Method for manufacturing processed elastic body, punching machine, and sealing member

Abstract

To provide a new elastic body.SOLUTION: According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a processed elastic body for processing an elastic body including a bent portion, and a first region and a second region sandwiching the bent portion, wherein the first region and the second region are processed in a state in which the bent portion is extended.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a processed elastic body, a punching machine for punching an elastic body, and a sealing member made of an elastic body. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, various elastic bodies have been developed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-213703 (paragraph

[0054] , figure 2, etc.) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides a novel elastic body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the invention is a method for manufacturing a processed elastic body, which processes an elastic body having a bent portion and a first region and a second region sandwiching the bent portion, characterized in that the first region and the second region are processed while the bent portion is extended. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an elastic body according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of an elastic body used in a vehicle. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an elastic body placed in an initial position on the punching machine of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an elastic body stretched by being pressed by a pressing plate of the punching machine of the first embodiment. [Figure 5]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an elastic body punched by a processing tool of the punching machine of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an elastic body placed on a punching machine according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of an elastic body stretched by being pressed by a pressing plate of a punching machine according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of an elastic body placed on a punching machine according to a third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of an elastic body stretched by being pressed by a pressing plate of a punching machine according to a third embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an elastic body placed on a punching machine according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of an elastic body stretched by being pressed by a pressing plate of a punching machine according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of an elastic body placed on a punching machine according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of an elastic body stretched by being pressed by a pressing plate of a punching machine according to a fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] [First embodiment] 1 shows an elastic body 10 according to the first embodiment. The elastic body 10 includes a bent portion 30, as well as a first region 11 and a second region 21 that sandwich the bent portion 30. In this embodiment, the elastic body 10 has a shape in which the long sides of the first region 11 and the second region 21, which are long plate-like, are connected by the bent portion 30.

[0008] More specifically, in this embodiment, the elastic body 10 is formed by cutting a long extrusion-molded product (for example, one having a substantially V-shaped or L-shaped cross section) to a predetermined length, and then punching out the first region 11 and the second region 21 of the cut product. A through hole 12 is formed in the first region 11. For example, a plurality of through holes 12 are formed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the elastic body 10. A notch portion 22 is formed in the second region 21. For example, the notch portion 22 is formed in a mid-portion of the elastic body 10 in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the bending angle of the bending portion 30 is substantially a right angle or an acute angle.

[0009] In this embodiment, the elastic body 10 is a sealing member that seals between a pair of members. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the elastic body 10 is disposed within a hood 91 (inside the hood 91) of a vehicle 90, and when the hood 91 is closed, the elastic body 10 seals between the hood 91 and a cowl cover 92, thereby preventing foreign matter, rainwater, and the like from entering the hood 91. For example, the elastic body 10 is disposed to extend in the vehicle width direction, and the first region 11 is fixed to the underside of the rear end of the hood 91. A fixing member 93 (e.g., a bolt) that fixes the elastic body 10 to the hood 91 is inserted into the through hole 12 of the first region 11. Then, when the hood 91 is closed, the second region 21 is applied to the cowl cover 92 (see FIG. 2). The elastic body 10 may be disposed so that the bent portion 30 is on the front side, or so that the bent portion 30 is on the rear side. The elastic body 10 may be arranged so that the first region 11 is fixed to the cowl cover 92 and the second region is applied to the hood 91 (i.e., arranged upside down from the arrangement described above), thereby sealing the gap between the hood 91 and the cowl cover 92. In this case, a fixing member for fixing the elastic body 10 to the cowl cover 92 is inserted into the through hole 12 of the first region 11. The cutout portion 22 may be arranged so as to receive surrounding components inside the hood 91. Furthermore, for example, by forming the cutout portion 22 so as to be asymmetric in the longitudinal direction (vehicle width direction) of the elastic body 10, it is possible to prevent the elastic body 10 from being erroneously arranged upside down in the vehicle width direction.

