Adhesive coating unit and device and method for manufacturing metal piece laminate

Abstract

To provide an adhesive coating unit capable of suppressing occurrence of an adhesion failure caused by adhesive leakage without the possibility of transferring an adhesive to an adhesive unnecessary place even when disposed on an upper mold.SOLUTION: An adhesive coating unit 100 is installed in a metal piece laminate manufacturing device by a mold device equipped with upper and lower molds, and comprises: a head fixing body 140 formed into a substantially hollow cylindrical shape and having a fixing projection 143 projected toward the center; a head presser 130 having an upper end connected to a lower surface of a head base 150 and having a pressing surface 132 formed at a lower end; a coating head 120 made of a porous resin and disposed between the head presser 130 and the fixing projection 143; and an adhesive absorber 110 made of a liquid absorbing material and having many minute spaces. The adhesive absorber 110 comes into contact with an upper surface of the coating head 120 and supplies an adhesive. The pressing surface 132 presses down the coating head 120, and a transfer part 123 of the coating head 120 transfers the adhesive leaked from a surface to an adhesive coated member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an adhesive application unit, a manufacturing apparatus for a stack of metal pieces, and a manufacturing method for a stack of metal pieces. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, in a manufacturing apparatus for a metal piece stack, a configuration using an adhesive application unit having an application head made of porous resin is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] 2 of Patent Document 1 describes a progressive die device for manufacturing a metal piece stack, which includes an "adhesive application station (100S)" that applies adhesive to predetermined positions on a thin steel plate, and an "outer shape punching and stacking station (200S)" that is located downstream of the "adhesive application station (100S)" and that punches out the outer shapes of the metal pieces, stacks the punched metal pieces, and bonds the stacked metal pieces together. In the "adhesive application station (100S)," an adhesive application unit (100) that applies adhesive Ad to a metal piece formation region on the underside of the thin steel plate SS is located on the side of the lower die of the progressive die device.

[0004] The adhesive application unit (100) of Patent Document 1 includes an adhesive storage chamber (110) for storing adhesive, and an application head (120) made of elastic porous resin that impregnates the adhesive Ad supplied from the adhesive storage chamber (110). When applying adhesive, the application head (120) is brought into contact with and pressed against the thin steel plate SS, thereby applying the adhesive Ad to the thin steel plate SS.

[0005] As shown in Figure 3(b) of Patent Document 1, the adhesive reservoir chamber (110) is formed by a space surrounded by the head base (150), the head fixture (140), and the back surface (126) of the applicator head (120). The applicator head (120) is positioned by being sandwiched between the upper surface of a head presser (130) protruding upward from the head base (150) and the lower surface of a fixing protrusion (143) of the head fixture (140).

[0006] However, since the applicator head (120) is made of an elastic material made of porous resin, it is elastically deformed by this pressing force, and depending on the degree of pressing force, a gap may form between the flange portion (127) of the applicator head (120) and the fixing protrusion (143). However, because the adhesive applicator unit (100) described in Patent Document 1 is disposed on the lower mold side, even if such a gap forms, there is no risk of the adhesive Ad from the adhesive reservoir chamber (110) leaking out against gravity onto the upper surface of the applicator head (120). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-35242 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] Incidentally, Patent Document 1 exemplifies a configuration in which the adhesive application unit (100) is arranged on the lower die side of the progressive die device, but in order to realize a compact progressive die device, for example, it is also possible to arrange the adhesive application unit (100) on the upper die side relative to the thin steel plate SS in terms of die layout (comparative example: metal piece stack manufacturing device).

[0009] 7 is a cross-sectional view of an adhesive application unit 900 used in a comparative example of a metal piece laminate manufacturing apparatus, showing the state when an application head 920 is brought into contact with and pressed against a thin steel sheet SS. Note that the reference numeral for the adhesive application unit was 100 in Patent Document 1, but is here indicated as 900. Similarly, the reference numeral for the adhesive reservoir chamber, which was 110, is now indicated as 910, and the reference numeral for the application head, which was 120, is now indicated as 920. Furthermore, the reference numeral for the head presser, which was 130, is now indicated as 930, and the reference numeral for the press surface, which was 132, is now indicated as 932.

[0010] 7, when the adhesive application unit 900 is disposed on the upper mold side relative to the thin steel sheet SS, the layout is such that the application head 920 is located below the adhesive reservoir chamber 910. Therefore, if a gap occurs between the application head 920 and the inner wall of the head fixture 140 or between the application head 920 (particularly the flange portion 127) and the fixing protrusion 143 due to elastic deformation of the application head 920 during adhesive application, there is a risk that the adhesive Ad from the adhesive reservoir chamber 910 will leak out from the gap and reach and adhere to the exposed surface portion of the non-transfer portion 124 of the application head 920 (a problem of dripping).

