Cylindrical Shape Assembly Apparatus and Assembly Method

Abstract

To form a cylindrical shape while suppressing belt separation.SOLUTION: An assembling device assembles a first belt with multiple protrusions on both sides in the belt width direction and a second belt with multiple holes engaging with the protrusions into an expandable / contractable cylindrical shape. The assembling device has: a spiral groove body which has an outer diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of an inner circumferential surface excluding the protrusions of the cylindrical shape, and has formed on its outer circumferential surface for multiple rounds a spiral groove with which the protrusions engage, and around which the tips of the first and second belts with the engaged protrusions and holes, are wound with the protrusions fitted in the spiral groove; a transportation part; and a perimeter retainer, where the transportation part is arranged separated from the spiral groove body on the outer circumferential side of the spiral groove body and is formed into the cylindrical shape on the outer circumference of the spiral groove body by transporting the first and second belts so that the protrusions move along the spiral groove, and perimeter retainer retains the engagement of the protrusions and the holes by pressing the spiral shape reaching the end on the exit side of the spiral groove body from the outer circumferential side through transporting by the transportation part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an assembly device and an assembly method for a cylindrical shape. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a linear actuator in which two belts are wound spirally along an axis. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2008-504190 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Because the belt used in the linear actuator is made of a member formed from an elastic material, there were issues such as the belt bouncing back while being wound around the actuator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present disclosure can be realized in the following forms.

