Transfer jig

Abstract

To facilitate transfer of a workpiece having an attachment surface coated with a sealing material.SOLUTION: A transfer jig 11 is a jig for transferring a workpiece having an attachment surface 2 coated with a sealing material 3. The transfer jig 11 comprises: a jig body 12, which is arranged on an outer side of the attachment surface 2; a fixing portion 13, which is provided on the jig body 12, and detachably fixes the jig body 12 to the workpiece; and a handle portion 14, which is rotatably provided on the jig body 12 and capable of being gripped by hand.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transfer jig for transferring a workpiece. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a structure in which a timing chain cover is attached to an engine body with a sealant interposed between the attachment surface of the timing chain cover and the attachment surface of the engine body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-116020 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When assembling a timing chain cover to an engine body using a sealant, the sealant may be applied to the mounting surface of the timing chain cover in advance. In this case, the timing chain cover is typically transferred onto the engine body with the mounting surface coated with the sealant facing up. Therefore, the timing chain cover must be transferred onto the engine body while being turned upside down so that the mounting surface coated with the sealant faces downward. However, because the area where the sealant is applied cannot be touched with hands, the area where the timing chain cover can be gripped by hand is limited, making the transfer process extremely difficult.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to facilitate the transfer of a workpiece such as a timing chain cover having a sealing material applied to its mounting surface. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) The present invention, which was invented to solve the above problems, is a transfer jig for transferring a workpiece having a sealing material applied to its mounting surface, characterized in that it comprises a jig body that is positioned outside the mounting surface, a fixing portion that is provided on the jig body and that detachably fixes the jig body to the workpiece, and a handle portion that is rotatably provided on the jig body and can be held by hand.

[0007] In this way, while the transfer jig is fixed to the outside of the workpiece mounting surface, the handle of the transfer jig can be grasped by hand to transfer the workpiece. In this case, since the handle is rotatable relative to the jig body, the handle rotates according to the position of the workpiece. Therefore, the transfer operation, including turning the workpiece upside down, can be easily performed without changing the hand holding the handle.

[0008] (2) In the configuration of (1) above, it is preferable that the handle portion is rotatable about an axis extending along a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface.

[0009] This allows the handle portion to be easily rotated in accordance with the position of the workpiece while being held by hand, making it easier to transfer the workpiece.

[0010] (3) In the above configuration (1) or (2), the handle portion is preferably provided on the jig body so as to be located on the opposite side to the mounting surface.

[0011] This makes it easier to turn the workpiece upside down while holding the handle with your hand, and also makes it easier to support the weight of a workpiece with its mounting surface facing upward.

[0012] (4) In any of the above configurations (1) to (3), the handle portion is preferably disk-shaped.

[0013] This makes it easier to grip the handle with your hand when starting or during the transfer operation.

[0014] (5) In any of the configurations (1) to (4) above, it is preferable that the fixing part includes a clamping part that clamps the protruding part of the workpiece, and a locking mechanism that can lock and unlock the clamped state of the protruding part by the clamping part.

[0015] This makes it easier to attach and detach the transfer jig to and from the workpiece.

[0016] (6) In the configuration of (5) above, it is preferable that the locking mechanism be configured so that locking and unlocking operations can be performed with the other hand while holding the handle portion.

[0017] In this way, the locking mechanism can be locked and unlocked without releasing the handle, allowing for smooth workpiece transfer operations. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, the workpiece having the sealing material applied to its mounting surface can be easily transferred. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a timing chain cover as an example of a workpiece. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a transfer jig according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 3 is a plan view showing the transfer jig of FIG. 2 in an unlocked state. FIG. [Figure 4] 3 is a plan view showing a locked state of the transfer jig of FIG. 2.

[0023] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 3 (unlocked state). [Figure 6] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 4 (locked state). [Figure 7] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a transfer process using the transfer jig of FIG. 2. [Figure 8] 8 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the mounting step of FIG. 7 (unlocked state). FIG. [Figure 9] 8 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the mounting step of FIG. 7 (locked state). FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, in this embodiment, a timing chain cover 1 is used as an example of the workpiece. In this figure, the timing chain cover 1 is shown with its cover surface 1a facing downward and its cover back surface 1b facing upward. In this figure, X indicates the longitudinal direction of the timing chain cover 1, and Y indicates the perpendicular direction to the mounting surface 2 of the timing chain cover 1.