[0011] If adhesive application is performed while the adhesive Ad is attached to areas other than the transfer area 123 (for example, the exposed surface area of the non-transfer area 124 described above), unwanted adhesive will be transferred to areas on the steel sheet SS that do not need to be bonded. Furthermore, depending on the location of the unwanted transfer, when the steel sheet SS is subsequently punched into metal pieces, the adhesive Ad may overflow onto the side of the metal piece, running down the side and reaching the underside, and when the metal piece is stacked, there is a risk of the underside of the metal piece being bonded to the top surface of an already-produced stack of metal pieces. Furthermore, there is a risk that adhesive Ad leaking from the adhesive application unit 900 may drip onto the top surface of the steel sheet SS while the mold is stopped outside of operating hours, such as overnight.

[0012] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the above problems by providing an adhesive application unit that can be disposed on the side of the upper mold without the risk of transferring adhesive to areas where adhesive is not required and can suppress the occurrence of poor adhesion due to adhesive leakage. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a manufacturing device for a metal piece stack using such an adhesive application unit, and to provide a manufacturing method for a metal piece stack. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] [1] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an adhesive application unit that is arranged in a manufacturing apparatus for a metal piece stack using a progressive die device equipped with an upper die and a lower die, and that applies adhesive to a member to be coated with adhesive using an application head. The adhesive application unit comprises a head base, a head fixture which is approximately hollow and cylindrical with openings at the top and bottom, and which has its upper end connected to the underside of the head base and a fixing protrusion protruding toward the center at its lower end, a head presser which is arranged in the hollow portion of the head fixture and has its upper end connected to the underside of the head base and its lower end formed with a pressing surface for pressing the application head, an application head made of porous resin and having a transfer portion formed on its lower surface which transfers the adhesive to the adhesive-receiving member, and which is arranged between the head presser and the fixing protrusion so that its upper surface contacts the pressing surface of the head presser and its lower surface contacts the inner wall of the fixing protrusion, and an adhesive absorber which is arranged in the hollow portion of the head fixture and is made of an absorbent material with numerous microscopic spaces and which absorbs and retains adhesive supplied from the outside. Here, the adhesive absorber is arranged so that the lower surface of the adhesive absorber contacts a part of the upper surface of the application head, and is configured to be able to supply the absorbed and held adhesive to the application head. Furthermore, when the application head contacts and is pressed against the material to be coated with adhesive, the pressing surface of the head presser presses the application head downward, and the transfer portion of the application head is configured to transfer the adhesive seeping out from its surface to the material to be coated with adhesive.

[0014] In this specification, the side where the head base is arranged is defined as the "upper side," and the side where the application head is arranged (the side where the transfer unit is arranged) is defined as the "lower side." When the adhesive application unit of the present invention is placed upright, gravitational acceleration g acts in the direction from the head base toward the application head (transfer unit). However, the orientation (placement) of the adhesive application unit when used in the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it may be used in an orientation (placement) rotated 180° from the above-mentioned upright orientation, or in an orientation rotated 90° from the above-mentioned upright orientation (the direction connecting the head base and the application head is horizontal).

[0015] [2] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for manufacturing a stack of metal pieces using a progressive die device equipped with an upper die and a lower die. The metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus includes a die disposed midway along the transfer path of intermittently transferred thin steel plates, a stripper that presses the thin steel plates against the die, and a punch that presses the thin steel plates pressed against the die by the stripper. The metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus is provided with an outline punch as the punch, and is configured to punch metal pieces of a predetermined planar shape from the thin steel plate using the outline punch to separate them from the thin steel plate, and to stack the metal pieces in a die corresponding to the outline punch. The metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus further includes the adhesive application unit described in [1] above.

[0016] The adhesive application unit is preferably arranged on the side of the thin steel plate where the upper die is arranged.

[0017] [3] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a metal piece stack using the metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus described above in [2]. In this method for manufacturing a metal piece stack, adhesive is transferred to the thin steel plate from the side where the upper mold is placed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the adhesive application unit of the present invention, even if the adhesive application unit is disposed on the side of the upper mold, there is no risk of adhesive being transferred to areas where adhesive is not required, and it is possible to prevent poor adhesion due to adhesive leakage. Furthermore, it is possible to provide a manufacturing apparatus for a metal piece stack and a manufacturing method for a metal piece stack that similarly achieve such effects. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view of an adhesive application unit 100 according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the operation and effect of the adhesive application unit 100 according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of control by a dispense controller 165 of the second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an adhesive application unit 101 according to a first modified example. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an adhesive application unit 102 according to a second modification. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an adhesive application unit 103 according to a third modification. [Figure 7] 10 is a cross-sectional view of an adhesive application unit 900 used in a manufacturing apparatus for a metal piece stack of a comparative example. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] The adhesive application unit, the manufacturing apparatus for a metal piece laminate, and the manufacturing method for a metal piece laminate according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the explanations already given for symbols common to the figures can be used in the explanations of the other figures, and therefore explanations in the other figures will be omitted. Furthermore, in later drawings, the symbols may be omitted for parts that have already been indicated and explained by symbols in the previous drawings. Furthermore, detailed explanations of components common to the components described in Patent Document 1 (the names and symbols are the same as much as possible) may be omitted in this specification, as Patent Document 1 is incorporated herein by reference, as described below.