[0006] (1) According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided an assembly device that assembles a combined belt formed of two belts made of an elastic material into a stretchable cylindrical shape, wherein a first belt of the two belts has a plurality of protrusions provided along the length on both sides in the width direction of the first belt, and a second belt of the two belts has a plurality of holes on both sides in the width direction of the second belt for engaging with the protrusions, and the combined belt is configured such that the first belt, the protrusions, and the holes of the second belt are continuously engaged with each other such that parts of the first belt and the second belt overlap each other in the width direction, and the combined belt has an outer diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the cylindrical shape, and a spiral groove formed on the outer circumferential surface for engaging with the protrusions is formed for multiple revolutions. The assembly device includes a spiral groove body on which the tip ends of the first belt and the second belt, with the protrusions and the holes engaged, are attached with the protrusions fitted into the spiral groove, and a conveying unit that is provided on the outer periphery of the spiral groove body and spaced from the spiral groove body, and the protrusions come into contact with the first belt fitted into the spiral groove, and conveys the first belt and the second belt, so that the protrusions of the first belt moving along the spiral groove are continuously engaged with the holes of the second belt on the outer periphery of the spiral groove body to form the combined belt and form the cylindrical shape from the combined belt. According to this form of assembly device, the protrusions of the engaged combined belt are inserted into the spiral groove, and the combined belt is fed along the spiral groove by the conveying unit, so that the protrusions of the first belt and the holes of the second belt are continuously engaged with each other, forming the combined belt and forming the cylindrical shape from the combined belt. (2) The assembly device of the above embodiment may further include an outer periphery presser that holds the cylindrical shape sent outward in the direction along the central axis of the spiral groove body from the outer periphery to maintain the engagement between the protrusion and the hole. According to the assembly device of this embodiment, since the outer periphery presser is provided, separation of the first belt and the second belt due to rebound caused by the elasticity of the connecting belt forming the cylindrical shape sent outward in the direction along the central axis of the spiral groove body can be suppressed. (3) The assembly device of the above embodiment may further include a first bobbin that stores the first belt in a wound state and unwinds the first belt from one end, and a second bobbin that stores the second belt in a wound state and unwinds the second belt from one end, and the first bobbin and the second bobbin may each have rollers on the outer periphery of the stored first belt and second belt, respectively, for rotatably supporting the wound first belt and the second belt. According to this embodiment, since the rollers are provided on the outer periphery of the belt wound on the first bobbin and the second bobbin, even if the belt wound on the bobbin is pressed against the rollers by elastic force to return to an unwound state, the rollers can rotate, so that the wound belt can be rotated and unwound. (4) In the assembly device of the above aspect, the conveying unit may include a plurality of feed rollers arranged on an outer periphery of the spiral groove body with a gap therebetween that corresponds to a thickness of the connecting belt, the feed rollers conveying the first belt and the second belt, and a drive unit that drives the feed rollers. According to the assembly device of this aspect, the drive unit can rotate the plurality of feed rollers to convey the first belt and the second belt. (5) In the assembly device of the above aspect, the transport unit may include a handle as the drive unit for rotating the plurality of feed rollers. According to the assembly device of this aspect, the plurality of feed rollers can be rotated by manually operating the handle, and the first belt and the second belt can be transported. (6) In the assembly device of the above aspect, the transport section may include a pipe roller rotatably held between the two feed rollers arranged in the circumferential direction. According to this aspect, by widening the gap between the feed rollers, a driving space for the feed rollers is secured, and the pipe roller can prevent the connecting belt from bouncing back due to elasticity and returning to its original position. (7) In the assembly device of the above aspect, the conveying section may include an insertion opening into which the first belt and the second belt can be inserted, in an arrangement of the feed roller and the pipe roller along an outer periphery of the spiral groove body. According to this aspect, it is possible to insert the first belt and the second belt between the feed roller and the spiral groove body through the insertion opening. (8) In the above-described assembly device, the conveying section may further include a drive roller arranged on the outside in a direction along the central axis of the spiral groove body and rotated by the rotation of the drive section, the drive roller having a cylindrical shape and a groove formed on the outer peripheral surface, which is a side surface, parallel to the central axis of the drive roller, the groove being provided at a pitch equal to the circumferential pitch of the cylindrical shape of the protrusions. According to this embodiment of the assembly device, the protrusions of the connecting belt fed from the spiral groove body to the drive roller are inserted into the grooves, and the drive roller is rotated to rotate the connecting belt engaged with the grooves and further move in a direction along the grooves. (9) The assembly device of the above aspect may further include a rail for moving the robot into which the cylindrical object is inserted in a direction parallel to the central axis of the cylindrical object, and a positioning stand for positioning the robot on the rail. According to this aspect, the cylindrical object can be assembled to the robot. (10) In the assembly device of the above aspect, the robot may include a rotating part having a cylindrical outer peripheral surface and a groove formed on the outer peripheral surface parallel to a central axis of the cylinder into which the protrusion can be inserted, a shaft having a second spiral groove, and a storage part provided on the outer diameter side of the shaft for storing the connecting belt separated into the first belt and the second belt. According to this aspect, the robot can store the connecting belt assembled into a cylindrical shape separately into the first belt and the second belt, and the working space for forming the cylindrical shape can be reduced. (11) According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided an assembly method for assembling a joint belt formed of two belts made of an elastic material into a stretchable tubular shape. In this assembly method, a first belt of the two belts has a plurality of protrusions arranged along the length of the first belt on both sides in the width direction of the first belt, and a second belt of the two belts has a plurality of holes on both sides in the width direction of the second belt that engage with the protrusions, and the connected belt is configured such that the first belt, the protrusions, and the holes of the second belt are continuously engaged with each other so that a portion of the first belt and the second belt in the width direction overlap each other, and the tip portions of the first belt and the second belt with the protrusions and the holes engaged are attached to the outer periphery of a spiral groove body having an outer diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the cylindrical shape and having a spiral groove formed on its outer periphery for multiple revolutions, and by transporting the first belt and the second belt, the protrusions of the first belt moving along the spiral groove are continuously engaged with the holes of the second belt on the outer periphery of the spiral groove body to form the connected belt, while the cylindrical shape is formed from the connected belt. According to this form of assembly method, the protrusion of the engaged connecting belt is inserted into the spiral groove and fed along the spiral groove, thereby continuously engaging the protrusion of the first belt with the hole of the second belt to form the connecting belt while forming a cylindrical shape from the connecting belt. (12) The present disclosure may be realized in various forms other than a cylindrical assembly device. For example, the present disclosure may be realized in the form of a cylindrical assembly method, a robot, etc. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an assembly device and a robot. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a first belt. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a second belt. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5]FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the connecting belt is spirally rolled up to form a cylindrical shape. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a first bobbin. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a view of the first bobbin with the disk removed. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the first belt and the second belt are removed from the first bobbin and the second bobbin. [Figure 9] 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the insertion of the connecting belt between the spiral groove body and the feed roller. FIG. [Figure 10] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the drive unit, the spiral groove body, the feed roller, and the drive roller, taken along a plane parallel to the central axis. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the movement of a coupling belt around a spiral groove body. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of a feed roller and a pipe roller. [Figure 13] 2 is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the central axis of the spiral groove body, the feed roller, and the spiral groove body of the pipe roller. FIG. [Figure 14] 4 is a partially enlarged view of a spiral groove body, a feed roller, and a pipe roller. FIG. [Figure 15] 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a protrusion of a coupling belt is inserted into a groove of a drive roller; FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a robot. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a rotating part of the robot is inserted into a cylindrical shape. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a shaft of the robot. [Figure 20] FIG. 2 is a side view of the shaft of the robot. [Figure 21] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the first belt and the second belt are disengaged from each other in the robot. [Figure 22] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a first belt and a second belt are wound up in the robot. [Diagram 23]FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the first belt and the second belt are unwound from the first bobbin and the second bobbin, respectively, and the cylindrical shapes are separated from the drive roller. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an assembly device 10 and a robot 20. The assembly device 10 includes a spiral groove body 100, a feed roller 110, a pipe roller 120, a roller support portion 125, an outer periphery presser 130, a handle 150, a first bobbin 160, a second bobbin 165, and a frame 190. The assembly device 10 assembles two belts 170, 175 into a cylindrical shape that can expand and contract. The feed roller 110 and the handle 150 function as a conveying portion that conveys the two belts 170, 175. The handle 150 functions as a driving portion that drives the feed roller 110.