[0010] The elastic body 10 may be made of, for example, rubber or thermoplastic elastomer.

[0011] The elastic body 10 of this embodiment is manufactured, for example, as follows. First, an elongated extrusion-molded product is cut to a predetermined length to prepare an elastic body 10S, as shown in Fig. 3. The elastic body 10S is formed into a shape in which a first region 11 and a second region 21, each of which has a long plate shape, are connected by a bent portion 30.

[0012] Next, the elastic body 10S is subjected to a punching process (e.g., Thomson cutting). FIG. 3 shows a punching machine 50 that performs this punching process. The punching machine 50 includes a support table 51 on which the elastic body 10S is placed. The elastic body 10S is arranged on the support table 51 so that the first region 11 and the second region 21 are on opposite sides of the bent portion 30 in the horizontal direction. In this embodiment, the elastic body 10S is arranged so that the bent portion 30 is arranged on the upper side, and the first region 11 and the second region 21 extend downward from the bent portion 30, with their tip ends (long sides) abutting against the support table 51. At this time, the elastic body 10S is in its natural state (placed in its initial posture) without elastic deformation.

[0013] The punching machine 50 is provided with a press plate 52 that approaches and moves away from a support stand 51 from above. The punching machine 50 is also provided with a tool holder 53 above the press plate 52. The tool holder 53 is movable relative to the press plate 52 (movable up and down in this embodiment) and holds a processing tool 54 that is passed through a through hole formed in the press plate 52. In this embodiment, the processing tools 54 include a first processing tool 54A and a second processing tool 54B that perform punching on the first region 11 and the second region 21 of the elastic body 10S, respectively. The first processing tool 54A has, for example, a cylindrical blade (e.g., a Thomson blade) that forms the through hole 12 in the first region 11. The second processing tool 54B has a blade (e.g., a Thomson blade) that forms the notch 22 in the second region 21. For example, the pressure plate 52 and the tool holder 53 may be connected by a coil spring 59 or the like.

[0014] In this embodiment, punching of the first region 11 and the second region 21 of the elastic body 10S is performed with the bent portion 30 extended (see FIG. 4). Specifically, the pressure plate 52 is lowered from the upper end position to press the elastic body 10S and elastically deform it into an extended state. At this time, for example, the first region 11 and the second region 21 are pressed against the support base 51 by the pressure plate 52, and the elastic body 10S is crushed into a substantially flat shape. Note that the entire elastic body 10S in the extended state does not have to be a completely flat plate-like shape and may have a shape in which the bent portion 30 remains slightly, but it is preferable that the portions of the first region 11 and the second region 21 to be punched are substantially flat.

[0015] Then, the tool holder 53 is lowered from the upper end position relative to the pressing plate 52, and the processing tool 54 is protruded downward from the pressing plate 52 and pressed against the first region 11 and the second region 21 of the elastic body 10S (see FIG. 5). Then, the first processing tool 54A forms a plurality of through holes 12 in the first region 11, and the second processing tool 54B forms cutout portions 22 in the second region 21. As a result, the elastic body 10 is formed by punching the first region 11 and the second region 21 of the elastic body 10S.

[0016] Thereafter, the tool holder 53 is raised to remove the processing tool 54 from the elastic body 10, and the pressing plate 52 is also raised to move the tool holder 53 and the pressing plate 52 to the upper end position (see FIG. 3), whereby the elastic body 10 is obtained, elastically restored to its initial posture.

