanically adjusted by the filler guide (see Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

  By the way, the filler guide may be worn out by rust due to secular change, may be deformed by colliding with peripheral devices during the operation of the robot, or may be deformed by welding of the filler wire and the base material. Is replacing the filler guide with a new one.

Patent Document 3 discloses a filler guide position adjusting mechanism in a TIG welder.
JP 2003-326364 A JP-A-5-177355 JP-A-61-172683 (page 2, lower right column, line 16 to page 3, upper left column, line 10, FIG. 6, FIG. 7)

  However, the tip of the new filler guide after replacement is not necessarily located at the tip of the filler guide at the normal time before replacement, and the tip of the filler guide needs to be adjusted. In addition, if the position of the tip of the filler guide is not adjusted accurately, the amount of protrusion of the filler wire protruding from the filler guide and, consequently, the welding quality is greatly affected. Therefore, this is an important operation when replacing the filler guide. .

  A known filler guide position adjusting mechanism is disclosed in Patent Document 3, for example. Although the position adjusting mechanism of the filler guide is not attached to the robot, it is also conceivable that the position adjusting mechanism is adopted in the TIG welding robot and the position is adjusted by the position adjusting mechanism after the filler guide is replaced.

  However, when the position adjustment mechanism of Patent Document 3 is employed in a TIG welding robot, the position adjustment mechanism is configured to protrude largely outside the filler guide, and therefore interferes with peripheral devices of the robot when the robot is operated. There is a fear.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a filler guide position adjusting mechanism that does not interfere with peripheral devices of a TIG welding robot.
Another object of the present invention is to easily adjust the tip position of the filler guide attached to the filler guide position adjusting mechanism when the filler guide is replaced or when the filler guide position needs to be adjusted. And it aims at providing the adjustment method of the said position adjustment mechanism which can be performed rapidly.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 1 is supported by a wrist portion of a robot, and has a support portion having an insertion hole for inserting a filler wire, and the insertion hole with respect to the support portion. A filler guide position adjusting mechanism, characterized in that it is arranged coaxially with an axis and is movable and adjustable along the axis, and has a movable part for detachably attaching the filler guide. It is what.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the movable portion is disposed so as not to be rotatable around the axis of the support portion and to be movable and adjustable along the axial direction with respect to the support portion. It is characterized by that.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the movable portion is provided with an attachment portion for attaching the filler guide so as to be rotatable around an axis of the movable portion. It is characterized by that.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, the operation member is provided to the support portion so as to be rotatable around an axis of the support portion, the movable portion is disposed in the operation member, and The movable member is screwed to the operation member, and the movable portion is not rotatable about the axis of the support portion and is moved and adjusted along the axial direction with respect to the support portion by the rotation operation of the operation member. It is characterized by being freely arranged.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the adjustment method of the position adjustment mechanism of the filler guide according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the position adjustment mechanism is relative to a reference point provided in the robot. A first step of matching the tip of the filler guide attached to the first, teaching the reference point of the filler guide, creating a reference point generation program for the filler guide based on the teaching, and storing the program in the control device; A second step of driving and controlling the robot by the control device based on the stored reference point generation program when a filler guide that requires position adjustment is attached to the position adjustment mechanism; The position adjusting mechanism is adapted to eliminate the difference between the reference point and the position of the tip of the filler guide that needs to be adjusted based on the reference point generation program. Adjusting method of the filler guide position adjusting mechanism and a third step in which the position adjustment adjusts the position of the required filler guide is intended to be subject matter of.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the movable portion of the position adjustment mechanism is arranged to be movable and adjustable along the axis of the insertion hole of the support portion with respect to the support portion. Therefore, it is possible to provide a filler guide position adjusting mechanism that does not interfere with peripheral devices of the TIG welding robot.

  According to the invention of claim 2, when the filler guide is exchanged or the position is adjusted, the movable part to which the filler guide is attached cannot be rotated around the axis of the support part and is moved and adjusted along the axial direction. Can do.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the filler guide can be attached by the mounting portion so as to be rotatable around the axis of the movable portion when the filler guide is replaced or adjusted.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the operation member is rotated, the movable portion can be moved and adjusted along the axial direction so that the movable portion cannot rotate about the axis of the support portion with respect to the support portion.

