Positioning structure

Abstract

To provide a positioning structure that can perform positioning of a work-piece without using a jig, and reduce time required in work for positioning the work-piece.SOLUTION: A positioning structure (GK) comprises a positioning convex part (Wc) formed to protrude from an end face (W1a) of a first work-piece (W1), and a positioning concave part (Wd) formed so that the positioning convex part (Wc) is buried in and engaged with a surface (W2b) of a second work-piece (W2). The positioning convex part (Wc) has a shape in which a bottom surface (X) and an inclined surface (XC) are tapered along the first work-piece (W1). In the positioning concave part (Wd) are formed a pair of concave part inclined surfaces (Sd3 and Sd4) whose cross sections are inclined with respect to a thickness direction and a protrusion part (Wp) having a perpendicular surface extending in the thickness direction. The positioning concave part (Wd) engages with the positioning convex part (Wc), so that the inclined surface (XC) contacts either of the pair of concave part inclined surfaces (Sd3 and Sd4) and the perpendicular surface of the protrusion part (Wp) contacts the bottom surface (X), for positioning. The first work-piece (W1) is positioned in an attitude which is orthogonal to the second work-piece (W2).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10B

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention , bit relates to a positioning structure.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a welding method for a corner joint. The welding method described in Patent Document 1 positions and holds the workpieces orthogonally in a butting state where the end face of one workpiece overlaps the surface near the end of the other workpiece using a jig, and performs butt welding by irradiating the butted portion with a laser beam.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The welding method described in Patent Document 1 requires a jig according to the shape of the workpiece and the like, so there is room to reduce the cost of the jig and the setup time of the jig.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The first of the present invention 1One aspect includes a positioning convex portion formed to protrude from an end surface of a first sheet metal workpiece, and a positioning concave portion formed on a surface of a second workpiece such that the positioning convex portion is buried and engaged therewith. The positioning convex portion is formed in a tapered shape having a bottom surface extending in the direction of the extension material of the first workpiece and an inclined surface inclined with respect to the bottom surface. The positioning concave portion is a concave portion extending in a predetermined length in one direction, and is formed in a V shape including a pair of concave inclined surfaces whose cross-sectional shape is inclined with respect to the thickness direction of the second workpiece. A protrusion having a vertical surface extending in the thickness direction is formed in a part of the predetermined length. When the positioning convex portion is engaged with the positioning concave portion, the inclined surface of the positioning convex portion contacts one of the pair of concave inclined surfaces, and the bottom surface contacts the surface of the protrusion extending in the thickness direction, thereby positioning the first workpiece in a posture orthogonal to the second workpiece. This is a positioning structure.

[0008] One aspect of the present invention 2 includes a positioning convex portion formed to protrude from an edge of a first sheet metal workpiece, and a positioning concave portion formed on a surface of a second workpiece such that the positioning convex portion is buried and engaged therewith. The positioning convex portion is formed in a tapered shape having a bottom surface extending in the thickness direction of the first workpiece and an inclined surface inclined with respect to the bottom surface. The positioning concave portion is a concave portion extending in a predetermined length in one direction, and is formed in a V shape including a pair of concave inclined surfaces whose cross-sectional shape is inclined with respect to the thickness direction of the second workpiece. A protrusion having a surface extending in the thickness direction is formed in a part of the predetermined length. When the positioning convex portion is engaged with the positioning concave portion, the inclined surface of the positioning convex portion contacts one of the pair of concave inclined surfaces, and the bottom surface contacts the surface of the protrusion extending in the thickness direction, thereby positioning the first workpiece in a posture superposed on the second workpiece. This is a positioning structure.

