Metal fitting press-fitting device

Abstract

The present invention provides a fitting press-fitting device that can reliably prevent insufficient or excessive hose insertion, and a fitting press-fitting device that can reliably avoid problems caused by galling between the hose and the fitting. [Solution] A fitting press-fitting device for press-fitting a fitting 3 into the end of a hose 2 comprises a hose holding part 10, 11 for holding and fixing the end of the hose 2, a fitting holding part 12, 16 for holding and fixing the fitting 3 coaxially with the hose 2, and a drive unit 8 that moves at least one of the hose holding part and the fitting holding part relative to the other to press-fit the fitting 3 into the end of the hose 2. An insertion force detection means 30 is interposed between the drive unit 8 and the hose holding part or fitting holding part moved by the drive unit 8 to detect the insertion force generated while press-fitting the fitting 3 into the end of the hose 2. When the insertion force detected by the insertion force detection means 30 exceeds a predetermined threshold S2, the control unit 32 stops the movement of the hose holding part or fitting holding part by the drive unit 8.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fitting press-fitting device for press-fitting a fitting to an end of a hose.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, fittings for attaching a hose to a device are attached to the ends of brake hoses, air conditioner hoses, etc. for automobiles and motorcycles. If the hose is inserted insufficiently into the fitting, problems such as the hose coming off or fluid leaking occur. Also, if the hose is inserted excessively, the end of the hose is deformed inside the fitting, resulting in similar problems. Further, when press-fitting the fitting onto the hose, due to manufacturing errors of the fitting or the hose, the nipple of the fitting may contact (bite) the end face of the hose. If the press-fitting is performed with the biting occurring, the end of the hose is deformed inside the fitting, resulting in similar problems. Therefore, when press-fitting a fitting to the end of a hose, it is necessary to appropriately manage the presence or absence of biting between the hose and the fitting and the insertion amount of the hose to prevent insufficient insertion, excessive insertion, and the occurrence of biting.

[0003] [[ID=,16]]Patent Document 1 describes a press-fitting and fixing device for a hose and a fitting, which includes a hose holding device, a base holding device, a floating mechanism that biases the base placement portion of the base holding device with a spring, and a detection means that detects the contact between a collar and the base by a change in electrical resistance. In the device of Patent Document 1, even if a bias in the force perpendicular to the press-fitting direction of the hose occurs due to misalignment between the hose and the base, the bias in this force is eliminated by the floating mechanism. Therefore, the hose and the base are press-fitted while maintaining a coaxial position, and it is said that the occurrence of defects such as hose twisting and buckling can be prevented. Also, when the collar and the base come into contact, it is electrically detected by the detection means, and extreme misalignment can be prevented, and it is also said that the completion of the press-fitting can be detected, so the defect rate can be reduced. However, in the device of Patent Document, 1 although the coaxiality between the hose and the base can be maintained by the floating mechanism, there is a problem that the insertion amount of the hose cannot be detected, and also, the biting between the hose and the fitting cannot be detected by the electrical detection means.

[0004] Patent Document 2 describes a fitting device for attaching a fitting having a nipple and a socket to a hose, wherein a mark is formed at a position corresponding to a specified insertion amount from the tip of the hose, and the device includes a position detection unit that detects the position of the mark on the hose when the end of the hose is inserted into the annular space between the nipple and the socket, and when the position of the mark is within an acceptable range, the socket is crimped. However, the device described in Patent Document 2 has the drawbacks of requiring the user to mark the hose, having an tolerance range for the mark position detection unit, resulting in variations in the detected mark position and making it impossible to reliably detect insufficient hose insertion. Furthermore, the mark position detection unit cannot detect galling between the hose and the fitting. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 5-23889 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-181789 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and aims to provide a fitting press-fitting device that can reliably prevent insufficient and excessive insertion of hoses, and a fitting press-fitting device that can reliably avoid problems caused by galling between the hose and the fitting. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the aforementioned problems, the present invention employs the following means. (1) In a fitting press-fitting device for press-fitting fittings into the end of a hose, A hose holding part that holds and secures the end of the hose, A fitting holder that holds and fixes the fitting coaxially with the hose, A drive unit moves at least one of the hose holding portion and the fitting holding portion relative to the other to press-fit the fitting into the end of the hose, Interposed between the drive unit and the hose holding unit or the fitting holding unit moved by the drive unit, an insertion force detection means for detecting the insertion force generated when the fitting is pressed into the end of the hose, The system includes a control unit that stops the movement of the hose holder or the fitting holder by the drive unit when the insertion force detected by the insertion force detection means exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0008] In this method, as the amount of hose inserted into the fitting increases, the insertion force detected by the insertion force detection means increases. If the insertion force is weak, it means that the insertion amount is insufficient or the press-fitting is inadequate. If the insertion force is too strong, it indicates that the insertion amount is excessive or the press-fitting is overdone. Therefore, when the insertion force detected by the insertion force detection means exceeds a predetermined threshold, the movement of the hose holder or fitting holder by the drive unit is stopped, thereby reliably preventing insufficient or excessive insertion of the hose.