[0009] The first bobbin 160 on the robot 20 side houses the first belt 170, which is a male belt, in a wound state and unwinds the first belt 170 from one end. The second bobbin 165 on the opposite side to the robot 20 houses the second belt 175, which is a female belt, in a wound state and unwinds the second belt 175 from one end.

[0010] The helical groove body 100 is a cylindrical member having an outer diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the cylindrical shape to be assembled. In this embodiment, a right-handed screw-like helical groove 102 is formed on the outer surface of the helical groove body 100 in multiple turns.

[0011] A plurality of feed rollers 110 and a plurality of pipe rollers 120 are arranged on the radially outer side of the outer surface of the spiral groove body 100. The feed roller 110 and the plurality of pipe rollers 120 have a rotation axis parallel to the central axis O of the spiral groove body 100. The plurality of feed rollers 110 and the plurality of pipe rollers 120 are rotatably supported by a roller support part 125. A case 115 is provided on the opposite side of the plurality of feed rollers 110 and the plurality of pipe rollers 120. As will be described later, a gear for rotating the feed roller 110 is arranged inside the case 115. The feed roller 110 presses the first belt 170 and the second belt 175 from the outer periphery so that they do not bounce back due to elasticity and return to their original unbent shape, and is rotated by the handle 150, and moves the first belt 170 and the second belt 175 due to frictional force between the feed roller 110 and the first belt 170. The pipe roller 120 does not have the function of moving the first belt 170 and the second belt 175, but has the function of pressing the first belt 170 and the second belt 175 from the outer periphery to prevent them from bouncing back due to elastic force and returning to their original unbent shape.

[0012] The outer periphery holder 130 is disposed at the exit end of the spiral groove body 100. The outer periphery holder 130 is assembled by the spiral groove body 100, and holds the cylindrical shape that reaches the exit end of the spiral groove body 100 from the outside, thereby maintaining the engagement between the protrusions of the first belt 170 (described later) and the holes of the second belt 175, and preventing the cylindrical shape from separating into the first belt 170 and the second belt 175.

[0013] The handle 150 is disposed on the opposite side of the spiral groove body 100 to the robot 20. An assembly worker (hereinafter referred to as the "worker") can rotate the feed roller 110 by rotating the handle 150. This configuration will be described later. Note that the spiral groove body 100, the first bobbin 160, and the second bobbin 165 do not rotate. The frame 190 has the first bobbin 160, the second bobbin 165, and the spiral groove body 100 arranged thereon.

[0014] The robot 20 includes a rotating section 200 and storage sections 220 and 225. The robot 20 is disposed on a positioning stand 240 that is disposed on a rail 230. The central axis of the rotating section 200 is the same as the central axis O of the spiral groove body 100. The rail 230 is parallel to the central axis O, and the positioning stand 240 on which the robot 20 is placed can be moved along the rail 230 to adjust the distance between the assembly device 10 and the robot 20.

[0015] The rotating unit 200 is provided on the assembly device 10 side of the robot 20 and is rotatable around a central axis O. The rotating unit 200 has a groove 142 on its outer circumferential surface that is parallel to the central axis O. The storage unit 220 stores the first belt 170 separated from the connecting belt 180, and the storage unit 225 stores the second belt 175 separated from the connecting belt 180.