[0017] Here, in this embodiment, a positioning member 60 for positioning the elastic body 10S to be punched is provided. In this embodiment, the positioning member 60 includes an initial positioning member 60A and a positioning member during processing 60B.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 3, the initial positioning members 60A sandwich and position the elastic body 10S in the width direction while the elastic body 10S is in an initial position (before being pressed by the pressure plate 52 on the support base 51, i.e., before being elastically deformed). The punching machine 50 is provided with a moving mechanism 61 (e.g., a cylinder) that moves the initial positioning member 60A. The moving mechanism 61 moves the pressing plate 52 to a retracted position (see FIG. 4) that does not interfere with the extension of the elastic body 10S after the pressure plate 52 contacts the elastic body 10S (specifically, the bent portion 30). In this embodiment, the initial positioning member 60A penetrates the support base 51 and is movable in the vertical direction. The initial positioning member 60A protrudes upward from the support base 51 at a positioning position where the elastic body 10S is in the initial position (see FIG. 3), and retracts below the upper surface of the support base 51 at a retracted position (see FIG. 4). Note that, for example, a plurality of initial positioning members 60A are provided lined up in the longitudinal direction of the elastic body 10S.

[0019] The positioning members 60B during processing are disposed on the outer side of the initial positioning members 60A in the width direction of the elastic body 10S and sandwich the elastic body 10S in the width direction (see FIG. 3). For example, the pair of positioning members 60B during processing are disposed so that the distance between them is approximately the same as the sum of the widths of the first region 11 and the second region 21 of the elastic body 10S in the short direction. In this embodiment, the positioning members 60B during processing are fixed to the support base 51 and protrude from the upper surface of the support base 51, for example. Then, as described above, when the pressing plate 52 abuts against the elastic body 10S, the initial positioning member 60A descends from the positioning position to the retracted position (see the transition from FIG. 3 to FIG. 4), and the elastic body 10S pressed by the pressing plate 52 becomes extendable between the pair of positioning members 60B during processing. When the elastic body 10S extends, the first region 11 and the second region 21 of the elastic body 10S come into sliding contact with the upper surface of the support base 51. Therefore, the sliding surface 51M of the upper surface of the support base 51 with which the elastic body 10S slides may be provided with a shape (e.g., texture or a plurality of protrusions) to ensure smooth sliding contact, or may be subjected to a surface treatment (e.g., coating) or a sheet (e.g., a Teflon (registered trademark) sheet) to ensure smooth sliding contact. The timing of the descent of the initial positioning member 60A may be controlled based on, for example, the detection result of detecting the position of the pressing plate 52 by a sensor, or may be controlled based on the time elapsed since the pressing plate 52 has descended. The descent of the initial positioning member 60A may also be performed manually based on the detection result or the time elapsed.

[0020] The stretched elastic body 10S is sandwiched between the positioning members 60B during processing and positioned in the width direction. Then, in this state, the punching process described above is performed. By providing the positioning members 60 in this manner, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the punching process into the first region 11 and the second region 21 of the elastic body 10S. It is preferable that the positioning members 60 also include one that positions the elastic body 10S in the longitudinal direction. Note that, for example, the positioning members 60B during processing abut against the lowered pressing plate 52 from below, and also function as a spacer that ensures space for the stretched elastic body 10S.

[0021] In this embodiment, the first region 11 and the second region 21 of the elastic body 10S, which sandwich the bent portion 30, are processed in a state in which the bent portion 30 is stretched. This unprecedented manufacturing method makes it possible to efficiently process the portions of the elastic body 10S that sandwich the bent portion 30. In this embodiment, the pressing direction for stretching the elastic body 10S and the punching direction are the same (vertical direction). Therefore, compared to when punching is performed from different directions, it is possible to process the elastic body 10S more efficiently.

[0022] [Second embodiment] In the second embodiment, the configuration of the punching machine 50 is different from that of the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 6, in this embodiment, a positioning member 60 is provided that serves both as the initial positioning member 60A and the in-process positioning member 60B in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, when the pressing plate 52 and the tool holder 53 are disposed at the upper end positions, the pair of positioning members 60 sandwich the elastic body 10S in the initial posture that is not elastically deformed in the width direction and position it, as shown in Fig. 6. In this positioning position, the pair of positioning members 60 are disposed so that the distance between them is equal to the distance between the initial positioning members 60A in the first embodiment.

