Clamper and clamper design method

Abstract

To provide a clamper that uniformly distributes the load applied to the input unit to a workpiece, and a clamper design method. [Solution] A clamper according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises an input portion, a clamping surface facing the input portion, a high-rigidity portion, and a low-rigidity portion. The high-rigidity portion and the low-rigidity portion are arranged between the clamping surface and the input portion. The rigidity of the high-rigidity portion is higher than that of the low-rigidity portion. The rigidity of each position of the clamping surface relative to the input portion is proportional to the cube of the distance from the input portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a clamp and a clamp design method.

Background Art

[0002] Product development has become more complex with the development of manufacturing technologies such as three-dimensional printing. Design methods using computer-aided automatic generation are called generative design and propose designs that comply with specified constraints. Generative design contributes to the improvement of the design process efficiency and the deepening of structural consideration. Patent Document 1 discloses computer-aided generative design with overall thickness control to promote manufacturing and structural performance.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The invention described in Patent Document 1 implements the minimum thickness requirement by applying overall thickness control during the process; according to this, it enables efficient shape convergence during the optimization process and at the same time promotes the manufacturing of parts, the structural performance of parts, or both by ensuring the minimum thickness of the parts. However, the invention described in Patent Document 1 does not consider keeping the displacement with respect to the load constant. Therefore, it is impossible to design a clamp that evenly distributes the load to fix the workpiece without causing displacement or damage to the workpiece.

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present disclosure provides a clamp that evenly distributes the load input to the input unit to the workpiece, and a clamp design method. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A clamper according to one aspect of this disclosure comprises an input portion, a clamping surface facing the input portion, a high-rigidity portion, and a low-rigidity portion. The high-rigidity portion and the low-rigidity portion are arranged between the clamping surface and the input portion. The rigidity of the high-rigidity portion is higher than that of the low-rigidity portion. The rigidity of each position of the clamping surface relative to the input portion is proportional to the cube of the distance from the input portion.

[0007] In the clamp described above, the high-rigidity portion may be made of the same material as the clamping surface, and the low-rigidity portion may be a void.

[0008] In the clamp described above, the high-rigidity portion may be bridge-shaped in cross-section passing through the input portion and the clamping surface.

[0009] The clamp described above may be used to fix electrodes when processing multilayer electrodes formed by stacking multiple electrodes.

[0010] A clamper design method according to one aspect of this disclosure uses generative design to design a clamper shape that satisfies the following requirements: The clamper comprises an input portion, a restraining surface facing the input portion, a high-rigidity portion, and a low-rigidity portion. The high-rigidity portion and the low-rigidity portion of the clamper are positioned between the restraining surface and the input portion. The rigidity of the high-rigidity portion of the clamper is higher than that of the low-rigidity portion. The rigidity of the clamper relative to the input portion from each position of the restraining surface is proportional to the cube of the distance from the input portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] This disclosure provides a clamper that uniformly distributes a load input to an input unit to a workpiece, and a clamper design method. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the clamp according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view of a clamp according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart illustrating the design method for a clamper according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view of the clamper according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view of a modified clamp according to Embodiment 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but the invention claimed is not limited to the following embodiments. Furthermore, not all of the configurations described in the embodiments are necessarily essential as means of solving the problem. For clarity of explanation, the following descriptions and drawings have been omitted and simplified as appropriate. In each drawing, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations have been omitted where necessary.

[0014] <Embodiment 1> The clamper 10 according to Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the clamper 10 according to Embodiment 1. The clamper 10 is used to uniformly distribute and fix a load to a workpiece 20. The clamper 10 comprises an input section 101, a clamping surface 102, a high-rigidity section 103, and a low-rigidity section 104.

[0015] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the clamper 10 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 3 shows a cross-section of the clamper 10 passing through the input portion 101 and the clamping surface 102. Here, the cross-section lies on the XY plane in the figure.

[0016] The input unit 101 receives a load from the outside. The restraining surface 102 faces the input unit 101 and is positioned on the workpiece 20. The restraining surface 102 applies the load received by the input unit 101 to the workpiece 20, restraining the workpiece 20.

[0017] The high-rigidity portion 103 and the low-rigidity portion 104 are arranged between the pressing surface 102 and the input portion 101. The rigidity of the high-rigidity portion 103 is higher than that of the low-rigidity portion 104. The high-rigidity portion 103 and the low-rigidity portion 104 have a difference in rigidity, for example, due to structural differences or the use of different materials. The high-rigidity portion 103 and the low-rigidity portion 104 have a difference in rigidity, for example, depending on the presence or absence of a solid body, but are not limited thereto. The designer may cause a difference in the rigidity of the high-rigidity portion 103 and the low-rigidity portion 104 by other methods.

[0018] The shape of the clamp 10 is considered by utilizing generative design. Generative design is a technique that automatically generates a shape that satisfies the input constraints by a computer. The constraints are, for example, information on the structure to be incorporated, the properties of the material constituting the shape, or the conditions of the shape to be satisfied. Generative design can be utilized in many CAD (Computer Aided Design) software.

