Insulator manufacturing method and insulator component

Abstract

To allow manufacture of an insulator by bringing caulking parts of the members into contact when bonding two members of an insulator component by a caulking process.SOLUTION: An insulator component includes a first member and a second member divided into two with a hollow part therebetween in which an air exhaust member is stored. The first and second members includes a caulking part projecting outwardly at an opening end edge facing to each other with the hollow part therebetween. The caulking part of the second member includes: a contact part that contacts the caulking part of the first member; a flange part extending outward from the contact part and curved on a first member caulking part side; and a release part at which the curved part between the contact part and the flange part is away from the caulking part of the first member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a cylindrical insulator that covers an exhaust member through which exhaust gas from a vehicle engine flows downward, and to components of the insulator used in the manufacturing of the insulator. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a manufacturing method for producing a cylindrical insulator by preparing two components of the insulator that are separated by a hollow space that houses an exhaust member, and crimping flanges that protrude from the opening edge of each component. Patent Document 1 also describes making the length of one of the flanges provided on each component that protrudes from the opening edge longer than the other flange, and bending the outer portion toward the other flange at a right angle.

[0003] The document also describes that when manufacturing an insulator using these two members, the flange of the other member is placed on the member body side of the outer portion of the flange, and the outer portion is further bent to sandwich the flange of the other member between the outer portion and the flange. Then, by crimping the two flanges in this state, the two members that make up the insulator can be firmly joined. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-94852 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the manufacturing method described in Patent Document 1, the outer portion of the flange that protrudes a long distance from the opening edge is bent, so when two components are placed opposite each other with the exhaust component in between during manufacturing, the outer portion of one flange may interfere with the other flange.

[0006] If the outer portion of one flange interferes with the other flange in this way, the flanges of each component cannot be brought into contact with each other, which causes the problem that the subsequent crimping process cannot be carried out normally.

[0007] One aspect of the present disclosure aims to ensure that when two components of an insulator are joined by crimping, the crimped portions of each component are in firm contact with each other, thereby enabling the insulator to be manufactured satisfactorily. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One aspect of the present disclosure is a manufacturing method for manufacturing a cylindrical insulator having a hollow portion in which an exhaust member that allows exhaust gas from a vehicle engine to flow downstream, from components including a first member and a second member that are divided into two parts by a hollow portion.

[0009] Here, the first and second members, which are components of the insulator, each have a crimped portion at an opening edge facing each other across the hollow portion, protruding outward from the hollow portion. The crimped portion of the second member has a contact portion that contacts the crimped portion of the first member, a flange portion that extends outward from the contact portion and is bent toward the crimped portion of the first member, and a relief portion that separates the bent portion between the contact portion and the flange portion from the crimped portion of the first member.

[0010] On the other hand, the manufacturing method of the insulator of the present disclosure includes Step 1, Step 2, and Step 3. In Step 1, the first member and the second member are arranged in positions surrounding the exhaust member, and the crimped portion of the first member and the contact portion of the second member are brought into contact with each other.

[0011] In the second step, after the first step, the crimped portion of the second member is bent at the bending portion, and the crimped portion of the first member is sandwiched between the contact portion and the flange portion of the second member. Then, in the third step, after the second step, the crimped portions of the first member and the second member are crimped.

[0012] As described above, in the insulator components of the present disclosure, the crimped portion of the second member includes a contact portion, a flange portion, and a relief portion. Therefore, when the first member and the second member are arranged in a position surrounding the exhaust member in the first step during the manufacture of the insulator, the bent portion between the second contact portion and the flange portion in the crimped portion of the second member is positioned away from the crimped portion of the first member by the relief portion.

[0013] Therefore, in the first step, when the crimped portion of the first member and the contact portion of the second member are brought into contact with each other, the flange portion of the crimped portion of the second member can be prevented from interfering with the crimped portion of the first member. Furthermore, because the flange portion of the crimped portion of the second member is prevented from interfering with the crimped portion of the first member in this way, in the second step, the crimped portion of the second member can be bent at the bending portion to sandwich the crimped portion of the first member between the contact portion and the flange portion of the second member.

