JPH0683936B2 - Automatic device for snap ring - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to an automatic insertion of a snap ring for holding a leaf spring fitted in a sleeve in an elastically deformed state into an outer peripheral groove formed in the sleeve. Assembling device

[Technical background of the invention and its problems]

For example, in a clutch such as an automobile or a motorcycle, which is a component to be assembled, a clutch disc, a pressure plate and a leaf spring are sequentially assembled in a hub sleeve provided in a housing. Further, an outer peripheral groove is formed in the hub sleeve, and a snap ring is fitted in the outer peripheral groove, and the leaf spring is held in a state of being elastically deformed by the snap ring. The restoring force of the leaf spring pressurizes the clutch disc through the pressure plate so that the clutch disc and the housing are integrally coupled.

By the way, in the conventional assembly process of such a clutch, the work of fitting the snap ring into the outer peripheral groove of the hub sleeve has been performed manually. That is, the worker fits the snap ring whose diameter is expanded by the tool into the outer peripheral groove while elastically deforming the leaf spring. Therefore, not only a great deal of labor is required for the work, but also skill is required, which makes it difficult to improve productivity.

[Object of the Invention]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an automatic snap ring assembling apparatus which is capable of automatically incorporating a snap ring, which is fitted into an outer peripheral groove of a sleeve and holds a leaf spring in an elastically deformed state, into the outer peripheral groove. is there.

[Outline of Invention]

According to the present invention, a component to be assembled is configured by including a sleeve having an outer peripheral groove formed therein and a leaf spring fitted in advance to the sleeve, and the leaf spring is elastically deformed to form the outer periphery of the component to be assembled. In an automatic snap ring assembling apparatus for fitting a snap ring into a groove, a guide body in which the snap ring is fitted and held on the outer periphery, and a carrying body for nipping and carrying the guide body and fitting one end portion thereof into the sleeve A mechanism, a pressing body formed in a cylindrical shape so as to be externally fitted on the guide body, and a concave portion into which the snap ring is inserted is formed on an end surface facing the guide body, and the end surface is formed as a pressing surface; By driving the pressing body into which the guide body is inserted, the snap ring held by the guide body is pushed by the recess and the leaf spring is pushed by the push ring. By pressing a plane is an automatic assembling apparatus of the snap ring, characterized by comprising a driving mechanism which is fitted to the circumferential groove.

Example of Invention

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of the entire automatic assembly apparatus.
This apparatus is provided with a parts feeder 1, a transport mechanism 2 arranged in front of the baht feeder 1, a press mechanism 3 arranged between the transport mechanism 2 and the parts feeder 1, and a side of the press mechanism 3. It is composed of a carry-out conveyor 4 and a carry-in conveyor 5 whose end is arranged to face the press mechanism 3 in a state orthogonal to the carry-out conveyor 4.

The parts feeder 1 has upper and lower two-stage discharge ducts 6 and 7 connected to the hopper 1a. A snap ring a described later is discharged from the upper discharge duct 6 and a washer b described below is also discharged from the lower discharge duct 7. Are to be carried out. Although not shown, a shutter that can be opened and closed is provided at the tip of each unloading duct 6, 7, and the above-mentioned snap ring a, which has been transported through each unloading duct 6, 7 to this shutter.
And the washer b come into contact with each other and are held so as not to fall from the respective discharge ducts 6 and 7.

The transfer mechanism 2 has a carrier 8 movably supported in a direction orthogonal to the respective discharge ducts 6 and 7, and the carrier 8 has first grippers 9 at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction thereof. And the second gripper 10 is attached. The rod 12 of the cylinder 11 is provided at one longitudinal end of the carrier 8.
The cylinder 8 is adapted to reciprocate the carrier 8 in the direction of the arrow with a predetermined stroke. That is, when the rod 12 of the cylinder 11 is protruding, the first gripper 9 faces the tips of the discharge ducts 6 and 7, and the second gripper 10 faces the pressing mechanism 3. When the rod 12 of the cylinder 11 moves backward, the first
Second gripper 9 faces the press mechanism 3.
10 is located above the carry-out conveyor 1.