  According to the invention of claim 5, when the filler guide is exchanged or when the position of the filler guide needs to be adjusted, the tip position of the filler guide attached to the filler guide position adjusting mechanism can be easily and quickly adjusted. It is possible to provide an adjustment method that can be performed.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a TIG welding robot (hereinafter simply referred to as a welding robot) including a filler guide position adjusting mechanism embodying the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 1, the manipulator M of the welding robot 10 includes a base member 12 fixed to a floor or the like, a swivel base 13 provided on the base member 12, and a plurality of axes with respect to the swivel base 13. A plurality of arms 14 connected to each other and operated by a motor (not shown). A welding torch 16 is provided on the wrist portion 15 of the arm 14 located on the most distal end side. As shown in FIG. 1, a fixed gauge 70 is provided on one side surface (front surface in FIG. 1) of the base member 12 of the welding robot 10. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the tip of the fixed gauge 70 has a sharp tip, and the sharp point serves as a reference point.

  A wire supply device 17 for feeding filler wire, which is a meltable material, is provided on the arm 14. The filler wire fed from the wire supply device 17 is supplied to the vicinity of the welding torch 16 through the position adjusting mechanism 20 and the filler guide 40 attached to the conduit 18 and the welding torch 16 via the bracket 19.

Next, the position adjustment mechanism 20 will be described with reference to FIGS.
The position adjustment mechanism 20 is provided so as to be movable in the axial direction with respect to the support portion 21 attached to the bracket 19 and the support portion 21, and the filler guide 40 is detachably attached to the position adjustment mechanism 20. And a member 28.

  The support portion 21 includes a cylindrical first support member 22 that is penetrated from below with respect to the mounting hole 19 a of the bracket 19, and a cylindrical second support member 23 that is attached to the upper end of the first support member 22. It is configured.

  As shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, the first support member 22 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape as a whole, and a flange 22 a protrudes from the substantially center. Screws 22b and 22g are provided. The upper portion of the first support member 22 is inserted from below into the mounting hole 19a of the bracket 19 and at the flange 22a with respect to the lower surface of the bracket 19 as shown in FIGS. It is locked.

  Further, the first support member 22 and the second support member 23 are configured such that the male screw 22b is screwed into the female screw 23a provided at the lower portion of the second support member 23, whereby the flange 22a and the second support member 23 are engaged. The lower end of the bracket is firmly fixed to the bracket 19 with the bracket 19 interposed therebetween. A washer 24 is interposed between the lower end surface of the second support member 23 and the bracket 19. The first support member 22 and the second support member 23 are arranged coaxially, and are respectively formed with insertion holes 22c and 23b through which the filler wire is inserted along the axis. In addition, the axial center of the 1st supporting member 22 and the 2nd supporting member 23 and the axial center of the insertion holes 22c and 23b are the same.

  The upper part of the second support member 23 is provided with a plurality of sandwiching pieces 23d by cutting a plurality of slits 23c along the axial direction from the upper end surface, and the outer peripheral surface of the sandwiching piece 23d, that is, A male screw 23 e is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the second support member 23. Then, one end of the conduit 18 is fitted into the insertion hole 23b in the upper part of the second support member 23, and the nut 25 is screwed into the male screw 23e, whereby one end of the conduit 18 is clamped by the clamping piece 23d. Yes.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 6, in the first support member 22, the first guide hole 26 extends from the lower end surface to the central portion in the axial direction, and the portion closer to the upper portion, that is, the flange 22a. A second guide hole 27 having a smaller diameter than that of the first guide hole 26 is formed up to a portion substantially corresponding to. The first guide hole 26 and the second guide hole 27 are disposed so as to be coaxial with the insertion hole 22c and communicate with each other.

  Further, a plurality of slits 22e are cut in the axial direction from the lower end surface of the first support member 22, and a part of the first guide hole 26 and the second guide hole 27 are external as shown in FIG. Communicated with. As described above, the first support member 22 has the slits 22e so that a plurality of guide pieces 22f are provided, and the male screw 22g is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the guide piece 22f.

A movable member 28 as a movable portion is fitted in the first guide hole 26 and the second guide hole 27 of the first support member 22 so as to reciprocate along the axial direction of the guide hole 22d.
As shown in FIG. 6, the movable member 28 includes, in order from the upper end to the lower end, a cylindrical first sliding contact portion 28a, a pair of flat protrusions 28b, a cylindrical second sliding contact portion 28c, It has a plurality of sandwiching pieces 28d formed so that the outer diameter decreases toward the lower end. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the first sliding contact portion 28 a is fitted to the second guide hole 27 so as to be slidable in the axial direction. Each projecting piece 28b is engaged with the slit 22e so as to be slidable in contact with the notch surface of the guide piece 22f, and when the rotational force around the axis is applied to the movable member 28, the axis of the movable member 28 is provided. The rotation around the center, that is, the rotation around the axis of the support portion 21 is impossible. A male screw 28e is formed on the peripheral surface of the tip of the protruding piece 28b. Further, the second sliding contact portion 28c is fitted to the first guide hole 26 so as to be slidable in the axial direction.