[0014] Therefore, in the third step, by crimping the crimping portion of the second member to the crimping portion of the first member, the crimping portions of the first member and the second member, which are components of the insulator, can be firmly joined together, thereby firmly connecting the first member and the second member.

[0015] Furthermore, since the components of the insulator of the present disclosure are configured as described above, by manufacturing the insulator using the manufacturing method of the present disclosure, the first member and the second member are firmly connected, thereby realizing an insulator that can securely cover the exhaust member.

[0016] Here, in the second member, which is a component of the insulator, the angle between the contact portion of the crimped portion and the flange portion is preferably greater than 90 degrees. This makes it possible to more effectively prevent the flange portion of the crimped portion of the second member from interfering with the crimped portion of the first member when the first contact portion and the second contact portion of the crimped portion of the first member and the second member are brought into contact in the first step.

[0017] In addition, in the second member, the relief portion may include a bent portion that bends the contact portion so that when the contact portion is brought into contact with the crimped portion of the first member, the bent portion moves away from the crimped portion of the first member.

[0018] In this case, the length from the bent portion to the tip of the crimping portion of the first member when the contact portion of the second member is brought into contact with the crimping portion of the first member may be the same as the length from the bent portion of the second member to the bent portion.

[0019] In this way, in the finished insulator product completed after the third step, the crimped portion of the first member and the area of the crimped portion of the second member extending from the opening edge of the second member through the second contact portion to the bent portion will be in contact over the entire protruding area from the opening edge.

[0020] This allows the crimped portions of the first and second members to come into better contact with each other, ensuring a sufficient contact area, and the crimping process in the third step makes it possible to more firmly join the crimped portions of the first and second members to each other. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing components of the insulator according to the embodiment and an exhaust member housed therein. [Figure 2] FIG. 2A is a side view of the insulator, and FIG. 2B is a bottom view of the insulator. [Figure 3] 4 is an explanatory view showing the configuration of a crimped portion of a second member which is a component of the insulator. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a first step of the method for manufacturing the insulator. [Figure 5] 5A and 5B are explanatory views showing a second step and a third step of the insulator manufacturing method. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams illustrating modified examples of the crimped portion in the component of the insulator. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. [Insulator configuration] 1, the insulator 2 of this embodiment is a cylindrical member mounted on a vehicle and is made of, for example, stainless steel, iron, aluminum, etc. The insulator 2 is configured so that an exhaust member 4 is housed in a hollow portion 2A, which is the internal space of the cylinder, and surrounds the sides of the exhaust member 4.

[0023] The exhaust member 4 is a member that allows exhaust gas from a vehicle engine to flow downward, and the insulator 2 suppresses at least some of the noise, vibration, and heat radiation from the exhaust member 4 that is disposed in the hollow portion 2A.

[0024] The insulator 2 comprises a first member 10 and a second member 20 that are divided into two parts, one above the other, with a hollow portion 2A in between that houses the exhaust member 4. The vertical direction is an example, and the insulator 2 may be divided, for example, in the left-right direction or the front-rear direction. The first member 10 and the second member 20 each have crimping portions 12, 22 that protrude outward, toward the opposite side of the hollow portion 2A, at the opening edges that face each other across the hollow portion 2A.

[0025] Note that the first member 10 and the second member 20 are divided into upper and lower parts with the hollow portion 2A in between, and therefore, as shown in Fig. 2, there are two opposing opening edges, one on the left and one on the right. For this reason, in this embodiment, crimped portions 12 and 22 protrude from the two opening edges, respectively, on the left and the right. In other words, the first member 10 and the second member 20 have, for example, a cross section perpendicular to the exhaust flow direction that is substantially semicircular, and the crimped portions 12 are provided at both ends of the substantially semicircular cross section of the first member 10, and the crimped portions 22 are provided at both ends of the substantially semicircular cross section of the second member 20.

