JP7702328B2 - Case Manufacturing Method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a case manufacturing method.

There are various methods for manufacturing cases. When press-forming a metal case with a large aspect ratio (i.e., a deep case relative to the opening area), so-called "deep drawing" is required. "Deep drawing" requires the use of a metal with good extensibility, high press pressure, and a mold with a long stroke. Furthermore, when injection-molding a resin case with a large aspect ratio, a mold with a long punching stroke corresponding to the depth of the case is required. In other words, a large mold is required regardless of the material of the case. For this reason, as disclosed in Patent Document 1 below, the case may be manufactured by forming the case in multiple parts and then joining the parts together.

JP 2002-198011 A

However, to manufacture a case from multiple components, the components must be accurately aligned and joined together. If the case must be airtight or liquidtight, then if the joining of the components is insufficient, the airtightness or liquidtightness will be insufficient. For this reason, the positioning of the components when joining them is important. If the components can be accurately positioned, they can be firmly joined together.

In one aspect of the case manufacturing method of the present invention, a peripheral wall of a case is divided in the circumferential direction to form a plurality of divided plate members, at least one protrusion is formed on the surface near one edge of the adjacent divided plate members, the plurality of divided plate members are each stored in a jig that guides the divided plate members to a joining position of the peripheral wall, the jig is moved to the joining position to bring the other edge of the adjacent divided plate members into contact with the protrusion of one of the adjacent divided plate members to temporarily hold the plurality of divided plate members, and the edges of the adjacent divided plate members of the plurality of divided plate members in the temporarily held state are joined to form the peripheral wall.

When joining the divided plates that make up the peripheral wall of the case, the jig containing the divided plates is moved to the joining position described above, and the adjacent divided plates are accurately positioned and temporarily held together by a protrusion formed on one of the adjacent divided plates receiving the edge of the other. This positioning is performed on all adjacent divided plates. The multiple divided plates are joined in an accurately positioned and temporarily held state, so a firmly joined peripheral wall is formed.

According to one aspect of the case manufacturing method of the present invention, components can be accurately aligned during case manufacturing, allowing them to be firmly joined together.

1 is a schematic perspective view showing a case manufacturing method according to an embodiment. FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view showing the contact state of the edges of the divided plate members. FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view showing how the edges of the divided plate members come into contact with each other. FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of a peripheral wall formed of divided plate members. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the case manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment (first half of the manufacturing process). FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing the case manufacturing apparatus (second half of the manufacturing process). FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view showing a manufacturing apparatus according to a modified example of the first embodiment. 11 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the operation of a holding mechanism in the manufacturing apparatus. FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a case manufacturing apparatus according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic partial perspective view showing a manufacturing apparatus according to a modified example of the second embodiment.

The case manufacturing method according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the manufacturing method according to the embodiment will be outlined with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the case manufacturing method according to the embodiment.

In the case manufacturing method, the peripheral wall 10 of the case is divided in the circumferential direction to form multiple divided plate materials 1 (1a, 1b), at least one protrusion 1c is formed on the surface near the edge of one of the adjacent divided plate materials 1 1a (1b), the multiple divided plate materials 1 are each stored in a jig 2 that guides the divided plate materials 1 to a joining position of the peripheral wall 10, the jig 2 is moved to the joining position to bring the edge of the other adjacent divided plate material 1 1b (1a) into contact with the protrusion 1c of one of the adjacent divided plate materials 1 1a (1b), temporarily holding the multiple divided plate materials 1, and joining the edges of the adjacent divided plate materials of the multiple divided plate materials 1 in the temporarily held state to form the peripheral wall 10.

A more detailed explanation is provided below. As shown in Figures 1(a) and (b), first, the peripheral wall 10 of the case (see Figure 1(d)) is divided in the circumferential direction to form multiple divided plate members 1. In this embodiment, the case has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the peripheral wall is divided in half to form two divided plate members 1 (divided plate members 1a and 1b). The divided plate members 1 have the same shape and are metal plates bent at 90 degrees.

First, plate material 1x is punched out from a metal plate by press working (FIG. 1(a)), and then divided plate material 1 is formed by bending it 90 degrees by press working. At least one protrusion 1c is formed on the surface near one edge of adjacent divided plate material 1. In this embodiment, two protrusions 1c are formed near the edge of divided plate material 1. The protrusions 1c are formed at the same time that plate material 1x is punched out from the metal plate by press working.

In this embodiment, the peripheral wall 10 is divided into two equal L-shaped plates, but it may be divided into three or more parts, and does not necessarily have to be divided equally. The divided shape is also not limited to an L shape, and may be a simple flat plate, a curved plate, or an angular U-shape. The direction of division may also be vertical or diagonal. The aspect ratio of the case (peripheral wall 10) formed is also not limited. For convenience, the word "case" is used in this embodiment, but the "case" referred to here also includes containers such as tanks and bottles.