[0022] The outer edge of the cover back surface 1b is provided with a mounting surface 2 that is to be placed on the engine body. A sealing material (for example, a liquid gasket) 3 is applied to the mounting surface 2. The mounting surface 2 also has fastening holes 4 through which fastening members such as bolts are inserted when fastening the timing chain cover 1 to the engine body with the fastening members.

[0023] The mounting surface 2 and the sealant 3 are linear regions (gray colored portions in the drawing) that are substantially U-shaped and open at one end Xa in the longitudinal direction X of the timing chain cover 1. That is, in this embodiment, the mounting surface 2 and the sealant 3 are discontinuous at the one end Xa in the longitudinal direction X, but are continuous along the outer edge of the cover back surface portion 1b in other portions including the other end Xb in the longitudinal direction X. The shapes of the mounting surface 2 and the sealant 3 are not particularly limited.

[0024] The timing chain cover 1 has a protrusion 5 that protrudes from the cover surface 1a toward the outside of the mounting surface 2 on the end Xb side in the longitudinal direction X. The protrusion 5 has a through hole 6. The through hole 6 is a hole that is used, for example, to attach components or for positioning during processing. The protrusions 5 with through holes 6 may be provided in multiple locations on the timing chain cover 1.

[0025] 2 to 6, the transfer jig 11 according to this embodiment is a jig for transferring the timing chain cover 1 having the sealing material 3 applied to the mounting surface 2 as described above. The transfer jig 11 includes a jig main body 12 arranged on the outside of the mounting surface 2, a fixing portion 13 provided on the jig main body 12 for detachably fixing the jig main body 12 to the timing chain cover 1, and a handle portion 14 rotatably provided on the jig main body 12 and capable of being held by hand.

[0026] The fixing portion 13 includes a clamping portion 15 that clamps the protruding portion 5 of the timing chain cover 1, and a locking mechanism 16 that can lock and unlock the clamped state of the protruding portion 5 by the clamping portion 15.

[0027] The clamping portion 15 is provided on the jig body 12 and includes a first clamping member 17 arranged on the front surface 5a side of the protrusion 5, and a second clamping member 18 arranged on the jig body 12 and on the back surface 5b side of the protrusion 5. In this embodiment, of the first clamping member 17 and the second clamping member 18, only the second clamping member 18 is provided on the jig body 12 so as to be slidable.

[0028] The workpiece contact portion 17a of the first clamping member 17 has a first contact portion 17x that contacts the surface portion 5a of the protrusion 5 and a second contact portion 17y that contacts the side surface portion 5c of the protrusion 5.

[0029] The first contact portion 17x has a planar shape that follows the surface portion 5a of the protrusion 5. The first contact portion 17x is provided with an engagement pin 19 that can engage with the through hole 6 of the protrusion 5. The second contact portion 17y has a shape (e.g., a curved shape) that follows the shape of the side surface portion 5c of the protrusion 5. Therefore, the workpiece contact portion 17a of the first clamping member 17 can be fitted into the surface portion 5a side of the protrusion 5 with the engagement pin 19 engaged with the through hole 6.

[0030] The workpiece contact portion 18a of the second clamping member 18 is slidable linearly between a clamping position P1 (FIGS. 4 and 6) where it faces the workpiece contact portion 17a of the first clamping member 17 and can clamp the protrusion 5, and a retracted position P2 (FIGS. 3 and 5) where it is retracted rearward (in the direction away from the timing chain cover 1) from the clamping position P1. The workpiece contact portion 18a of the second clamping member 18 comes into contact with the back surface portion 5b of the protrusion 5 at the clamping position P1.

[0031] The locking mechanism 16 is configured to lock the clamping state of the clamping portion 15 and includes a lock operation portion 20 slidably provided on the jig body 12, an engagement portion 21 integrally provided on the lock operation portion 20, and a hook 22 engageable with the engagement portion 21. Note that although the engagement portion 21 and the hook 22 are not included in the cross-sectional positions shown in Figures 5 and 6 (they are located on the near side of the paper), they are virtually illustrated using dashed lines.