[0026] The first member 10 and the second member 20 are formed by press-forming metal plates made of stainless steel, iron, aluminum, or the like, into grooves capable of accommodating the exhaust member 4. The crimping portions 12, 22 are formed simultaneously when the first member 10 and the second member 20 are press-formed.

[0027] The crimping portions 12, 22 are portions that allow the first member 10 and the second member 20 to surround the exhaust member 4 from the sides and perform crimping while the opening edges of the first member 10 and the second member 20 are in contact with each other. For this reason, the crimping portions 12, 22 protrude from the same positions on the opening edges of the first member 10 and the second member 20 in the same direction (more specifically, in the Y-axis direction that is perpendicular to the central axis X of the hollow portion 2A).

[0028] Furthermore, by crimping the crimping portions 12, 22 together, when joining the first member 10 and the second member 20, not only is the exhaust member 4 stored in the hollow portion 2A of the insulator 2, but a mat 6 is also filled between the exhaust member 4 and the inner wall of the insulator 2.

[0029] Therefore, the insulator 2 is supported from the inside via the mat 6. The mat 6 has at least one of cushioning properties and heat insulation properties, and absorbs at least one of vibrations and noise from the exhaust member 4. As another example, the mat 6 may be made of alumina fiber, glass wool, or the like.

[0030] 1 and 2, the crimped portion 12 of the first member 10 disposed above the exhaust member 4 protrudes outward from the opening edge of the first member 10 in a flange-like shape. The crimped portion 12 extends outward from the opening end and in the exhaust flow direction, for example, in the shape of a rectangular flat plate. In contrast, the crimped portion 22 of the second member 20 disposed below the exhaust member 4 not only protrudes outward from the opening edge of the second member 20, but also has a bent tip end in the protruding direction toward the crimped portion 12 of the first member 10.

[0031] As shown in Figure 3, this crimping portion 22, when arranged together with the first member 10 to form the insulator 2, protrudes from the opening edge of the second member 20 in the same direction as the crimping portion 12 of the first member 10, and in addition to a contact portion 24 that contacts the crimping portion 12 of the first member 10, a flange portion 26 and a relief portion 30 are integrally formed by press molding.

[0032] Of these, the flange portion 26 extends outward from the contact portion 24 of the crimping portion 22 and is bent toward the crimping portion 12 of the first member 10. Note that this bending angle θ, i.e., the angle θ formed between the contact portion 24 and the flange portion 26, is greater than 90°, and the flange portion 26 extends outward from the main body portion of the first member 10.

[0033] In addition, the relief portion 30 is a portion that separates the bent portion 32 between the contact portion 24 and the flange portion 26 from the crimped portion 12 of the first member 10, and is composed of a bent portion 34 in which the tip portion of the contact portion 24 is bent in a direction away from the crimped portion 12 of the first member 10.

[0034] As shown in the enlarged view at the bottom of Figure 3, in the relief portion 30, the length L2 from the bent portion 34 to the bent portion 32 is set to be the same as the length L1 from the bent portion 34 to the tip of the crimped portion 12 when the contact portion 24 is brought into contact with the crimped portion 12 of the first member 10.

[0035] [Insulator manufacturing method] Next, a description will be given of a manufacturing method for manufacturing the insulator 2 from the components of the insulator 2 configured as described above, namely, the first member 10 and the second member 20. Note that this method can be regarded as a manufacturing method for the exhaust member 4 including the insulator 2, or as an attachment method for attaching the insulator 2 to the exhaust member 4.

[0036] The manufacturing process of the insulator 2 is roughly divided into a first step shown in FIG. 4, a second step shown in FIG. 5A, and a third step shown in FIG. 5B. In the first step shown in FIG. 4, the first member 10 and the second member 20 are positioned to surround the exhaust member 4, and the crimped portion 12 of the first member 10 and the contact portion 24 of the crimped portion 22 of the second member 20 are brought into contact with each other.