Advantages of the Invention

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to position the butt welding of the workpiece without using a jig, and the cost of the jig and the setting time of the jig can be reduced.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1A

Figure 1B

Figure 2A

Figure 2B

Figure 3A

Figure 3B

Figure 3C

Figure 3D

Figure 4A

Figure 4B

Figure 4C

Figure 4D

Figure 5A

Figure 5B

Figure 5C

Figure 5D

Figure 6A

Figure 6B

Figure 7A

Figure 7B

Figure 7C

Figure 8A

Figure 8B

Figure 8C

Figure 9A

Figure 9B

Figure 10A

Figure 10B

Figure 10C

Figure 11A

Figure 11B

Figure 11C

Figure 12A

Figure 12B

Figure 12C

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] An aspect of the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same parts and the description thereof is omitted. For convenience of explanation, the directions of up, down, left, right, front, and back are defined by arrows in each figure. The positioning structure GK according to one aspect of the present embodiment forms a positioning convex portion on one of two sheet metal work pieces (hereinafter referred to as work pieces) joined in an orthogonal posture, and a positioning concave portion on the other, and positions the two work pieces in an orthogonal posture by the engagement of the convex and concave portions of the positioning convex portion and the positioning concave portion.

[0012] The positioning convex portion and the positioning concave portion are formed by a convex portion forming die and a concave portion forming die, respectively. First, the thin plate convex portion forming die KD1 and the thick plate convex portion forming die KD2 for forming the positioning convex portion will be described with reference to FIGS. 1A to 2B. The work W is a metal plate, for example, an iron plate or an aluminum plate. The iron plate is, for example, a cold-rolled steel plate (SPC) or a stainless steel plate (SUS). In the iron plate work W, the work Wa with a plate thickness t of less than 1.6 mm is defined as a thin plate, and the work Wb with a plate thickness t of 1.6 mm or more is defined as a thick plate. The thin plate convex portion forming die KD1 is used for processing the thin plate work Wa, and the thick plate convex portion forming die KD2 is used for processing the thick plate work Wb.

[0013] (Configuration of the Thin Plate Convex Portion Forming Die KD1) First, the thin plate convex portion forming die KD1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B. FIG. 1A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of the thin plate convex portion forming die KD1 for forming the positioning convex portion WcA according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1B is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 1A.

[0014] The thin plate convex portion forming die KD1 is used when forming the positioning convex portion WcA on the work Wa with a plate thickness of less than 1.6 mm classified as a thin plate. The thin plate convex portion forming die KD1 includes a punch 11 and a die 12 having a counter 13. The punch 11 and the die 12 are attached to a turret punch press (not shown) or the like so that they are concentric and opposed to each other. When forming the positioning convex portion WcA, the punch 11 moves (descends) toward the die 12 by the operation of the turret punch press, and cooperates with the counter 13, which is a die-side member disposed at the opposed position, to sandwich and press the work Wa.

[0015] In the workpiece Wa, a lower hole Wa1 (see FIG. 1B) having a rectangular shape corresponding to the punch 11 is formed in advance in a separate process. The punch 11 is positioned in the left - right direction such that only the right - hand edge interferes with the lower hole Wa1 for machining. In FIG. 1B, the shape of the lower hole Wa1 before machining by the punch 11 is shown by a dashed - dotted line. The portion of the workpiece Wa that interferes with the punch 11 is defined as the convex - part forming - material remaining part Rm. Hereinafter, the convex - part forming - material remaining part Rm is also referred to as the protruding part Rm.

[0016] The punch 11 is formed in a quadrangular - columnar shape with its axis extending vertically. The punch 11 has a chamfered portion C chamfered with a chamfering angle θc (see FIG. 1B) on the lower - end edge surface. The chamfered portion C may be provided only on the right - hand edge of the lower - end edge of the punch 11.

[0017] The die 12 has a flat upper surface that abuts against the workpiece Wa, and a through - hole is formed in a range corresponding to the punch 11. A counter 13 is housed in the through - hole so as to move up and down. The counter 13 is biased upward by a spring (not shown). The counter 13 descends by a predetermined movement amount δ by receiving a downward pressing force of the punch 11 that resists this biasing force.

[0018] In the machining of the positioning convex part WcA, the punch 11 descends, passes through the lower hole Wa1, and abuts against the upper surface 13a of the counter 13. When the punch 11 further descends and reaches the lower - end position of the descending range, the counter 13 has moved downward by a predetermined movement amount δ. At this time, the convex - part forming - material remaining part Rm of the workpiece Wa plastically flows so as to flow into the space extending in the front - rear direction (the front - back direction of the paper surface in FIG. 1B) between the chamfered portion C and the upper surface 13a of the counter 13 as the punch 11 descends. As a result, the convex - part forming - material remaining part Rm becomes the positioning convex part WcA extending from the right edge of the lower hole Wa1 in the lower - left direction as shown in FIG. 1B.