[0019] Here, in the design, as a constraint condition, the rigidity with respect to the input portion 101 from each position of the pressing surface 102 is input to the generative design in proportion to the cube of the distance from the input portion 101. Therefore, depending on the shapes of the high-rigidity portion 103 and the low-rigidity portion 104, the rigidity of the clamp 10 with respect to the input portion 101 from each position of the pressing surface 102 is proportional to the cube of the distance from the input portion 101. Here, being proportional means that it may be regarded as a proportional relationship, and for example, a deviation of about 10% may occur.

[0020] According to this, the amount of displacement of the clamp 10 due to the load on the input portion 101 becomes uniform. Therefore, the clamp 10 uniformly distributes the load input from the input portion 101 on the pressing surface 102 and can make the surface pressure on the pressing surface 102 uniform. Here, being uniform means that it may be regarded as uniform, and for example, a deviation of about 10% may occur.

[0021] FIG. 3 is a flowchart in the design method of the clamper 10 according to Embodiment 1. The design method of the clamper 10 includes steps S11 to S13.

[0022] In step S11, the designer of the clamper 10 inputs the constraint conditions for generative design into the computer-aided design software. The constraint conditions include (1) the clamper having an input portion 101, a pressing surface 102 facing the input portion 101, a high-rigidity portion 103, and a low-rigidity portion 104, and (2) the high-rigidity portion 103 and the low-rigidity portion 104 being located between the pressing surface 102 and the input portion 101.

[0023] Also, the constraint conditions further include (3) the rigidity of the high-rigidity portion 103 being higher than the rigidity of the low-rigidity portion 104, and (4) the rigidity with respect to the input portion 101 from each position of the pressing surface 102 being proportional to the cube of the distance from the input portion 101. Note that the constraint conditions may include manufacturing constraints of the clamper 10.

[0024] In step S12, the computer input with the constraint conditions proposes at least one shape that satisfies the constraint conditions using generative design. The proposed shape may be one or a plurality. The display unit of the computer or the printing device connected to the computer presents the shape of the proposed clamper 10 to the designer. The printing device is, for example, a printer or a 3D printer.

[0025] In step S13, the designer of the clamper 10 examines the shape of the proposed clamper 10 using generative design. If there are a plurality of proposed shapes of the clamper 10, the designer of the clamper 10 may select one from the proposed shapes. The designer of the clamper 10 may modify the proposed shape of the clamper 10. Note that if there is only one proposed shape of the clamper 10, step S13 may be omitted.

[0026] The completion of step S13 completes the series of design methods for the clamper 10. If the designer of the clamper 10 determines that there are shortcomings in the shape proposed in step S13, they may adjust the constraints and restart the design from step S11.

[0027] As explained above, the clamper 10 is designed through the process from step S11 to step S13. According to this, the designer of the clamper 10 can develop a clamper 10 with uniform surface pressure on the clamping surface 102 with fewer steps than manual analysis by using generative design. Therefore, the designer of the clamper 10 can shorten the lead time required for development.

[0028] <Embodiment 2> Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the clamper 11 according to Embodiment 2. Figure 4 shows a cross-section of the clamper 11 passing through the input portion 101 and the clamping surface 102. Here, the cross-section lies on the XY plane in the figure. Note that the clamper 11 shown in Figure 4 has some of the same configuration as the clamper 10 described with reference to Figure 1. Therefore, redundant explanations of the configuration of the clamper 11 are omitted. The clamper 11 has a uniform cross-sectional shape.

[0029] The high-rigidity portion 113 of the clamper 11 is made of the same material as the clamping surface 102. The low-rigidity portion 114 of the clamper 11 is a void. As a result, the clamper 11 can have its rigidity varied depending on its shape and can be manufactured from a single material. Therefore, the clamper 11 can be produced at low cost.

[0030] The high-rigidity section 113 is bridge-shaped in a cross-section passing through the input section 101 and the restraining surface 102. Here, bridge-shaped means a shape composed of an arch-shaped frame connecting one end face to the other, a structure supporting the space between the end faces inside the arch-shaped frame, and a gap which is a hole. The high-rigidity section 113 may also have a truss structure in a cross-section in the XY plane passing through the input section 101 and the restraining surface 102.

[0031] In the clamper 11, the high-rigidity portion 113 corresponds to an arch-shaped frame and structure, and the low-rigidity portion 114 corresponds to a gap. This allows the clamper 11 to be manufactured with simple processing. Furthermore, the clamper 11 can reduce the amount of materials it uses, thereby reducing manufacturing costs and weight. The manufacturing method of the clamper 11 is not limited. For example, the clamper 11 may be a large component obtained by machining.

[0032] Although the clamper 11 in Embodiment 2 is made of a single material, it is not limited to this. As a modification, the clamper 11 may include multiple materials, for example.

[0033] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a modified clamper 12 according to Embodiment 2. Figure 5 shows a cross-section of the clamper 12 passing through the input portion 101 and the clamping surface 102. Here, the cross-section lies on the XY plane in the figure. Note that the clamper 12 shown in Figure 5 has some of the same configuration as the clamper 11 described with reference to Figure 4. Therefore, redundant explanations of the configuration of the clamper 12 are omitted. The clamper 12 has a uniform cross-sectional shape.