[0037] Specifically, a pedestal 40 is prepared for placing the second member 20 with its outer peripheral surface facing downward, and the second member 20 is placed on the pedestal 40. The upper surface of the pedestal 40 has a shape corresponding to the outer peripheral surface of the second member 20, and can firmly support the second member 20 with the inner wall surface of the hollow portion 2A of the second member 20 facing upward. In addition, pedestals 42 are installed on both sides of the left and right opening edges of the second member 20 placed on the pedestal 40 to support the crimping portions 22 protruding from the second member 20 from below and to perform the crimping process.

[0038] In this way, the second member 20 is placed on the base 40 and the left and right bases 42, and the mat 6 is laid on the inner wall surface of the second member 20, which faces upward, and the exhaust member 4 is then placed on top. Then, the inner wall surface of the first member 10 is turned downward, and the mat 6 is sandwiched between the first member 10 and the first member 10 is placed on top.

[0039] At this time, a flange portion 26 protrudes from the tip of the crimped portion 22 of the second member 20 toward the crimped portion 12 of the first member 10. However, this flange portion 26 is inclined outward at an angle θ from the contact portion 24 that faces the crimped portion 12 of the first member 10, so the crimped portion 12 of the first member 10 and the flange portion 26 of the second member 20 do not interfere with each other.

[0040] Furthermore, even if the relief portion 30 of the second member 20 is deformed by the load of the exhaust member 4 when the exhaust member 4 is placed, the flange portion 26 will not tilt toward the exhaust member 4, and interference between the crimped portion 12 of the first member 10 and the flange portion 26 of the second member 20 can be prevented.

[0041] Finally, a weight 44 having the same shape as the base 40 is placed upside down on the first member 10. As a result, the exhaust member 4 is housed in the hollow portion 2A of the insulator 2, which is made up of the second member 20 and the mat 6 interposed therebetween. In this state, the opposing surfaces of the crimped portion 12 of the first member 10 and the contact portion 24 of the second member 20 come into contact with each other.

[0042] Next, in the second step shown in Figure 5A, the crimped portion 22 of the second member 20 is bent toward the exhaust member 4 at the bending portion 32, so that the crimped portion 12 of the first member 10 is sandwiched between the contact portion 24 and the flange portion 26 of the second member 20.

[0043] This bending process is performed, for example, by moving a press 46, which performs crimping processing together with the base 42 by compression pressing, to a position opposite the base 42, and then abutting the press 46 against the flange portion 26 to bend the flange portion 26.

[0044] Then, in the third step shown in Figure 5B, the punch portion 46A of the press machine 46, which was moved to a position opposite the base 42 in the second step, is aligned with the recess 42A for crimping processing in the base 42, and a compression press is performed in which the press machine 46 is moved toward the base 42.

[0045] As a result, the crimped portion 12 of the first member 10 and the crimped portion 22 of the second member 20 are crimped and joined in a shape corresponding to the punch portion 46A, and the insulator 2 housing the exhaust member 4 is completed. [effect] As described above, the first member 10 and the second member 20, which are components of the insulator 2 of this embodiment, are provided with outwardly protruding crimping portions 12, 22 at the opening edges that face each other across the hollow portion 2A. The crimping portion 22 of the second member 20 not only has the contact portion 24 and the flange portion 26, but also has the relief portion 30 that separates the bent portion 32 between the contact portion 24 and the flange portion 26 from the crimping portion 12 of the first member 10.

[0046] Therefore, compared to when the crimping portion 22 of the second member 20 is simply bent at a right angle to form the contact portion 24 and the flange portion 26, as described in Patent Document 1, interference between the crimping portion 12 of the first member 10 and the flange portion 26 of the second member 20 can be suppressed.

[0047] Furthermore, in the second member 20, the relief portion 30 separates the bent portion 32 of the second member 20 from the crimped portion 12 of the first member 10, so that when the contact portion 24 is brought into contact with the crimped portion 12 of the first member 10, the bent portion 32 can be prevented from hitting the tip of the crimped portion 12. This makes it easy to sandwich the crimped portion 12 of the first member 10 between the flange portion 26 and the contact portion 24 by bending the flange portion 26.