[0021] [Embodiment 1] 1. Configuration of adhesive application unit 100 according to embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an adhesive application unit 100 according to a first embodiment.

[0022] (1) Overview of adhesive application unit 100 The adhesive application unit 100 is a unit that applies adhesive Ad to a substrate (thin steel plate SS) using an application head. The adhesive application unit 100 is disposed in a manufacturing apparatus for a metal piece stack using a progressive die device equipped with an upper die and a lower die. The adhesive application unit 100 can be more suitably used by being disposed on the side where the upper die is disposed. Details of the manufacturing apparatus for a metal piece stack will be explained later in [Embodiment 2].

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, the adhesive application unit 100 generally comprises a head base 150, a head fixing body 140, a head presser 130, an application head 120, and an adhesive absorber 110.

[0024] (2) Head base 150 The head base 150 is the base of the adhesive application unit 100. A lower surface 150b of the head base 150 is connected to an upper end 130a of a head retainer 130 (described later) and restricts the vertical movement of the head retainer 130. The head base 150 is preferably a member with excellent rigidity. The head base 150 may be attached to a part of a mold (for example, an upper mold) that moves up and down.

[0025] (3) Head fixing body 140 The head fixing body 140 is a member that fixes the application head 120, which will be described later. The head fixing body 140 has a generally hollow cylindrical shape with openings on the upper and lower sides (openings 149a and 149b). The head fixing body 140 houses the head presser 130 and adhesive absorber 110, which will be described later, in a hollow portion 147.

[0026] The head fixture 140 is provided so as to protrude downward when viewed from the head base 150. In other words, the upper end side of the head fixture 140 is connected to the lower surface 150b of the head base 150. As shown in the figure, the upper end of the head fixture 140 may be connected to the lower surface 150b of the head base 150 in contact with it.

[0027] When the lower end side of the head fixture 140 is viewed from above, the fixing convex portion 143 is provided so as to protrude from the main body (side surface of the cylinder) of the head fixture 140 toward the center (inside). In other words, the fixing convex portion 143 protrudes toward the center on the lower end side of the head fixture 140. The fixing convex portion 143 engages with the flange portion 127 of the application head 120 to restrict the movement of the application head 120 in the up and down direction.

[0028] (4) Head holder 130 When applying the adhesive Ad to the member to be coated (thin steel plate SS), the head presser 130 presses the coating head 120 from the upper surface 126 of the coating head 120 with a pressing surface 132. The head presser 130 is disposed in the hollow portion 147 of the head fixing body 140, with an upper end 130a connected to the lower surface 150b of the head base 150, and a pressing surface 132 that presses the coating head 120 formed on the lower end 130b.

[0029] The head presser 130 of embodiment 1 has a three-step structure in which a first step 135 is formed between a first step 134 and a second step 136 on the lower surface, a second step 137 is formed between the second step 136 and the pressing surface 132, and the pressing surface 132 is also formed.

[0030] (5) Application head 120 The application head 120 is made of a porous resin (porous resin). The porous resin has a large number of relatively fine pores. While some pores may exist singly, many pores are connected to one another. The porous resin can be impregnated with a given liquid substance, such as an adhesive, inside (especially the multiple pores that are connected to one another). Furthermore, when the amount of adhesive Ad impregnated inside the application head 120 becomes saturated or when the application head 120 is pressed from the outside, the adhesive Ad impregnated inside the application head 120 seeps out from the surface. Any material may be used as the porous resin as long as it achieves the functions and effects of each embodiment. For example, so-called porous rubber may be used.

[0031] A "transfer portion 123" that transfers the adhesive Ad to the adhesive application target (thin steel plate SS) is formed on the underside 122 of the application head 120. The transfer portion 123 has substantially the same shape (here, the same size) as the adhesive application pattern P2 when viewed in plan, and is the portion that transfers the adhesive Ad that has seeped out from its surface to the thin steel plate SS. On the other hand, a portion of the underside 122 of the coating head 120 that does not transfer the adhesive Ad to the thin steel plate SS is referred to as a "non-transfer portion 124." On the underside 122 of the coating head 120, a part of the non-transfer portion 124 and the transfer portion 123 are exposed to the outside through an opening 149b on the lower side of the head fixing body 140.

[0032] When the application head 120 contacts and is pressed against the material to be coated with adhesive (thin steel plate SS), the pressing surface 132 of the head presser 130 presses the application head 120 downward, and the transfer portion 123 of the application head 120 is configured to transfer the adhesive Ad exuded from its surface to the material to be coated with adhesive (thin steel plate SS).

[0033] For reference, if the adhesive Ad adheres to the non-transfer portion 124, when the above-mentioned transfer is performed, the adhesive Ad will be transferred to areas of the adhesive-applied member (thin steel plate SS) where adhesive is not required, resulting in the problem described in [Problem to be solved by the invention].