[0016] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the first belt 170. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the second belt 175. The first belt 170 is formed of spring steel, which is a member formed of an elastic material, and has a belt-like shape. The first belt 170 has protrusions 172 provided at a predetermined pitch P1 in an area close to both ends in the width direction. The protrusions 172 are formed by pressing a plurality of holes in the length direction in an area close to both ends in the width direction of the first belt formed in a belt-like shape, and then pressing a pin into the holes. The second belt 175 also has a belt-like shape formed of spring steel, which is a member formed of an elastic material. The second belt 175 has holes 177 provided at a predetermined pitch P2 in the width direction. The pitch P2 of the holes 177 in the length direction is slightly narrower than the pitch P1 of the protrusions 172 in the length direction. This is because, when the first belt 170 and the second belt 175 form a cylindrical shape 182 described later, the second belt 175 is disposed inside the first belt 170, and the protrusion of the first belt 170 is inserted into and engaged with the hole 177 of the second belt 175.

[0017] 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the combined belt 180. The protrusions 172 of the first belt 170 are inserted into the holes 177 of the second belt 175, forming a combined belt 180 in which the first belt 170 and the second belt 175 partially overlap each other in the width direction. Note that in this state, the protrusions 172 of the first belt 170 are merely inserted into the holes 177 of the second belt 175, and the first belt 170 and the second belt 175 can be easily separated.

[0018] 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the connecting belt 180 is spirally rolled to form a cylindrical shape 182. The connecting belt 180 is spirally rolled so that the first belt 170 is on the outside and the second belt 175 is on the inside. In the cylindrical shape 182, a line O1 connecting the protrusions 172 in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical shape 182 is parallel to the central axis O of the cylindrical shape 182.

[0019] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the first bobbin 160. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the first bobbin 160 with the disk 162 removed. In FIG. 7, the protrusion 172 of the first belt 170 is omitted. The bobbin first bobbin 160 has a shape in which the centers of two disks 161 and 162 are connected. A plurality of cam followers 164 are arranged at approximately equal intervals along the circumference inside the outer edge of the disks 161 and 162. The cam followers 164 are rollers with needle rollers built in. When the first belt 170 made of spring steel is arranged on the first bobbin 160, the first belt 170 bounces back by elastic force and tries to return to its original shape without bending. As a result, it spreads as shown by the arrow in FIG. 7 and is inscribed in the plurality of cam followers 164. The cam followers 164 are capable of rotating. Therefore, the wound first belt 170 can be rotated and unwound inside the cam follower 164. Similarly, the wound second belt 175 can be rotated and unwound inside the cam follower for the second bobbin 165.

[0020] 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the first belt 170 and the second belt 175 are taken out from the first bobbin 160 and the second bobbin 165. The worker takes out the first belt 170 and the second belt 175 from the first bobbin 160 and the second bobbin 165, respectively. The worker places the second belt 175 on the spiral groove body 100 side, and places the first belt 170 on the outside of the second belt 175 so that the protrusion 172 is located on the second belt 175 side. The worker forms the combined belt 180 by engaging the protrusion 172 with the hole 177.

[0021] 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the insertion of the combined belt 180 between the spiral groove body 100 and the feed roller 110. There is a place where the gap between the feed roller 110 and the pipe roller 120 is wider than the gap between the other feed rollers 110 and the pipe roller 120, and the worker inserts the tip of the combined belt 180 between the spiral groove body 100 and the feed roller 110 from this wider place. At this time, the protrusion 172 is inserted into the spiral groove 102 of the spiral groove body 100.

[0022] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the handle 150, the spiral groove body 100, the feed roller 110, and the drive roller 140, taken parallel to the central axis O. The drive roller 140 is a member disposed on the robot 20 side of the spiral groove body 100, inside the outer periphery holder 130 shown in FIG. 1, and has the same outer diameter as the spiral groove body 100. A groove 142 parallel to the central axis O is formed on the outer surface of the drive roller 140. The depth of the groove 142 is approximately the same as the depth of the spiral groove 102. The drive roller 140 is coupled to the handle 150, and when the operator rotates the handle 150, the drive roller 140 rotates in the same direction at the same angular velocity. Therefore, the drive roller 140 is included in the conveying section.

[0023] The handle 150 has a gear 152, and the feed roller 110 has a gear 112, and the gear 152 of the handle 150 and the gear 112 of the feed roller 110 are engaged with each other. When the operator rotates the handle 150, the feed roller 110 rotates in the reverse direction. When the operator rotates the handle 150, the protrusions 172 of the first belt 170 and the holes 177 of the second belt 175 continuously engage with each other, and the first belt 170 and the second belt 175 form a combined belt 180, which is inserted between the spiral groove body 100 and the feed roller 110.