A protrusion 1c is formed on one of the adjacent divided plate materials 1 (1a, 1b), 1a, and as described below, this protrusion 1c comes into contact with the edge of the other divided plate material 1b. Conversely, if one of the adjacent divided plate materials 1 is considered to be divided plate material 1b, then a protrusion 1c is also formed on divided plate material 1b, and this protrusion 1c comes into contact with the edge of the other divided plate material 1a. In other words, the protrusion 1c is formed on both divided plate materials 1a and 1b. In this embodiment, two divided plate materials 1 (1a, 1b) of the same shape, including the protrusion 1c, are formed in this way.

Next, as shown in FIG. 1(c), the divided plate materials 1 are stored in the jigs 2. The jigs 2 guide the stored divided plate materials 1 to the combining position of the peripheral wall 10. The jigs 2 have an inner surface that matches the design shape of the divided plate materials 1, and also have a holding mechanism 3 that brings the divided plate materials 1 into contact with the inner surface. The holding mechanism 3 will be described in detail later (see FIG. 8), but the jig 2 has an insertion hole 20 through which the suction part 30 of the holding mechanism 3 is inserted. Since the two divided plate materials 1 have the same shape, the two jigs 2 that store them also have the same shape. In this embodiment, since the peripheral wall 10 of the case having a rectangular parallelepiped shape is formed, each jig 2 also has a box-like shape having a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a part of it is opened to store the divided plate materials 1. In addition, an opening 21 for exposing the joint between the divided plate materials 1 is also formed in the jig 2.

As shown in FIG. 1(d), the jig 2 containing the divided plate material 1 is moved to the above-mentioned composite position. The two jigs 2 (divided plate material 1) may be moved relative to each other so that they are moved to the composite position. For example, the two jigs 2 may be moved toward each other in the same manner, or one of the two jigs 2 may be stationary and only the other may be moved. The relative movement of the jigs 2 may be linear or curved. The relative movement of the jigs 2 is also the same when the peripheral wall 10 is divided into three or more divided plate materials 1. In this case, the movement amount of each jig 2 does not have to be equal. The same applies when the divided plate materials 1 are not the same shape.

By moving the jig 2 described above, the edge of one 1a (1b) of the adjacent divided plate materials 1 (1a, 1b) comes into contact with the protrusion 1c of the other 1b (1a), and the multiple divided plate materials 1 are temporarily held in the shape of the peripheral wall 10. The position of the jig 2 that temporarily holds the divided plate materials 1 is the above-mentioned composite position of the jig 2. That is, the edge of the divided plate material 1a comes into contact with the protrusion 1c of the divided plate material 1b and is positioned, and the edge of the divided plate material 1b comes into contact with the protrusion 1c of the divided plate material 1a and is positioned. As a result, all adjacent divided plate materials 1 that make up the peripheral wall 10 are accurately positioned, and the divided plate materials 1 are temporarily held in the composite state of the peripheral wall 10. This temporary holding is also the same when the peripheral wall 10 is divided into three or more divided plate materials 1, and also when the multiple divided plate materials 1 are not of the same shape.

In the temporarily held state, the joints between the divided plate materials 1, i.e., the edges in contact with the protrusions 1c, are exposed from the openings 21 of the jig 2. Next, in this temporarily held state, the edges of the divided plate materials 1 are joined together to form the peripheral wall 10. In this embodiment, the joints of the metal divided plate materials 1 are joined by laser welding. If the divided plate materials 1 are made of resin, they are joined by an adhesive or the like. If the divided plate materials 1 are made of resin, the joints can also be welded, and welding can also be performed using a laser.

As shown in FIG. 1(e), the peripheral wall 10 formed by joining the joints of the divided plate material 1 is removed from the jig 2. Finally, a bottom plate 11 is joined to the peripheral wall 10. In this embodiment, the bottom plate 11 is also a metal plate punched by press working, and protrusions 11c similar to protrusions 1c are formed on the four corners of the bottom plate 11 by press working. The bottom plate 11 is aligned with the peripheral wall 10 by the protrusions 11c. The bottom plate 11 is also laser welded to the peripheral wall 10. In this manner, the case is manufactured. Although not shown in the figure, after the specified contents are stored in the case, a cover plate is also appropriately joined in the same manner as the bottom plate 11. Depending on the use of the case, a removable cover may be used.

