JP3860365B2 - Flexible pipe welding joint device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a flexible tube with an endoscope used for an endoscope treatment tool such as a soft or hard metallic flexible tube, and to the flexible tube and a hardware component, a welding using a laser The present invention relates to an apparatus for welding and joining flexible tubes .
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, as a means for laser welding a flexible tube and a flexible tube formed by winding a metal wire in a coil shape, and a flexible tube and a metal part, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 4- As disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 61854, the ends of the two flexible tubes, or the ends of the flexible tube and the hardware part are abutted, and the outer periphery of the abutting portion is joined by laser welding. In addition, with regard to the joint portion of the two flexible pipes, a metal strand including a welded portion of the outer peripheral joint portion on at least one of the flexible pipes and a plurality of adjacent metal strands by laser spot welding. It is what is welded.
[0003]
In the invention described above, the heat-affected zone is made rigid with respect to the metal wire in the vicinity of the weld including the weld affected by the laser welding performed on the outer periphery of the flexible tube.
[0004]
Further, as shown in FIG. 3, an automatic butting apparatus for wire welding joining disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-91888 is rotatably held by a pair of chuck support bases 35 and 36, and is opposed to a shaft. A laser welding torch supported by a pair of chucks 33, 34 arranged so that their centers coincide with each other to hold the two wire rods 31, 32 in contact with each other and above the midpoint of the axis of the chucks 33, 34. 37, welding is performed. The chucks 33 and 34 have chuck brake pulleys 38 and 39 and chuck pulleys 40 and 41.
[0005]
The chuck brake pulleys 38 and 39 are connected via brake belts 42 and 43 and brake pulleys 44 and 45 to brakes 46 and 47 that are rotatably fixed or freely switched. By switching the brakes 46 and 47 to be fixed or rotatable, the chucks 33 and 34 are opened and closed by the rotation of the main motor 49, or the chucks 33 and 34 are rotated without being opened and closed. The main motor 49 is provided on the stopper base 48, and the main motor 49 is directly connected to the spline shaft 50 that is rotatably held. A pulley 51 and a pulley 52 are fitted to the spline shaft 50, and timing belts 53 and 54 are stretched between the pulleys 51 and 52 and the chuck pulleys 40 and 41.
[0006]
In the apparatus having the above configuration, after the two wire rods 31 and 32 are fed into the chucks 33 and 34 and abutted against each other, the brakes 46 and 47 are fixed to rotate, the main motor 49 is rotated, and the chucks 33 and 34 are closed and gripped. To do. Next, the main motor 49 is rotated with the brakes 46 and 47 being rotatable, and the chucks 33 and 34 are rotated in their entirety without opening and closing, thereby performing synchronous rotation. At this time, a laser for welding is applied from the laser joining torch 37 to the butted portion of the wire rods 31 and 32, so that the outer periphery of the butted portion is laser welded and joined.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, a flexible or rigid flexible tube formed by winding the metal wire of the prior art in a coil shape and a flexible tube, and means for laser welding to the flexible tube and a hardware part are flexible. Laser spot welding is used to heat the metal strands near the weld including the welds affected by laser welding on the outer circumference of the tube, with one spot spacing between the metal strands. When forming the rigid hardened part of the affected part, the hardness to be applied around the circumference of the metal wires is not uniform due to variation in the interval between welding of the metal wires by laser spot welding at a plurality of locations. The formation of the part is offset, and there is a part around the periphery of the welded portion of the outer periphery joint portion of the flexible tube that cannot suppress the decrease in the mechanical limit and eliminate the decrease in the elastic limit compared to the surroundings. , Stress concentration on that part occurs. Therefore, when the vicinity of the welded portion of the outer peripheral joint portion of the flexible tube is strongly bent many times in a direction not losing the lowering of the elastic limit as compared with the surroundings, bending due to plastic deformation occurs.
[0008]
Therefore, in the conventional automatic abutting device for welding wire rods, when the wire rod is replaced with a flexible tube, the flexible tube is held against the chuck during laser welding, and the entire chuck is synchronized. Since it is only rotated, the metal strand near the welded portion at the outer peripheral joint of the flexible tube is affected by uneven rotation of the chuck rotating mechanism and variations in the interval of emission of the laser irradiation pulse from the laser welding torch. It is not possible to weld even one round between them by laser spot welding at a plurality of locations.