[0024] 11 is an explanatory diagram of the movement of the connecting belt 180 around the spiral groove body 100. The connecting belt 180 has elasticity and is in contact with the feed roller 110 as it tries to return to its original unbent shape. When the operator rotates the handle 150, the feed roller 110 rotates in the opposite direction, and the connecting belt 180 moves around the spiral groove body 100 due to friction with the feed roller 110. At this time, the protrusion 172 of the connecting belt 180 is inserted into the spiral groove 102 of the spiral groove body 100, so the connecting belt 180 moves along the spiral groove 102 in the direction of the drive roller 140.

[0025] FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of the feed roller 110 and the pipe roller 120. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the spiral groove body 100, the feed roller 110, and the pipe roller 120 perpendicular to the central axis O of the spiral groove body 100. In FIG. 12, the roller support portion 125 is omitted. The feed roller 110 and the pipe roller 120 are alternately arranged around the spiral groove body 100 on the outer periphery slightly separated from the spiral groove body 100. In this embodiment, in order to prevent the gears 112 that drive the feed rollers 110 from interfering with each other, multiple feed rollers 110 are arranged at a certain interval, and the pipe roller 120 is arranged between the feed rollers 110. Therefore, depending on the size of the gear 112, a configuration in which only the feed roller 110 is arranged and the pipe roller 120 is omitted can be adopted. As described above, in the arrangement of the feed rollers 110 and the pipe rollers 120, there is an insertion opening 122 in which the spacing between the feed rollers 110 and the pipe rollers 120 is wider than the spacing between the other feed rollers 110 and the pipe rollers 120, and the tip of the connecting belt 180 is inserted through this insertion opening 122.

[0026] FIG. 14 is a partially enlarged view of the spiral groove body 100, the feed roller 110, and the pipe roller 120. The radial interval g between the spiral groove body 100, the feed roller 110, and the pipe roller 120 is larger than the thickness of the connecting belt 180 excluding the protrusion 172, and is smaller than the thickness of the first belt 170 including the protrusion 172. Since the interval g is formed to a dimension larger than the thickness of the connecting belt 180, a gap is formed between the spiral groove body 100 and the connecting belt 180. Therefore, the friction between the spiral groove body 100 and the connecting belt 180 is reduced, and it becomes possible to move the connecting belt 180 by the feed roller 110. On the other hand, since the interval g is formed to a dimension smaller than the thickness of the first belt 170 including the protrusion 172, the protrusion 172 of the connecting belt 180 does not come out of the state of being fitted into the spiral groove 102. Therefore, it becomes possible to move the connecting belt 180 along the spiral groove 102.

[0027] FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the protrusion 172 of the coupling belt 180 is inserted into the groove 142 of the drive roller 140. In FIG. 15, the roller support portion 125 is not shown. When the coupling belt 180 is moved along the spiral groove 102 by the feed roller 110, it reaches the drive roller 140. The end of the spiral groove 102 of the spiral groove body 100 on the drive roller 140 side coincides with the end of the groove 142 of the drive roller 140 on the spiral groove body 100 side. Therefore, when the protrusion 172 of the coupling belt 180 moves to the end of the spiral groove 102 on the drive roller 140 side, it enters the groove 142 of the drive roller 140. The groove 142 is formed parallel to the central axis O, which is the rotation axis of the drive roller 140. Therefore, when the protrusion 172 enters the groove 142 of the drive roller 140, the protrusion 172 gets caught in the groove 142, and as the drive roller 140 rotates, the coupled belt 180 moves in the rotational direction of the drive roller 140. The circumferential pitch of the groove 142 is equal to the circumferential pitch of the protrusion 172 in the coupled belt 180. Note that the protrusion 172 that is not caught on the drive roller 140 moves along the spiral groove 102, and as a result, the coupled belt 180 moves in the rotational direction of the drive roller 140 and also moves toward the robot 20. As a result, the coupled belt 180 is spirally rolled up to form a cylindrical tubular shape 182.

[0028] FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing the outer periphery presser 130. The outer periphery presser 130 is disposed on the outer periphery side of the drive roller 140 with a gap between it and the drive roller 140. This gap is approximately the same as the gap between the spiral groove body 100 and the feed roller 110 and the pipe roller 120. The cylindrical shape 182 is made of the first belt 170 and the second belt 175, which have elasticity, wound in a spiral shape, and tries to unwind and stretch straight. The outer periphery presser 130 presses from the outer periphery side of the cylindrical shape 182 so that the combined belt 180 separated from the feed roller 110 does not return from the spiral shape to its original state by stretching due to elasticity while being sent to the robot 20, and does not separate into the first belt 170 and the second belt 175.