[0009] (2) When the hose is inserted by a predetermined provisional insertion amount that is smaller than the full insertion amount that will be fully inserted into the fitting, the control unit determines whether the insertion force detected by the insertion force detection means exceeds a predetermined provisional threshold. If the insertion force detected by the insertion force detection means is less than or equal to the provisional threshold, the drive unit continues to move the hose holder or the fitting holder. If the insertion force detected by the insertion force detection means exceeds the provisional threshold, the drive unit stops moving the hose holder or the fitting holder. In this system, even if a portion of the end of the hose comes into contact with the fitting when the hose is pressed into the fitting, if the insertion force detected by the insertion force detection means exceeds a provisional threshold when the hose has been inserted into the fitting by a provisional insertion amount, the movement of the hose holder or fitting holder by the drive unit is stopped. This allows for early detection of galling between the hose and the fitting, and ensures that malfunctions are reliably avoided.

[0010] (3) The insertion force detection means is a load cell. According to this method, a load cell is interposed between the drive unit and the hose holder or fitting holder moved by the drive unit, thereby reliably detecting the insertion force generated when the fitting is pressed into the end of the hose.

[0011] (4) The hose holding part is provided on a fixed base on the frame, The aforementioned metal fitting holder is provided on the movable base on the frame, The movable base is provided with a hose end holder that is located between the metal fitting holder and the hose holder and holds the end of the hose so as to be slidable in the axial direction. According to this method, while the hose is being pressed into the fitting to the temporary insertion position, the end of the hose is held axially slidably by the hose end holder, so that the end of the hose does not wobble and is reliably pressed into the fitting in a stable state.

[0012] (5) The movable base is provided with a hose support plate located between the metal fitting holding portion and the hose end holding portion, which is movable between a contact position in which the end face of the hose abuts and a retracted position in which it is retracted from the end face of the hose. According to this method, since both the hose contact plate that contacts the end face of the hose and the fitting holder that holds the fitting are provided on a movable base, the distance between the end face of the hose and the end face of the fitting socket is maintained at a predetermined dimension with high precision. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, when the insertion force detected by the insertion force detection means exceeds a predetermined main threshold value, the movement of the hose holding part or the fitting holding part by the driving part is stopped, thereby reliably preventing insufficient insertion and excessive insertion of the hose. Also, according to the present invention, when the insertion force detected by the insertion force detection means exceeds a temporary threshold value, the movement of the hose holding part or the fitting holding part by the driving part is stopped, so that biting between the hose and the fitting can be detected early, and defects can be reliably avoided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014] [Figure 1] Plan view of the fitting press-fitting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Front view of the fitting press-fitting device of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] Enlarged cross-sectional view of the hose and fitting used in the fitting press-fitting device of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] Front cross-sectional view showing the main part and system configuration of the fitting press-fitting device of FIG. 1. [Figure 5] Perspective view of the hose end holding part and fitting holding part of the fitting press-fitting device of FIG. 1. [Figure 6] Side view of the hose holding part of the fitting press-fitting device of FIG. 1. [Figure 7] Side view of the fitting holding part of the fitting press-fitting device of FIG. 1. [Figure 8] Front enlarged cross-sectional view showing the fitting press-fitting situation by the fitting press-fitting device of FIG. 1. [Figure 9] Flowchart showing the fitting press-fitting method by the fitting press-fitting device of FIG. 1. [Figure 10] Figure (a) showing the relationship between the normal movement amount of the fitting and the insertion force during fitting press-fitting by the fitting press-fitting device of FIG. 1, and figure (b) showing the relationship between the abnormal movement amount of the fitting and the insertion force during fitting press-fitting.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0016] Figures 1 and 2 show a fitting press-fitting device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The fitting press-fitting device 1 press-fits a fitting 3 into the end of a hose 2.

