Pressurizing device

Abstract

The present invention provides a pressurizing device that can shorten the time required for the pressurizing process of a laminate using a hydraulic cylinder capable of outputting a large thrust, while suppressing the need for an oversized pressurizing device. [Solution] The pressurizing device 10 is a pressurizing device 10 that pressurizes a laminated body W having a predetermined height dimension, which is made up of multiple members stacked in a state of temporary holding, and comprises a first hydraulic cylinder 43 capable of outputting a first thrust, a second hydraulic cylinder 14 capable of outputting a second thrust smaller than the first thrust, and a contact part 45 that can contact the laminated body W in the height direction, and is configured to perform a moving step in which the second hydraulic cylinder 14 moves the first hydraulic cylinder 43 and the contact part 45 by a predetermined distance L1 when the laminated body W is transported to a predetermined position, and a pressing step in which the first hydraulic cylinder 43 moves the contact part 45 by a specific distance L3 shorter than the predetermined distance L1 while pressing the laminated body W with the first thrust when the first hydraulic cylinder 43 and the contact part 45 have moved by the predetermined distance L1.

Description

Technical Field

[0004] , ,

[0005] , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a pressing device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a pressing device for pressing a laminate formed by laminating a plurality of members in a temporarily held state is known. For example, the pressing device described in Patent Document 1 below has upper and lower clamping members that sandwich and press the laminate. The pressing device places the laminate on the lower clamping member and slides the upper clamping member downward by a load such as an air cylinder to press the laminate with a predetermined pressure. Further, for example, the pressing device described in Patent Document 2 below slides the pressing portion downward by the load of a servo press to press the laminate with a predetermined pressure.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When it is desired to increase the load applied to the laminate, there are cases where the air cylinder cannot output the desired thrust. When a servo press is used for pressing, it is difficult to continuously apply a load with a large thrust to the laminate, and there are problems such as the need to replace the entire manufacturing apparatus in case of a failure.

[0005] Therefore, using a hydraulic cylinder capable of outputting a large thrust is conceivable. However, because hydraulic cylinders capable of outputting a large thrust operate slowly, it takes time for the pressurizing section to move. To move a hydraulic cylinder capable of outputting a large thrust quickly, a large pump is required, and the pressurizing device itself becomes large. In other words, when using a hydraulic cylinder capable of outputting a large thrust, there is a challenge in miniaturizing the pressurizing device while shortening the time required for the pressurizing process of the laminate.

[0006] The present invention was completed based on the circumstances described above, and aims to provide a pressurizing device that can shorten the time required for the pressurizing process of a laminate using a hydraulic cylinder capable of outputting a large thrust, while suppressing the increase in size of the pressurizing device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention is a pressurizing device for pressurizing a laminate having a predetermined height dimension, which is formed by stacking a plurality of members in a temporarily held state, and comprises a first hydraulic cylinder capable of outputting a first thrust, a second hydraulic cylinder capable of outputting a second thrust smaller than the first thrust, and a contact portion that can contact the laminate in the height direction, and is configured to perform a moving step in which, when the laminate is transported to a predetermined position, the second hydraulic cylinder moves the first hydraulic cylinder and the contact portion by a predetermined distance, and a pressing step in which, when the first hydraulic cylinder and the contact portion have moved by the predetermined distance, the first hydraulic cylinder moves the contact portion by a specific distance shorter than the predetermined distance, while pressing the laminate with the first thrust. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, a movement step is performed in which the first hydraulic cylinder and contact portion are moved a predetermined distance by the second hydraulic cylinder, and then a pressing step is performed in which the laminate is pressed with a first thrust while the contact portion is moved by the first hydraulic cylinder a specific distance shorter than the predetermined distance. The second hydraulic cylinder has a faster operating speed because the second thrust is smaller than the first thrust, and the first hydraulic cylinder has a slower operating speed because the first thrust is larger than the second thrust. Then, the movement step of the first hydraulic cylinder and contact portion capable of outputting the desired thrust is performed by the fast-operating second hydraulic cylinder, and then the pressing step of the laminate is performed by the first hydraulic cylinder and contact portion. As a result, the movement time of the first hydraulic cylinder can be shortened while suppressing an increase in the size of the pressurizing device itself, compared to when the movement step and pressing step are performed by the first hydraulic cylinder alone.Therefore, the time required for the pressurizing step of a laminate using a hydraulic cylinder capable of outputting a large thrust can be shortened while suppressing an increase in the size of the pressurizing device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is an external perspective view showing the pressurizing device in this embodiment. [Figure 2] This diagram illustrates the configuration of a pressurizing device, specifically showing a portion of the pressurizing device as viewed from the right side in the Z-axis direction. [Figure 3] This diagram illustrates the configuration of the pressurizing device when the upper jig unit is in a lowered position, and shows a part of the pressurizing device as viewed from the right side in the Z-axis direction. [Figure 4] This is a plan view showing the pressurizing device as seen from above in the Y-axis direction. [Figure 5] This diagram shows how a movement-restricting wedge moves from an unrestricted position to a restricted position, and is a view of a part of the pressurizing device from the front in the X-axis direction. [Figure 6] This diagram illustrates the configuration of a pressurizing device, specifically showing a portion of the pressurizing device as viewed from the front in the X-axis direction. [Figure 7] This diagram shows the conveyor descending from a first height position to a second height position, and is an enlarged view of the pressurizing device region R in Figure 2. [Figure 8]This diagram illustrates the configuration of the pressurizing device, and is a partially enlarged view showing the area around the center of the pressurizing device as seen from above the Y-axis direction of the laminate (position II in Figure 6). [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown below. [1] The pressurizing device of the present invention is a pressurizing device for pressurizing a laminate having a predetermined height dimension, which is made up of a plurality of members stacked in a state in which they are temporarily held, and comprises a first hydraulic cylinder capable of outputting a first thrust, a second hydraulic cylinder capable of outputting a second thrust smaller than the first thrust, and a contact portion that can contact the laminate in the height direction, and is configured to perform a moving step in which the second hydraulic cylinder moves the first hydraulic cylinder and the contact portion by a predetermined distance when the laminate is transported to a predetermined position, and a pressing step in which the first hydraulic cylinder moves the contact portion by a specific distance shorter than the predetermined distance while pressing the laminate with the first thrust when the first hydraulic cylinder and the contact portion have moved by the predetermined distance.