[0034] The application head 120 is arranged so as to be sandwiched in the vertical direction between the head presser 130 and the fixing convex portion 143. Specifically, the application head 120 is arranged between the head presser 130 and the fixing convex portion 143 so that the upper surface 126 (rear surface) of the application head 120 contacts the pressing surface 132 of the head presser 130 and the lower surface 122 side of the application head 120 contacts the inner wall 143a of the fixing convex portion 143.

[0035] When the application head 120 is not in contact with the member to be coated with adhesive (thin steel plate SS), it is preferable that the side of the flange portion 127 of the application head 120 is in contact with the inner wall 142 of the head fixture 140 without any gaps when viewed in a plane.

[0036] (6) Adhesive absorber 110 The adhesive absorbent 110 is made of a liquid-absorbent material having a large number of minute spaces (pores), and absorbs and holds the adhesive Ad supplied from the outside. The minute spaces may be individual pores, but there are also many areas where multiple pores are connected to each other.

[0037] The volume of pores per unit volume in the adhesive absorbent body 110 is preferably larger than the volume of pores per unit volume in the application head 120. In addition, the elasticity of the adhesive absorbent body 110 is preferably higher than the elasticity of the application head 120.

[0038] For example, the adhesive absorbent body 110 may be made of felt made of animal-derived fibers, or may be made of nonwoven fabric.

[0039] The adhesive absorber 110 is arranged so that a lower surface 112 of the adhesive absorber (which may be the entire lower surface or a part of the lower surface) is in contact with a part of the upper surface 126 of the applicator head. The adhesive Ad absorbed and held by the adhesive absorber 110 is supplied to the applicator head 120 through this contacting portion.

[0040] The adhesive absorber 110 is disposed in a hollow portion 147 of the head fixture 140. The adhesive absorber 110 is disposed in a space surrounded by at least the upper surface 126 of the application head 120 and the inner wall 142 of the head fixture 140. The adhesive absorber 110 is disposed around the head presser 130 (particularly the second step 137, which can also be said to be a convex portion continuous with the presser surface 132).

[0041] In addition, depending on the embodiment, the adhesive absorber 110 may be arranged in an internal space facing the lower surface 150b of the head base 150 (see Figures 5 and 6 described below; variants 2 and 3), or in an internal space facing the lower wall (excluding the pressing surface 132) of the head presser 130 (see the first stage 134 in Figures 1 and 4; embodiment 1, variant 1), etc.

[0042] The adhesive absorbent body 110 exemplified in the first embodiment has a substantially annular shape having an outer peripheral surface, an inner peripheral surface, an upper surface, and a lower surface.

[0043] The outer side surface 113 (outer peripheral surface) of the adhesive absorber 110 is in contact with the inner wall 142 of the head fixing body 140, and no gap is formed between the outer side surface 113 and the inner wall of the head fixing body 140.

[0044] The entire lower surface 112 of the adhesive absorber 110 is in contact with the upper surface 126 of the application head. The corner formed by the outer peripheral surface and lower surface of the adhesive absorber 110 is located near the intersection between the inner wall 142 of the head fixing body 140 and an extension of the upper surface 126 of the application head 120, and the corner and the intersection roughly coincide. The entire upper surface 116 of the adhesive absorber 110 is in contact with the first step 134 of the head presser 130.

[0045] Furthermore, a space 171 is formed in the hollow portion 147 of the head fixture, surrounded by the second step 136 and second step 137 of the head presser, the upper surface 126 of the application head, and the inner peripheral surface of the adhesive absorber 110. The inner side surface 114 of the adhesive absorber 110 faces the space 171.

[0046] (7) Other In this specification, the "upper surface" and "lower surface" may be uniformly flat surfaces or may have steps, curved surfaces, etc. Furthermore, although "contact" is assumed to be direct contact in the description of the embodiments, it may also be indirect contact via a spacer or the like.

[0047] (8) Incorporation of prior applications The above has briefly explained the technical features closely related to the present invention, but with regard to details of other technical features, such as the thin steel plate, metal piece, metal piece stack, adhesive application pattern, pressing pattern, application head, head press, adhesive transfer, metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus, and manufacturing method, the contents described in Patent Application No. 2019-155157 (Patent Document 1), which was previously invented and submitted by the inventor of the present application, may be incorporated into the specification and drawings of the present application and used as a detailed explanation herein, to the extent that it does not impair the effects of the present invention.

[0048] 2. Functions and Effects of the Adhesive Application Unit 100 According to the First Embodiment Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the operation and effect of the adhesive dispensing unit 100 according to embodiment 1. Figure 2(a) shows the state when the dispensing head 120 contacts and presses against the thin steel sheet SS, and Figure 2(b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of the area enclosed by the dashed line A in Figure 2(a). Note that the deformation of the dispensing head 120 is exaggerated.