The first gripper 9 is constructed as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. That is, the substrate 15 is attached and fixed to the carrier 8. An upper mounting plate 16 is horizontally connected to the upper end of the substrate 15, and a lower mounting plate 17 is horizontally connected to the lower end thereof.
An upper cylinder 18 is vertically held by the upper mounting plate 16, and a lower cylinder 19 having a stronger force than the upper cylinder 18 is vertically held by the lower mounting plate 17. The cylinder 18 and the lower cylinder 19 are arranged on the same axis. A support 21 is attached to the lower end of the rod 20 of the upper cylinder 18. The support 21 is provided with a horizontal cylinder 22 in a state orthogonal to the plate surface of the substrate 15. One end of a crank-shaped movable body 24 is connected and fixed to the rod 23 of the horizontal cylinder 22. A ridge 26 is provided on the upper surface of the intermediate portion 25 of the movable body 24, and the ridge 26 is slidably engaged with a guide groove 28 of a guide member 27 horizontally attached to the support 21. An opening / closing mechanism 29 is provided at the other vertical end of the movable body 24, and the opening / closing mechanism 29 opens and closes the pair of holding bodies 30 in the horizontal direction. As shown in FIG. 4, a guide body 31 is sandwiched between these holding bodies 30. The upper half of the guide body 31 is formed in a tapered portion 31a having a diameter gradually increasing downward, and the lower half is formed in a straight portion 32, and a small diameter portion 33 is projected on a lower end surface of the straight portion 32. It is set up. Therefore, the guide body 31 held by the pair of holding bodies 30 is vertically and horizontally driven by the upper cylinder 18 and the horizontal cylinder 22. The rod of the upper cylinder 18
When 20 is protruding, the lower end surface of the support 21 is lower cylinder 19
Abut on the rod 34. Therefore, if the protruding length of the rod 34 of the lower cylinder 19 is changed, the lowered position of the support body 21, that is, the lowered position of the guide body 31 can be changed. Further, the support 21 is configured so that its vertical movement is guided by a pair of guide rods 35 having upper and lower end portions connected to an upper mounting plate 16 and a lower mounting plate 17.

The second gripper 10 is different from the first gripper 9 in shape of the pair of holding bodies 30, and is otherwise the same in structure. In other words, the pair of gripping bodies 30 of the second gripper 10 has a shape capable of gripping the clutch 36 which is an assembled component conveyed by the carry-in conveyor 5. The clutch 36 has a housing 38 having a drive gear 37 formed on the outer peripheral surface thereof, as shown by a chain line in FIG. 4, a hub sleeve 39 erected at the center of the housing 38, and the hub sleeve 39 in order. It consists of a clutch disc 40, a pressure plate 41 and a leaf spring 42 which are fitted together. An outer peripheral groove 43 is formed in the hub sleeve 39, and the washer b and the snap ring a are fitted in the outer peripheral groove 43 as described later to elastically deform the leaf spring 42 against the restoring force. It is designed to be held in. The above hub sleeve
The inner diameter dimension of 39 is such that the small diameter portion 33 of the guide body 31 is fitted therein, and the outer diameter dimension thereof is substantially the same as the outer diameter dimension of the straight portion 32 of the guide body 31.

The press mechanism 3 is mounted on a pedestal 45 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.
Is equipped with. The pedestal 45 is composed of a pair of columns 46 standing upright on both sides in the width direction of the carry-in conveyor 5, and a mounting plate 47 horizontally attached to the upper ends of the columns 46. This mounting plate
A pressurizing cylinder 48 is vertically installed at 47. A pressing body 50 is attached to the rod 49 of the pressure cylinder 48. The pressing body 50 has a cylindrical shape having an inner diameter into which the guide body 31 can be inserted, and one end of the pressing body 50 is fitted to the rod 49 and fixedly connected by a pin 51. Further, an annular recess 52 is formed on the lower end surface of the pressing body 50, and the outer peripheral side of the recess 52 has the clutch as described later.
The pressing surface 53 presses the leaf springs 36.

Further, a lifter 55 is provided below the end of the carry-in conveyor 5.
Are arranged. The lifter 55 operates at a timing described later to raise the clutch 36 on the carry-in conveyor 5 from above the conveyor 5.

