JP6933529B2 - Tool unit and radio wave absorber used for it - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a tool unit and a radio wave absorbing box used therein.

Radio wave absorbers are used in various fields. For example, in Patent Document 1, a radio wave anechoic box used for measuring the antenna performance of a transmitting antenna or a receiving antenna, in which a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna are provided so as to face each other inside the box, and prevention of reflected radio waves is provided. And, in order to block external radio waves, a radio wave absorber provided on the inner surface of the box is disclosed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-122880

By the way, a tool such as a torque wrench or an electric screwdriver is provided with a wireless communication function, and wireless communication is performed with a wireless device to manage work by the tool. However, for example, when work management is performed by wireless communication between such a tool and a wireless device in each of the first and second lines adjacent to each other, the wireless communication area formed by the wireless device in the first line is formed. In addition to including the work area by the tool of the first line, when the work area by the tool of the second line is interfering, the wireless communication from the tool to the wireless device in the first line is performed by the tool of the second line. The amount of information processing may become larger than necessary, resulting in a decrease in communication speed due to radio wave interference caused by radio waves from. In addition, recently, wireless communication by mobile phones, personal computers, and the like is also widely used, and radio wave interference caused by these radio waves may also cause a decrease in communication speed. Then, these reductions in communication speed cause a problem that the work efficiency of the tool is deteriorated.

An object of the present invention is to suppress deterioration of work efficiency due to a tool due to a decrease in communication speed.

The present invention accommodates a tool having a wireless communication function, a wireless device having an antenna for wireless communication with the tool, and the antenna of the wireless device, and an opening for arranging the antenna so as to face the tool side. have, and look contains a radio wave absorbing box wave absorber so as to surround the antenna is provided with the exception of the opening, the radio wave absorption box, the opening is formed so as to face the side At the same time, it is a tool unit having an overhanging portion of the radio wave absorber on the lower surface provided so as to continuously project from the opening on the upper surface portion above the antenna housed in the radio wave absorbing box.

The present invention is a radio wave absorbing box for accommodating the antenna of the wireless device in the tool unit of the present invention.

According to the present invention, the antenna of the wireless device for wireless communication with the tool is housed in the radio wave absorbing box, and the radio wave absorbing box is arranged so that the opening faces the tool side, so that the radio wave formed by the antenna is formed. The communication area is regulated, which eliminates radio wave interference from the outside and enables wireless communication between the tool and the wireless device, and as a result, suppresses deterioration of work efficiency due to the tool due to a decrease in communication speed. be able to.

It is a top view which shows the usage mode of the tool unit which concerns on embodiment. It is a side view which shows the usage mode of the tool unit which concerns on embodiment. It is a perspective view of a radio wave absorption box. It is a front view of a radio wave absorption box. FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IIC-IIC in FIG. 2B. Figure IIC-IIC cross-sectional equivalent view when the antenna is placed on the back side. FIG. IIC-IIC is a cross-sectional equivalent view when the antenna is arranged on the opening side. FIG. IIC-IIC is a cross-sectional equivalent view of Fig. IIC-IIC when the main body of the device is projected from the opening and the antenna is further arranged on the opening side. It is a front view of the radio wave absorption box of a modification. FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IVB-IVB in FIG. 4A. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional equivalent view of Fig. IVB-IVB when the distance of the communication area adjusting member to the antenna is narrowed. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional equivalent view of Fig. IVB-IVB when the distance of the communication area adjusting member to the antenna is widened. It is a perspective view of the radio wave absorption box of another modification. It is a vertical sectional view of the radio wave absorption box of another modification. It is a side view which shows the usage mode of the tool unit which concerns on embodiment using the radio wave absorption box of another modification. It is a top view of the car body manufacturing line using the tool unit which concerns on embodiment. It is a side view of the 1st line of the vehicle body manufacturing line of an automobile using the tool unit which concerns on embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1A and 1B show a usage mode of the tool unit 10 according to the embodiment. The tool unit 10 according to the embodiment is used by the worker P to perform a predetermined work on the work W in the work area a.

The tool unit 10 according to the embodiment includes a tool 11, a wireless device 12, and a radio wave absorbing box 13.

The tool 11 is a torque wrench, an electric screwdriver, or the like having a wireless communication function for performing work such as bolt tightening. The wireless device 12 is a so-called wireless LAN router having a device main body 12a and an antenna 12b for wireless communication with a tool 11 erected at the rear end thereof. The wireless device 12 is connected to a computer (not shown) wirelessly or by wire.

2A to 2C show the radio wave absorption box 13.