[0009]
In addition, in laser welding joining of the outer periphery of the butt portion of the flexible tube, when the laser spot is overlapped by laser spot welding with laser pulse irradiation over the entire circumference, the entire chuck is rotated synchronously during laser welding. In the same manner as described above, the overlap amount of the laser spot applied to the entire circumference of the outer peripheral joint portion of the flexible tube is not uniformly formed over the entire circumference. For this reason, the degree of lowering of the elastic limit is non-uniform around the circumference of the welded joint of the flexible tube, and a laser is provided at one place between the metal wires in the vicinity of the welded portion at the outer circumferential joint of the flexible tube. Even if reinforcement is performed by spot welding, a portion having a lower elastic limit is generated around the periphery of the welded portion of the flexible tube in the vicinity of the welded portion.
[0010]
The object of the present invention is to provide a welded joint part of a flexible pipe, and a weld joint part of a flexible pipe without any reduction in the elastic limit evenly over the entire circumference of the abutting part between the flexible pipe and the hardware part. There is a welding joint apparatus for a flexible pipe and a flexible pipe capable of joining metal parts by laser spot welding, in which bending due to plastic deformation is unlikely to occur even if there is frequent strong bending in the vicinity.
[0011]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention provides a first chuck for holding a flexible or hard flexible tube formed by winding a metal wire in a coil shape, and an end surface of the flexible tube held by the first chuck. A second chuck for holding a soft or hard flexible tube formed by winding a metal part or metal wire in a coil shape, and a flexible tube held by the second chuck . A third chuck for holding the hardware part in contact with the end face;
The first chuck, a motor generating the rotational force for rotating the second chuck and the third chuck, the rotational force of the motor first chuck, the second chuck and the third together it is transmitted to the chuck, the first chuck, and rotation transmitting means for synchronizing the rotation of the second chuck and the third chuck, and the rotation angle control means for controlling the rotation angle of the motor, the rotation angle control A flexible tube abutting portion rotated under control of the means , and a welding means for laser welding the abutting portion of the flexible tube and the hardware part. It is a welding joint device for pipes.
[0012]
[Action]
The operation of claim 1, the flexible tube and the flexible tube, and flexible tube and hardware components of the first chuck, a second chuck, butt each end by feeding the third in the chuck After that, close the chuck and hold it. Next, a laser pulse for welding is applied from the laser irradiation head to the butt portion of the flexible tube by applying one pulse to form a laser spot. Then, the first chuck, the second chuck , and the third chuck are rotated at a rotation angle at which the butted portion of the flexible tube is positioned next to the laser irradiation head at the position of the laser spot formed around the circumference. To position and stop. This rotation / positioning is performed by a motor capable of positioning the rotation angle by the rotation angle control means of the motor, and further, the same amount of rotation corresponding to the rotation of the motor is synchronized with the rotation transmission means to the first chuck, This is transmitted to the entire second chuck and third chuck .
[0013]
In the next forming position, to form a laser spot by one pulse of laser pulses to the abutted portion of the flexible tube.
[0014]
Similarly, the same rotation angle to rotate the abutted portion of the chuck across Sunawa Chi-friendly FLEXIBLE tube stop positioned between, to form a laser spot of laser pulses with one pulse at this position.
[0015]
Repeat this operation, it is possible to bond the outer periphery of the abutting portion of flexible tube at equally laser spot welding over the entire circumference.
[0016]
Moreover, flexible tube and a flexible tube, Oyo After feeding in the chuck that laser bonded welded at its butt portion beauty friendly FLEXIBLE pipe and fittings parts, grips close the chuck. Next, a laser pulse for welding is applied from the laser irradiation head by irradiating one pulse between the metal wires in the vicinity of the welded portion in the outer peripheral joint portion of the flexible tube, thereby forming a laser spot. Then, when welding one round between the metal strands by laser spot welding at a plurality of locations, the entire chuck, that is, the outer circumference of the flexible tube, at the rotation angle at which the next laser spot is to be formed, as described above. Positioning is stopped by rotating between the metal wires in the vicinity of the weld fatigue portion at the joint, and a laser spot is formed by irradiating one pulse of the laser pulse at this position.
[0017]
Repeat this operation can be welded uniformly plurality of locations laser spot welding a lap between welds near the metal strands at the outer joint portion of the flexible tube.
[0018]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
1 and 2 are a front view and a plan view showing an embodiment of the present invention.
[0019]
As shown in the drawing, chuck support tables 21, 22, and 23 are placed on the upper surface of the base 20. A pair of chucks 4a and 4b for holding the flexible tubes 1a and 1b are rotatably held on the chuck support bases 21 and 22, respectively, and are arranged so as to face each other and have their axes aligned. Each of the chucks 4a and 4b has three chuck claws 3a and 3b that move from the outer periphery toward the center. The chuck claws 3a and 3b are moved in the radial direction by a chuck opening / closing mechanism (not shown). Further, the chucks 4a and 4b have chuck pulleys 18a and 18b, respectively.