[0023] When the pressure plate 52 descends and contacts the elastic body 10S, the movement mechanism slides the positioning members 60 apart in the horizontal direction to a retracted position that does not interfere with the extension of the elastic body 10S (see FIG. 7). At this retracted position, the pair of positioning members 60 sandwich the extended elastic body 10S in the width direction to position it. At this time, the pair of positioning members 60 are positioned so that the distance between them is the same as the distance between the positioning members 60B in the first embodiment. In this state, the tool holder 53 and the processing tool 54 descend, as in the first embodiment, to punch the first region 11 and the second region 21 of the elastic body 10S. As a result, the elastic body 10 (see FIG. 1) is obtained.

[0024] Other aspects of this embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. This embodiment also makes it possible to achieve the same effects as those of the first embodiment.

[0025] [Third embodiment] 8 and 9 show a punching machine 50 according to a third embodiment. In this embodiment, the in-process positioning member 60B is the same as in the first embodiment, but the initial positioning member 60A is different. In this embodiment, the initial positioning member 60A moves vertically. When the elastic body 10S is in its initial position, in which it is not elastically deformed, the initial positioning member 60A protrudes upward from the support base 51 and is positioned at a position where it supports the elastic body 10S from below (see FIG. 8). Here, in this embodiment, the initial positioning member 60A supports the bent portion 30 from below between the first region 11 and the second region 21 of the elastic body 10S. When the pressing plate 52 descends and abuts against the bent portion 30 of the elastic body 10S, the pressing plate 52 presses the initial positioning member 60A downward together with the bent portion 30, and the initial positioning member 60A retreats to a retreat position (see FIG. 9) where it does not interfere with the extension of the elastic body 10S. Thereafter, as in the first embodiment, the tool holder 53 and the processing tool 54 are lowered, and punching is performed on the first region 11 and the second region 21 of the elastic body 10S. In this manner, the elastic body 10 (see FIG. 1) is obtained. Note that, for example, the initial positioning member 60A is biased upward by a biasing means (e.g., a compression coil spring, etc.), and when the pressure plate 52 and the tool holder 53 are returned to their upper end positions, the initial positioning member 60A is returned to the positioning position (see FIG. 8) that supports the bending portion 30 of the elastic body 10S in its initial posture.

[0026] Other aspects of this embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. This embodiment also makes it possible to achieve the same effects as those of the first embodiment.

[0027] [Fourth embodiment] 10 and 11 show a punching machine 50 of a fourth embodiment. As shown in Fig. 10, in this embodiment, instead of being provided with the initial positioning member 60A of the first embodiment, a positioning receiving portion 58 that receives the bent portion 30 and positions the elastic body 10S is provided on the lower surface of the pressing plate 52, and the pressing plate 52 also serves as the positioning member 60. The positioning receiving portion 58 is in the form of a groove that extends in the longitudinal direction of the elastic body 10S.

[0028] In this embodiment, when the pressure plate 52 descends and presses the elastic body 10S, the elastic body 10S can be stretched with the bending portion 30 received in the positioning receiving portion 58 (see Figure 11), thereby making it possible to suppress positional deviation (particularly positional deviation in the width direction) of the elastic body 10S.

[0029] Other aspects of this embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. This embodiment also makes it possible to achieve the same effects as those of the first embodiment.

[0030] [Fifth embodiment] 12 and 13 show a punching machine 50 according to a fifth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 12, this embodiment differs from the fourth embodiment in that the positioning receiving portion 58 for receiving the bending portion 30 of the elastic body 10S is provided on the upper surface of the support base 51, not on the lower surface of the pressure plate 52. Accordingly, the elastic body 10S is placed upside down compared to the fourth embodiment, and the elastic body 10S is placed on the support base 51 with the bending portion 30 located on the lower side received in the positioning receiving portion 58. In this embodiment, the blade of the processing tool 54 is formed so that the pattern is reversed in the longitudinal direction of the elastic body 10S compared to the fourth embodiment. The positioning receiving portion 58 has a groove shape extending in the longitudinal direction of the elastic body 10S.