In the example of FIG. 1, due to the shape of the jig 2, it is not possible to join the bottom plate 11 to the peripheral wall 10 after joining the joints of the temporarily held divided plate material 1 shown in FIG. 1(d). However, depending on the shape of the jig 2, it may be possible to join the bottom plate 11 while the peripheral wall 10 is being held by the jig 2 (see the second embodiment described below). In such cases, the case is removed from the jig 2 after joining the bottom plate 11 to the peripheral wall 10.

Next, the shape of the protrusion 1c will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view showing the contact state of the edge of the divided plate material 1. The protrusion 1c shown in FIG. 2(a) has a teardrop shape cut in half by a plane passing through its central axis. The surface on the edge side of the protrusion 1c is an inclined convex curved surface. The protrusion 1c shown in FIG. 2(b) has a conical or polygonal pyramid shape (or a shape in which a triangular prism is extended along the edge). The surface on the edge side of the protrusion 1c is an inclined curved surface or an inclined flat surface. The protrusion 1c shown in FIG. 2(c) has a shape in which a part of a rectangular parallelepiped shape is cut. The cut surface is an inclined flat surface facing the edge side.

The protrusion 1c shown in FIG. 2(d) has a hemispherical shape (or a shape of a cylinder divided into two equal parts and extended along the edge). The surface on the edge side of the protrusion 1c is an inclined convex curved surface. The protrusion 1c shown in FIG. 2(e) has a shape of a sphere divided into four equal parts by two planes passing through its center at right angles to each other (or a shape of a cylinder divided into four equal parts and extended along the edge). The surface on the edge side of the protrusion 1c is a plane perpendicular to the inner surface of the divided plate material 1. The protrusion 1c shown in FIG. 2(f) has a cubic shape with rounded corners. The surface on the edge side of the protrusion 1c is a plane perpendicular to the inner surface of the divided plate material 1. Although not shown, the protrusion 1c may have a shape of part of a sphere or part of a cylinder, and it is sufficient that the protrusion on the edge of the protrusion 1c has a shape that can position the divided plate material 1.

The width of the protrusion 1c in the edge direction shown in the above-mentioned Figures 2(a) to (f) is small. However, the protrusion 1c may have a cross section of the shape shown in the above-mentioned Figures 2(a) to (f) and be formed long along the edge. Furthermore, when multiple protrusions 1c are formed along the edge, all of the protrusions 1c do not have to have the same shape. In this way, the protrusion 1c is formed in a shape that allows the inner surface of the divided plate material 1 and the protrusion 1c itself to position the edge of the mating divided plate material 1.

As shown in Fig. 2(a) to (f), the edges of the divided plate material 1 are preferably joined (temporarily held) together in a so-called "half-drawn" state. In "half-drawn", one end face of the divided plate material 1 is located midway between the other end face. When laser welding the metal divided plate material 1, by adopting such "half-drawn", the edges of the divided plate material 1 can be reliably joined together over their entire length by irradiating the laser toward the contacted (temporarily held) end faces of the divided plate material 1. In this case, if the laser is irradiated from above (or from the upper right) in Fig. 2, the molten metal will not penetrate into the inside of the peripheral wall 10 (case). When manufacturing cases for food or medical use, the penetration of molten metal into the inside of the peripheral wall 10 (case) is a quality issue. Furthermore, increasing the number of processes for removing the invaded metal reduces manufacturing efficiency.

Even when the divided plate material 1 is made of other materials such as resin, the edges of the divided plate material 1 can be reliably joined together over their entire length by filling the joined (temporarily held) end faces of the divided plate material 1 with adhesive. In this case too, "half-drawing" is used, which ensures a surface for filling with adhesive while also preventing the adhesive from penetrating into the peripheral wall 10 (case). The molten metal and adhesive are located on the two right-angled end faces, allowing the edges of the divided plate material 1 to be firmly joined together without soiling the outer surface of the divided plate material 1.

Let us consider the case of so-called "single pull" rather than "half pull". In "single pull", one end face of the divided plate material 1 is made flush with the outer surface of the other. Taking FIG. 2 as an example, in "single pull", the end face of the upper horizontal divided plate material 1 reaches the outer surface of the lower vertical divided plate material 1. In the case of "single pull" laser welding, there are two cases: the laser is irradiated from above in FIG. 2, and the laser is irradiated from the right in FIG. 2. In either case, the laser marks remain on the outer surface of the divided plate material 1, which reduces the appearance quality. If the number of processes for removing the laser marks is increased, the manufacturing efficiency will decrease. In addition, when the laser is irradiated from the right in FIG. 2, there is a possibility that molten metal will penetrate into the inside of the peripheral wall 10 (case) that is being formed. However, when the laser is irradiated from above in FIG. 2, a high joining strength can be obtained.