[0011] With this configuration, a movement process is performed in which the first hydraulic cylinder and contact part are moved a predetermined distance by the second hydraulic cylinder, and then a pressing process is performed in which the laminate is pressed with a first thrust while the contact part is moved by the first hydraulic cylinder a specific distance shorter than the predetermined distance. The second hydraulic cylinder operates at a high speed because the second thrust is smaller than the first thrust, and the first hydraulic cylinder operates at a low speed because the first thrust is larger than the second thrust. Then, the movement process of the first hydraulic cylinder and contact part capable of outputting the desired thrust is performed by the fast-operating second hydraulic cylinder, and then the pressing process of the laminate is performed by the first hydraulic cylinder and contact part. As a result, the movement time of the first hydraulic cylinder can be shortened while suppressing an increase in the size of the pressurizing device itself, compared to when the movement process and pressing process are performed by the first hydraulic cylinder alone.Therefore, the time required for the pressurizing process of the laminate using a hydraulic cylinder capable of outputting a large thrust can be shortened while suppressing an increase in the size of the pressurizing device.

[0012] [2] The pressurizing device described in [1] above may be equipped with a movement limiting device that restricts the movement of the first hydraulic cylinder and the contact portion in the direction opposite to the direction in which the laminate is pressed during the pressing process. With such a configuration, during the pressing process, the reaction force acting on the contact portion prevents the first hydraulic cylinder and the contact portion from moving away in the direction opposite to the pressing direction, so that the laminate can be suitably pressurized with the desired thrust.

[0013] [3] In the pressurizing device described in [1] or [2] above, the laminate may be transported to the predetermined position while placed on a pallet, and the pressing process may be performed with the pallet removed from the laminate. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the force pressing the laminate from being applied to the pallet during the pressing process, thereby preventing the pallet from being damaged by the pressing force of the pressurizing device, allowing the pallet to be used in common in other processes on the manufacturing line, and enabling efficient product management of the laminate.

[0014] [4] In the pressurizing device described in any of [1] to [3] above, the predetermined distance may be 10 times or more the specific distance. With such a configuration, since the movement of a predetermined distance 10 times or more than the specific distance is performed by a second hydraulic cylinder with a high operating speed, the time required for the movement process can be greatly reduced, thereby reducing the time required for the pressurizing process of the laminate using a pressurizing device with a hydraulic cylinder capable of outputting a large thrust.

[0015] [5] In the pressurizing device described in any of [1] to [4] above, the predetermined distance may be a length that can accommodate multiple types of laminates with different height dimensions. With such a configuration, a pressurizing process can be performed on multiple types of laminates with different height dimensions using one pressurizing device.

[0016] [6] In the pressing device according to any one of [1] to [5] above, it may have an oil flow path that returns the oil discharged from the rod side port of the second hydraulic cylinder to the bottom side port. According to such a configuration, by reusing the oil discharged from the rod side port without returning it to the tank, it is possible to move a long predetermined distance while maintaining the operating speed of the second hydraulic cylinder at a high speed, and thus the time required for the pressing process of the laminate by the pressing device using a hydraulic cylinder capable of outputting a large thrust can be shortened.

[0017] [7] In the pressing device according to any one of [1] to [6] above, it includes a third hydraulic cylinder capable of outputting a third thrust smaller than the first thrust, and a height measuring unit that measures the height dimension of the laminate. In the pressing step, it is configured to be able to press the laminate with the first thrust by the first hydraulic cylinder and the third thrust by the third hydraulic cylinder. The height measuring unit may be configured to measure the height dimension of the laminate in a state where the laminate is pressed only by the third thrust by the third hydraulic cylinder.

[0018] According to such a configuration, when measuring whether the laminate pressed by the first hydraulic cylinder has reached a desired dimension in the height measurement step, it is desirable to measure the height of the laminate while applying a predetermined force lower than the pressing force. Here, if the pressing step and the height measurement step of the laminate are performed only by the first hydraulic cylinder, when switching the thrust of the first hydraulic cylinder from the first thrust for pressing to the lower thrust for height measurement, a predetermined time is required for the switching control. On the other hand, by configuring to perform the pressing step of the laminate with the first hydraulic cylinder and the third hydraulic cylinder and performing the height measurement step only with the third hydraulic cylinder, compared with the case where the pressing step and the measurement step are performed only by the first hydraulic cylinder and the thrust of the first hydraulic cylinder is switched from the first thrust for pressing to the thrust for height measurement, it is only necessary to control so that the thrust from the first hydraulic cylinder is not transmitted to the laminate, and the thrust for height measurement is continuously applied by the third hydraulic cylinder, that is, a pressurized state suitable for measuring the height dimension can be quickly realized, and the time required for measuring the height dimension of the laminate can be shortened. Therefore, the time required for the pressing step of the laminate by the pressing device using a hydraulic cylinder capable of outputting a large thrust can be shortened.

[0019] [8] In the pressing device described in any one of [1] to [7] above, in the pressing step, it may be provided with a support tool for supporting the laminate from the side opposite to the contact direction of the contact portion, and in the moving step, a positioning mechanism for positioning the laminate with respect to the support tool. According to such a configuration, after accurately positioning the laminate on the support tool in the moving step, the pressing step is carried out, so that the quality of the laminate after pressing can be ensured.

[0020] [9] In a pressurizing device described in any of [1] to [8] above, a return step may be performed after the pressing step, in which the second hydraulic cylinder returns the first hydraulic cylinder and the contact portion by the predetermined distance. With such a configuration, the return time can be shortened compared to when the return step is performed by the first hydraulic cylinder by performing the return step by the second hydraulic cylinder. Therefore, the time required for the pressurizing step of a laminate using a pressurizing device with a hydraulic cylinder capable of outputting a large thrust can be shortened.

[0021] <Examples> Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 8. The pressurizing device 10 in this embodiment is a device used in the manufacturing process of a motor core and is incorporated into the manufacturing line. The motor core is either a rotor core or a stator core.