[0017] Figure 3 shows the hose 2 and fitting 3 used with the fitting press-fitting device 1. The hose 2 is made of resin reinforced with stainless steel mesh and is used as a brake hose for automobiles and motorcycles, etc. A boot 2a is attached to the hose 2 as needed. The fitting 3 has a metal pipe 3a bent at a predetermined angle, an enlarged socket 3b at one end of the pipe 3a, a tubular nipple 3c inserted inside the socket 3b and connected to the end of the pipe 2, and an eye joint 3d attached to the other end of the pipe 3a, but is not limited to this and various fittings can be used. Note that fitting 3' has already been attached to the other end of the hose 2 by this fitting press-fitting device 1.

[0018] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the metal fitting press-fitting device 1 is provided on a frame 4 with a fixed base 5, a movable base 7 mounted on a pair of rails 6 so as to be movable parallel to the direction in which the hose 2 extends, and a drive unit 8 that drives the movable base 7. For the sake of explanation, in this specification, the direction in which the movable base 7 moves toward the fixed base 5 is referred to as "forward," and the opposite direction is referred to as "rearward."

[0019] The fixing base 5 includes a hose support section 9 that supports the approximate middle portion of the hose 2 from below, a pair of hose chucks 10 that clamp and fix the hose 2 from both sides closer to the end (left side in the figure) than the hose support section 9, and a pair of hose chuck fixing cylinders 11 that press and fix the hose chucks 10 from behind. The hose chucks 10 and the hose chuck fixing cylinders 11 constitute the hose holding part of the present invention.

[0020] As shown in Figure 4, the hose support portion 9 has a recess 9a that can accommodate a boot (not shown) attached to the hose 2, and U-shaped grooves 9b in cross-section that support the hose 2 from below, located in front of and behind the recess 9a.

[0021] The hose chuck 10 has pressing portions 10a formed on opposing surfaces that clamp and secure the hose 2 from both sides. The hose chuck 10 can be manually operated to a closed position and an open position. The hose chuck 10 is equipped with a hose attachment sensor 10b, which consists of a reed switch that detects when the hose 2 is attached to the hose chuck 10. The hose chuck fixing cylinder 11 is equipped with a hose chuck fixing sensor 11a, which consists of a reed switch that detects when the hose chuck fixing cylinder 11 has fixed the hose chuck 10. Although not shown in the figures, it is preferable to support the existing fitting 3' side of the hose 2 (right side in Figures 1 and 2) from below.

[0022] The movable base 7 includes a fitting support portion 12 that supports the socket 3b of the fitting 3, a hose end support portion 13 that supports the end of the hose 2, a hose backing plate 14 that the end face of the hose 2 abuts against, a hose end retaining portion 15 that holds down the end of the hose 2, and a fitting pressing portion 16 that presses the socket 3b of the fitting 3. The fitting support portion 12, the fitting pressing portion 16, and the fitting pressing cylinder 27 constitute the fitting holder portion of the present invention. Furthermore, the hose end support portion 13, the hose end retaining portion 15, and the hose end retaining cylinder 26 constitute the hose end holder portion of the present invention.

[0023] The metal fitting support section 12 is provided on a first base 17 located at the center of the front end of the movable base 7. As shown in Figure 5, the metal fitting support section 12 has a recess 12a on its upper surface into which the metal fitting pressing section 16 (described later) can enter, and a U-shaped groove 12b at the bottom of the recess 12a that supports the socket 3b of the metal fitting 3 from below. A cover plate 18 is attached to the rear end face of the metal fitting support section 12 so as to close the recess 12a and the groove 12b. The cover plate 18 has a U-shaped notch 18a that supports the pipe 3a of the metal fitting 3 from below. The metal fitting support section 12 is provided with a metal fitting mounting sensor 12c, which is a proximity sensor that detects when the metal fitting 3 is mounted on the metal fitting support section 12. Although not shown in the figure, it is preferable to support the other end of the metal fitting 3 (left side in the figure) from below in order to stabilize the metal fitting 3.