[0032] The lock operation part 20 is slidable linearly between a protruding position Q2 (FIGS. 3 and 5) where it protrudes rearward from the jig body 12 and a retracted position Q1 (FIGS. 4 and 6) where it advances forward from the protruding position Q2 and is retracted into the jig body 12. A first clamping member 17 is provided at the tip of the lock operation part 20, and the lock operation part 20 and the first clamping member 17 are slidable integrally. Therefore, when the lock operation part 20 is slid from the protruding position Q2 to the retracted position Q1, the workpiece contact part 17a of the first clamping member 17 advances from the retracted position P2 to the clamping position P1.

[0033] The engagement portion 21 is a plate-like member that protrudes from the side of the lock operation portion 20 and is slidable integrally with the lock operation portion 20 .

[0034] The hook 22 is provided so as to be swingable around a swing shaft 23 fixed to the jig body 12. The hook 22 is constantly biased by a first elastic member 24 such as a torsion spring so as to swing in a first direction a toward the engaging portion 21.

[0035] 5, when the lock operation part 20 is in the protruding position Q2, the tip end 22a of the hook 22 rides on the sliding surface 21a of the engagement part 21. Even when the lock operation part 20 is operated from this state (operation of the arrow F1 in the figure) to slide from the protruding position Q2 to the retracted position Q1, the tip end 22a of the hook 22 maintains the state of riding on the sliding surface 21a of the engagement part 21 due to the biasing force of the first elastic member 24. In other words, the sliding surface 21a of the engagement part 21 moves while remaining in contact with the tip end 22a of the hook 22.

[0036] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, when the lock operation unit 20 reaches the retracted position Q1, the sliding surface 21a of the engagement unit 21 is no longer present at the position of the tip end 22a of the hook 22. As a result, the hook 22 swings in the first direction a due to the biasing force of the first elastic member 24 and slides off the sliding surface 21a of the engagement unit 21. Then, the tip end 22a of the hook 22 meshes with and engages with the engagement surface (rear end surface) 21b of the engagement unit 21, restricting the sliding movement of the lock operation unit 20. As a result, the sliding movement of the first clamping member 17, which moves in conjunction with the lock operation unit 20, is also restricted, and the workpiece contact portion 17a of the first clamping member 17 is maintained in a state where it has advanced to the clamping position P1. This locks the clamping state of the clamping unit 15.

[0037] The locking mechanism 16 is configured to unlock the clamping state of the clamping portion 15, and includes an unlocking operation portion 25 provided on the hook 22 and a second elastic member 26 such as a compression coil spring that always biases the locking operation portion 20 toward the protruding position Q2.

[0038] The unlocking operation part 25 is a rod-shaped body extending from the hook 22 to the outside of the jig body 12. By operating the unlocking operation part 25, the hook 22 can swing in the second direction b away from the engaging part 21 against the biasing force of the first elastic member 24.

[0039] In the locked state shown in Fig. 6, when the hook 22 is swung in the second direction b by operating the unlock operation unit 25 (operation indicated by arrow F2 in the figure), the engagement between the tip end 22a of the hook 22 and the engagement surface 21b of the engagement unit 21 is released. Then, as shown in Fig. 5, the lock operation unit 20 slides from the retracted position Q1 to the protruded position Q2 due to the biasing force of the second elastic member 26. As a result, the second clamping member 18 also slides integrally with the lock operation unit 20, and the workpiece contact portion 18a of the second clamping member 18 retracts from the clamping position P1 to the retracted position P2. This releases the lock on the clamping state by the clamping unit 15.

[0040] Note that the second elastic member 26 constantly biases the lock operation part 20 toward the protruding position Q2, and therefore also serves to stabilize the engagement state between the tip end 22a of the hook 22 and the engagement surface 21b of the engagement part 21 in the locked state shown in Fig. 6. When sliding from the protruding position Q2 to the retracted position Q1, the lock operation part 20 moves against the biasing force of the second elastic member 26.