[0049] (1) The adhesive application unit 100 has the configuration described above in "1. Configuration of the adhesive application unit 100 according to the first embodiment." For this reason, even if the adhesive application unit 100 is disposed on the side of the upper mold and the application head 120 is elastically deformed by being pressed by the head presser 130, causing a gap to form between the outer surface of the application head 120 and the inner wall 142 of the head fixture, the adhesive Ad is held inside the adhesive absorber 110, and therefore the adhesive Ad will not seep out from the adhesive absorber 110 into the gap (see FIG. 2(a)). Therefore, the adhesive Ad will not leak out from the gap toward the underside 122 of the application head 120 (preventing dripping).

[0050] 2(b), the seepage of adhesive is promoted when the adhesive absorber 110 is partially compressed in accordance with the elastic deformation of the applicator head 120. The adhesive Ad that seeps out from the adhesive absorber 110 is basically passed to the applicator head 120 through the area where the lower surface 112 of the adhesive absorber and the upper surface 126 of the applicator head are in contact, as shown by arrows B1 to B6 in the figure.

[0051] Even if adhesive temporarily leaks into a portion other than the above, for example, into the gap between the outer surface of the applicator head 120 and the inner wall 142 of the head fixture (see the leaked adhesive AdL through arrow B7 in the figure), when the transfer of the adhesive is completed and the deformed shape of the applicator head 120 returns to its original shape, the compression of the adhesive absorber 110 is released and it attempts to return to its original shape. During this process, the temporarily leaked adhesive AdL is quickly absorbed (pulled back to its original state) and held by the adhesive absorber 110. Therefore, even in such a case, it is possible to prevent the adhesive Ad from leaking from the gap toward the underside 122 of the applicator head 120.

[0052] From the above, according to the adhesive application unit 100 of embodiment 1, even if it is arranged on the side of the upper mold, there is no risk of transferring adhesive Ad to areas where adhesive is not required, and it is possible to suppress the occurrence of poor adhesion due to adhesive leakage.

[0053] (2) It is preferable to make the volume of pores per unit volume in the adhesive absorber 110 larger than the volume of pores per unit volume in the application head 120. In other words, by making the amount of adhesive that can be held per unit volume (acceptable amount, capacity) of the adhesive absorber 110 larger than that of the application head 120, it becomes possible to easily pull back the adhesive AdL that has seeped out into the gaps and the like due to elastic deformation, as described in (1) above. Therefore, dripping of the adhesive Ad can be more reliably prevented.

[0054] (3) It is preferable that the elasticity of the adhesive absorber 110 is higher than that of the application head 120. In other words, the rigidity of the adhesive absorber is lower than that of the application head. By setting it in this way, the adhesive absorber 110 can also deform so as to follow the external deformation of the application head 120 (deformation due to pressing). With this configuration, even if a gap is likely to occur, for example, between the outer side surface 113 of the adhesive absorber 110 and the inner wall 142 of the head fixing body 140 due to deformation of the external shape of the application head 120, the adhesive absorber 110 can deform to follow this and fill the gap (see Figure 2(b)), thereby preventing the adhesive Ad from dripping through the gap.

[0055] (4) When viewed from above, it is preferable that the outer side surface 113 of the adhesive absorber 110 contacts the inner wall 142 of the head fixing body 140. This eliminates a gap between the adhesive absorber 110 and the inner wall 142 of the head fixing body 140, making it possible to prevent adhesive from dripping through the gap.

[0056] (5) It is preferable that the shape of the transfer part 123, the shape of the pressing surface 132, and the contact position and posture of the pressing surface 132 are as follows: That is, when the adhesive application unit 100 is viewed from above, the transfer part 123 has the shape of an adhesive application pattern P2 that corresponds to the planar shape of the metal piece PM to be punched, and the pressing surface 132 has a pressing pattern P3 that corresponds to the adhesive application pattern P2, and the pressing surface 132 is configured to contact and press the upper surface 126 of the application head 120 at a position and posture that corresponds to the transfer part 123 (see FIG. 3 of Patent Document 1, etc., for the symbols P2 and P3).

[0057] Although such a configuration can further achieve the effects of Patent Application No. 2019-155157 (Patent Document 1), which was previously invented and submitted by the present inventor, it may also be more likely to cause the problems of the present invention. Even in such a case, with this configuration, it is possible to obtain the effects of the previously filed invention and the effects of the present invention at the same time.

[0058] (6) When the adhesive application unit 100 is viewed from above, a space 171 may be formed around the head presser 130 in the inner area surrounded by the adhesive absorber 110. This space 171 can also serve as a liquid reservoir. In this case, it is possible to promote the supply of adhesive to the vicinity of the transfer unit 123 (see also FIG. 6 of Patent Document 1).

[0059] [Embodiment 2] 1. Configuration of the manufacturing device 7 and manufacturing method for a metal piece stack according to embodiment 2 (1) The metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 7 according to embodiment 2 is an apparatus including the adhesive application unit 100 according to embodiment 1. The metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus according to embodiment 2 is designated by the reference numeral 7 to avoid duplication with the reference numeral of the manufacturing apparatus in Patent Document 1, which has been incorporated herein. The reference numerals used in Patent Document 1 are also used herein for other common main components. The basic structure of the components of the metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 7 can be incorporated in Patent Document 1, and therefore will not be illustrated in the present application.