[0019] The shape of the positioning convex portion WcA generally follows the shape of the chamfered portion C. That is, the positioning convex portion WcA is formed as a portion that extends in the front-rear direction corresponding to the front-rear width of the punch 11 at the right edge of the lower hole Wa1 and extends obliquely downward to the left.

[0020] Specifically, the positioning convex portion WcA has a bottom surface X and an inclined surface XC in the cross-sectional shape of FIG. 1B. The bottom surface X is a surface formed in contact with the upper surface 13a of the counter 13, and the inclined surface XC is an inclined surface formed by rolling on the inclined surface of the chamfered portion C. Therefore, the protrusion angle θw, which is the angle formed by the bottom surface X and the inclined surface XC, is the same as the chamfer angle θc of the chamfered portion C. The positioning convex portion WcA extends obliquely downward to the left from the end portion Wcs, which is the lower end of the right edge of the lower hole Wa1 of the work Wa, and is formed long in the front-rear direction. The chamfer angle θc is, for example, 30°.

[0021] The vertical length (height Wct) of the positioning convex portion WcA is determined by a predetermined movement amount δ of the counter 13. Specifically, the maximum value of the height Wct is the movement amount δ. Therefore, the height Wct of the positioning convex portion WcA can be set to different heights according to the predetermined movement amount δ of the counter 13. For example, when the predetermined movement amount δ is 0.5 mm, the height Wct of the positioning convex portion WcA is formed to be at most 0.5 mm from the end portion Wcs on the lower side of the work Wa.

[0022] (Configuration of the convex portion forming die KD2 for thick plates) Next, the convex portion forming die KD2 for thick plates will be described with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B. FIG. 2A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of the convex portion forming die KD2 for thick plates that forms the positioning convex portion WcB according to an aspect of the present embodiment. FIG. 2B is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 2A. With reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B, a configuration example of the convex portion forming die KD2 for thick plates will be described.

[0023] The convex portion forming die KD2 for thick plates is used when forming the positioning convex portion WcB on a work Wb having a plate thickness of 1.6 mm or more, which is classified as a thick plate. The configuration of the die 22 of the convex portion forming die KD2 for thick plates is different from that of the convex portion forming die KD1 for thin plates.

[0024] The convex portion forming die KD2 for thick plates includes a punch 21 and a die 22. The punch 21 has the same shape as the punch 11 of the convex portion forming die KD1 for thin plates. On the other hand, the die 22 does not include a member corresponding to the counter 13 and has a flat upper surface 22a that abuts when the punch 21 descends.

[0025] The workpiece Wb used for the convex portion forming die KD2 for thick plates is different only in plate thickness from the workpiece Wa used for the convex portion forming die KD1 for thin plates, and a similar lower hole Wb1 is formed in a separate process in advance. When forming the positioning convex portion WcB, the punch 21 moves (descends) toward the die 22 by the operation of a turret punch press (not shown) and sandwiches and presses the workpiece Wb between the upper surface 22a of the die 22. The punch 21 is positioned in the left-right direction so that only the right edge of the lower hole Wb1 interferes with and processes the lower hole Wb1. In FIG. 2B, the shape of the lower hole Wb1 before being processed by the punch 21 is shown by a dashed line. The portion of the workpiece Wb that interferes with the punch 21 is defined as the convex portion forming material remaining portion Rm. Hereinafter, the convex portion forming material remaining portion Rm is also referred to as the protruding portion Rm.

[0026] Similar to the punch 11, the punch 21 is formed in a quadrangular prism shape with its axis extending vertically. The punch 21 has a chamfered portion C that is chamfered on the C surface with a chamfer angle θc (see FIG. 2B) at the lower end edge portion. The chamfered portion C may be provided only on the right edge at the lower end edge portion of the punch 21.