  The movable member 28 is formed with an insertion hole 28f through which the filler wire is inserted along the axis, and is arranged coaxially with the insertion hole 22c. The upper end of the insertion hole 28f has a tapered surface whose diameter increases toward the upper side, and guides the filler wire fed through the insertion hole 22c.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the plurality of sandwiching pieces 28d are formed by cutting a plurality of slits 28g along the axial direction from the lower end surface of the movable member 28, and the outer periphery of each sandwiching piece 28d. A male screw 28h is formed on the surface. Then, the base end of the filler guide 40 is fitted into a fitting hole 28i having a circular cross section provided in the insertion hole 28f below the movable member 28, and the nut 29 is screwed into the male screw 28h, whereby the filler guide 40 is fitted. It is clamped by the clamping piece 28d. Further, by loosening the nut 29, the filler guide 40 can be removed from the clamping piece 28d. Further, the outer shape of the cross section of the base end of the filler guide 40 is formed in a circular shape, and when the nut 29 is loosened, it can rotate around its axis with respect to the fitting hole 28i, and the position of the rotational position Adjustment is possible. The fitting hole 28i corresponds to a mounting portion.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a filler tip 33 is detachably screwed to the tip of the filler guide 40 as shown in FIG. 2, and the conduit 18, the insertion hole 23 b, the insertion hole 22 c, the insertion hole 28 f, and the insertion hole of the filler guide 40. A filler wire (not shown) that has passed through 40 a protrudes through the filler chip 33. Further, a tip gauge 34 is detachably screwed to the tip of the filler guide 40 when adjusting the position.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a cylindrical operation member 30 is externally fitted to the first support member 22 so as to be rotatable forward and backward around the axis of the first support member 22, and the first support member 22. A lock nut 31 is screwed onto the male screw 22g. A washer 32 is interposed between the lock nut 31 and the operation member 30.

  When the lock nut 31 is rotated in the locking direction and the operating member 30 is tightened between the lock nut 31 and the flange 22a, the operating member 30 is locked so as not to be rotated, and the lock nut 31 is rotated in the unlocking direction. Then, the operation member 30 is in a unlocked state that can be rotated.

  A female screw 30a is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the operation member 30, and is screwed into the male screw 28e of the movable member 28. When the lock nut 31 is unlocked, the operation member 30 is either forward or reverse. The movable member 28 can be moved and adjusted in the axial direction by the turning operation.

  The control device 50 of the welding robot 10 controls to perform arc welding on the workpiece automatically. The control device 50 includes a servo driver 51 that controls a motor (not shown) of the manipulator M and a storage device 52 that stores various control programs such as a reference point generation program including teaching data taught from the teach pendant 60. The control device 50 controls the manipulator M based on various control programs such as the reference point generation program to change the position and posture of the welding torch 16 during welding and the target position and posture of the filler guide 40. It is possible.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.
First, the operator first attaches the filler guide 40 having the tip gauge 34 attached to the tip thereof to the position adjusting mechanism 20. Then, the operator operates the manipulator M with the teach pendant 60 while teaching the approach path, posture and the like of the manipulator M to the reference point, and is movable to the Z axis of the robot coordinate system as shown in FIG. The tip of the tip gauge 34 is aligned with the tip of the fixed gauge 70 while being arranged so that the axis of the member 28 is aligned.

  The operator uses the position of the filler guide 40 in the matched state as a reference point, and teaches this reference point to the control device 50 by the teach pendant 60. The control device 50 generates a reference point generation program including a reference point based on the teaching data from the teach pendant 60 and stores it in the storage device 52. Thereafter, when performing a welding operation, the operator removes the tip gauge 34 from the filler guide 40 and attaches the filler tip 33 to the tip of the filler guide 40.

Next, the case where the filler guide 40 is replaced will be described.
When the filler guide 40 is newly attached to the position adjusting mechanism 20, the nut 29 is loosened, the old filler guide 40 is removed from the position adjusting mechanism 20, and the new filler guide 40 is fitted into the fitting hole 28 i of the movable member 28. In the state, the nut 29 is tightened. A tip gauge 34 is attached to the tip of the filler guide 40. The tip gauge 34 may be attached before the filler guide 40 is attached to the position adjusting mechanism 20. The chip gauge 34 at this time is a chip gauge 34 having the same specifications as the chip gauge 34 used when generating the reference point generation program.

  Then, the control device 50 causes the storage device 52 to store and read the reference point generation program for execution. The manipulator M operates based on this reference point generation program, and arranges the position adjusting mechanism 20 so that the axis of the movable member 28 is aligned with the Z axis of the robot coordinate system as shown in FIG.