[0060] The metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 7 is a manufacturing apparatus for a metal piece stack LM using a progressive die device equipped with an upper die 51 and a lower die 52. The metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 7 includes a die 10 disposed midway along a transfer path for intermittently transferred thin steel plates SS, a stripper 20 that presses the thin steel plates SS against the die 10, and a punch 30 that presses the thin steel plates SS pressed against the die 10 by the stripper 20. The metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 7 is provided with an outline punching punch 230 as the punch 30, and is configured to punch metal pieces of a predetermined planar shape from the thin steel plates SS and separate them from the thin steel plates SS, and to stack the metal pieces PM within a die 210 corresponding to the outline punching punch 230.

[0061] Additionally, the metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 7 further includes the adhesive application unit 100 described in embodiment 1. The adhesive application unit 100 is disposed on the side of the thin steel plate SS where the upper die is disposed. In other words, the transfer part 123 faces downward toward the member to be coated with adhesive (thin steel plate SS) (see FIGS. 1 and 2). For example, the adhesive application unit 100 may be disposed as part of a unit belonging to the upper die 51.

[0062] The adhesive Ad applied by the adhesive application unit 100 is interposed between adjacent metal pieces PM when the metal pieces PM are stacked in a die 210 corresponding to the outer shape punch, and serves as a medium for bonding the adjacent metal pieces PM together.

[0063] When viewed along the transport path of the thin steel plate SS, the adhesive application unit 100 may be positioned upstream of the contour punching punch 230, etc., or may be positioned at approximately the same position as the ``contour punching station 200S'' in which the contour punching punch 230, etc. are provided.

[0064] (2) Dispense Controller 165 The metal piece laminate manufacturing apparatus 7 may further be provided with a dispense controller 165 that controls the amount of adhesive Ad supplied to the adhesive absorber 110. The dispense controller 165 may be provided immediately upstream of the adhesive inlet 145, or may be provided at the position of the adhesive supply source 160 by utilizing the function of a so-called dispenser (see FIGS. 1 and 2, etc.).

[0065] The dispense controller 165 preferably controls the adhesive absorber 110 so that the adhesive Ad does not become saturated.

[0066] (3) Method for manufacturing a metal piece stack In the second embodiment, it is also possible to carry out a method for manufacturing a metal piece stack using the above-described metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 7. In particular, it is preferable to transfer the adhesive Ad to the thin steel plate SS from the side where the upper mold 51 is arranged.

[0067] (4) Controlling the supply of adhesive Ad from the outside to the adhesive absorber 110 In the above-described method for manufacturing a metal piece stack, it is preferable to supply the adhesive Ad to the adhesive absorber 110 from the outside while maintaining a state in which the adhesive Ad does not become saturated in the adhesive absorber 110.

[0068] 2. Functions and Effects of the Metal Piece Stack Manufacturing Apparatus 7 and Manufacturing Method Thereof According to Embodiment 2 (1) The metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 7 according to embodiment 2 includes the adhesive application unit 100 according to embodiment 1. Therefore, even if the adhesive application unit 100 is disposed on the side of the upper mold 51, there is no risk of transferring adhesive Ad to areas where adhesive is not required, and poor adhesion due to adhesive leakage can be suppressed. The metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 7 is a compact progressive mold device, yet can manufacture a high-quality metal piece stack LM with reduced poor adhesion. Furthermore, the method for manufacturing a metal piece stack according to embodiment 2 can achieve the same functions and effects.

[0069] (2) The dispense controller 165 of the second embodiment controls to maintain a state in which the adhesive Ad is not saturated in the adhesive absorber 110. Similarly, the method for manufacturing a metal piece laminate according to the second embodiment supplies the adhesive Ad from the outside to the adhesive absorber 110 while maintaining a state in which the adhesive Ad is not saturated in the adhesive absorber 110.

[0070] To control the supply of adhesive to the adhesive absorber 110, for example, first, a target adhesive retention level is determined while previously grasping known amounts determined by specifications such as the amount of adhesive consumed in one transfer, the amount of adhesive discharged per shot from the dispenser, and the total capacity of the adhesive absorber until it becomes saturated. Then, by calculating backward from the above information, a predetermined number of shots of adhesive may be supplied from the dispenser to the adhesive absorber 110 every n transfers.

[0071] Specifically, for example, the control target adhesive retention level is set to 70% of the total capacity of the adhesive absorber, as shown in the bar graph on the left side of Fig. 3. By setting the adhesive retention level to 70%, which is less than 100%, it is possible to prevent the adhesive Ad from becoming saturated in the adhesive absorber 110. Furthermore, for example, as shown in the bar graphs on the right side of Fig. 3, the dispenser is controlled to supply (replenish) only one shot of adhesive Ad to the adhesive absorber 110 every three transfer (application) operations. By doing so, although the amount decreases from the control target of 70%, it is possible to return the retained amount to 70% at an appropriate timing, and it is possible to maintain a state in which the adhesive Ad does not become saturated.