[0020]
A chuck 5 for holding the metal part 2 is rotatably held on the chuck support 23 and is disposed on the same axis of the chucks 4a and 4b. The chuck 5 has a chuck pulley 17.
[0021]
The motor 10 includes a stepping motor capable of positioning the rotation angle, or a DC servo motor or an AC servo motor capable of positioning the rotation angle by a servo system with an encoder attached thereto, and is directly connected to the spline shaft 12. The motor 10 is connected to a motor drive controller 11 serving as a rotation angle control means. The spline shaft 12 is rotatably held on the chuck support bases 21, 22 and 23. Pulleys 13, 14 b and 14 a are fitted to the spline shaft 12. A timing belt 15 is stretched between the pulley 13 and the chuck pulley 17, a timing belt 16b is stretched between the pulley 14b and the chuck pulley 18b, and a timing belt 16a is stretched between the pulley 14a and the chuck pulley 18a. ing.
[0022]
A head slider (horizontal drive shaft) 8 is placed on a fixed base 9 fixed to the base 20. The head slider 8 is provided with a head mounting portion 7, and the laser irradiation head 6 is provided on the head mounting portion 7 so as to be movable up and down. The laser irradiation head 6 is movable above the axes of the chucks 4 a, 4 b and 5. It is supported by.
[0023]
More by consisting configuration device, flexible pipe 1a and the flexible tube 1b of the outer diameter 1.6mm soft or rigid formed by winding a metal wire of wire diameter φ0.4mm coiled, The operation of joining the flexible tube 1b and the metal part 2 having an outer diameter of 2 mm by butting each end and laser welding the outer circumference of the butted portion will be described. As a laser welding joining method for the outer periphery of the butt portion, first, the laser spot is welded by laser spot welding of 12 laser pulses over the entire circumference of the butt portion, and then the welded portion of this outer periphery joint portion is joined. A method of performing reinforcement by welding one circumference between adjacent metal strands by laser spot welding at four locations will be described.
[0024]
First, the flexible tube 1b and the flexible tube 1a are sequentially fed into the pair of chucks 4a and 4b by a transport mechanism (not shown), and the respective ends are abutted to each other, so that the flexible tube 1a and the flexible tube 1b are brought together. The butted portion is guided so as to be positioned at a substantially middle point between the shaft centers of the chucks 4a and 4b. Next, both chucks 4a and 4b are closed by a chuck opening / closing mechanism (not shown), and the flexible tubes 1a and 1b are held by the chuck claws 3a and 3b, respectively. Then, the head slider 8 is driven to move the laser irradiation head 6 above the butted portions of the flexible tubes 1a and 1b.
[0025]
Next, the laser irradiation head 6 applies the first laser pulse for all-around welding to the butted portions of the flexible tubes 1a and 1b to give the first laser spot. Then, the abutting portions of the flexible tubes 1a and 1b and the entire pair of chucks 4a and 4b with respect to the laser irradiation head 6 at a rotation angle of 30 ° for forming laser spots uniformly at 12 locations over the entire circumference. The motor driver controller 11 controls the rotation angle of the motor 10 to rotate the motor 10, and is synchronized by the spline shaft 12 of the synchronous rotation transmission means, at least the pulleys 14a, 14b, 18a, 18b, and the timing belts 16a, 16b. The same amount of rotation according to the rotation of the motor 10 is transmitted, rotated, positioned and stopped.
[0026]
At this position, the butted portions of the flexible tubes 1a and 1b are irradiated with one laser pulse to form a second laser spot. Similarly, the entire pair of chucks 4a and 4b, that is, the butted portions of the flexible tubes 1a and 1b are rotated at the same rotation angle of 30 ° as described above to stop positioning, and one laser pulse is irradiated at this position. The laser spot is formed. This operation is repeated nine more times, and the outer periphery of the butted portion of the flexible tubes 1a and 1b can be joined by laser spot welding that uniformly forms a laser spot at 12 locations over the entire circumference.
[0027]
Next, the head slider 8 is driven, and the laser irradiation head 6 is turned into a metal strand including a welded portion of the outer peripheral joint portion of the flexible tubes 1a and 1b which have already been joined and welded to the adjacent metal strand. It moves above the position to straddle. Then, the first laser pulse for reinforcing spot welding is applied from the laser irradiation head 6 by irradiating one pulse between the metal strands in the vicinity of the welded portion of the outer peripheral joint portion of the flexible tubes 1a and 1b. Form.