Next, the operation of the automatic assembling apparatus having the above configuration will be described. First, in the initial state, as shown in FIG. 1, the first gripper 9 grips the guide body 31 to hold the parts feeder 1.
Of the second gripper 10 facing the tip of the discharge ducts 6, 7 of
Faces the press mechanism 3. In addition, the carry-in conveyor 5
The clutch 36 conveyed by the press mechanism 3
It faces below the pressing body 50. When an operation start signal is input in such a state, the first gripper 9
After the horizontal cylinder 22 is activated to advance the guide body 31 toward the parts feeder 1 as shown by the chain line in FIG. 4, the upper cylinder 18 is activated to raise the guide body 31. As a result, the snap ring a and the washer b, which are located at the extreme ends of the carry-out ducts 6 and 7 of the parts feeder 1, are fitted onto the tapered portion 31a of the guide body 31. The inner diameter of the snap ring a is the straight portion 32 of the guide body 31.
The outer diameter of the washer b is smaller than the outer diameter of the straight portion 32, and the inner diameter of the washer b is larger than the outer diameter of the straight portion 32. Therefore, the snap ring a fitted on the taper portion 31a is hooked in the middle thereof, but the washer b falls until it hits the holding body 30.

When the guide body 31 takes out the snap ring a and the washer b from the parts feeder 1, the rod of the horizontal cylinder 22
23 operates in the closing direction to retract the guide body 31, and the rod 20 of the upper cylinder 18 operates in the protruding direction to lower the guide body 31. In this state, the cylinder 11 of the transport mechanism 2 operates and the rod 12 thereof is driven in the closing direction, so that the carrier 8 slides, the first gripper 9 faces the press mechanism 3, and the second gripper 10 moves.
Is located above the carry-out conveyor 4. Next, the horizontal cylinder 22 of the first grip 9 operates to advance the guide body 31, and the small diameter portion 33 of the guide body 31 faces the hub sleeve 39 of the clutch 36 positioned at the end of the carry-in conveyor 5. Let Then, as shown in FIG.
The lifter 55 arranged below the distal end of the clutch actuates to raise the clutch 36, and the hub sleeve 39 receives the guide member.
The small diameter portion 33 of 31 is fitted. Guide body 31 is hub sleeve
When fitted in 39, the pressurizing cylinder 48 of the press mechanism 3 operates and the pressing body 50 descends. At the same time, when the pair of holding bodies 30 of the first gripper 9 is opened, the horizontal cylinder 22 operates to retract the holding body 30, that is, to retract the pressing body 50 so as not to interfere with the lowering of the pressing body 50. When the pressing body 50 descends as shown by the chain line in FIG.
Goes in. Then, the snap ring a hooked on the taper portion 31a of the guide body 31 enters into the concave portion 52 formed in the lower end surface of the pressing body 50 and descends along the guide body 31 while being pressed by the concave portion 52. When the snap ring a moves from the tapered portion 31a of the guide body 31 to the straight portion 32, the diameter of the snap ring a is increased according to the outer diameter of the straight portion 32. The washer b drops along the guide body 31 when the pair of holding bodies 30 is opened, and the washer b
It is fitted to 39 and joined to the leaf spring 42 of the clutch 36. The pressing surface is formed on the lower end surface of the pressing body 50 further descending.
When 53 is pressed against the washer b, the central portion of the leaf spring 42 is elastically deformed via the washer b. Then, the recess 52
When is lowered to a position facing the outer peripheral groove 43 of the hub sleeve 39, the snap ring a in the expanded state in the recess 52 is restored and fitted into the outer peripheral groove 43. At this time,
The pressing surface 53 of the pressing body 50 presses the leaf spring 42 via the washer b, and the snap ring a accommodated in the recess 52 is not pressed by the restoring force of the leaf spring 42. Restoration from the enlarged diameter state to the state fitted in the outer peripheral groove 43, that is, the diameter reduction is smoothly performed.

When the snap ring a is fitted into the outer peripheral groove 43 of the hub sleeve 39 in this manner, the pressure cylinder 48 operates in the opposite direction to the above to raise the pressing body 50. Further, when the pressing body 50 rises, the pair of holding bodies 30 of the first gripper 9 advance and hold the guide body 31. When the guide body 31 is clamped, the lifter 55 operates and the clutch 36 descends.
Is placed on the carry-in conveyor 5, and the small diameter portion 33 of the guide body 31 is pulled out from the hub sleeve 39. In such a state, the cylinder 11 of the transport mechanism 2 is operated to move the carrier 8 and the first gripper is opposed to the parts feeder 1, whereby the initial state is restored.