The radio wave absorbing box 13 is a rectangular parallelepiped box having a side surface of 250 mm to 300 mm and is formed so that one of the side surfaces thereof is an opening 13a. Therefore, the radio wave absorbing box 13 is made of a rigid material such as a steel plate. A plate-shaped radio wave absorber 13c is internally fitted into the formed outer box body 13b. The plate-shaped radio wave absorber 13c is made of, for example, a foamed resin plate or a non-woven fabric mat containing a radio wave absorbing material such as conductive carbon black, conductive graphite, or metal powder.

The radio wave absorbing box 13 has a longer depth from the opening 13a than the wireless device 12, and the entire wireless device 12 including the device main body 12a and the antenna 12b is inside the radio wave absorbing box 13, the device main body 12a is on the opening 13a side, and the antenna 12b is at the back. It is housed so that it is on the side. As a result, the radio wave absorber 13c is provided so as to surround the antenna 12b except for the opening 13a. Further, the radio wave absorbing box 13 is arranged so that the opening 13a faces the tool 11 side. As a result, the antenna 12b of the wireless device 12 housed in the radio wave absorption box 13 forms the wireless communication area A so as to include the work area a while being regulated by the radio wave absorption box 13.

In the tool unit 10 according to the embodiment, wireless communication is performed between the tool 11 used in the work area a and the wireless device 12 in which the antenna 12b is housed in the radio wave absorption box 13. This wireless communication uses, for example, a 2.4 GHz band. This wireless communication preferably has a fixed channel, and is preferably bidirectional communication. Examples of the communication information from the tool 11 to the wireless device 12 include work result information. Examples of the communication information from the wireless device 12 to the tool 11 include work setting information. The work of the tool 11 is managed in the computer by this wireless communication.

By the way, when the work management of tools is performed by wireless communication with a wireless device, if wireless communication of the same type of tools, mobile phones, personal computers, etc. that perform wireless communication is also mixed, radio wave interference due to their external radio waves will occur. I'm worried. However, according to the tool unit 10 according to the embodiment of the above configuration, the antenna 12b of the wireless device 12 for wireless communication with the tool 11 is housed in the radio wave absorption box 13 and the radio wave absorption box 13 is housed as described above. By arranging the opening 13a so that the opening 13a faces the tool 11, the wireless communication area A formed by the antenna 12b is regulated, thereby eliminating radio wave interference due to external radio waves and wirelessly communicating between the tool 11 and the wireless device 12. Communication can be performed, and as a result, deterioration of work efficiency due to the tool 11 due to a decrease in communication speed can be suppressed.

Here, since the depth of the radio wave absorbing box 13 from the opening 13a is longer than that of the wireless device 12, and the accommodation position of the antenna 12b is variably configured from the opening 13a to the back side, the accommodation position of the antenna 12b is changed. As a result, the wireless communication area A can be adjusted in the horizontal direction. Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 3A, if the antenna 12b is arranged closer to the back than shown in FIG. 2C, the wireless communication area A can be narrowed in the horizontal direction, while shown in FIG. 3B. As described above, if the antenna 12b is arranged closer to the opening 13a than shown in FIG. 2C, the wireless communication area A can be widened in the horizontal direction. As shown in FIG. 3C, if the antenna 12b is housed in the radio wave absorption box 13, the antenna 12b is further moved toward the opening 13a by projecting a part of the device main body 12a from the opening 13a of the radio wave absorption box 13. It may be arranged, whereby the radio communication area A can be made wider in the horizontal direction. Further, as long as the antenna 12b is housed in the radio wave absorption box 13, the entire device main body 12a may be provided outside the radio wave absorption box 13. Further, in the case of a wireless device in which the antenna is provided separately from the device main body, if the antenna is housed in the radio wave absorption box, the device body can be housed in the radio wave absorption box even if it is housed in the radio wave absorption box. It may or may not be provided outside the.