[0028]
Next, at a rotation angle of 90 ° for welding one circle between the metal wires by laser spot welding at four locations, the entire pair of chucks 4a and 4b, that is, the outer circumferences of the flexible tubes 1a and 1b, as described above. The positioning is stopped by rotating between the metal strands in the vicinity of the welded portion of the joint, and the next laser spot is formed by irradiating one laser pulse at this position. This operation is repeated two more times, and the circumference between the metal wires near the welded portion of the outer peripheral joint portion of the flexible tubes 1a and 1b is welded by laser spot welding that uniformly forms four laser spots, The outer peripheral joint can be reinforced.
[0029]
Also, the flexible tube 1b and the hardware part 2 are joined together by abutting each end and laser welding the outer periphery of the abutting part in the same manner as described above except for the following points. can do.
[0030]
The metal part 2 is inserted into the chuck 5 by a transport mechanism (not shown), and the chuck 5 is closed and gripped by a chuck opening / closing mechanism (not shown). Next, the flexible tube 1b is fed into the chucks 4a and 4b by a conveying mechanism (not shown), and further, the flexible tube 1b is fed until the end of the flexible tube 1b hits the end of the hardware part 2, thereby the flexible tube 1b. And the end of the hardware part 2 are abutted and positioned. Then, both chucks 4a and 4b are closed by a chuck opening / closing mechanism (not shown), and the flexible tube 1b is held by the chuck claws 3a and 3b.
[0031]
The laser irradiation head 6 drives the head slider 8 so that the welded portion between the flexible tube 1b and the hardware part 2 or above the joint between the flexible tube 1b and the metal part 2 has been welded. The flexible tube 1b is moved to a position above the position of the metal wire and the adjacent metal wire. Synchronous rotation transmission means for synchronous rotation at the time of laser welding for the flexible tube 1b gripped by the chucks 4a and 4b and the hardware part 2 gripped by the chuck 5 includes a spline shaft 12, pulleys 13, 14a, 14b, 17, 18a and 18b and the timing belts 15, 16a and 16b are synchronized to transmit the same amount of rotation according to the rotation of the motor 10.
[0032]
Here, the order of the laser welding joining of the flexible tube 1a and the flexible tube 1b and the laser welding joining of the flexible tube 1b and the hardware part 2 performed using the apparatus of this embodiment is first. You can go. The above-described laser welding joining of the flexible tube 1b and the metal part 2 was performed using the chucks 4a and 4b and the chuck 5. However, the flexible pipe 1b is held by the chuck 4a and the metal part 2 is attached to the chuck 4b. It does not matter if you hold it.
[0033]
【The invention's effect】
According to the first aspect of the present invention, a flexible or hard flexible tube formed by winding a metal wire in a coil shape, a flexible tube, or a flexible tube and a hardware part, over the entire circumference of the weld joint. Even if there is a frequent strong bending near the welded joint of the flexible tube or the welded joint between the flexible tube and the hardware part , there is no reduction in the elastic limit evenly. It is possible to perform bonding by difficult laser spot welding.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a conventional example.
[Explanation of symbols]
1a, 1b Flexible tube 2 Hardware parts 3a, 3b Chuck claw 4a, 4b, 5 Chuck 6 Laser irradiation head 8 Head slider 10 Motor 11 Motor drive controller 12 Spline shafts 13, 14a, 14b Pulleys 15, 16a, 16b Timing belt 17, 18a, 18b Chuck pulley

Claims (1)

A first chuck for holding a soft or hard flexible tube formed by winding a metal element in a coil;
A second holding is performed in such a manner that a soft or hard flexible tube formed by winding a metal part or a metal wire in a coil shape against the end surface of the flexible tube held by the first chuck. The chuck and
A third chuck for holding the metal part in a state of abutting against the end face of the flexible tube held by the second chuck;
A motor for generating a rotational force for rotating the first chuck , the second chuck, and the third chuck ;
Wherein a rotational force of said motor first chuck, with is transmitted to the second chuck and the third chuck, rotation transmission to synchronize the rotation of the first chuck, a second chuck and the third chuck Means,
Rotation angle control means for controlling the rotation angle of the motor;
Abutting portion of the flexible tube rotated based on the control of the rotation angle control means , and welding means for laser welding the abutting portion of the flexible tube and the hardware part;
A welded joint apparatus for flexible tubes, comprising:

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