[0022] Figure 1 shows an external perspective view of the pressurizing device 10. The pressurizing device 10 performs a pressurizing process in the manufacturing line, applying pressure to a laminate W in which multiple punched members are temporarily held in a stacked state by crimping or the like. The laminate W is cylindrical in shape and has an axial hole H in the center. The laminate W, pressurized by the pressurizing device 10, constitutes part of the motor core. The punched members are plate-like bodies punched out of electromagnetic steel sheets into predetermined shapes. The thickness dimension of one punched member is, for example, 0.3 mm. The laminate W has a predetermined height dimension (in this embodiment, 300 punched members × 0.3 mm = 90 mm), and by applying pressure with a predetermined load, the gaps between the punched members are reduced, forming a pressurized laminate (not shown) in which the punched members are fixed together.

[0023] In the following explanation, for convenience, the positive X-axis side will be referred to as the front, the negative X-axis side as the rear, the positive Y-axis side as the top, the negative Y-axis side as the bottom, the positive Z-axis side as the right, and the negative Z-axis side as the left. The Y-axis is parallel to the direction in which the laminate W is pressed. In each drawing, some parts of the structure may be exaggerated or simplified for ease of explanation. Also, the dimensional ratios of each part may differ from those of the actual structure.

[0024] The laminate W, before pressurization, moves along the production line while placed on a pallet 90. The direction of movement of the pallet 90 is parallel to the Z-axis. "Parallel" here does not mean strictly parallel, but rather a range within which the effects of the present invention are achieved as long as the movement is considered parallel. In this embodiment, the pallet 90 moves from the right side in the Z-axis direction to the left side in the Z-axis direction.

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, the pressurizing device 10 comprises at least a top plate 11, four support columns 12, a loader device 13, a moving cylinder (second hydraulic cylinder) 14, an upper jig unit 15, a movement limiting device 16, an ID unit 17, a pallet lifter 18, a lower jig (support) 19, and a positioning mechanism. In this embodiment, the pressurizing device 10 operates based on instruction signals from a control device (not shown) and is configured to perform a moving step in which the moving cylinder 14 operates, a pressing step in which the pressing cylinder 43 and sub-cylinder 44 operate, and a return step in which the pressing cylinder 43 returns to its initial position.

[0026] The laminate W, while placed on a pallet 90, is transported by the loader device 13 from the previous process to the center position (predetermined position) C of the pressurizing device 10, pressurized by the pressurizing device 10, and then transported to the next process. The center position C of the pressurizing device 10 is the position where the contact portion 45 and the lower jig 19, described later, are located, and coincides with the central axis of the moving cylinder 14.

[0027] The loader device 13 is located on the rear side of the pressurizing device 10 and includes a wheel conveyor 31 and a chuck 32. The wheel conveyor 31 is divided into a portion extending from the preceding process toward the center position C of the pressurizing device 10 and a portion extending from the center position C of the pressurizing device 10 toward the subsequent process. The conveyor 61 of the pallet lifter 18, which will be described later, is located in the area including the center position C of the pressurizing device 10 (see Figure 6).

[0028] The chuck 32 grips the protrusions on the pallet 90 with the stacked material W on it, and moves the pallet 90 on the wheel conveyor 31. The chuck 32 is driven by a servo motor or the like. The pressurizing device 10 transports the pallet 90 using the loader device 13, thus reducing the transport time compared to transporting using a belt conveyor.

[0029] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the pressurizing device 10, showing a part of the pressurizing device 10 as viewed from the right. The moving cylinder 14 is located in the center of the top plate 11 and extends upward from the top plate 11. The moving cylinder 14 penetrates the top plate 11 downward and is fixed to the upper part 41 of the upper jig unit 15. The moving cylinder 14 is capable of outputting a thrust (second thrust) smaller than the thrust (first thrust) of the pressing cylinder (first hydraulic cylinder) 43, which will be described later. The thrust of the moving cylinder 14 is, for example, 24kN, but may be changed according to the weight of the upper jig unit 15. Because the moving cylinder 14 has a smaller thrust than the pressing cylinder 43, it operates at a faster speed than the pressing cylinder 43 (for example, 330mm / s).

[0030] The four support columns 12 are arranged to surround the central position C of the pressurizing device 10 and extend vertically in the vertical direction (see Figure 1). Each support column 12 is cylindrical and has a small-diameter section 22 that is smaller in diameter than the rest of the column, as shown in Figure 2. Each small-diameter section 22 is located at the same height as the movement limiting device 16.

[0031] As shown in Figure 2, the pallet 90 is plate-shaped and moves on the wheel conveyor 31 with the laminated body W placed on its top surface. The pallet 90 has a data unit 92. The data unit 92 is erected on the top surface of the pallet 90 and is positioned at the corner of the pallet 90 (see Figure 8). The data unit 92 holds information about the laminated body W placed on the pallet 90.

[0032] The pallet 90 has a plurality of positioning pins 91 (four in this embodiment) for positioning the laminate W (see Figure 8). The positioning pins 91 are erected upward from the top surface of the pallet 90 and are adjacent to the protrusions on the outer circumferential surface of the laminate W, positioning the laminate W relative to the pallet 90. When positioned by the positioning pins 91, the central axis of the shaft hole H of the laminate W is positioned on the central axis of the pallet opening 93.

[0033] The pallet 90 has a positioning section 95 that constitutes a positioning mechanism. The positioning section 95 is used for positioning with respect to the pallet lifter 18. The positioning section 95 is a circular hole that penetrates the pallet 90 in the vertical direction (see Figure 8). One positioning section 95 is provided at each corner of the pallet 90 located diagonally opposite each other.

[0034] The pallet 90 has relief sections 96 for measuring parts (see Figure 8). Multiple relief sections 96 for measuring parts are provided (three in this embodiment) corresponding to the lower height measuring part 75. Each relief section 96 for measuring parts is a hole that connects to the pallet opening 93 and penetrates the pallet 90 in the vertical direction. The relief sections 96 for measuring parts are arranged at equal angular intervals around the central axis of the pallet opening 93.

[0035] The ID unit 17 reads the information from the data section 92 of the pallet 90, which is located at the center position C of the pressurizing device 10. The information from the data section 92 is transmitted to the control device. The ID unit 17 is movable between a position where it is retracted from the transport path of the pallet 90 by an air cylinder or the like, and a position where it enters the transport path of the pallet 90 and can read the data section 92.