[0031] In this embodiment, when the elastic body 10S is pressed by the pressure plate 52, the elastic body 10S can be stretched with the bending portion 30 received in the positioning receiving portion 58 (see Figure 13), so that positional deviation (particularly deviation in the width direction) of the elastic body 10S can be suppressed.

[0032] [Other embodiments] In the above embodiment, the elastic body 10 has a shape in which the long sides of the first region 11 and the second region 21, which are shaped like a long plate, are connected by the bent portion 30, but this is not limiting and other shapes are also possible. For example, the elastic body 10 may have a shape in which the short sides of the first region 11 and the second region 21, which are shaped like a long plate, are connected by the bent portion 30, or the first region 11 and the second region 21 may be shaped like a square plate. Furthermore, for example, the elastic body 10 may have a shape in which the first region 11 and the second region 21 are each shaped like a rod, and their longitudinal ends are connected by the bent portion 30 (i.e., a bent rod shape).

[0033] In the above embodiment, the elastic body 10 is a sealing member, but the elastic body 10 does not have to be a sealing member.

[0034] The punching process for the first region 11 and the second region 21 of the elastic body 10S is not limited to the process in the above embodiment. For example, a through hole may be formed in the second region 21, or a notch may be formed in the first region 11.

[0035] In the above embodiment, other processing (for example, press processing such as forming an imprint) may be performed instead of or in addition to the punching processing. Also, at least one of the stretching and processing of the elastic body 10S may be performed manually.

[0036] <Additional Notes> The following describes the features extracted from the above embodiment, while indicating, as necessary, the effects, etc. Note that, for ease of understanding, the corresponding configurations in the above embodiment are indicated in parentheses as appropriate below, but these features are not limited to the specific configurations indicated in parentheses.

[0037] For example, the following features of the present disclosure relate to a method for manufacturing a processed elastic body, a punching machine for punching an elastic body, and a sealing member made of an elastic body. These features can be considered to have been conceived in response to the problem of "the present disclosure provides a novel elastic body" in the background art, where "various elastic bodies have been developed in the past (see, for example, JP 2014-213703 (paragraph

[0054] , Figure 2, etc.)"). Furthermore, there has been a need for the development of a novel method for manufacturing an elastic body and a novel punching machine. Furthermore, there has been a need for the development of a technology that can efficiently process both sides (first and second regions) of a bent portion.

[0038] [Feature 1] A manufacturing method of a processed elastic body (elastic body 10) that processes an elastic body (elastic body 10S) having a bent portion and a first region and a second region that sandwich the bent portion, A method for producing a processed elastic body, characterized in that processing is performed on the first region and the second region while the bent portion is in a stretched state.

[0039] [Feature 2] A method for manufacturing a processed elastic body described in Feature 1, in which the bent portion is pressed and stretched in a first direction (up and down direction), and then punching is performed in the first direction on the first region and the second region.

[0040] [Feature 3] The elastic body has a shape in which the long sides of the first region and the second region, each of which has a long plate shape, are connected to each other at the bent portion, For die-cutting machines, a support base on which the elastic body is placed; a pressing plate that approaches and moves away from the support base from above; a tool holder that is disposed above the pressing plate and that holds a processing tool that is passed through the through hole of the pressing plate; 3. A method for manufacturing a processed elastic body according to feature 1 or 2, comprising placing the elastic body on the support table so that the first region and the second region are horizontally opposite each other with respect to the bent portion, pressing the elastic body with the pressing plate to elastically deform it into an extended state, and then punching the elastic body with the processing tool.

[0041] [Feature 4] The punching machine, an initial positioning member that sandwiches and positions the elastic body in a width direction on the support base before elastic deformation; a moving mechanism for moving the initial positioning member, 4. The method for manufacturing a processed elastic body according to Feature 3, wherein the initial positioning member is moved to a position that does not hinder the extension of the elastic body after the pressing plate abuts against the elastic body.