[0048] In particular, in this embodiment, in the relief portion 30, the length L2 from the bending portion 34 to the bent portion 32 is the same as the length L1 from the bending portion 34 to the tip of the crimping portion 12 when the contact portion 24 is brought into contact with the crimping portion 12 of the first member 10.

[0049] Therefore, in the insulator 2 manufactured by the above manufacturing method, the crimped portion 12 of the first member 10 and the area of the crimped portion 22 extending from the opening edge of the second member 20 through the contact portion 24 to the bent portion 32 are in contact over the entire protruding direction from the opening edge.

[0050] Therefore, the crimped portions 12, 22 of the first member 10 and the second member 20 can be brought into efficient contact with each other, ensuring a sufficient contact area. Therefore, the crimping process in the third step described above can more firmly join the first member 10 and the second member 20.

[0051] [Other embodiments] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be implemented in various modified forms.

[0052] For example, in the above embodiment, the angle θ formed between the contact portion 24 and the flange portion 26 at the crimped portion 22 of the second member 20 was described as being greater than 90°, but this angle θ may also be 90° as shown in FIG. 6A.

[0053] That is, in this embodiment, the crimped portion 22 of the second member 20 is provided with the relief portion 30, and this relief portion 30 makes it difficult for the flange portion 26 to interfere with the crimped portion 12 of the first member 10. Therefore, even if the angle θ is set to 90°, it is possible to make it difficult for the flange portion 26 to interfere with the crimped portion 12 of the first member 10, compared to the conventional device described in Patent Document 1, and the desired object can be achieved.

[0054] In addition, in the above embodiment, the relief portion 30 in the crimped portion 22 of the second member 20 is described as being configured as a bent portion 34 in which the tip portion of the contact portion 24 is bent in a direction away from the crimped portion 12 of the first member 10.

[0055] In contrast to this, as shown in Figure 6B, the opening edge of the second member 20 may be used as a contact portion 24 that comes into contact with the crimped portion 12 of the first member 10, and the entire crimped portion 22 of the second member 20 may be separated from the crimped portion 12 of the first member 10 around the contact portion 24, thereby forming an escape portion 30.

[0056] Even in this way, the bent portion 32 at the base of the flange portion 26 can be separated from the crimped portion 12 of the first member 10, thereby preventing the flange portion 26 from interfering with the crimped portion 12 of the first member 10 when manufacturing the insulator 2.

[0057] In the above embodiments, multiple functions of one component may be realized by multiple components, or one function of one component may be realized by multiple components. Furthermore, multiple functions of multiple components may be realized by one component, or one function realized by multiple components may be realized by one component. Furthermore, part of the configuration of the above embodiments may be omitted. Furthermore, at least part of the configuration of the above embodiments may be added to or substituted for the configuration of another of the above embodiments.

[0058] [Technical idea disclosed in this specification] [Item 1] A manufacturing method for manufacturing a cylindrical insulator having a hollow portion in which an exhaust member that allows exhaust gas from a vehicle engine to flow downstream is housed, from components including a first member and a second member that are divided into two parts with the hollow portion in between, the method comprising: Each of the first member and the second member includes a crimping portion protruding outward on an opening edge facing each other across the hollow portion, the crimping portion being on the opposite side of the hollow portion from the opening edge, the crimped portion of the second member includes a contact portion that comes into contact with the crimped portion of the first member, a flange portion that extends outward from the contact portion and is bent toward the crimped portion of the first member, and a relief portion that separates the bent portion between the contact portion and the flange portion from the crimped portion of the first member, The method for manufacturing the insulator includes: a first step of placing the first member and the second member at positions surrounding the exhaust member and bringing the crimped portion of the first member into contact with the contact portion of the second member; a second step of bending the crimped portion of the second member at the bending portion after the first step, and sandwiching the crimped portion of the first member between the contact portion and the flange portion of the second member; a third step of crimping the crimped portions of the first member and the second member after the second step; A method for manufacturing an insulator having the above structure.