[0036] As shown in Figure 2, the upper jig unit 15 comprises an upper part 41, an intermediate part 42, a pressing cylinder (first hydraulic cylinder) 43, a sub-cylinder (third hydraulic cylinder) 44, a contact part 45, a height measuring upper part 46, and a guide part 47.

[0037] The upper part 41 is plate-shaped and thicker than the top plate 11, and is positioned parallel to the top plate 11. The upper part 41 has four stepped sections 53 (see Figure 1). The stepped sections 53 are block-shaped and are fixed to the four corners of the upper surface of the upper part 41. The upper surface of the stepped sections 53 forms a horizontal and flat stopper surface 53A.

[0038] Through holes 54 are formed at the four corners of the upper part 41 (the positions of the support columns 12). The through holes 54 are sized to allow vertical movement of the upper part 41 relative to the support columns 12. The through holes 54 pass through the stepped portion 53. The intermediate portion 42 is plate-shaped and fits inside the four support columns 12.

[0039] The pressing cylinder 43 is provided between the upper part 41 and the intermediate part 42 and is fixed to the upper part 41 and the intermediate part 42. The pressing cylinder 43 is positioned at the center C of the pressurizing device 10. The pressing cylinder 43 is capable of outputting a thrust (first thrust) that is significantly larger than the thrust of the moving cylinder 14. The pressing cylinder 43 outputs most of the force applied to the laminate W during the pressing process. The magnitude of the force applied to the laminate W during the pressing process is approximately 40 to 80 tons. The thrust of the pressing cylinder 43, when combined with the thrust of the sub-cylinder 44, is approximately 532 kN when pressurizing the laminate W with, for example, 60 tons.

[0040] The sub-cylinders 44 are located between the upper section 41 and the intermediate section 42, with one sub-cylinder positioned on each side of the pressing cylinder 43. The sub-cylinders 44 are capable of outputting a thrust smaller than that of the pressing cylinder 43 (third thrust). The sub-cylinders 44 provide auxiliary output for a portion of the force applied to the laminate W during the pressing process. The thrust of each sub-cylinder 43 is approximately 34 kN when pressurizing the laminate W with, for example, 60 tons. The thrust of each sub-cylinder 43 may be changed depending on the magnitude of the force applied to pressurize the laminate W.

[0041] The contact portion 45 is located below the intermediate portion 42 and is capable of contacting the laminate W in the height direction. The contact portion 45 descends a specific distance L3 relative to the upper portion 41 by the thrust of the pressing cylinder 43 and the sub-cylinder 44, thereby pressurizing the laminate W (see Figure 3). The specific distance L3 is appropriately set depending on the type of laminate W to be pressurized, the magnitude of the pressurizing force, the time required for pressurization, etc. In this embodiment, the specific distance L3 is, for example, 20 mm. The lower end of the contact portion 45 has a contact surface 45A that can contact the upper surface of the laminate W. The lower end of the contact portion 45 can be replaced depending on the type of laminate W.

[0042] The upper height measuring part 46 constitutes the height measuring section. In the return process, the upper height measuring part 46 measures the height dimension of the laminate W that was pressed in the pressing process. Multiple (three in this embodiment) upper height measuring parts 46 are provided and fixed to the outer surface of the contact part 45. The upper height measuring part 46 is a discriminative displacement sensor that contacts the upper end of the lower height measuring part 75 provided on the lower jig 19 and can detect the upper surface position of the laminate W and measure its height.

[0043] Figure 3 illustrates the configuration of the pressurizing device 10 when the upper jig unit 15 is in a lowered position, and, similar to Figure 2, shows a part of the pressurizing device 10 viewed from the right side in the Z-axis direction. The upper jig unit 15 is freely able to move up and down between the first position and the second position by the thrust of the moving cylinder 14. In Figure 3, the outline of the upper jig unit 15 in the first position is shown by a dashed line, and the upper jig unit 15 in the second position is shown by a solid line. The vertical distance traveled between the first position and the second position is referred to as the predetermined distance L1.

[0044] In the initial state of the pressurizing device 10 (before the laminated body W is transported from the previous process to the center position C of the pressurizing device 10), the upper jig unit 15 is positioned in the first position (initial position) as shown in Figure 2. When the upper jig unit 15 is positioned in the first position, a predetermined gap L2 is secured between the contact surface 45A of the contact portion 45 and the upper end of the wheel conveyor 31. The predetermined gap L2 has a length that can accommodate multiple types of laminated bodies W with different height dimensions. This allows a single pressurizing device 10 to perform a pressurizing process on multiple types of laminated bodies W with different height dimensions.

[0045] When the laminated body W is positioned at the center C of the pressurizing device 10, the upper jig unit 15 descends a predetermined distance L1 from the first position to the second position, as shown in Figure 3. The predetermined distance L1 is longer than the predetermined interval L2 and is more than 10 times the specific distance L3. For example, the predetermined distance L1 is 330 mm. By performing the movement of the predetermined distance L1, which is more than 10 times the specific distance L3, using a fast-operating movement cylinder 14, the time required for the movement process can be significantly reduced, thereby shortening the time required for the pressurizing process of the laminated body W by the pressurizing device 10 using a pressing cylinder 43 capable of outputting a large thrust.

[0046] The pressurizing device 10 has an oil passage (not shown) that returns oil discharged from the rod-side port (not shown) of the moving cylinder 14 to the bottom-side port (not shown). During the moving process, by reusing the oil discharged from the rod-side port instead of returning it to the tank, the moving cylinder 14 can be moved over a long predetermined distance L1 while maintaining a high speed of its pushing operation. This reduces the time required for the entire pressurizing process of the laminate W using a hydraulic cylinder capable of outputting a large thrust.

[0047] Furthermore, the pressurizing device 10 has an oil passage that returns the oil discharged from the bottom port of the moving cylinder 14 to the rod port. In the return process, by reusing the oil discharged from the bottom port instead of returning it to the tank, it is possible to perform a long predetermined distance L1 return movement while maintaining a fast speed for the retraction operation of the moving cylinder 14.

[0048] Since the pressurizing device 10 moves a predetermined distance L1 that is more than 10 times the specific distance L3 using a fast-operating moving cylinder 14, the time required for the moving process in the pressurizing process, which requires a predetermined interval L2 due to the different height dimensions of the laminated bodies W, can be significantly reduced, thereby shortening the overall time required for the pressurizing process of the laminated bodies W using the pressurizing device 10 with a pressing cylinder 43 capable of outputting a large thrust.