4A and 4B show a modified example of the radio wave absorbing box 13. Inside the radio wave absorbing box 13 of this modified example, there is a communication area of a panel-shaped radio wave absorber having a thickness of, for example, 30 mm on both sides of the antenna 12b housed in the radio wave absorbing box 13 when viewed from the opening 13a side. The adjusting member 13d is detachably provided so as to partition the space to the left and right. In the radio wave absorbing box 13 of this modification, the communication area adjusting member 13d constitutes the inner wall of the radio wave absorber having a variable distance to the antenna 12b. Therefore, wireless communication is performed by changing the distance to the antenna 12b. The horizontal adjustment of the area A can be performed. Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 5A, if the distance to the antenna 12b is narrower than that shown in FIG. 4B, the wireless communication area A can be narrowed in the horizontal direction, while shown in FIG. 5B. As described above, if the distance to the antenna 12b is wider than that shown in FIG. 4B, the wireless communication area A can be widened in the horizontal direction. In the modified example of the radio wave absorbing box 13, since the communication area adjusting members 13d of the radio wave absorber are provided on both sides of the antenna 12b, the radio wave absorber 13c is not necessarily fitted inside the both side surfaces of the box body 13b. It does not have to be. Further, the same communication area adjusting member 13d may be laminated and filled on the side opposite to the wireless device 12 side of the communication area adjusting member 13d inside the radio wave absorbing box 13 of the modified example. The horizontal direction of the wireless communication area A can be adjusted according to the number of stacked sheets. Further, the communication area adjusting member 13d may be provided only on the right side or the left side of the antenna 12b.

6A and 6B show another modified example of the radio wave absorbing box 13. The radio wave absorbing box 13 of this other modification is formed so that the opening 13a faces sideways, and is continuously stretched from the opening 13a on the upper surface portion above the antenna 12b housed in the radio wave absorbing box 13. An overhanging portion 13e is provided so as to extend. The overhanging portion 13e is integrally formed with the box body 13b and the radio wave absorber 13c, and therefore, the lower surface thereof is formed of the radio wave absorber 13c. According to the radio wave absorption box 13 of this other modification, even when the radio wave absorption box 13 is provided at a high place as shown in FIG. 7, since the lower surface has the overhanging portion 13e of the radio wave absorber 13c, the external radio wave from below ( The broken line) is absorbed by the radio wave absorber 13c on the lower surface of the overhanging portion 13e, and the reflected radio waves reflected by them on the ceiling can be effectively prevented from entering the wireless device 12.

8A and 8B show an automobile body manufacturing line L as a practical example using the first and second tool units 101 and 102 according to the embodiment.

The vehicle body manufacturing line L of this automobile includes the first and second lines L1 and L2 which are provided adjacent to each other and in parallel. The first and second lines L1 and L2 are provided with first and second work transfer devices 21 and 22, respectively.

The first work transfer device 21 has a pair of rails 21a extending straight and a plurality of carriages 21b provided at intervals on the pair of rails 21a, and each carriage 21b has a vehicle body of the first work W1. Is configured to be carried along a pair of rails 21a. Similarly, the second work transfer device 22 includes a pair of rails 22a extending straight in parallel with the rails 21a of the first work transfer device 21, and a plurality of carriages 22b provided at intervals on the pair of rails 22a. The vehicle body of the second work W2 is placed on each bogie 22b and conveyed along the pair of rails 22a in the same direction as the first work W1 of the first line L1.

In the vehicle body manufacturing line L of this automobile, the first work area a1 is configured on the second line L2 side of the first work transfer device 21, and the second work area a2 is the first line of the second work transfer device 22. It is configured on the L1 side, and therefore the first and second work areas a1 and a2 are configured in a narrow space between the first work transfer device 21 and the second work transfer device 22. The first and second tool units 101 and 102 are also provided between the first work transfer device 21 and the second work transfer device 22.

In the first line L1, the first worker P1 performs the first work in the first work area a1 with respect to the first work W1 transported by the first work transfer device 21 by the first tool unit 101. Similarly, in the second line L2, the second worker P2 performs the second work in the second work area a2 with respect to the second work W2 transported by the second work transfer device 22 by the second tool unit 102. conduct. The second worker P2 may be the same person as the first worker P1 on the first line L1, that is, may be a person in charge or a different person. The second work may be the same work as the first work of the first line L1, or may be a separate work.

At this time, in the first tool unit 101, the first radio device 121 including the first antenna 121b is housed in the first radio wave absorbing box 131, so that the first antenna 121b is horizontal by the first radio wave absorbing box 131. Due to the direction restriction, the first radio communication area A1 including the first work area a1 of the first line L1 but not the second work area a2 of the second line L2 is formed. Similarly, in the second tool unit 102, the second radio device 122 including the second antenna 122b is housed in the second radio wave absorbing box 132, so that the second antenna 122b is horizontal by the second radio wave absorbing box 132. Due to direction restrictions, a second radio communication area A2 is formed that includes the second work area a2 of the second line L2 but does not include the first work area a1 of the first line L1.