[0024] As shown in Figure 2, the hose end support portion 13 is provided on a second base 19 that protrudes downward from the lower surface of the movable base 7. The second base 19 extends downward through the opening 4a of the frame 4. As shown in Figure 4, a hose end support portion lifting cylinder 20 is provided on the second base 19, and this hose end support portion lifting cylinder 20 allows the hose end support portion 13 to move up and down between an upper support position and a lower retracted position. As shown in Figure 5, a recess 13a is formed on the hose side surface of the hose end support portion 13 for slidably accommodating a hose backing plate 14, which will be described later, and two upper and lower cover plates 21 are attached to cover this recess 13a. The upper cover plate 21 has a U-shaped cutout 21a in cross-section that supports the end of the hose 2 from below.

[0025] As shown in Figure 5, the hose support plate 14 is housed in a recess 13a of the hose end support portion 13 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction, and is movable up and down by a hose support plate lifting cylinder 22 attached to the hose end support portion 13. The upper end of the hose support plate 14 has a U-shaped notch 14a in cross-section that supports the end of the hose 2 from below. The hose support plate 14 is movable up and down between an upper contact position where the end face of the hose 2 abuts against it and a lower retracted position, with the notch 14a at the upper end protruding above the upper end of the hose end support portion 13. The center line of the notch 14a of the hose support plate 14 in the retracted position is on the same line as the center line of the notch 21a of the cover plate 21 of the hose end support part 13 in the aforementioned support position, the center line of the groove 12b of the metal fitting support part 12, the center line of the notch 18a of the cover plate 18, the center line of the groove 9b of the hose support part 9, and the center line between the pressing parts 10a of the pair of hose chucks 10. The movable base 7 is provided with hose end detection sensors 7a and 7b, which consist of fiber optic sensors that detect when the end face of the hose 2 comes into contact with the hose support plate 14.

[0026] As shown in Figure 2, the hose end retaining portion 15 and the fitting pressing portion 16 are provided on a third base 23 that protrudes upward from the upper surface of the movable base 7, on the side of the first base 17. As shown in Figure 1, a horizontally extending arm 24 is provided at the upper end of the third base 23 so as to be movable horizontally by an arm extension cylinder 25.

[0027] As shown in Figure 6, a hose end retaining portion 15 is provided on the front surface of the tip of the arm 24, which can be raised and lowered by a hose end retaining cylinder 26. The lower surface of the hose end retaining portion 15 has a protrusion 15a that can enter the notch 21a of the cover plate 21 of the hose end support portion 13 and the notch 14a of the hose backing plate 14, and hold down the end of the hose 2. The hose end retaining portion 15 can be raised and lowered between a lower retaining position and an upper retracted position by the hose end retaining cylinder 26. In the lower retaining position, the hose retaining portion 15 does not completely fix the hose 2, but rather holds the hose 2 so that it can slide in the axial direction.

[0028] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, a fitting pressing portion 16 is provided on the rear surface of the tip of the arm 24, which can be raised and lowered by a fitting pressing cylinder 27. A protrusion 16a is formed on the lower surface of the fitting pressing portion 16, which can enter the recess 12a of the fitting support portion 12, and a groove 16b is formed on the lower surface of the protrusion 16a to press the socket 3b of the fitting 3 from above. The fitting pressing portion 16 can be raised and lowered between a lower pressing position and an upper retracted position by the fitting pressing cylinder 27.

[0029] As shown in Figure 4, the drive unit 8 is mounted on a frame 4 behind the movable base 7 and consists of a servo motor that moves the drive shaft 8a forward and backward. A cylindrical sensor housing 29 is provided on a fourth base 28 that protrudes downward from the center of the rear end of the movable base 7. An insertion force detection sensor 30, which consists of a load cell, is housed in the sensor housing 29. The movable shaft 31 is inserted into the rear end opening of the sensor housing 29. The front end of the movable shaft 31 is designed to contact the insertion force detection sensor 30 when it moves forward and to engage with the opening edge of the sensor housing 29 when it moves backward. The rear end of the movable shaft 31 is screwed into the drive shaft 8a of the drive unit 8 and is able to move together with the drive shaft 8a.