[0049] The guide section 47 guides the movement of the contact section 45 over a specific distance L3 in a linear vertical direction. Multiple guide sections 47 (four in this embodiment) are provided. Each guide section 47 has a guide cylinder 48 and a guide bar 49. The guide cylinder 48 is cylindrical and is fixed integrally with the upper section 41. The guide cylinder 48 extends vertically through the upper section 41.

[0050] The guide bar 49 is thinner than the support column 12, is inserted into the guide cylinder 48, and is slidable vertically relative to the guide cylinder 48. The lower end of the guide bar 49 is fixed to the intermediate section 42. The guide bar 49 is longer than the guide cylinder 48 and extends through both the upper and lower sides of the guide cylinder 48. The head 51 of each guide bar 49 is positioned above the top plate 11 in the first position (see Figure 2). A neck portion 52 is provided on the lower side of the head 51.

[0051] Figure 4 shows a plan view of the pressurizing device 10. As shown in Figure 4, the top plate 11 has fall prevention wedges 21 that can prevent the upper jig unit 15 from falling off. Multiple fall prevention wedges 21 (two in this embodiment) are arranged on the upper side of the top plate 11 and move horizontally by an air cylinder or the like to switch between a locked state and an unlocked state.

[0052] Figure 4 shows the fall prevention wedge 21 in the unlocked state. In the unlocked state, the fall prevention wedge 21 separates from the neck portion 52, retracts from directly below the head 51, and allows the head 51 to move downward.

[0053] When locked, the fall prevention wedge 21 fits into the neck portion 52 of the guide bar 49 and is positioned directly below the head portion 51, restricting the downward movement of the head portion 51. As a result, the upper jig unit 15 is restricted from moving downward when the fall prevention wedge 21 is locked. When the pressurizing device 10 is not used, locking the fall prevention wedge 21 prevents the upper jig unit 15 from inadvertently falling off the top plate 11 during a power outage, thereby ensuring safety.

[0054] As shown in Figure 4, the movement restriction device 16 has four movement restriction wedges 23. Each movement restriction wedge 23 is adjacent to each support column 12. Each movement restriction wedge 23 has a recess 24 that can be fitted onto the small diameter portion 22 of the support column 12. The recess 24 is open to the adjacent support column 12 side and, in plan view, forms an arc shape along the outer surface of the small diameter portion 22 of the support column 12.

[0055] The movement-restricting wedge 23 can be moved horizontally in the left-right direction by an air cylinder or the like, and can be positioned in a restricting position that restricts the movement of the upper jig unit 15 and an unrestricting position that allows the movement of the upper jig unit 15.

[0056] Figure 4 shows the movement-restricting wedge 23 positioned in the unrestricted position. In a plan view, the movement-restricting wedge 23 in the unrestricted position is located outside the top plate 11. When the upper jig unit 41 is in the first position, the movement-restricting wedge 23 is positioned at the same height as the upper part 41, as shown in Figure 2, and is prevented from unintentionally moving to the restricted position during a power outage or other event.

[0057] When the upper jig unit 41 is lowered to the second position, the stepped portion 53 of the upper part 41 moves below the movement-restricting wedge 23, as shown in Figure 3. This allows the movement-restricting wedge 23 to move to the restricted position.

[0058] Figure 5 shows how the movement-restricting wedge 23 moves from the unrestricted position to the restricted position. The movement-restricting wedge 23 moves horizontally from the unrestricted position to the restricted position along the stopper surface 53A of the stepped portion 53. In Figure 5, the movement-restricting wedge 23 in the unrestricted position is shown by a solid line, and the movement-restricting wedge 23 in the restricted position is shown by a dashed line. At the restricted position, the recess 24 of the movement-restricting wedge 23 fits onto the outside of the small-diameter portion 22, and the front and rear portions of the recess 24 face the stopper surface 53A in the vertical direction. As a result, the movement-restricting device 16 restricts the upper part 41 of the upper jig unit 15 from moving in the opposite direction (upward) to the direction in which it presses the laminate W during the pressing process. This prevents the load from escaping in the opposite direction when the pressing cylinder 43 presses the laminate W during the pressing process, and allows for effective pressing of the laminate W.

[0059] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the pressurizing device 10, showing an enlarged view of a part of the pressurizing device 10 as seen from the front in the X-axis direction. The pallet lifter 18 comprises a conveyor 61, a pallet mounting platform 62, and left and right lifts 64.

[0060] The conveyor 61 is movable up and down between a first height position and a second height position. Figure 6 shows the conveyor 61 at the first height position. The conveyor 61 is raised and lowered by a thin cylinder or the like. The first height position is the same height as the wheel conveyor 31 of the loader device 13. The conveyor 61 is positioned at the first height position in the initial state of the pressurizing device 10. In the initial state of the pressurizing device 10, the pallet mounting platform 62 is positioned below the conveyor 61.

[0061] Figure 7 shows the conveyor 61 descending from a first height position to a second height position. The second height position is lower than the first height position, and is approximately 5 mm lower than the pallet mounting platform 62. In Figure 7, the conveyor 61, pallet 90, and stacked body W at the first height position are shown by dashed lines, and the conveyor 61, pallet 90, and stacked body W at the second height position are shown by solid lines. The vertical distance between the first and second height positions is, for example, 30 mm.

[0062] As the conveyor 61 descends from a first height position to a second height position, the pallet 90 is placed from the conveyor 61 onto the pallet mounting platform 62. At this time, the pallet positioning section 63 of the pallet mounting platform 62 fits into the positioning section 95 of the pallet 90, thereby positioning the pallet 90 relative to the pallet mounting platform 62. Details of the pallet positioning section 63 will be described later.

[0063] The left and right lifts 64 support the conveyor 61 and the pallet platform 62, and are capable of moving up and down between the start position and the end position by air cylinders or the like. When the conveyor 91 descends from the first height position to the second height position, the left and right lifts 64 descend from the start position to the end position. At the end position, as shown in Figure 3, the conveyor 91 and the pallet platform 62 are positioned below the support surface 76 of the lower jig 19.