According to the vehicle body manufacturing line L of this automobile, the first antenna 121b of the first wireless device 121 of the first line L1 is housed in the first radio wave absorbing box 131, and the first wireless communication area A1 formed by the first antenna 121b is the first. Since the two work areas a2 are not included in the horizontal direction, wireless communication between the first tool 111 and the first radio device 121 in the first line L1 is performed in the second work area a2 of the second line L2. Even if the second tool 112 used performs wireless communication on the same channel, it does not receive radio wave interference due to it, and the amount of information processing does not increase more than necessary. Therefore, wireless communication communication on the first line L1 The decrease in speed can be suppressed.

Similarly, the second antenna 122b of the second radio device 122 of the second line L2 is housed in the second radio wave absorption box 132, and the second radio communication area A2 formed by the second antenna 122b does not include the first work area a1. Since the radio wave communication between the second tool 112 and the second radio device 122 in the second line L2 is regulated in the horizontal direction, the first tool 111 used in the first work area a1 of the first line L2 is assumed to be. Even if wireless communication of the same channel is performed, it is not affected by radio wave interference due to it, and the amount of information processing does not increase more than necessary. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the communication speed of wireless communication on the second line L2. can.

Further, in addition to these, since the first and second antennas 121b and 122b of the first and second radio devices 121 and 122 are housed in the first and second radio wave absorption boxes 131 and 132, respectively, the first and second radio wave absorption boxes 131 and 132 are housed in the first and second radio wave absorption boxes 131 and 132. 2. The input of external radio waves for wireless communication of the same type of tools, mobile phones, personal computers, etc. that perform wireless communication to the wireless devices 121 and 122 is restricted, and the decrease in communication speed can be suppressed from this viewpoint as well.

As a result, the decrease in the communication speed of wireless communication on the first and second lines L1 and L2 is suppressed, and the first and second operations performed on the first and second lines L1 and L2 are good. Workability can be obtained.

In the above practical example, the vehicle body production line L is shown, but the present invention is not particularly limited to this, and it may be a production line for other products.

Further, in the above practical example, the vehicle body manufacturing line L is configured to include the first and second lines L1 and L2, but the present invention is not particularly limited to this, and more lines having the same configuration are provided. It may include.

In the above practical example, the first and second lines L1 and L2 are adjacent to each other and provided in parallel, but the line layout is not particularly limited to this, and other line layouts may be used. good.

In the above practical example, the first and second work areas a1 and a2 are provided between the first work transfer device 21 and the second work transfer device 22, but the present invention is not particularly limited to this. , The first and second work areas may be provided on the same side of the first and second work transfer devices, respectively.

In the above practical example, the first and second work transfer devices 21 and 22 are configured to convey the first and second works W1 and W2 in the same direction, but the present invention is not particularly limited to this, and the first and second work transfer devices are not particularly limited. The second work may be conveyed in the opposite direction.

The present invention is useful in the technical field of tool units and radio wave absorbers used therein.

A, A1, A2 (1st, 2nd) wireless communication areas a, a1, a2, (1st, 2nd) work area L Body production line L1, L2 1st, 2nd line P, P1, P2 (1st) 1, 2) Workers W, W1, W2 (1st and 2nd) Work 10, 101, 102 (1st and 2nd) Tool units 11, 111, 112 (1st and 2nd) Tools 12, 121 , 122 (1st and 2nd) wireless devices 12a, 121a, 122a Device body 12b, 121b, 122b Antennas 13, 131, 132 (1st and 2nd) Radio wave absorbing box 13a Opening 13b Box body 13c Radio wave absorber 13d Communication Area adjusting member 13e Overhanging parts 21 and 22 (1st and 2nd) Conveying devices 21a, 22a Rails 21b, 22b Carts

Claims (4)

Tools with wireless communication function and
A wireless device having an antenna for wireless communication with the tool,
A radio wave absorbing box that accommodates the antenna of the wireless device, has an opening for arranging the antenna so as to face the tool side, and is provided with a radio wave absorber so as to surround the antenna excluding the opening. ,
Only including,
The radio wave absorbing box is formed so that the opening faces sideways, and is provided so as to continuously project from the opening on the upper surface portion above the antenna housed in the radio wave absorbing box. A tool unit whose lower surface has an overhanging portion of a radio wave absorber. In the tool unit according to claim 1,
The radio wave absorbing box is provided on at least one of both sides of the antenna housed in the radio wave absorbing box when viewed from the opening side so as to form an inner wall of a radio wave absorber having a variable distance to the antenna. A tool unit having a communication area adjusting member. In the tool unit according to claim 1 or 2.
The radio wave absorbing box is a tool unit in which the accommodation position of the antenna is variably configured from the opening to the back side. A radio wave absorbing box for accommodating the wireless device in the tool unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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