[0059] [Item 2] A component of a cylindrical insulator having a hollow portion in which an exhaust member that allows exhaust gas from a vehicle engine to flow downward is housed, The device includes a first member and a second member that are divided into two parts with the hollow portion in between, Each of the first member and the second member includes a crimping portion protruding outward on an opening edge facing each other across the hollow portion, the crimping portion being on the opposite side of the hollow portion from the opening edge, A component of an insulator, wherein the crimped portion of the second member comprises: a contact portion that contacts the crimped portion of the first member; a flange portion that extends outward from the contact portion and is bent toward the crimped portion of the first member; and a relief portion that separates the bent portion between the contact portion and the flange portion from the crimped portion of the first member.

[0060] [Item 3] 3. The insulator component according to claim 2, wherein in the second member, an angle between the contact portion of the crimping portion and the flange portion is greater than 90 degrees.

[0061] [Item 4] 4. The insulator component according to claim 2, wherein the relief portion of the crimped portion of the second member includes a bent portion formed by bending the contact portion such that the bent portion moves away from the crimped portion of the first member when the contact portion is brought into contact with the crimped portion of the first member.

[0062] [Item 5] 5. The insulator component according to item 4, wherein when the contact portion of the second member is brought into contact with the crimped portion of the first member, the length from the bent portion to the tip of the crimped portion of the first member is the same as the length from the bent portion of the second member to the bent portion. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 2...insulator, 2A...hollow portion, 4...exhaust member, 10...first member, 12...crimping portion, 20...second member, 22...crimping portion, 24...contact portion, 26...flange portion, 30...relief portion, 32...bending portion, 34...bending portion,

Claims

1. A manufacturing method for manufacturing a cylindrical insulator having a hollow portion in which an exhaust member through which exhaust gas from a vehicle engine flows is housed, from components including a first member and a second member separated into two parts with the hollow portion in between, the method comprising: each of the first member and the second member includes a crimping portion at an opening edge facing each other across the hollow portion, the crimping portion protruding outward toward the opposite side of the hollow portion; the crimped portion of the second member includes a contact portion that comes into contact with the crimped portion of the first member, a flange portion that extends outward from the contact portion and is bent toward the crimped portion of the first member, and a relief portion that separates the bent portion between the contact portion and the flange portion from the crimped portion of the first member, The method for manufacturing the insulator includes: a first step of placing the first member and the second member at positions surrounding the exhaust member and bringing the crimped portion of the first member into contact with the contact portion of the second member; a second step of bending the crimped portion of the second member at the bending portion after the first step, and sandwiching the crimped portion of the first member between the contact portion and the flange portion of the second member; a third step of crimping the crimped portions of the first member and the second member after the second step; A method for manufacturing an insulator having the above structure.

2. A component of a cylindrical insulator having a hollow portion in which an exhaust member that allows exhaust gas from a vehicle engine to flow downward is housed, The device includes a first member and a second member that are divided into two parts with the hollow portion sandwiched therebetween, each of the first member and the second member includes a crimping portion at an opening edge facing each other across the hollow portion, the crimping portion protruding outward toward the opposite side of the hollow portion; A component of an insulator, wherein the crimped portion of the second member comprises: a contact portion that contacts the crimped portion of the first member; a flange portion that extends outward from the contact portion and is bent toward the crimped portion of the first member; and a relief portion that separates the bent portion between the contact portion and the flange portion from the crimped portion of the first member.

3. 3. The component of an insulator according to claim 2, wherein an angle between the contact portion of the crimping portion and the flange portion of the second member is greater than 90 degrees.

4. 4. A component of an insulator according to claim 2 or 3, wherein in the second member, the relief portion of the crimped portion includes a bent portion that bends the contact portion so that the bent portion moves away from the crimped portion of the first member when the contact portion is brought into contact with the crimped portion of the first member.

5. 5. The insulator component of claim 4, wherein when the contact portion of the second member is brought into contact with the crimped portion of the first member, the length from the bent portion to the tip of the crimped portion of the first member is the same as the length from the bent portion of the second member to the bent portion.

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