In the case of a "single pull" case in which the divided plate material 1 is made of another material such as resin, for example, adhesive is used for joining, but the adhesive remains on the outer surface of the divided plate material 1, which reduces the appearance quality. In order to prevent adhesive from remaining on the outer surface, it is necessary to apply adhesive to the narrow end surface before the edges of the divided plate material 1 are brought into contact with each other, which complicates the process and reduces manufacturing efficiency. It is also possible to use welding or adhesive on the internal corners of the peripheral wall 10, but this leaves the possibility of molten metal or adhesive entering the inside of the case and reduces the volume inside the case.

Let us consider the case of "two-way pull" rather than "half pull" or "single pull". In "two-way pull", one edge of the divided plate material 1 is in line contact with the other edge. Taking Figure 2 as an example, in "two-way pull", the end face of the upper horizontal divided plate material 1 only reaches the inner surface of the lower vertical divided plate material 1. In the case of laser welding with "two-way pull", it is necessary to fillet the end faces arranged at right angles, so a welding rod or welding wire is required. If an adhesive is used, sufficient joint strength cannot be obtained. In addition, whether laser welding or adhesive joining is used, there is a possibility that molten metal or adhesive will penetrate into the inside of the peripheral wall 10 (case) that is being formed.

In this embodiment, laser joining and adhesive joining have been described as examples, but the edges of the divided plate material 1 may be joined together by other methods. For example, other joining methods include mechanical joining and metallurgical joining. More specifically, mechanical joining includes joining with bolts and nuts, joining with rivets, and press fitting. More specifically, metallurgical joining includes laser welding, fusion welding, pressure welding (resistance welding), and brazing (brazing or soldering).

Next, the movement trajectory of the divided plate material 1 when one edge of the divided plate material 1 contacts the other edge of the protrusion 1c will be described with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view showing the contact method of the edges of the divided plate material 1. In FIG. 3, the protrusion 1c shown in FIG. 2(a) is used for the explanation. As described above, the edges of the divided plate material 1 are brought into contact with each other by moving the multiple jigs 2 to the combination position, but the movement trajectory of the edges at that time is not limited. Also, FIG. 3 only shows the movement trajectory immediately before contact.

In FIG. 3(a), the edge of the divided plate material 1 is brought into contact perpendicularly with the divided plate material 1 on which the protrusion 1c is formed. In FIG. 3(b), the edge of the divided plate material 1 is brought into contact with the divided plate material 1 on which the protrusion 1c is formed in the direction of the surface of the divided plate material 1 on which the protrusion 1c is formed. In FIG. 3(c), the edge of the divided plate material 1 is brought into contact obliquely with the divided plate material 1 on which the protrusion 1c is formed. FIG. 3(d) shows a trajectory similar to FIG. 3(a), in which the edge of the divided plate material 1 is guided by the inclined convex curved surface of the protrusion 1c. As a result, the edges of the divided plate material 1 are positioned more accurately. Such a guiding effect can also be achieved with the shapes of the protrusions 1c shown in FIG. 2(b) to (d).

In FIG. 3(e), the divided plate material 1 rotates relative to the divided plate material 1 on which the protrusion 1c is formed, causing its edge to come into contact in the above-mentioned planar direction. In FIG. 3(f), the divided plate material 1 rotates relative to the divided plate material 1 on which the protrusion 1c is formed, causing its edge to come into vertical contact with the divided plate material 1 on which the protrusion 1c is formed. In the cases of FIG. 3(b) and FIG. 3(e), the above-mentioned guiding effect cannot be obtained, but the shape of the protrusion 1c that receives the edge with a surface as shown in FIG. 2(e) and FIG. 2(f) is preferable. In the case of FIG. 3(f), the shapes of FIG. 2(a) to (d) are preferable to obtain the above-mentioned guiding effect.

In FIG. 3, the upper horizontal divided plate 1 is stationary and the lower vertical divided plate 1 is moved. However, as described above, this indicates relative movement, and the upper horizontal divided plate 1 may be moved and the lower vertical divided plate 1 may be kept stationary. Alternatively, the movement trajectory shown in FIG. 3 may be realized by moving both divided plate members 1.

Next, the shape of the peripheral wall 10 to be formed will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing the contact shape between the divided plate members 1. Note that FIG. 4 is a schematic view and does not accurately show the size or aspect ratio of the peripheral wall 10 formed by the divided plate members 1. Also, in FIG. 4, the protrusion 1c shown in FIG. 2(a) is used for the description. FIG. 4(a) shows the shape shown in FIG. 1. A rectangular parallelepiped case (peripheral wall 10) is formed by multiple divided plate members 1. FIG. 4(b) shows a shape in which the corners of the case in FIG. 4(a) are rounded. The shape of the case can also be changed by changing the radius of curvature of such corners.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4(c), the joining shape of the divided plate material 1 at the upper right joint is different from the embodiments described so far. In this joining shape, the edges of the divided plate material 1 are not joined at right angles, but are joined in the above-mentioned planar direction. By using such a joining shape, it is possible to realize various shapes of the case (peripheral wall 10). In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4(d), the corners of the case are rounded, and the joining shape at the lower left is the same as the joining shape at the upper right of FIG. 4(c). Considering the embodiment in FIG. 4(d), it is also possible to form a cylindrical or conical case (peripheral wall 10) by changing the radius of curvature of the divided plate material 1.