[0042] [Feature 5] The punching machine, a processing positioning member that sandwiches and positions the elastic body in a width direction on the support base in a stretched state; 5. The method for producing a processed elastic body according to feature 3 or 4, wherein the elastic body is positioned by the processing positioning member during the punching process.

[0043] [Feature 6] A punching machine that performs punching on a first region and a second region that sandwich a bent portion of an elastic body (elastic body 10S) having the bent portion, a support base on which the elastic body is placed such that the first region and the second region are on opposite sides of the bent portion in a horizontal direction; a pressing plate that moves toward and away from the support base from above and presses the elastic body to elastically deform it into an extended state; a tool holder that is disposed above the press plate, holds a processing tool that is passed through a through hole of the press plate, and moves relatively to the press plate after the press plate elastically deforms the elastic body into an extended state, causing the processing tool to protrude downward from the press plate and press against the first region and the second region of the elastic body; A die-cutting machine equipped with the above.

[0044] [Feature 7] The elastic body (elastic body 10) includes a bent portion and a first region and a second region that sandwich the bent portion. The first region has an insertion hole (through hole 12) into which a bonnet fixing member (fixing member 93) is inserted, A sealing member for use inside a vehicle hood, characterized in that the second region has a notch (notch portion 22).

[0045] According to the above features, a novel elastic body is provided.

[0046] Although the present specification and drawings disclose specific examples of the technology included in the scope of the claims, the technology described in the claims is not limited to these specific examples, but also includes various modifications and variations of the specific examples, and also includes parts of the specific examples taken out alone. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 10 Elastic Body 10S Elastic Body 11 First area 12 Through holes 21 Second area 22 Notch 30 Bend 50 Cutting machine 51 Support stand 51M Sliding surface 52 Pressure plate 53 Tool holder 54 Processing Tools 54A First processing tool 54B Second processing tool 58 Receptor 59 Coil spring 60 Positioning member 60A Initial positioning member 60B Processing positioning member 61 Moving mechanism 90 vehicles 91 Bonnet 92 Cowl cover 93 Fixing member

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a processed elastic body, which processes an elastic body having a bent portion and a first region and a second region sandwiching the bent portion, A method for manufacturing a processed elastic body, characterized in that processing is performed on the first region and the second region while the bent portion is in a stretched state.

2. The method for producing a processed elastic body according to claim 1 , wherein the bent portion is pressed and stretched in a first direction, and the first region and the second region are punched in the first direction.

3. The elastic body has a shape in which the long sides of the first region and the second region, each of which has a long plate shape, are connected to each other at the bent portion, For die-cutting machines, a support base on which the elastic body is placed; a pressing plate that approaches and moves away from the support base from above; a tool holder that is disposed above the pressing plate and that holds a processing tool that is passed through the through hole of the pressing plate; 3. A method for manufacturing a processed elastic body according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the elastic body is placed on the support table so that the first region and the second region are horizontally opposite each other with respect to the bent portion, and the elastic body is pressed with the pressure plate to elastically deform into an extended state, and then punched with the processing tool.

4. A punching machine that performs punching on a first region and a second region that sandwich a bent portion of an elastic body having the bent portion, a support base on which the elastic body is placed such that the first region and the second region are on opposite sides of the bent portion in a horizontal direction; a pressing plate that moves toward and away from the support base from above and presses the elastic body to elastically deform it into an extended state; a tool holder that is disposed above the press plate, holds a processing tool that is passed through a through hole of the press plate, and moves relatively to the press plate after the press plate elastically deforms the elastic body into an extended state, causing the processing tool to protrude downward from the press plate and press against the first region and the second region of the elastic body; A die-cutting machine equipped with the above.

5. The elastic body includes a bent portion and a first region and a second region that sandwich the bent portion, The first region has an insertion hole into which a bonnet fixing member is inserted, A seal member for use in a vehicle hood, wherein the second region has a notch.

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