[0030] As shown in Figure 4, the fitting press-fitting device 1 is equipped with a control unit 32. Based on detection signals from a hose mounting sensor (not shown), a fitting mounting sensor, a hose end face sensor, an insertion force detection sensor 30, and a drive unit 8, the control unit 32 drives the hose chuck fixing cylinder 11, the hose end support lifting cylinder 20, the hose backing plate lifting cylinder 22, the arm extension / retraction cylinder 25, the hose end holding cylinder 26, and the fitting pressing cylinder 27 to press-fit the fitting 3 into the hose 2. The control unit 32 also has a storage unit 33 that stores the position data of the drive shaft 8a of the drive unit 8, the insertion force data detected by the insertion force detection sensor 30, and the insertion force threshold data. The fitting press-fitting device 1 is also equipped with a start switch 34 and a display unit 35. Signals from the start switch 34 are input to the control unit 32, and the display unit 35 appropriately displays the insertion force calculated based on the detection signal from the insertion force detection sensor 30 and the position data of the drive shaft 8a of the drive unit 8.

[0031] Next, the operation of the metal fitting press-fitting device 1, which has the above configuration, will be explained in accordance with the cross-sectional view showing the metal fitting press-fitting situation in Figure 8 and the flowchart showing the metal fitting press-fitting method in Figure 9.

[0032] In the initial state, the hose chuck 10 is in the open position, the hose end support part 13 is in the upper support position, the hose backing plate 14 is in the upper contact position, and the hose end retaining part 15 and the metal fitting pressing part 16 are in the upper retracted position.

[0033] In this initial state, the worker prepares the hose 2 and the fitting 3 to be press-fitted into the hose 2. The worker supports the middle portion of the hose 2 in the recess 9a and groove 9b of the hose support portion 9, manually moves the pair of hose chucks 10 to the closed position, supports the end of the hose 2 in the groove 21a of the cover plate 21 of the hose end support portion 13, and brings the end face of the hose 2 into contact with the hose backing plate 14. The worker also inserts the socket 3b of the fitting 3 into the groove 12b of the fitting support portion 12 and inserts the pipe 3a into the notch 18a of the cover plate 18. In this state, as shown in Figure 8(a), since the hose backing plate 14 that contacts the end face of the hose 2 and the fitting support portion 12 that supports the fitting 3 are both provided on the movable base 7, the distance between the end face of the hose 2 and the end face of the socket 3b of the fitting 3 is maintained with high precision at a predetermined dimension d0. This dimension is 7 mm in this embodiment, but is not limited to this.

[0034] After setting the hose 2 and fitting 3, pressing the start switch 34 causes the control unit 32 to perform the fitting press-fitting operation, as described below.

[0035] In step 101, the control unit 32 determines whether the hose 2 has been set based on the detection signal from the hose attachment sensor. If the hose 2 has been set, in step 102, it determines whether the fitting 3 has been set based on the detection signal from the fitting attachment sensor. If the fitting 3 has been set, in step 103, it determines whether the end face of the hose 2 is in contact with the hose support plate 14 based on the detection signal from the hose end face sensor. If the end face of the hose 2 is in contact with the hose support plate 14, in step 104, it determines whether the start switch 34 has been pressed. If the start switch 34 is pressed, in step 105 the hose chuck fixing cylinder 11 is driven to fix the hose 2 with a pair of hose chucks 10, in step 106 the hose support plate 14 is lowered to the retracted position, and then in step 107 the hose end retaining cylinder 26 and the fitting pressing cylinder 27 are driven to hold the end of the hose 2 in place so that it can slide in the axial direction with the hose end retaining part 15, and to press the socket 3b of the fitting 3 with the fitting pressing part 16.

[0036] Next, in step 108, the drive unit 8 is driven to move the movable base 7 forward, as shown in Figure 8(b), bringing the fitting 3 closer to the hose 2, and pressing the end of the hose 2 between the socket 3b and nipple 3c of the fitting 3 to the temporary insertion position.