[0034] The high-rigidity section 123 and the low-rigidity section 124 of the clamper 12 are made of different materials with different rigidities. This allows the designer to design a clamper 12 with uniform surface pressure on the clamping surface 102, taking into account weight, chemical properties, manufacturing cost, or ease of manufacture.

[0035] Referring again to Figure 4, the design of the clamper 11 will be described in detail. Mechanically, the clamper 11 can be considered as having multiple virtual beams arranged from each position of the restraining surface 102 to the input section 101.

[0036] The displacement of each virtual beam in clamper 11 can be expressed by equation (1), which is the deflection formula for a cantilever beam.

number

[0037] From equation (1), the displacement δ is proportional to the cube of the length L of the virtual beam (i.e., the distance from the input part 101). Therefore, the displacement δ increases as the distance from the input part 101 increases. In general, the stiffness does not change with the position of the restraining surface 102. Furthermore, in the actual clamper 11, the displacement δ is common to each of the virtual beams. Therefore, the load W decreases as the distance from the input part 101 increases for the virtual beam. That is, the surface pressure decreases at positions on the restraining surface 102 that are further from the input part.

[0038] To make the surface pressure on the clamping surface 102 of the clamper 11 uniform, it is desirable that the displacement δ for a unit load be the same for each virtual beam, regardless of its position. For the displacement δ for a unit load of each virtual beam to be constant, the stiffness of each virtual beam must be proportional to the cube of its length L. In other words, to make the surface pressure on the clamping surface 102 of the clamper 11 uniform, it is sufficient to obtain a shape in which the stiffness between the input part 101 and each position on the clamping surface 102 is proportional to the cube of the distance from the input part 101.

[0039] Based on the above, the constraints in generative design will now be explained. Here, generative design is assumed to automatically acquire a shape such that the stress generated when a load is applied to the target part is constant. As a constraint, the clamper 11 has a fixing part 30 set at the input part 101. Also, as shown by the white arrows in Figure 4, a load proportional to the cube of the distance from the input part is applied as input to each position on the clamping surface 102 of the clamper 11. Here, the load is input in the Y direction in the figure. With this, the designer can use generative design to design the clamper 11 so that the rigidity between the input part 101 and each position on the clamping surface 102 is proportional to the cube of the distance from the input part 101.

[0040] Furthermore, the clamper 11 can be used to fix electrodes when processing multilayer electrodes made by stacking multiple electrodes. However, the uses of the clamper 11 are not limited to this. In the processing of stacked electrodes, if the load on the workpiece is insufficient and the necessary fixing force cannot be obtained, the workpiece will shift and processing defects will occur. Even if the fixing force is sufficient, if the load from the load actuator is concentrated at a specific point such as directly below the input section 101, an excessive load may be applied locally, which may cause damage to the workpiece.

[0041] The clamper 11, installed between the actuator and the workpiece, evenly distributes the load from the actuator, allowing the workpiece to be securely fixed. Therefore, the clamper 11 can resolve load unevenness without increasing the number of actuators, thereby reducing the processing cost of the laminated electrodes.

[0042] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, when using a 3D printer or the like instead of machining, the clamp does not have to have a uniform cross-sectional shape and may have a complex three-dimensional shape. Also, if manufacturing constraints are not taken into account, a constraint condition that makes the load proportional to the cube of the distance can be applied in three dimensions, and any complex shape of clamp can be obtained. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0043] 10, 11, 12 Clumper 20 Work 30 Fixed part 101 Input Section 102 Retaining surface 103, 113, 123 High rigidity part 104, 114, 124 Low rigidity part

Claims

1. An input section, a restraining surface facing the input section, a high-rigidity section, and a low-rigidity section. Equipped with, The high-rigidity portion and the low-rigidity portion are arranged between the restraining surface and the input portion. The rigidity of the high-rigidity part is higher than the rigidity of the low-rigidity part. The rigidity of each of the aforementioned restraining surfaces relative to the input portion is proportional to the cube of the distance from the input portion. Clumper.

2. The high-rigidity portion is made of the same material as the restraining surface. The low-rigidity portion is a void. The clamper according to claim 1.

3. The clamper according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the high-rigidity portion is bridge-shaped in a cross-section passing through the input portion and the restraining surface.

4. A clamper according to claim 1 or 2, used for fixing electrodes during the processing of a multilayer electrode formed by stacking multiple electrodes.

5. Using generative design, It comprises an input section, a restraining surface facing the input section, a high-rigidity section, and a low-rigidity section. The high-rigidity portion and the low-rigidity portion are arranged between the restraining surface and the input portion. The rigidity of the high-rigidity part is higher than the rigidity of the low-rigidity part. The rigidity of each of the aforementioned restraining surfaces relative to the input portion is proportional to the cube of the distance from the input portion. Design the shape of the clamp. Clamper design methods.

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