In the second gripper 10, the guide body 31 held by the first gripper 9 is a snap ring a from the parts feeder 1.
And when the washer b is removed, they operate at the same time. That is, as described above, when the clutch 36 in which the snap ring a is fitted in the outer peripheral groove 43 of the hub sleeve 39 is on the carry-in conveyor 5, it operates together with the first gripper 9. Then, the clutch 36 is taken out of the carry-in conveyor 5 and is on standby. When the carrier 8 is driven by the carrying mechanism 2 and the second gripper 10 faces the carry-out conveyor 4, the clutch 36 is actuated again to open the clutch 36. It is placed on the carry-out conveyor 4.

Therefore, according to the automatic assembling apparatus having the above structure, the snap ring a can be automatically fitted into the outer peripheral groove 43 of the hub sleeve 39 of the clutch 36. Further, only one guide body 31 as a jig used at that time is required for repeated use.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and the parts to be assembled may be something other than the clutch. In short, it has a leaf spring and a sleeve, and the leaf spring is formed in the outer peripheral groove formed in the sleeve. It is only necessary to elastically deform and to fit the snap ring.

Also, when fitting the small diameter part of the guide body to the sleeve,
Although the clutch is raised, the guide body may be lowered. For example, the first gripper may be provided with a mechanism such as a cylinder for vertically moving the pair of holding bodies, and the mechanism may be operated to lower the guide body held by the holding body.

Further, the supply of the snap ring to the guide body may be performed manually without using the parts feeder.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, the present invention is an apparatus for fitting a snap ring into an outer peripheral groove formed in the sleeve while elastically deforming a leaf spring fitted in advance in the sleeve,
A guide body in which a snap ring is fitted and held on the outer circumference, a carrying mechanism for holding and carrying the guide body and fitting a lower end portion thereof into a sleeve having an outer peripheral groove into which the snap ring is fitted, and the guide body. A pressing body formed in a cylindrical shape so as to be externally fitted to the body and having a concave portion into which the snap ring enters and an end surface facing the guide body, and the end surface being a pressing surface, and the pressing body A drive mechanism that presses the snap ring held by the guide body by the concave portion and drives the leaf spring by the pressing surface to fit the outer peripheral groove by driving the guide body while inserting the guide body into the Is provided. Therefore, it is possible to automatically perform the work of elastically deforming and attaching the leaf spring fitted to the sleeve to the outer peripheral groove of the sleeve, which conventionally relies on human labor, and thus the work efficiency can be improved. Further, since the lower end surface of the pressing body is formed with the recess into which the snap ring enters and the pressing surface for pressing the leaf spring, when the snap ring is assembled in the outer peripheral groove of the sleeve, the leaf spring is pressed by the pressing surface. Therefore, the restoring force of the leaf spring does not act on the snap ring located in the recess. Therefore, the elastic deformation of the snap ring in the radial direction and the radial direction is not hindered by the leaf spring, so that the snap ring can be mounted in the outer peripheral groove smoothly and reliably.

[Brief description of drawings]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a plan view of the entire apparatus, FIG. 2 is a side view of the same, FIG. 3 is a front view of a transfer mechanism, FIG. 4 is a side view of the same, and FIG. Is a front view of the press mechanism, and FIG. 6 is a side view of the same. 2 ... Transport mechanism, 3 ... Press mechanism, 31 ... Guide body,
36 …… Clutch (assembly part), 39 …… Hub sleeve,
42 ... leaf spring, 43 ... outer peripheral groove, 50 ... pressing body, 52 ... recess, a ... snap ring.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A to-be-assembled component is constituted by a sleeve having an outer peripheral groove formed therein and a leaf spring fitted in advance to the sleeve. The leaf spring is elastically deformed to form the above-mentioned component of the to-be-assembled component. In an automatic snap ring assembling apparatus for fitting a snap ring into an outer peripheral groove, a guide body in which the snap ring is fitted and held on the outer periphery, and the guide body is sandwiched and conveyed to fit one end thereof into the sleeve. A conveying mechanism, and a pressing body formed in a cylindrical shape so as to be externally fitted to the guide body, and a concave portion into which the snap ring is inserted are formed on an end surface facing the guide body, and the end surface is formed as a pressing surface, By driving this pressing body in a state where the guide body is inserted thereinto, the snap ring held by the guide body is pressed by the concave portion and the leaf spring is Serial pressing surface presses an automatic assembling apparatus of the snap ring, characterized by comprising a driving mechanism which is fitted to the circumferential groove.