[0064] As shown in Figure 6, the lower jig 19 is positioned at the center C of the pressurizing device 10 and directly below the contact portion 45 in the vertical direction. During the pressing process, the lower jig 19 supports the laminated body W from below (opposite the contact direction of the contact portion 45). The lower jig 19 has a first plate portion 71, a second plate portion 72, a third plate portion 73, a column portion 74, and multiple (three in this embodiment) lower height measuring parts 75.

[0065] The first plate section 71 is positioned at the bottom. The second plate section 72 is located above the first plate section 71 and is slightly smaller than the first plate section 71 in plan view. The third plate section 73 is located above the second plate section 72 and is slightly smaller than the second plate section 72 in plan view, and is sized to fit into the mounting base opening 65 and pallet opening 93 described later. The upper surface of the third plate section 73 is the support surface 76 on which the lower surface of the laminated body W is installed. In plan view, the support surface 76 forms an annular ring surrounding the column section 74.

[0066] The column portion 74 rises above the upper surface of the third plate portion 73. The column portion 74 is cylindrical and fits into the axial hole H of the laminated body W. In this way, the column portion 74 accurately positions the laminated body W relative to the lower jig 19.

[0067] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the pressurizing device 10, showing a magnified view of a portion of the area around the center position C of the pressurizing device 10 as seen from above the laminate W in the Y-axis direction. As shown in Figure 8, the pallet 90 has a rectangular shape in plan view, and a pallet opening 93 is formed in the center. The pallet opening 93 is circular and penetrates the pallet 90 in the thickness direction (vertical direction). The pallet opening 93 is smaller than the outer shape of the laminate W in plan view. As a result, the opening edge of the pallet opening 93 supports the outer peripheral edge of the lower surface of the laminate W.

[0068] As shown in Figure 8, a mounting platform opening 65 is formed in the center of the pallet mounting platform 62. The mounting platform opening 65 is rectangular in shape and penetrates the pallet mounting platform 62 in the thickness direction (vertical direction). The mounting platform opening 65 is smaller than the outer dimensions of the pallet 90 in plan view. The portion around the mounting platform opening 65 supports the lower surface of the pallet 90.

[0069] The pallet mounting base 62 has a pallet positioning section 63. The pallet positioning section 63 constitutes a positioning mechanism. The pallet positioning section 63 is a cylindrical projection that fits onto the positioning section 95 of the pallet 90 (see Figure 7). One pallet positioning section 63 is provided at each position corresponding to the positioning section 95 of the pallet 90.

[0070] The lower height measuring parts 75 constitute the height measuring section. Each of the lower height measuring parts 75 is a cylindrical pin extending from the upper surface of the first plate section 71 to above the upper surface of the column section 74, as shown in Figure 7. Each of the lower height measuring parts 75 is located directly below the upper height measuring part 46 in the vertical direction and comes into contact with the lower end of the upper height measuring part 46 during the movement process (see Figure 3).

[0071] Next, an example of the pressurizing process by the pressurizing device 10 of this embodiment will be described. As described above, the pressurizing device 10 performs a moving process, a pressing process, and a return process. In the moving process, the upper jig unit 15 moves a predetermined distance L1 by the thrust of the moving cylinder 14. In the pressing process, the contact portion 45 of the upper jig unit 15 moves a specific distance L3 that is shorter than the predetermined distance L1, while mainly pressing the laminated body W with the thrust of the pressing cylinder 43 (and sub-cylinder 44). In the return process, the height measuring upper part 46 and the height measuring lower part 75 perform a height measurement process to measure the height dimension of the laminated body W, and the upper jig unit 15 returns a predetermined distance L1 by the thrust of the moving cylinder 14.

[0072] When measuring whether the laminated body W pressed by the pressing cylinder 43 has reached the desired dimensions in the height measurement process, it is desirable to measure the height while applying a predetermined force lower than the pressing force to the laminated body W. However, if the pressing process and height measurement process of the laminated body W are performed using only the pressing cylinder 43, a predetermined time is required for the switching control when switching the thrust of the pressing cylinder 43 from the thrust for pressing to the lower thrust for height measurement. On the other hand, by configuring the pressing process of the laminate W to be performed by the pressing cylinder 43 and the sub-cylinder 44, and the height measurement process to be performed only by the sub-cylinder 44, compared to the case where the pressing process and measurement process are performed only by the pressing cylinder 43 and the thrust of the pressing cylinder 43 is switched from the thrust for pressing to the thrust for height measurement, it is possible to quickly realize a state in which the thrust for height measurement is continuously applied by the sub-cylinder 44, that is, a pressurized state suitable for measuring the height dimension, by simply controlling so that the thrust from the pressing cylinder 43 is not transmitted to the laminate W, and the time required to measure the height dimension of the laminate W can be shortened.

[0073] In the initial state of the pressurizing device 10, the upper jig unit 15 is positioned in a first position as shown in Figure 2. The stacked body W placed on the pallet 90 is transported from the previous process to the center position C of the pressurizing device 10 on the wheel conveyor 31 and placed on the conveyor 61 of the pallet lifter 18. The conveyor 61 is positioned at a first height position, and there is a predetermined space L2 between the upper end of the conveyor 61 and the contact surface 45A of the contact portion 45, so that the pressurizing process can be performed on stacked bodies W with different height dimensions using one pressurizing device 10.

[0074] When the pallet 90 reaches the center position C of the pressurizing device 10, the conveyor 61 of the pallet lifter 18 descends from the first height position to the second height position as part of the movement process. While the conveyor 61 is descending from the first height position to the second height position, the pallet 90 is placed on the pallet mounting base 62 when it has descended approximately 25 mm from the first height position. At this time, the positioning part 95 of the pallet 90 fits into the pallet positioning part 63 of the pallet mounting base 62, and the pallet 90 is positioned in the correct position relative to the pallet mounting base 62. The conveyor 61 descends further by approximately 5 mm, leaving the pallet 90 on the pallet mounting base 62, and is positioned at the second height position, which is lower than the pallet mounting base 62.

[0075] Next, the pressurizing device 10 lowers the upper jig unit 15 and the pallet lifter 18 in parallel. By lowering the upper jig unit 15 and the pallet lifter 18 in parallel, the time required for the movement process can be shortened compared to when these operations are performed sequentially with a complete time stagger.