[0072] 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of control by the dispense controller 165 of embodiment 2. The graph in the figure has time t on the horizontal axis and the amount of adhesive held in the adhesive absorber 110 on the vertical axis, and each bar graph indicates the percentage of the amount of adhesive absorbed and held at that time when the maximum capacity of the adhesive absorber 110 (the amount of adhesive that can be absorbed until saturated) is set to 100%.

[0073] The adhesive absorber 110 must absorb and retain a sufficient amount of adhesive Ad because it must supply the appropriate amount of adhesive to the applicator head 120 at the appropriate time. On the other hand, if the adhesive Ad is oversupplied to the adhesive absorber 110 to the point of saturation, the excess adhesive AdL is more likely to spill over to places other than the adhesive absorber 110 and the applicator head 120, making it more likely to cause adhesive dripping. In the present invention, the adhesive Ad is retained while maintaining a non-saturated state (a state less than saturated) as described above, thereby suppressing adhesive spillage and preventing adhesive dripping. Furthermore, by ensuring a remaining capacity (acceptable capacity; 30% in the example of FIG. 3 ) in the adhesive absorber 110, adhesive AdL that temporarily spills due to elastic deformation of the applicator head 120 can be easily absorbed back into the adhesive absorber 110.

[0074] Although the present invention has been described above based on the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and for example, the following modifications are also possible.

[0075] Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an adhesive application unit 101 according to Modification 1. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an adhesive application unit 102 according to Modification 2. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an adhesive application unit 103 according to Modification 3.

[0076] (1) The shape of the adhesive absorber 110 can be appropriately changed in accordance with changes in the shape of the head retainer 130. The head retainer 130 in the first embodiment has a three-stage structure including the retaining surface 132. However, as shown in FIG. 4, the head retainer 130' may have a two-stage structure consisting of a first stage 134 and a retaining surface 132. In this case, the adhesive absorber 110A may be configured and arranged in a shape that fills the space surrounded by the upper surface 126 of the application head, the inner wall 142 of the head fixing body 140, and the first stage 134 and first step 135 of the head retainer 130' (Modification 1). Note that FIG. 4 illustrates an example in which the width W3 of the retaining surface 132 corresponds to the adhesive application pattern P2. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the width may be larger than this or may be a uniform width that is determined regardless of changes in the width of the adhesive application pattern P2. This also applies to each embodiment and each modification.

[0077] (2) Also, as shown in Fig. 5, there is a case where the head presser 930 has a single-stage configuration consisting of only a presser surface 932. In this case, the adhesive absorber 110B may be configured and arranged in a shape that fills the space surrounded by the upper surface 126 of the application head, the inner wall 142 of the head fixing body 140, the lower surface 150b of the head base, and the side surface of the head presser 930 (Variation 2).

[0078] (3) Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, a spacer 192 may be interposed between the adhesive absorber 110C and the underside 150b of the head base. In this case, the adhesive absorber 110C may be configured and arranged in a shape that fills the space surrounded by the upper surface 126 of the application head, the inner wall 142 of the head fixing body 140, the underside 150b of the spacer 192, and the side surface of the head presser 930 (Variation 3). Note that a space 173 is formed at a position surrounded by the head base 150, the inner surface of the spacer 192, the upper surface of the adhesive absorber 110, and the side surface of the head presser 930. A portion of the upper surface of the adhesive absorber 110C faces this space 173. The space 173 can also accommodate adhesive AdL that has saturated and leaked from the adhesive absorber 110C.

[0079] (4) In each embodiment and Modifications 1 to 3, the explanation is based on the premise that the adhesive application unit is disposed on the side where the upper mold 51 is disposed. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The adhesive application unit of the present invention may be disposed on the side where the lower mold 52 is disposed. Similarly, the manufacturing apparatus for a metal piece stack of the present invention may adopt a configuration in which the adhesive application unit is disposed on the side where the lower mold 52 is disposed.

[0080] (5) In each of the embodiments and modifications 1 to 3, the head holders 130, 130′, and 930 are separate from the head base 150. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the head holder and the head base may be integrally configured.

[0081] (6) In each embodiment and modified examples 1 to 3, the adhesive absorbers 110, 110A, 110B, and 110C are made of different materials than the material used for the application head 120. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can also be realized by using the same material while making the pore volumes per unit volume different from each other, for example. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 7...Metal piece laminate manufacturing apparatus, 10,210...Die, 20...Stripper, 30...Punch, 51...Upper mold, 52...Lower mold, 100,101,102,103,900...Adhesive application unit, 110,110A,110B,110C...Adhesive absorber, 112...Underside of adhesive absorber, 113...Outer side of adhesive absorber, 114...Inner side of adhesive absorber, 116...Upper surface of adhesive absorber, 120,920...Application head, 122...Underside of application head, 123...Transfer portion, 124...Non-transfer portion, 126...Upper surface of application head, 127...Flange portion, 130,130',930...Head holder, 130a...Upper end of head holder, 130b ...lower end of head presser, 132, 932...pressure surface, 134...first step, 135...first step, 136...second step, 137...second step, 140...head fixing body, 142...inner wall of head fixing body, 143...fixing protrusion, 143a...inner wall of fixing protrusion, 145...adhesive inlet, 147...hollow portion of head fixing body, 149a, 149b...opening of head fixing body, 150...head base, 150a...upper surface of head base, 150b...lower surface of head base, 160...adhesive supply source, 165...dispense controller, 171, 173...space, 192...spacer, 200S...outer shape punching station, 230...outer shape punch, 910...adhesive storage chamber,