[0041] The handle portion 14 is provided so as to be rotatable around a rotation shaft 27 fixed to the jig body 12. A sliding bearing 28 is provided between the handle portion 14 and the rotation shaft 27 to ensure smooth rotation of the handle portion 14.

[0042] The handle portion 14 is disk-shaped and can be held in one hand. The outer diameter of the handle portion 14 is preferably 60 to 85 cm, for example. The thickness of the handle portion 14 (thickness of the outer edge) is preferably 20 to 25 cm, for example.

[0043] The handle portion 14 is attached to the jig body 12 via a rotation shaft 27 so as to be located on the opposite side of the attachment surface 2 when the transfer jig 11 is fixed to the timing chain cover 1. In other words, the jig body 12 is located closer to the attachment surface 2 than the handle portion 14.

[0044] When the transfer jig 11 is fixed to the timing chain cover 1, the rotation shaft 27 extends along the perpendicular line Y to the mounting surface 2. Here, "along the perpendicular line Y to the mounting surface 2" means not only the case where it is parallel to the perpendicular line Y to the mounting surface 2, but also the case where it is approximately parallel to the perpendicular line Y to the mounting surface 2. In other words, the handle portion 14 rotates on a plane that is substantially parallel to the mounting surface 2.

[0045] Here, the lock operation unit 20 and the unlock operation unit 25 of the lock mechanism 16 can be operated with the hand holding the handle unit 14 while the handle unit 14 is being held in that hand. Specifically, for example, if the handle unit 14 is held in the right hand, the lock operation unit 20 can be operated with the palm of the right hand to push the lock operation unit 20 from the extended position Q2 to the retracted position Q1. Also, for example, if the handle unit 14 is held in the right hand, the unlock operation unit 25 can be operated with the thumb of the right hand to swing the hook 22 in the second direction b while the handle unit 14 is being held in that hand. In other words, the lock operation unit 20 is located at a position where it can be operated with the palm of the hand holding the handle unit 14 while the handle unit 14 is being held in that hand. The unlock operation unit 25 is located at a position where it can be operated with the fingers of the hand holding the handle unit 14 while the handle unit 14 is being held in that hand.

[0046] Next, a process for transferring the timing chain cover 1 using the transfer jig 11 configured as above will be described.

[0047] 7, the transfer process includes, in this order, a preparation step S1 of preparing a timing chain cover 1 having a sealing material 3 applied to the mounting surface 2, an attachment step S2 of fixing a transfer jig 11 to the timing chain cover 1, an inversion step S3 of turning the timing chain cover 1 with the transfer jig 11 upside down, an assembly step S4 of assembling the timing chain cover 1 with the transfer jig 11 to the engine body, and a removal step S5 of removing the transfer jig 11 from the timing chain cover 1 with the transfer jig 11. Each of steps S1 to S5 will be described in detail below.

[0048] In the preparation step S1, the timing chain cover 1 is prepared with the mounting surface 2, to which the sealing material 3 is applied, facing upward. In this state, for example, the timing chain cover 1 is supported from below by a plurality of support pins that are detachably engaged with fastening holes 4 provided in the mounting surface 2.

[0049] In the installation step S2, the transfer jig 11 is attached to the protrusion 5 of the timing chain cover 1. Specifically, first, as shown in FIG. 8, the engagement pin 19 of the first clamping member 17 is inserted into the through hole 6 of the protrusion 5, and the workpiece contact portion 17a of the first clamping member 17 is brought into contact with the front surface 5a and side surface 5c of the protrusion 5. Next, by operating the lock operation unit 20 (operation of arrow F1 in FIG. 8), the workpiece contact portion 18a of the second clamping member 18 is slid from the retracted position P2 to the clamping position P1, as shown in FIG. 9, and the workpiece contact portion 18a of the second clamping member 18 is brought into contact with the back surface 5b of the protrusion 5. Then, the lock mechanism 16 automatically locks the clamping state of the protrusion 5 by the clamping unit 15.