Next, the manufacturing method of the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view showing a case manufacturing device according to the first embodiment (first half of the manufacturing process). Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view showing the case manufacturing device (second half of the manufacturing process). Note that the divided plate material 1 and the jig 2 have been described with reference to Figure 1, so a detailed description will be omitted here.

As shown in FIG. 5(a), in this embodiment, the jig 2 is slidably attached to the moving mechanism 4. The moving mechanism 4 in this embodiment is a frame rail (hereinafter simply referred to as the rail 4). The multiple jigs 2 are slidably mounted on the rails 4 that extend radially. In this embodiment, there are two jigs 2, so the rails 4 are provided on a straight line that passes through the radial center. In addition, the rail 4 is configured to be rotatable around a rotation axis (right angle line) that is perpendicular to the extension direction and passes through the radial center.

First, the divided plate material 1 shown in FIG. 1(b) is formed as described above. Next, the divided plate material 1 is stored in the jig 2, which is positioned at both ends of the rail 4 as shown in FIG. 5(a). In this state, the divided plate material 1 is stored in the jig 2. The divided plate material 1 stored in the jig 2 is held in the jig 2 by the holding mechanism 3 (described later) such that its outer surface is pressed against the inner surface of the jig 2. As a result, even if the divided plate material 1 is slightly deformed, it is pressed against the inner surface of the jig 2 and is held so that it maintains the designed shape suitable for joining.

From this state, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the pair of jigs 2 are slid toward each other along the rails 4. This sliding moves the jigs 2 to the combined position, and the divided plate materials 1 come into contact with each other. That is, as shown in FIG. 6(a), the edge of one of the adjacent divided plate materials 1 is brought into contact with the protrusion 1c of the other, and multiple divided plate materials 1 are temporarily held. The edges of the temporarily held divided plate materials 1 are accurately positioned by the protrusion 1c as described above. In this state, one of the two joints is laser joined. For example, a laser is irradiated onto the joint from above (or from the upper right) of FIG. 6(a) to join the edges.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6(b), the rail 4 is rotated 180 degrees around the above-mentioned rotation axis (perpendicular line). In this embodiment, the peripheral wall 10 is divided into two equal parts to form the divided plate material 1. Furthermore, the divided plate material 1 temporarily held in the jig 2 is arranged point-symmetrically with respect to the radial center when viewed from the direction of the perpendicular line (rotation axis) passing through the above-mentioned radial center perpendicular to the extension direction of the rail 4. Therefore, by rotating it 180 degrees, the other of the two joints can be positioned at the position where one of them was laser joined.

Therefore, in the same way that one of the joints has been laser welded, the other can be laser welded as is. In this embodiment, the peripheral wall 10 is divided into two equal parts. However, even if it is divided into three or more equal parts, if the rails are extended radially, it is possible to rotate the jig (divided plate material) and rails by a specified angle around the radial center and laser weld the edges of adjacent divided plate materials in sequence. In this way, all joints can be sequentially welded using only a single laser processing machine, simplifying the equipment configuration and improving manufacturing efficiency.

Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view showing a manufacturing device according to a modified example of the first embodiment described above. In this modified example, as shown in Figure 7(a), the jig 2 is divided into two parts that can slide in the width direction. The rest of the configuration is the same as in the first embodiment described above, so detailed descriptions of them will be omitted. Each jig 2 in this modified example is divided into a first divided jig 2a and a second divided jig 2b in the width direction. The first divided jig 2a and the second divided jig 2b are configured to be slidable parallel to the above-mentioned right angle line (axis of rotation). A known mechanism can be used for the sliding mechanism of the first divided jig 2a and the second divided jig 2b, so detailed descriptions of them will be omitted.

In this modified example, when storing the divided plate material 1 in the jig 2, the first dividing jig 2a and the second dividing jig 2b are spaced apart slightly wider than the width of the divided plate material 1. Then, while or after storing the divided plate material 1 in the jig 2, the first dividing jig 2a and the second dividing jig 2b are slid toward each other as shown in FIG. 7(b). As a result, the divided plate material 1 is accurately positioned in the width direction relative to the jig 2. The method of joining the divided plate materials 1 thereafter is the same as the joining method of the first embodiment described above. According to this modified example, the divided plate materials 1 can be joined together more accurately.