  Thereafter, when the position of the tip gauge 34 of the filler guide 40 does not coincide with the tip position of the fixed gauge 70, the operator loosens the nut 29 to eliminate the difference in the Z-axis direction. After moving 40, the nut 29 is tightened. Further, when the tip of the tip gauge 34 is not directed to the tip of the fixed gauge 70, the operator sets the rotation position of the filler guide 40 with the nut 29 loosened in order to eliminate this deviation, that is, the difference. After the adjustment, the nut 29 is tightened. By tightening the nut 29, the filler guide 40 is firmly attached to the movable member 28 by the sandwiching piece 28d.

Note that when the position of the filler guide 40 needs to be adjusted, it may be performed in the same manner as when the filler guide 40 is replaced, and thus description thereof is omitted.
Now, the position adjustment mechanism 20 of the present embodiment configured as described above has the following characteristics.

  (1) The position adjustment mechanism 20 is supported by the wrist portion 15 of the welding robot 10 and has a support portion 21 having insertion holes 22c and 23b through which the filler wire is inserted, and the insertion holes 22c and 23b with respect to the support portion 21. A movable member 28 (movable part) is provided that is disposed coaxially with the shaft center, is movable and adjustable along the shaft center, and detachably attaches the filler guide 40. As a result, the movable member 28 of the position adjustment mechanism 20 is disposed so as to be movable and adjustable along the axial centers of the insertion holes 22c and 23b of the support portion 21 with respect to the support portion 21, so that the position adjustment mechanism 20 is provided with the filler guide 40. Therefore, there is no possibility of interfering with peripheral devices of the TIG welding robot.

  (2) The position adjusting mechanism 20 is arranged such that the movable member 28 (movable part) cannot rotate around the axis of the support part 21 with respect to the support part 21 and can be moved and adjusted along the axial direction. ing. As a result, when replacing the filler guide 40 or adjusting the position, the movable member 28 to which the filler guide 40 is attached can be moved and adjusted along the axial direction so that it cannot rotate around the axial center of the support portion 21. .

  (3) The position adjusting mechanism 20 of the present embodiment has a fitting hole 28i (attachment) for attaching the filler guide 40 to the movable member 28 (movable portion) so as to be rotatable around the axis of the movable member 28. Part). As a result, when the filler guide 40 is exchanged or when the position is adjusted, the filler guide 40 can be attached by the fitting hole 28i so as to be rotatable around the axis of the movable member 28.

  (4) In the position adjusting mechanism 20 of the present embodiment, the operation member 30 is provided so as to be rotatable around the axis of the support portion 21 with respect to the support portion 21, and the movable member 28 is disposed in the operation member 30. ing. Further, the movable member 28 is screwed to the operation member 30, and the rotation of the operation member 30 prevents the support portion 21 from rotating about the axis of the support portion 21 and along the axial direction. It is arranged so that movement can be adjusted. As a result, when the operation member 30 is rotated, the movable member 28 can be moved and adjusted along the axial direction so that the movable member 28 cannot rotate about the axis of the support portion 21 with respect to the support portion 21.

  (5) The adjustment method of the position adjustment mechanism of the filler guide according to the present embodiment positions the tip of the filler guide 40 attached to the position adjustment mechanism 20 with respect to a reference point provided on the robot as a first step. Thus, the reference point of the filler guide 40 is taught, and a reference point generation program for the filler guide 40 is created based on the teaching and stored in the control device 50. In addition, when a new filler guide 40 is attached to the position adjusting mechanism 20 as the second step, the robot is driven and controlled by the control device 50 based on the stored reference point generation program. Next, as a third step, the position of the new filler guide 40 is moved by the position adjusting mechanism 20 so as to eliminate the difference between the position of the tip of the new filler guide 40 moved based on the reference point generation program and the reference point. Adjustment was made.

  As a result, when the filler guide 40 is replaced or when the position of the filler guide 40 needs to be adjusted, the tip position of the filler guide 40 attached to the position adjusting mechanism 20 of the filler guide 40 can be easily and quickly adjusted. There is an effect that can be performed.

  For this reason, it is possible to reduce the adjustment time for replacing the filler guide and adjusting the position. Moreover, the position reproducibility of the filler wire insertion point when the filler guide is replaced can be ensured, and the welding quality control after the replacement can be suitably performed.

  (6) The adjustment method of the filler guide position adjusting mechanism of the present embodiment is for positioning the tip of the filler guide 40 in the first step and the tip of the new filler guide 40 in the third step at the reference point. The chip gauge 34 having the same specification is detachably attached. As a result, the tip gauge of the same specification is attached to the tip of the filler guide 40 in the first step and the tip of the filler guide 40 attached after the replacement in the third step. Adjustment can be made accurately.