[0050] In the inversion step S3, first, with the transfer jig 11 fixed to the timing chain cover 1, one hand grasps the handle portion 14 located on the lower side of the jig body 12 from below, and the other hand grasps a portion of the timing chain cover 1 where the sealant 3 is not applied, such as the end Xa in the longitudinal direction X. Next, in this state, the timing chain cover 1 with the transfer jig 11 attached is lifted with both hands and turned upside down so that the mounting surface 2, where the sealant 3 is applied, faces downward. Accordingly, the handle portion 14 also moves to the upper side of the jig body 12, so that one hand grasps the handle portion 14 from above. In this inversion step S3, the orientations of the timing chain cover 1 and the handle portion 14 change significantly. However, because the handle portion 14 is rotatable relative to the jig body 12, the handle portion 14 rotates according to the orientation of the timing chain cover 1. Therefore, the timing chain cover 1 can be easily turned upside down without changing the hand holding the handle portion 14. The reversing step S3 may further include reversing the timing chain cover 1 with the transfer jig 11 in the longitudinal direction X.

[0051] In the assembling process S4, the mounting surface 2 of the timing chain cover 1 with the transfer jig 11 turned upside down is placed on the mounting surface of the engine body, thereby assembling the timing chain cover 1 to the engine body via the sealing material 3.

[0052] In the detachment step S5, the transfer jig 11 is removed from the protrusion 5 of the timing chain cover 1 attached to the engine body. In detail, the lock release operation part 25 is operated (when the handle part 14 located on the upper side of the jig body 12 is gripped from above, the lock release operation part 25 is pressed down) to release the lock on the clamped state of the protrusion 5 by the clamping part 15, and the transfer jig 11 is removed from the protrusion 5.

[0053] Thereafter, by repeating these steps S1 to S5, a plurality of timing chain covers 1 can be assembled to the engine body via the sealing material 3 in the transfer step.

[0054] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0055] In the above embodiment, at least one of the workpiece contact portion 17a of the first clamping member 17 and the workpiece contact portion 18a of the second clamping member 18 may be configured to be separable. In this way, by changing the thickness of the separable workpiece contact portion, it is possible to accommodate workpieces of various thicknesses.

[0056] In the above embodiment, the clamping operation of the workpiece by the first clamping member 17 and the second clamping member 18 is not limited to sliding movement in a direction along the mounting surface 2. For example, at least one of the first clamping member 17 and the second clamping member 18 may be slid or swung along the direction Y perpendicular to the mounting surface 2 so that the opposing distance between the workpiece contact portions 17a, 18a changes.

[0057] In the above embodiment, the shape of the handle portion 14 may be a rod shape, a rectangular disk shape, or any other shape other than a disk shape. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1 Timing chain cover 2 Mounting surface 3. Sealing material 4 Fastening hole 5 Protrusion 6 through holes 11 Transfer jig 12 Jig body 13 Fixed part 14 Handle 15 Clamping part 16 Locking mechanism 17 First clamping member 17a Workpiece contact area 18 Second clamping member 18a Workpiece contact area 19 Engagement pin 20 Lock operation section 21 Engagement portion 21a Sliding surface 21b Engagement surface 22 Hook 22a Tip 23 Oscillating shaft 24 First elastic member 25 Unlock operation section 26 Second elastic member 27 Rotation axis 28 Bearings P1 Clamping position P2 Evacuation position Q1 Immersed position Q2 Projection position

Claims

1. In a transfer jig for transferring a workpiece having a sealing material applied to its mounting surface, a jig body disposed outside the mounting surface; a fixing portion provided on the jig body and configured to detachably fix the jig body to the workpiece; A transfer jig characterized in that it comprises a handle portion that is rotatably provided on the jig body and can be held by hand.

2. 2. The transfer jig according to claim 1, wherein the handle portion is rotatable about an axis extending along a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface.

3. The transfer jig according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the handle portion is provided on the jig body so as to be positioned on the opposite side to the mounting surface.

4. 3. The transfer jig according to claim 1, wherein the handle portion is disk-shaped.

5. The transfer jig according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fixing portion comprises a clamping portion that clamps the protruding portion of the workpiece, and a locking mechanism that can lock and unlock the clamped state of the protruding portion by the clamping portion.

6. The transfer jig according to claim 5 , wherein the locking mechanism is configured so that the locking and unlocking operations can be performed with one hand while the handle portion is being held with the other hand.

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