[0029] FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram showing the robot 20. As described above, the robot 20 includes the rotating unit 200 and the storage units 220 and 225. The rotating unit 200 has a structure substantially the same as that of the driving roller 140. That is, the rotating unit 200 has an outer diameter substantially the same as that of the driving roller 140, and like the driving roller 140, a groove 202 parallel to the central axis O is formed on the outer surface. The storage unit 220 stores the first belt 170 separated inside the robot 20, and the storage unit 225 stores the second belt 175. The robot 20 can store the first belt 170 and the second belt 175 separately. The robot 20 is placed on a positioning stand 240 placed on a rail 230, and can move along the rail 230. The rail 230 can move the positioning stand 240 on which the robot 20 is placed in a direction along the central axis O of the cylindrical shape 182.

[0030] FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the rotating part 200 of the robot 20 is inserted into the cylindrical shape 182. Since the outer diameter of the rotating part 200 is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the driving roller 140, the rotating part 200 can be inserted into the inside of the cylindrical shape 182. At this time, the protrusion 172 protruding from the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical shape 182 enters the groove 202 on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating part 200. When the worker turns the handle 150 to form the cylindrical shape 182, the cylindrical shape 182 rotates in the same direction as the handle 150 and moves in a direction along the spiral. Therefore, the cylindrical shape 182 rotates the rotating part 200, and the protrusion 172 on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical shape 182 moves along the groove 202 of the rotating part 200 toward the storage parts 220 and 225.

[0031] FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram showing the shaft 210 of the robot 20. FIG. 20 is a side view of the shaft 210 of the robot 20. The shaft 210 is disposed at the end of the rotating part 200 on the side of the storage parts 220 and 225. The shaft 210 has a structure similar to that of the helical groove body 100, and has a second helical groove 212. When the cylindrical shape 182 extends and enters the interior of the robot 20, the protrusion 172 on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical shape 182 moves along the second helical groove 212. Note that the shaft 210 does not rotate, similar to the helical groove body 100.

[0032] 21 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the first belt 170 and the second belt 175 are disengaged in the robot 20. At positions corresponding to the first storage section 220 and the second storage section 225 of the robot 20, there is no member pressing the cylindrical shape 182 from the outer periphery. Therefore, the cylindrical shape 182 is separated into the first belt 170 and the second belt 175 and is wound and unrolled.

[0033] FIG. 22 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the first belt 170 and the second belt 175 are wound in the robot 20. The first belt 170 separated from the cylindrical shape 182 and wound is stored in the first storage section 220, and the second belt 175 is stored in the second storage section 225. A cam follower is provided on the outer periphery of the storage section 220, similar to the first bobbin 160. Therefore, even if the first belt 170 is wound, the first belt 170 does not contact the inner circumferential surface of the first storage section 220, but contacts the cam follower. Since the first belt 170 can rotate inside the first storage section 220, the first belt 170 can be wound in the first storage section 220. The second storage section 225 can also wind the second belt 175 in a similar manner.

[0034] FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the first belt 170 and the second belt 175 are unwound from the first bobbin 160 and the second bobbin 165, respectively, and the cylindrical shape 182 is separated from the drive roller 140. In this state, the outer periphery presser 130 is located on the outer periphery of the end of the cylindrical shape 182 on the side of the assembly device 10, and suppresses the cylindrical shape 182 from being wound and stretched by elastic force. In this state, the worker puts a cap on the end of the cylindrical shape 182 on the side of the assembly device 10, and removes the outer periphery presser 130. The worker fits a second outer periphery presser that can divide the cylindrical shape 182 into two into the cylindrical shape 182, and then moves the outer periphery presser 130 along the central axis O to remove it, and puts a cap on the end of the cylindrical shape 182 on the side of the assembly device 10, and divides and removes the second outer periphery presser. Furthermore, if the worker uses an outer periphery holder 130 that has a structure that can be separated into two, there is no need to replace the outer periphery holder 130 with a second outer periphery holder.

[0035] As described above, according to this embodiment, the assembly device 10 includes the spiral groove body 100 in which the spiral groove 102 is formed, a plurality of feed rollers 110 arranged around the spiral groove body 100, and a handle 150 for rotating the plurality of feed rollers 110. As a result, the assembly device 10 can form a cylindrical shape 182 from the first belt 170 and the second belt 175. The assembly device 10 also includes an outer periphery presser 130 that presses the outer periphery of the cylindrical shape 182 from the outside. The assembly device 10 can suppress separation of the first belt 170 and the second belt 175 due to rebound caused by the elastic force of the connecting belt 180 that forms the cylindrical shape 182.