In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, You may comprise as follows.
In the above-described embodiment, the support portion 21 is configured by the first support member 22 and the second support member 23. However, this configuration is configured to be separated from the bracket 19 in order to sandwich both members. Is. Since the mounting structure for the bracket 19 is not limited to the above embodiment, the first support member 22 and the second support member 23 may be integrally connected. For example, a support part in which the first support member 22 and the second support member 23 are integrally connected is passed through the bracket 19, and a nut is screwed onto the outer peripheral surface of the part of the support part protruding from the upper surface of the bracket 19. The support portion may be fixed so as not to be pulled out by the nut.

In the embodiment, the movable member 28 is movable in the axial direction by rotating the operation member 30 around the axial center of the movable member 28.
Instead of this configuration, the male screw 28e and the female screw 30a are omitted, and instead of the operating member 30, a cylindrical covering member that covers the movable member 28 is attached in the same manner as the operating member 30, and is attached to the side surface of the covering member. The bolt may be screwed so as to be able to advance and retreat, and may be penetrated so as to be able to contact the movable member 28 via the slit 22e. That is, the movement of the movable member 28 is locked while the bolt is in contact with the movable member 28, and the lock is released when the contact is released. As a result, the position of the filler guide 40 can be adjusted.

1 is a schematic view of a robot provided with a filler guide position adjusting mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. Sectional drawing of the whole filler position adjustment mechanism. The side view of the whole position adjustment mechanism of the filler guide similarly at the time of position adjustment. Sectional drawing of the whole position adjustment mechanism of the filler guide at the time of position adjustment similarly. Sectional drawing of the whole position adjustment mechanism of the filler guide at the time of position adjustment similarly. The disassembled perspective view of the main members of a position adjustment mechanism. The cross-sectional view of a position adjustment mechanism.

Explanation of symbols

10 ... Welding robot (TIG welding robot), 12 ... Base member,
13 ... swivel, 14 ... arm, 15 ... wrist, 16 ... welding torch,
20 ... Position adjustment mechanism, 21 ... Support part, 22 ... First support member,
22a ... flange, 22c ... insertion hole, 22d ... guide hole 22d,
23 ... second support member, 23a ... female screw, 23b ... insertion hole,
26 ... 1st guide hole, 27 ... 2nd guide hole,
28 ... movable member (movable part), 28a ... first sliding contact part, 28b ... projecting piece,
28f ... insertion hole, 28g ... slit, 28h ... male screw, 28i ... fitting hole (attachment part),
30 ... Operation member, 30a ... Female screw, 31 ... Lock nut 33 ... Filler chip, 34 ... Chip gauge,
40 ... filler guide, 50 ... control device,
51 ... Servo driver, 52 ... Storage device,
M ... Manipulator.

Claims (5)

A support part that is supported by the wrist part of the robot and has an insertion hole for inserting the filler wire;
A movable portion that is arranged coaxially with the shaft center of the insertion hole with respect to the support portion, is arranged so as to be movable and adjustable along the shaft center, and detachably attaches the filler guide; A filler guide position adjustment mechanism.   2. The filler according to claim 1, wherein the movable portion is disposed so as not to be rotatable around an axis of the support portion and to be movable and adjustable along the axial direction with respect to the support portion. Guide position adjustment mechanism.   The filler according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the movable part is provided with an attachment part for attaching the filler guide so as to be rotatable around an axis of the movable part. Guide position adjustment mechanism. With respect to the support part, an operation member is provided so as to be rotatable around an axis of the support part,
The movable portion is disposed in the operation member and screwed to the operation member;
The movable part is arranged to be unrotatable around the axis of the support part and to be movable and adjustable along the axial direction with respect to the support part by the turning operation of the operation member. A filler guide position adjusting mechanism according to claim 2. A method for adjusting a filler guide position adjusting mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
Match the tip of the filler guide attached to the position adjustment mechanism with the reference point provided on the robot, teach the reference point of the filler guide, and generate the reference point of the filler guide based on the teaching A first step of creating a program and storing it in a control device;
A second step of driving and controlling the robot by the controller based on the stored reference point generation program when a filler guide that requires position adjustment is attached to the position adjustment mechanism;
Position adjustment of the filler guide requiring position adjustment by the position adjustment mechanism so as to eliminate the difference between the position of the tip of the filler guide requiring position adjustment moved based on the reference point generation program and the reference point. A method for adjusting a filler guide position adjusting mechanism including a third step.

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