[0076] The upper jig unit 15 descends a predetermined distance L1 from the first position to the second position by the thrust of the moving cylinder 14. The predetermined distance L1 is 10 times or more the specific distance L3. Since the movement of the predetermined distance L1, which is 10 times or more the specific distance L3, is performed by the moving cylinder 14, which has a high operating speed, the time required for the movement process can be greatly reduced, thereby reducing the time required for the pressurization process of the laminate W using the pressing cylinder 43, which can output a large thrust.

[0077] When the upper jig unit 15 descends to the second position, the stopper surface 53A of the upper part 41 is positioned below the movement-restricting wedge 23. The pressurizing device 10 slides the movement-restricting wedge 23 from the unrestricted position to the restricted position. The movement-restricting wedge 23 is positioned directly above the stopper surface 53A, restricting the upward movement of the upper jig unit 15.

[0078] The lift 64 of the pallet lifter 18 descends from the start position to the end position. The pallet mounting platform 62 descends with the pallet 90 on it, and the mounting platform opening 65 and the pallet opening 93 pass downwards through the column portion 74 of the lower jig 19. The height measuring lower part 75 penetrates above the pallet 90 via the relief portion 96 for measuring parts and contacts the lower end of the height measuring upper part 46. The shaft hole H of the laminate W fits into the column portion 74, and the lower surface of the laminate W contacts the support surface 76 of the third plate portion of the lower jig 19, and the laminate W is supported by the support surface 76. The mounting platform opening 65 and the pallet opening 93 pass through the third plate portion 73, the pallet mounting platform 62 and the pallet 90 move downwards from the laminate W, and the pallet 90 is removed from the laminate W. This prevents the force pressing the laminate W during the pressing process from being applied to the pallet 90, thus preventing damage to the pallet 90 due to the pressing force from the pressurizing device 10. This allows the pallet 90 to be used commonly in other processes on the manufacturing line, enabling efficient product management of the laminate W.

[0079] The pallet mounting base 62 is positioned on the upper surface of the first plate section 71 with the pallet 90 placed on its upper surface. In this way, the laminate W is precisely positioned relative to the lower jig 19 while separated from the pallet 90. Since the pressing process is performed after the laminate W is precisely positioned on the lower jig 19 during the moving process, the quality of the laminate W after pressing can be ensured. In this embodiment, the time required for the above moving process (including positioning and locking operations) is, for example, 2 to 3 seconds.

[0080] Next, in the pressing process, the contact portion 45 presses the laminate W with a large force using the thrust of the pressing cylinder 43 and the thrust of the sub-cylinder 44. The contact portion 45 presses the laminate W while moving a specific distance L3 using the thrust of the pressing cylinder 43 and the thrust of the sub-cylinder 44. At this time, since the upward movement of the upper part 41 is restricted by the movement limiting device 16, the thrust of the pressing cylinder 43 and the thrust of the sub-cylinder 44 act on the laminate W without escaping upward, and the laminate W can be pressurized with an appropriate thrust. During movement of the specific distance L3, the guide bar 49 slides relative to the guide cylinder 48, and the downward movement of the contact portion 45 is guided in the vertical direction. Since the pressurizing device 10 performs the pressing process on the laminate W which is accurately positioned on the lower jig 19 during the movement process, the quality of the laminate W after pressing can be ensured. In this embodiment, the time required for the above pressing process is, for example, 3 seconds.

[0081] After the pressing process, the pressurizing device 10 performs a height measurement process as a return process. In the height measurement process, the processing device 10 measures the height dimension of the laminate W using the upper height measurement part 46 and the lower height measurement part 75. At this time, the pressurizing device 10 controls the system so that the thrust from the pressing cylinder 43 is not transmitted to the laminate W, and keeps the thrust for height measurement applied only by the sub-cylinder 44. This allows the pressurizing device 10 to apply a load to the laminate W that is suitable for height measurement using the thrust of the sub-cylinder 44. The load is, for example, 3.5 tons. Because the sub-cylinder 44 has a small thrust, it operates at a high speed, so it can quickly achieve a pressurized state suitable for measuring the height dimension, and the time required to measure the height dimension of the laminate W can be shortened.

[0082] After the pressing process, the pressurizing device 10 slides the movement-restricting wedge 23 from the restricted position to the unrestricted position. The movement-restricting wedge 23 retracts outward from directly above the stopper surface 53A, allowing the upper jig unit 15 to rise. In the return process, the pressurizing device 10 uses the movement cylinder 14 to return the upper jig unit 15 by a predetermined distance L1. As a result, the pressurizing device 10 can shorten the return time by performing the return process with the movement cylinder 14 compared to when it is performed with the pressing cylinder 43. Therefore, the time required for the pressurizing process of the laminate W using the pressurizing device 10 with the pressing cylinder 43 capable of outputting a large thrust can be shortened. At the same time, the pressurizing device 10 raises the lift 64 of the pallet lifter 18 from the end position to the start position. During this time, the pallet 90 is placed on the pallet mounting base 62, and the laminate W is placed on the pallet 90. Since the pressing process is performed on the pallet 90 after it has been removed from the laminate W, the force that presses the laminate W during the pressing process is prevented from being applied to the pallet 90, and it can be used without problems in other processes as well.

[0083] As the lift 64 rises to the starting position, the conveyor 61, carrying the pallet 90, rises from the second height position to the first height position and is positioned at the same height as the wheel conveyor 31. The pallet 90, carrying the pressurized laminate W, is then transported to the next process by the loader device 13.

[0084] The pressurization process is completed as described above. In this way, the pressurization device 10 performs a moving process in which the moving cylinder 14 moves the pressing cylinder 43 and the contact portion 45 by a predetermined distance L1, and then performs a pressing process in which the pressing cylinder 43 moves the contact portion 45 by a specific distance L3 shorter than the predetermined distance L1 while pressing the laminate W with the thrust of the pressing cylinder 43. The moving cylinder 14 operates at a faster speed because its thrust is smaller than that of the pressing cylinder 43, and the pressing cylinder 43 operates at a slower speed because its thrust is larger than that of the moving cylinder 14. Then, the fast-moving moving cylinder 14 moves the pressing cylinder 43 and contact portion 45, which are capable of outputting the desired thrust, and subsequently, the pressing cylinder 43 and contact portion 45 perform the pressing process of the laminate W. This allows for a reduction in the size of the pressurizing device 10 itself and shortens the movement time of the pressing cylinder 43 compared to when the moving and pressing processes are performed by the pressing cylinder 43 alone. Therefore, the time required for the pressurizing process of the laminate W using the pressing cylinder 43, which is capable of outputting a large thrust, can be shortened while suppressing an increase in the size of the pressurizing device 10.