Next, the holding mechanism 3 will be described with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the operation of the holding mechanism 3 in the manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment (and its modified example). In FIG. 8, only the jig 2 is shown as a cross section at the position of the insertion hole 20. As shown in FIG. 8(a), the holding mechanism 3 has a plurality of suction parts 30 that use negative pressure to suction the divided plate material 1. Each suction part 30 is inserted into the insertion hole 20 of the jig 2, and the suction cup at the tip is located inside the jig 2. The bellows part with the suction cup at the tip can bend. Therefore, when the first dividing jig 2a and the second dividing jig 2b slide in the modified example described above, the bellows part does not bend and the suction cup does not lose the suction of the divided plate material 1.

As shown in FIG. 8(b), the divided plate material 1 is held by the suction portion 30 of the holding mechanism 3, and its outer surface is pressed (attracted) against the inner surface of the jig 2. In this embodiment, the divided plate material 1 is a folded plate material, but even if the folding angle (90 degrees) is slightly larger or smaller than the design value, it is pressed against the inner surface of the jig 2 and maintained in a design shape suitable for temporary holding. When the jig 2 is moved from the state shown in FIG. 8(b), the divided plate materials 1 come into contact with each other as shown in FIG. 8(c), and the divided plate material 1 is temporarily held while being held by the holding mechanism 3.

At this time, the edge of the divided plate material 1 is positioned by the protrusion 1c. In this embodiment, the positioning of the edge at this time is in the form shown in FIG. 3(a) or FIG. 3(d). Even if the edge of the divided plate material 1 is slightly deformed inward, the divided plate materials 1 are accurately positioned relative to each other due to the guiding effect of the protrusion 1c as shown in FIG. 3(d). When the peripheral wall 10 is removed from the jig 2 after the divided plate materials 1 have been joined, the suction using the negative pressure by the holding mechanism 3 is released.

Next, the manufacturing method of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view showing a case manufacturing device according to the second embodiment. Note that the divided plate material 1 is the same as that of the first embodiment, so a detailed description will be omitted here.

In this embodiment, the jig 2X is moved horizontally. The movement mechanism 4X in this embodiment includes a rotary table 40 and a pair of rails 41 provided on the upper surface of the rotary table 40. The jig 2X is provided slidably on the rails 41. In this embodiment, the jig 2X is also moved to the combination position, and the divided plate materials 1 are brought into contact with each other.

The jig 2X has a shape bent at 90 degrees, and a recess for storing the divided plate material 1 is formed on its inner surface. A right-angled step 22 is formed on the lower edge of the recess, on which the lower edge of the divided plate material 1 rests. Meanwhile, an inclined step 23 is formed on the upper edge of the recess, which guides the divided plate material 1 into the recess. The holding mechanism 3X of this embodiment is a magnet embedded in the inner surface of the jig 2X (hereinafter simply referred to as magnet 3X). The surface of the magnet 3X is flush with the inner surface of the jig 2X.

When the divided plate material 1 is stored in the jig 2X, the jig 2X is positioned at the outer end of each rail 41. In this state, the lower edge of the divided plate material 1 is placed on the right-angle step 22, and the metal divided plate material 1 is attracted to the magnet 3X. However, if the metal divided plate material 1 is not magnetic, an elastic body may be used instead of a magnetic force to provide the attracting force. The upper edge of the divided plate material 1 is guided by the inclined step 23 due to the attracting force of the magnet 3X, and the outer surface of the divided plate material 1 is pressed (attracted) to the inner surface of the jig 2X and held in the recess of the jig 2X. As a result, even if the divided plate material 1 is slightly deformed, the divided plate material 1 is pressed against the inner surface of the jig 2 and held so as to maintain the design shape suitable for joining.

From this state, the pair of jigs 2X are slid toward each other along the rails 41. This sliding moves the jigs 2X to a combination position, and the divided plate materials 1 come into contact with each other. That is, the edge of one of the adjacent divided plate materials 1 is brought into contact with the protrusion 1c of the other, and multiple divided plate materials 1 are temporarily held. The edges of the temporarily held divided plate materials 1 are accurately positioned by the protrusion 1c. In this state, one of the two joints is laser joined. For example, a laser is irradiated onto the joint from the side of the rotary table 40 to join the edges.

Next, the rotary table 40 is rotated 180 degrees around a rotation axis (right angle line) perpendicular to the extension direction of the rail 41. In this embodiment, the peripheral wall 10 is divided into two equal parts to form the divided plate material 1. The divided plate material 1 temporarily held in the jig 2X is arranged point-symmetrically with respect to the radial center when viewed from the direction of the right angle line (rotation axis). Therefore, in this embodiment, by rotating 180 degrees, the other of the two joints can be positioned at the position where one of the two joints was laser-joined.