[0037] The driving force of the drive shaft 8a of the drive unit 8 is transmitted from the movable base 7 to the fitting 3 via the insertion force detection sensor (load cell) 30. The reaction force generated when the end of the hose 2 is inserted into the fitting 3 is fed back to the drive unit 8 via the insertion force detection sensor 30. While the hose 2 is being pressed into the fitting 3, the drive unit 8 inputs the amount of movement of the drive shaft 8a as insertion amount data to the storage unit 33 of the control unit 32, and the insertion force detection sensor 30 converts the insertion force acting on the insertion force detection sensor 30 into an electrical signal and inputs it to the storage unit 33 of the control unit 32 as insertion force data. As the amount of insertion of the hose 2 increases, the insertion force detected by the insertion force detection sensor 30 increases.

[0038] In this embodiment, an insertion force detection sensor (load cell) 30 is interposed between the drive unit 8 and the fitting holder moved by the drive unit 8, thereby reliably detecting the insertion force generated while the fitting 3 is pressed into the end of the hose 2.

[0039] Furthermore, in this embodiment, while the hose 2 is being pressed into the fitting 3 to the temporary insertion position, the end of the hose 2 is held slidably in the axial direction from above and below by the hose end support portion 13 and the hose end retaining portion 15. As a result, the end of the hose 2 does not wobble and is securely pressed between the socket 3b and nipple 3c of the fitting 3 in a stable state.

[0040] In step 109, based on the position data of the drive shaft 8a of the drive unit 8, it is determined whether the end face of the hose 2 has reached a temporary insertion position of a predetermined dimension d1 from the end face of the fitting 3. In this embodiment, the temporary insertion position is 5 mm, but it is not limited to this. If the end face of the hose 2 has reached the temporary insertion position from the end face of the fitting 3, in step 110, it is determined whether the insertion force calculated based on the detection signal from the insertion force detection sensor 30 is greater than a predetermined temporary threshold S1. If the insertion force is less than the temporary threshold S1, in step 111, the hose end support 13 is lowered to the retracted position, and then in step 112, the drive of the drive unit 8 is continued to press-fit the hose to the permanent insertion position as shown in Figure 8(c).

[0041] If the insertion force exceeds a provisional threshold in step 110, the drive of the drive unit 8 is stopped in step 117, an abnormality is displayed on the display unit 35 in step 118, and an abnormality is alerted by a buzzer or the like if necessary.

[0042] In this embodiment, when the hose 2 is pressed into the fitting 3, even if a part of the end of the hose 2 comes into contact with the fitting 3, if the insertion force detected by the insertion force detection sensor 30 exceeds the provisional threshold S1 when the hose 2 has been inserted into the fitting 3 by a provisional insertion amount, the movement of the fitting support part 12 by the drive unit 8 is stopped. This allows for early detection of galling between the hose 2 and the fitting 3, and ensures that problems are reliably avoided.

[0043] In step 113, based on the position data of the drive shaft 8a of the drive unit 8, it is determined whether the end face of the hose 2 has reached the main insertion position, which is a predetermined distance d2 from the end face of the fitting 3. In this embodiment, the main insertion position is 20 mm, but it is not limited to this. If the end face of the hose 2 has reached the main insertion position from the end face of the fitting 3, in step 114, it is determined whether the insertion force calculated based on the detection signal from the insertion force detection sensor 30 is greater than a predetermined main threshold S2. If the insertion force is less than the main threshold S2, in step 115, the drive of the drive unit 8 is stopped, and in step 116, the display unit 35 displays that the press-fitting is complete.

[0044] If the insertion force exceeds the threshold S2 in step 114, the drive of the drive unit 8 is stopped in step 117, and an abnormality is displayed on the display unit 35 in step 118, and an abnormality is alerted by a buzzer or the like if necessary.

[0045] In this embodiment, when the insertion force detected by the insertion force detection sensor 30 exceeds a predetermined threshold S2, the movement of the metal fitting support 12 by the drive unit 8 is stopped, thereby reliably preventing insufficient or excessive insertion of the hose 2.

[0046] In step 115, when the drive unit 8 stops, the worker removes the hose 2 with the fitting 3 pressed in and proceeds to the pressing-in process for the next hose.

[0047] Figure 10 shows a graph of the relationship between the distance traveled by the metal fitting 3 during the press-fitting operation and the insertion force in the metal fitting press-fitting device 1 of the above embodiment.