[0085] In this embodiment, the time required for the pressurization process is, for example, 15 seconds. The pressurization process using the pressurizing device 10 can shorten the working time in all steps, including the movement process, the pressing process, the height measurement process, and the return process. Therefore, the time required for the pressurization process of the laminated body W using the pressing cylinder 43, which can output a large thrust, can be shortened compared to conventional methods.

[0086] <Other examples> The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and in the drawings, and the following embodiments, for example, are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. (1) In the above embodiment, the pressurizing device 10 is equipped with a movement-restricting device 16. However, the pressurizing device is not limited to this, and may be equipped with a movement-restricting device with a configuration different from that of the above embodiment. (2) In the above embodiment, the pressurizing device 10 is equipped with a sub-cylinder 44, but the pressurizing device does not necessarily have to be equipped with a sub-cylinder. The time required for the pressurizing process can be shortened compared to conventional methods even if the pressing process and measurement of the height of the laminate are performed using only the pressing cylinder. (3) In the above embodiment, the specific configuration of the positioning mechanism was illustrated, but the shape and position of the positioning part of the positioning mechanism may be changed as appropriate. (4) In the above embodiment, the pressurizing device 10 has an oil passage that returns the oil discharged from the bottom port of the moving cylinder 14 to the rod port, but it is not necessary to have such an oil passage. (5) In the above embodiment, the pallet 90 is transported in the Z-axis direction, but the transport direction of the pallet is not limited to this, and may be transported in the X-axis direction, for example. (6) In the above embodiment, the pressurizing device 10 pressurizes the laminate W from the vertical direction, but the pressurizing direction is not limited to this and may be from the horizontal direction. (7) In the above embodiment, the pressurizing device 10 presses the laminate W with the thrust of one pressing cylinder 43 and the thrust of two sub-cylinders 44, but the number of pressing cylinders and sub-cylinders is not limited to this. For example, the pressurizing device may have a plurality of pressing cylinders capable of outputting equivalent thrusts, and the laminate may be pressed by the thrusts of these plurality of pressing cylinders, or it may have a plurality of pressing cylinders capable of outputting different thrusts, and the laminate may be pressed by the thrusts of these plurality of pressing cylinders. (8) In the above embodiment, the pressurizing device 10 lowers the pallet 90 with the pallet lifter 18 and performs the pressing process, but the pressurizing device may perform the pressing process without lowering the pallet. (9) In the above embodiment, the pressurizing device 10 is used in the manufacturing process of a motor core, but the pressurizing device according to the present invention is not limited to this and may be applied to devices used in the manufacturing process of products other than motor cores. In this case, if the laminate has through holes that penetrate in the direction of pressurization, the through holes may be used for positioning. (10) In the above embodiment, the sub-cylinder is a hydraulic cylinder, but it is not limited to this and may be an air cylinder or the like. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0087] 10... Pressurizing device 14…Movement cylinder (2nd hydraulic cylinder) 16...Movement restriction device 19…Lower jig (support) 43…Pressing cylinder (first hydraulic cylinder) 44... Sub-cylinder (3rd hydraulic cylinder) 45...Contact part 46… Upper part for height measurement (height measurement section) 63...Pallet positioning unit (positioning mechanism) 75... Lower part for height measurement (height measurement section) 90...Palette 95...Positioning section (positioning mechanism) C...Center position of the pressurizing device (predetermined position) L1...predetermined distance L2…Predetermined interval L3…specific distance W...Laminate

Claims

1. A pressurizing device for pressurizing a laminate having a predetermined height dimension, which is formed by stacking multiple members in a state where they are temporarily held in place, A first hydraulic cylinder capable of outputting a first thrust, A second hydraulic cylinder capable of outputting a second thrust smaller than the first thrust, It comprises a contact portion that can abut against the laminate in the height direction, When the laminate is transported to a predetermined position, the second hydraulic cylinder moves the first hydraulic cylinder and the contact portion by a predetermined distance; When the first hydraulic cylinder and the contact portion move a predetermined distance, the system is configured to perform a pressing step in which the first hydraulic cylinder moves the contact portion a specific distance shorter than the predetermined distance, while pressing the laminate with a first thrust. A pressurizing device characterized by the following features.

2. In the pressing step, a movement limiting device is provided to restrict the movement of the first hydraulic cylinder and the contact portion in a direction opposite to the direction in which the laminate is pressed. The pressurizing device according to feature 1.

3. The laminate can be transported to the predetermined location while placed on a pallet. The pressing process is performed with the pallet removed from the laminate. The pressurizing device according to feature 1 or 2.

4. The predetermined distance is 10 times or more the specified distance. The pressurizing device according to feature 1 or 2.

5. The predetermined distance has a length dimension that can accommodate multiple types of the laminates with different height dimensions. The pressurizing device according to feature 1 or 2.

6. The second hydraulic cylinder has an oil passage that returns the oil discharged from the rod-side port back to the bottom-side port. The pressurizing device according to feature 1 or 2.

7. A third hydraulic cylinder capable of outputting a third thrust smaller than the first thrust, It includes a height measuring unit for measuring the height dimension of the laminate, In the pressing step, the laminate is configured to be pressurized by the first thrust from the first hydraulic cylinder and the third thrust from the third hydraulic cylinder. The height measuring unit is configured to measure the height dimension of the laminate while the laminate is pressurized solely by the third thrust from the third hydraulic cylinder. The pressurizing device according to feature 1 or 2.

8. In the pressing step, a support is provided to support the laminate from the opposite side of the contact direction of the contact portion, The moving process includes a positioning mechanism for positioning the laminate with respect to the support. The pressurizing device according to feature 1 or 2.

9. After the pressing step, the system is configured to perform a return step in which the second hydraulic cylinder returns the first hydraulic cylinder and the contact portion to the predetermined distance. The pressurizing device according to feature 1 or 2.

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