Therefore, just as one of the joints has been laser welded, the other can be laser welded as is. As explained in the first embodiment, even if the peripheral wall 10 is divided into three or more equal parts, if the rails are extended radially, it is possible to rotate the jig (divided plate material) and rails by a specified angle around the radial center and laser weld the edges of adjacent divided plate materials in sequence. In this way, all of the joints can be sequentially welded using only a single laser processing machine, simplifying the equipment configuration and improving manufacturing efficiency.

Figure 10 is a schematic partial perspective view showing a manufacturing device according to a modified example of the second embodiment described above. In this modified example, as in the modified example of the first embodiment (see Figure 7), the jig 2X is divided into two parts so that each part can slide in the width direction. The other configurations are the same as those of the second embodiment described above, so detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted. Also, the moving mechanism 4 is not shown in Figure 10. Each jig 2X in this modified example is divided into a first divided jig 2Xa and a second divided jig 2Xb in the width direction (vertical direction in Figure 10). The first divided jig 2Xa and the second divided jig 2Xb are configured to be slidable parallel to the above-mentioned right angle line (rotation axis). A known mechanism can be used for the sliding mechanism of the first divided jig 2Xa and the second divided jig 2Xb, so detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

In addition, each of the split jigs 2Xa and 2Xb has a triangular side wall (upper wall or lower wall). The inner surfaces of these side walls form the right-angled step 22 in the second embodiment. In other words, in this modified example, the inclined step 23 in the second embodiment is not formed.

In this modified example, when storing the divided plate material 1 in the jig 2X, the first dividing jig 2Xa and the second dividing jig 2Xb are spaced apart slightly wider than the width of the divided plate material 1. Then, when the divided plate material 1 is placed on the lower dividing jig 2Xa or 2xb, the divided plate material 1 is attracted to the magnet 3X. The first dividing jig 2Xa and the second dividing jig 2Xb are then slid relatively toward each other. In this modified example, specifically, the lower dividing jig 2Xa or 2xb is stationary, and only the upper dividing jig 2Xb or 2xa is moved downward. As a result, the divided plate material 1 is positioned from above and below by the right-angle steps 22, and is also accurately positioned in the width direction relative to the jig 2X.

The method of joining the divided plate materials 1 thereafter is the same as the joining method of the second embodiment described above. Therefore, this modified example also allows the divided plate materials 1 to be joined more accurately. In this embodiment, the divided plate materials 1 are held by magnets 3X, so that the divided plate material 1 can slide relative to the first dividing jig 2Xa and the second dividing jig 2Xb even when held by the magnets 3X. Therefore, the divided plate material 1 does not lose its adhesion when the first dividing jig 2Xa and the second dividing jig 2Xb slide.

According to the above embodiment (including the modified example), [1] a plurality of divided plate materials 1 are formed by dividing the peripheral wall 10 of the case in the circumferential direction, [2] at least one protrusion 1c is formed on the surface near one edge of adjacent divided plate materials 1, [3] the plurality of divided plate materials 1 are each stored in a jig 2 (2X) that guides the divided plate materials 1 to a joining position of the peripheral wall 10, [4] the jig 2 (2X) is moved to the joining position and one edge of the adjacent divided plate materials 1 is brought into contact with the protrusion 1c of the other divided plate material 1 to temporarily hold the plurality of divided plate materials 1, and [5] the edges of the adjacent divided plate materials 1 in the temporarily held state are joined to form the peripheral wall 10.

As a result, adjacent divided plate materials 1 can be temporarily held in an accurately positioned state, and the divided plate materials 1 can be firmly joined in the temporarily held state. In other words, the components can be accurately aligned and firmly joined when manufacturing the case. In addition, because the peripheral wall 10 of the case is formed from multiple divided plate materials 1, there is no need to use a mold with a long stroke, and therefore no need for a large press device or resin molding machine, making it easier to manufacture the case.