[0048] Figure 10(a) shows that when temporary insertion begins, the insertion force increases, the movement of the fitting stops at the temporary insertion position, and the result of the temporary insertion force determination is that it is less than or equal to the temporary threshold S1. When main insertion begins, the insertion force increases, the movement of the fitting stops at the main insertion position, and the result of the main insertion force determination is that it is less than or equal to the main threshold S2.

[0049] Figure 10(b) shows that when the provisional insertion force is judged, the provisional threshold S1 is exceeded, causing nicks on the inner surface of the hose due to the end face of the nipple. Furthermore, when the main insertion is started, the insertion force increases rapidly in two stages, far exceeding the main threshold S2 when the main insertion force is judged. Note that in the case of insufficient insertion, the main insertion force will be low, and in the case of excessive insertion, the main insertion force will be extremely high.

[0050] In the above embodiment, the drive unit 8 moved the metal fitting holder (metal fitting support part 12 and metal fitting pressing part 16) relative to the hose holder (hose chuck 10 and hose chuck fixing cylinder 11), but the hose holder may be moved relative to the metal fitting holder. In this case, an insertion force detection means (insertion force detection sensor 30) can be interposed between the drive unit 8 and the hose holder. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1…Metal fitting press-fitting device 2... Hose 3… Metal fittings 4… Mounting frame 5…Fixed stand 6... Rails 7…Movable platform 8…Drive unit 9...Hose holder 10…Hose chuck (hose holder) 11…Hose chuck fixing cylinder (hose holding part) 12…Metal fitting support part (metal fitting holding part) 13…Hose end support section (hose end holding section) 14... Hose support plate 15…Hose end retaining part (hose end holding part) 16…Metal fitting pressing part (metal fitting holding part) 17…1st base 18... Cover plate 19...2nd base 20...Hose end support lifting cylinder 21... Cover plate 22...Hose support plate lifting cylinder 23...3rd base 24... Arm 25... Arm extension cylinder 26...Hose end retaining cylinder (hose end holding part) 27…Metal fitting pressing cylinder (metal fitting holding part) 28...4th base 29...Sensor housing 30… Insertion force detection sensor 31...Movable axis 32…Control Unit 33...Storage section 34... Start switch 35...Display section

Claims

1. In a fitting press-fitting device for press-fitting fittings into the end of a hose, A hose holding part that holds and secures the end of the hose, A fitting holder that holds and fixes the fitting coaxially with the hose, A drive unit moves at least one of the hose holding portion and the fitting holding portion relative to the other to press-fit the fitting into the end of the hose, Interposed between the drive unit and the hose holding unit or the fitting holding unit moved by the drive unit, an insertion force detection means for detecting the insertion force generated when the fitting is pressed into the end of the hose, A metal fitting press-fitting device comprising: a control unit that stops the movement of the hose holding unit or the metal fitting holding unit by the drive unit when the insertion force detected by the insertion force detection means exceeds a predetermined threshold; and a metal fitting press-fitting device.

2. The control unit determines whether the insertion force detected by the insertion force detection means exceeds a predetermined provisional threshold when the hose is inserted by a predetermined provisional insertion amount that is smaller than the full insertion amount that will be fully inserted into the fitting, and if the insertion force detected by the insertion force detection means is less than or equal to the provisional threshold, the drive unit continues to move the hose holder or the fitting holder, and if the insertion force detected by the insertion force detection means exceeds the provisional threshold, the drive unit stops moving the hose holder or the fitting holder, as described in claim 1.

3. The fitting press-fitting device according to claim 1, wherein the insertion force detection means is a load cell.

4. The hose holding part is provided on a fixed base on the frame, The aforementioned metal fitting holder is provided on the movable base on the frame, The metal fitting press-fitting device according to claim 1, wherein the movable base is provided with a hose end holding portion located between the metal fitting holding portion and the hose holding portion, and which holds the end of the hose so as to be slidable in the axial direction.

5. The metal fitting press-fitting device according to claim 4, further comprising a hose support plate on the movable base, which is located between the metal fitting holding portion and the hose end holding portion and is movable between a contact position in which the end face of the hose abuts and a retracted position in which it is retracted from the end face of the hose.

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