[0036] According to this embodiment, the assembly device 10 includes a cylindrical drive roller 140 having a groove 142 formed on its outer circumferential surface in parallel with a cylindrical central axis O. The worker rotates the drive roller 140 with the protrusion 172 of the connecting belt 180 inserted into the groove 142 of the drive roller 140. As a result, the assembly device 10 pulls the protrusion 172 of the connecting belt 180 in the rotation direction, and rotates the connecting belt 180 along the drive roller 140 while feeding it in the direction along the groove 142.

[0037] According to this embodiment, the assembly device 10 includes cam followers 164 on the outer circumferential sides of the first bobbin 160 and the second bobbin 165. The first belt 170 and the second belt 175 wound around the first bobbin 160 and the second bobbin 165, respectively, are made of spring steel and therefore extend straight and are pressed against the cam followers 164. However, the first bobbin 160 and the second bobbin 165 rotate the cam followers 164, causing the first belt 170 and the second belt 175 to slide and rotate, thereby allowing the first belt 170 and the second belt 175 to be unwound.

[0038] According to this embodiment, the assembly device 10 further includes a pipe roller 120 that is not rotated by the handle 150, between two adjacently arranged feed rollers 110. As a result, the assembly device 10 can adopt a configuration that widens the gap between the feed rollers 110, thereby ensuring a driving space for the feed rollers 110, and the pipe roller 120 can prevent the connecting belt 180 from being stretched straight due to bouncing back due to elasticity.

[0039] According to this embodiment, in the assembly device 10, one of the feed rollers 110 has a wider gap between itself and the adjacent feed roller 110 or the pipe roller 120. As a result, the assembly device 10 can insert the connecting belt 180 between the feed roller 110 and the spiral groove body 100 through the wider gap.

[0040] According to this embodiment, the assembly device 10 further includes a robot 20 that stores the connecting belt 180, a rail 230 for moving the robot 20 in a direction parallel to the central axis O, which is also the central axis of the cylindrical shape 182, and a positioning stand 240 for positioning the robot 20 on the rail 230. As a result, the assembly device 10 can assemble the cylindrical shape 182 to the robot 20.

[0041] According to this embodiment, the robot 20 includes storage units 220 and 225 that store the combined belt 180 separately into the first belt 170 and the second belt 175. As a result, the assembly device 10 can store the combined belt 180 assembled to the cylindrical shape 182 separately into the first belt 170 and the second belt 175, thereby reducing the working space required when the worker forms the cylindrical shape 182.

[0042] The outer diameter of the spiral groove body 100, the inclination of the spiral grooves 102, 212, the pitch P1 of the protrusions 172 of the first belt 170, the pitch P2 of the holes 177 of the second belt 175, the widthwise spacing of the protrusions 172 of the first belt 170, and the widthwise spacing of the holes 177 of the second belt 175 are designed to be appropriate values ​​depending on the diameter and length of the cylindrical shape 182.

[0043] In this embodiment, the operator rotates the handle 150, but the operator may rotate the handle 150 by a motor or the like after engaging the protrusion 172 of the first belt 170 with the hole 177 of the second belt 175 and attaching the first belt 170 and the second belt 175 to the spiral groove body 100. The motor may be controlled by a control unit (not shown), or may be controlled by the operator by turning a switch on and off.

[0044] In this embodiment, the connecting belt 180 coming out from the outlet of the spiral groove body 100 is moved and conveyed by the driving roller 140, but it may be moved and conveyed by the feed roller 110 alone.

[0045] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. For example, the technical features of the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each aspect described in the Summary of the Invention column can be appropriately replaced or combined in order to solve some or all of the above-mentioned problems or to achieve some or all of the above-mentioned effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 10...assembly device, 20...robot, 100...spiral groove body, 102...spiral groove, 110...feed roller, 112...gear, 115...case, 120...pipe roller, 122...insertion opening, 125...roller support portion, 130...outer periphery holder, 140...driving roller, 142...groove, 150...driving portion, 152...gear, 160...first bobbin, 161...disk, 162...disk , 164...cam follower, 165...second bobbin, 170...first belt, 172...projection portion, 175...second belt, 177...hole, 180...connecting belt, 182...cylindrical shape, 190...frame, 200...rotating portion, 202...groove, 210...shaft, 212...spiral groove, 220...first storage portion, 225...second storage portion, 230...rail, 240...positioning stand