In addition, in the above embodiment (including the modified example), the multiple divided plate materials 1 are formed by equally dividing the peripheral wall 10, and each has the same shape including the protrusion 1c. Therefore, the multiple divided plate materials 1 can be formed using the same equipment and process, which reduces manufacturing costs and improves manufacturing efficiency. In addition, the jigs 2 that store the divided plate materials 1 can all be formed to have the same shape, which reduces the manufacturing costs of the jigs 2. Furthermore, the movement mechanism of the jigs 2 can also be configured in the same way, which simplifies the configuration of the manufacturing equipment.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment (including the modified example), the multiple divided plate materials 1 are made of metal. When manufacturing a metal case, the peripheral wall 10 is formed from multiple divided metal plate materials 1, so there is no need for "deep drawing." Therefore, as described above, there is no need for a long-stroke mold, and no need for large press pressure. As a result, the configuration of the manufacturing device can be further simplified. In addition, since there is no need for "deep drawing," there is no need to use a metal with good extensibility for the divided plate materials 1, so manufacturing costs can be reduced.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment (including the modified example), one edge of adjacent divided plate material 1 is in contact with the other edge of the other plate material in a "half-drawn" state, and the one edge and the other edge are laser-joined over the entire length. This makes it possible to manufacture a case with excellent appearance quality without reducing manufacturing efficiency while ensuring the joining strength. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent molten metal or molten resin from entering the case during laser joining. Furthermore, it is possible to manufacture a case with excellent airtightness and liquid-tightness.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment (including the modified example), the jig 2 (2X) is slidably mounted on rails 4 (41) extending radially from the above-mentioned composite position. Then, the jig 2 (2X) and rails 4 (41) are rotated around the radial center together with the multiple temporarily held divided plate materials 1, and one end edge and the other end edge are sequentially laser welded. Therefore, all joints can be sequentially joined using only a single laser processing machine, simplifying the equipment configuration and improving manufacturing efficiency.

Here, in the above embodiment (including the modified example), the peripheral wall 10 is divided into two equal parts to form the divided plate material 1. The divided plate material 1 temporarily held by the jig 2 (2X) is arranged point-symmetrically with respect to the radial center when viewed from the direction of a right angle line passing through the radial center perpendicular to the extension direction of the rail 4 (41). By dividing the peripheral wall 10 into two equal parts, the number of parts can be minimized, and the number of jigs 2 (2X) can also be minimized, so that the number of joints to be welded can also be reduced. In addition, since the two jigs 2 (2X) are moved linearly, the movement mechanism can also be simplified. Furthermore, the rotation mechanism of the divided plate material 1 in the temporarily held state, i.e., the rotation mechanism of the jig 2 in the combined position, can also be simplified. In other words, the equipment configuration can be further simplified and the manufacturing efficiency is further improved.

In the above embodiment (including the modified example), the jig 2 (2X) has a holding mechanism 3 (3X) that brings the divided plate material 1 into contact with the inner surface of the jig 2 (2X). Therefore, even if the divided plate material 1 is deformed, the divided plate material 1 can be held in its designed shape. As a result, the divided plate materials 1 can be provisionally held in a state where they are more accurately positioned relative to each other.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, a rectangular parallelepiped case was manufactured, but by devising the divided shape of the peripheral wall, it is also possible to manufacture a polyhedral or spherical case.

1 (1a, 1b) Divided plate material 10 Peripheral wall 2 Jig 3, 3X Holding mechanism 4, 41 Rail

Claims (7)

A method of manufacturing a case, comprising the steps of:
A peripheral wall of the case is divided in a circumferential direction to form a plurality of divided plate members;
At least one protrusion is formed on a surface near one edge of each of the adjacent divided plate members;
The divided plate members are respectively housed in a jig that guides the divided plate members to a joining position of the peripheral wall;
The jig is moved to the combining position to bring one of the protrusions of the adjacent divided plate materials into contact with the other edge of the adjacent divided plate materials, thereby temporarily holding the multiple divided plate materials;
A case manufacturing method comprising the steps of: joining edges of adjacent divided plate members of the plurality of divided plate members in a temporarily held state to form the peripheral wall. 2. A method for manufacturing a case according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:
a plurality of divided plate members formed by equally dividing the peripheral wall, each having the same shape including the protrusion, 3. A method for manufacturing a case according to claim 2, comprising the steps of:
A case manufacturing method, wherein the plurality of divided plate members are made of metal. A method for manufacturing a case according to claim 2 or 3,
A case manufacturing method comprising the steps of: laser joining one edge and the other edge of the adjacent divided plate material over their entire length while the one edge and the other edge of the adjacent divided plate material are in contact with each other in a half-drawn state. A method for manufacturing a case according to claim 4, comprising the steps of:
The jig is slidably provided on rails extending radially from the synthesis position,
A case manufacturing method, comprising: rotating the jig and the rail together with the temporarily held plurality of divided plate materials about a radial center to sequentially laser weld the one end edge and the other end edge. 6. A method for manufacturing a case according to claim 5, comprising the steps of:
The peripheral wall is divided into two equal parts to form the divided plate member,
A case manufacturing method in which the divided plate material temporarily held in the jig is arranged point-symmetrically with respect to the radial center when viewed from the direction of a perpendicular line passing through the radial center perpendicular to the extension direction of the rail. A method for manufacturing a case according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising the steps of:
The jig has a holding mechanism for bringing the divided plate material into contact with an inner surface of the jig.

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