Claims

1. An adhesive application unit that is disposed in a manufacturing apparatus for a metal piece laminate using a progressive die device having an upper die and a lower die, and applies adhesive to an adhesive application target member using a coating head, A head base; a head fixing body having a generally hollow cylindrical shape with an upper and lower opening, the upper end of which is connected to the lower surface of the head base, and the lower end of which has a fixing protrusion protruding toward the center; a head presser that is disposed in a hollow portion of the head fixing body, has an upper end connected to a lower surface of the head base, and has a pressing surface formed at a lower end for pressing the application head; an application head made of porous resin, having a transfer portion formed on its lower surface that transfers the adhesive to the adhesive-receiving member, and disposed between the head presser and the fixing convex portion so that its upper surface contacts the pressing surface of the head presser and its lower surface contacts the inner wall of the fixing convex portion; an adhesive absorber that is disposed in the hollow portion of the head fixing body and is made of a liquid-absorbent material having a large number of minute spaces, and that absorbs and holds the adhesive that is supplied from the outside, the adhesive absorber is arranged so that a lower surface of the adhesive absorber is in contact with a part of an upper surface of the application head, and is configured to be able to supply the absorbed and held adhesive to the application head, When the application head is brought into contact with and pressed against the workpiece to be coated with adhesive, the pressing surface of the head presser presses the application head downward, and the transfer portion of the application head transfers the adhesive oozing out from its surface to the workpiece to be coated with adhesive. An adhesive application unit characterized by:

2. 2. The adhesive application unit according to claim 1, An adhesive application unit, characterized in that the volume of pores per unit volume in the adhesive absorber is larger than the volume of pores per unit volume in the application head.

3. 2. The adhesive application unit according to claim 1, The adhesive application unit is characterized in that the rigidity of the adhesive absorber is lower than the rigidity of the application head.

4. 2. The adhesive application unit according to claim 1, The adhesive application unit is characterized in that the adhesive absorber is made of felt made of animal-derived fibers.

5. 2. The adhesive application unit according to claim 1, The adhesive application unit is characterized in that the adhesive absorbent body is made of nonwoven fabric.

6. 2. The adhesive application unit according to claim 1, An adhesive application unit characterized in that, in a plan view, an outer side surface of the adhesive absorber is in contact with an inner wall of the head fixing body.

7. 2. The adhesive application unit according to claim 1, When viewed in plan view, the transfer portion has a shape of an adhesive application pattern corresponding to a planar shape of the metal piece to be punched out, the pressing surface has a pressing pattern corresponding to the adhesive application pattern, The pressing surface is configured to abut against the upper surface of the application head at a position and attitude corresponding to the transfer unit. An adhesive application unit characterized by:

8. A manufacturing apparatus for a metal piece stack using a progressive die device equipped with an upper die and a lower die, The apparatus comprises a die disposed midway along a transfer path of a thin steel plate that is intermittently transferred, a stripper that presses the thin steel plate against the die, and a punch that performs press working on the thin steel plate pressed against the die by the stripper, an outer shape punch is provided as the punch, and the outer shape punch is used to punch out metal pieces of a predetermined planar shape from the thin steel plate and separate them from the thin steel plate, and the metal pieces are stacked in a die corresponding to the outer shape punch; The adhesive application unit according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is further provided.

1. A manufacturing apparatus for a metal piece stack comprising:

9. 9. The manufacturing apparatus for a metal piece stack according to claim 8, The manufacturing device for a metal piece stack is characterized in that the adhesive application unit is arranged on the side of the thin steel plate where the upper mold is arranged.

10. 9. The manufacturing apparatus for a metal piece stack according to claim 8, a dispense controller that controls the amount of adhesive supplied to the adhesive absorber; The manufacturing device for a metal piece stack body is characterized in that the dispense controller controls the adhesive so that the adhesive absorber is maintained in a state where it is not saturated with the adhesive.

11. A method for manufacturing a metal piece stack using the metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus described in claim 8, characterized in that the adhesive is transferred to the thin steel plate from the side where the upper mold is placed.

12. The method for manufacturing a metal piece stack according to claim 11, A method for manufacturing a metal piece stack, characterized in that the adhesive is supplied to the adhesive absorber from outside while maintaining a state in which the adhesive is not saturated in the adhesive absorber.

Images