Claims

1. An assembly device that assembles a joint belt formed of two belts made of an elastic material into a stretchable cylindrical shape, A first belt of the two belts has a plurality of protrusions provided along a length direction on both sides in a width direction of the first belt, and a second belt of the two belts has a plurality of holes that engage with the protrusions on both sides in a width direction of the second belt, the connecting belt is configured such that the first belt, the protrusions, and the holes of the second belt are continuously engaged with each other such that a portion of the first belt and a portion of the second belt in a width direction overlap each other, a spiral groove body having an outer diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the cylindrical shape, and having a spiral groove formed on an outer peripheral surface thereof for a plurality of turns, into which the protrusions engage, and in which the tip ends of the first belt and the second belt, in which the protrusions and the holes are engaged, are attached in a state in which the protrusions are fitted into the spiral groove; a conveying section that is provided on the outer periphery of the spiral groove body and spaced from the spiral groove body, the protrusions come into contact with the first belt fitted in the spiral groove, and conveys the first belt and the second belt, so that the protrusions of the first belt moving along the spiral groove are continuously engaged with the holes of the second belt on the outer periphery of the spiral groove body to form the combined belt, and form the cylindrical shape from the combined belt; An assembly device comprising:

2. The assembly device according to claim 1, further comprising: An assembly device that is equipped with an outer periphery press that maintains engagement between the protrusion and the hole by pressing the cylindrical shape sent outward in a direction along the central axis of the spiral groove body from the outer periphery side during transport by the transport unit.

3. The assembly device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a first bobbin that houses the first belt in a wound state and unwinds the first belt from one end; a second bobbin that accommodates the second belt in a wound state and unwinds the second belt from one end thereof, an assembly device, wherein the first bobbin and the second bobbin are provided with rollers on the outer circumferential sides of the housed first belt and the housed second belt, respectively, for rotatably supporting the wound first belt and the wound second belt.

4. The assembly device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The conveying unit is a plurality of feed rollers arranged on an outer periphery of the spiral groove body with a gap therebetween corresponding to a thickness of the combined belt, the feed rollers conveying the first belt and the second belt; A drive unit that drives the feed roller; An assembly device comprising:

5. The assembly device according to claim 4, The conveying unit includes a handle as the driving unit for rotating the plurality of feed rollers.

6. The assembly device according to claim 5, further comprising: The conveying section includes a pipe roller that is rotatably held between the two feed rollers that are arranged in a circumferential direction.

7. The assembly device according to claim 6, an assembly device, wherein the conveying section is provided with an insertion opening through which the first belt and the second belt can be inserted, in an arrangement of the feed roller and the pipe roller along an outer periphery of the spiral groove body.

8. An assembly device according to any one of claims 5 to 7, The conveying unit further includes: a drive roller disposed on the outer side of the spiral groove body in a direction along the central axis thereof and rotated by the rotation of the drive unit; The drive roller has a cylindrical shape and has grooves formed on its outer peripheral surface, which is the side surface, parallel to the central axis of the drive roller, the grooves being arranged at a pitch equal to the circumferential pitch of the cylindrical shape of the cylindrical shaped protrusion.

9. The assembly device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising: a rail for moving a robot into which the cylindrical shape is inserted in a direction parallel to a central axis of the cylindrical shape; a positioning stand for positioning the robot on the rail; An assembly device comprising:

10. The assembly device according to claim 9, The robot comprises: a rotating part having a cylindrical outer peripheral surface and a groove formed on the outer peripheral surface in parallel with a central axis of the cylinder, the groove into which the protrusion can be inserted; a shaft having a second spiral groove formed therein; a storage section provided on an outer diameter side of the shaft and configured to store the combined belt separately into the first belt and the second belt; An assembly device comprising:

11. A method for assembling a joint belt formed of two belts made of an elastic material into a stretchable cylindrical shape, comprising the steps of: A first belt of the two belts has a plurality of protrusions provided along a length direction on both sides in a width direction of the first belt, and a second belt of the two belts has a plurality of holes that engage with the protrusions on both sides in a width direction of the second belt, the connecting belt is configured such that the first belt, the protrusions, and the holes of the second belt are continuously engaged with each other such that a portion of the first belt and a portion of the second belt in a width direction overlap each other, the tip portions of the first belt and the second belt in which the projections and the holes are engaged are fitted to the outer periphery of a spiral groove body having an outer diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the cylindrical shape and having a spiral groove formed on the outer periphery surface thereof for engaging with the projections, the spiral groove body having a plurality of turns; By conveying the first belt and the second belt, the projections of the first belt moving along the spiral groove are continuously engaged with the holes of the second belt on the outer periphery of the spiral groove body to form the combined belt, and the cylindrical shape is formed from the combined belt. Assembly method.

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