[0027] In the processing of the positioning convex portion WcB, the punch 21 descends, passes through the lower hole Wb1, and abuts against the upper surface 22a of the die 22 and stops. At this time, the workpiece Wb is in a state of being sandwiched and pressed between the punch 21 and the die 22. At this time, the convex portion forming material remaining portion Rm of the workpiece Wb plastically flows so as to flow into the space extending in the front-rear direction between the chamfered portion C and the upper surface 22a of the die 22 as the punch 21 descends. As a result, the convex portion forming material remaining portion Rm becomes the positioning convex portion WcB extending leftward from the right edge of the lower hole Wb1 as shown in FIG. 2B.

[0028] The shape of the positioning convex portion WcB generally follows the shape of the chamfered portion C. That is, the positioning convex portion WcB is formed as a portion that extends in the front-rear direction corresponding to the front-rear width of the punch 21 at the right edge of the lower hole Wb1 and extends leftward.

[0029] Specifically, the positioning convex portion WcB has a bottom surface X and an inclined surface XC in the cross-sectional shape of FIG. 2B. It has a convex shape with a triangular cross-section composed of the bottom surface X that is in contact with the die 22 and is the extension surface of the lower surface of the workpiece Wb, and the inclined surface XC that includes the inclined surface of the chamfered portion C. The protrusion angle θw formed by the bottom surface X and the inclined surface XC is equal to the chamfering angle θc.

[0030] The reason for selectively using the convex portion forming die KD1 for thin plates and the convex portion forming die KD2 for thick plates as described above is due to the plastic deformation amount when forming the positioning convex portion Wc. The thicker the plate thickness t of the workpiece W, the greater the plastic deformation amount of the remaining portion Rm of the convex portion forming material when forming the positioning convex portion Wc. Therefore, when the workpiece W is the thick plate workpiece Wb, if a shape similar to the positioning convex portion WcA that extends obliquely downward is formed by the thin plate convex portion forming die KD1, the possibility of defects such as cracks or wrinkles increases. Therefore, in the thick plate workpiece Wb, in order to reliably form the positioning convex portion Wc while suppressing the plastic deformation amount, the positioning convex portion WcB is formed so as to extend in a direction along the extending direction of the workpiece Wb without extending obliquely so as to protrude from the surface.

[0031] (Method for Forming the Positioning Convex Portion Wc for the First Workpiece W1) Next, a method for forming the positioning convex portion Wc by selecting either the thin plate convex portion forming die KD1 or the thick plate convex portion forming die KD2 according to the plate thickness for the first workpiece W1, which is one of the two workpieces to be butt-welded, will be described. The description will refer to FIGS. 3A to 4D.

[0032] FIG. 3A is a first schematic plan view for explaining a first embodiment of a method for forming the positioning convex portion Wc. FIG. 3B is a second schematic plan view for explaining the first embodiment. FIG. 3C is a third schematic plan view for explaining the first embodiment. FIG. 3D is a fourth schematic plan view for explaining the first embodiment. FIG. 4A is a first schematic plan view for explaining a second embodiment of a method for forming the positioning convex portion Wc. FIG. 4B is a second schematic plan view for explaining the second embodiment. FIG. 4C is a third schematic plan view for explaining the second embodiment. FIG. 4D is a fourth schematic plan view for explaining the second embodiment.

[0033] The first workpiece W1 is cut out from the base material Bm of the sheet metal. The base material Bm is an iron plate, and when necessary, the base material Bm is distinguished between the thin plate base material BmA and the thick plate base material BmB by reference signs. Also, the positioning convex portions WcA and WcB are collectively referred to as the positioning convex portion Wc when distinction is not required.

[0034] (First Embodiment) The first embodiment is a method of punching out the outer shape (outline) of the first workpiece W1 with a standard punching die. First, as shown in FIG. 3A, a plurality of rectangular openings BH are formed by a standard punching die along the outline of the first workpiece W1 laid out on the base material Bm. Micro joints Jm, which are minute connecting portions, are formed at the four corners of the first workpiece W1 to connect the first workpiece W1 and the remaining material portion. Also, the portions (two locations) for forming the positioning convex portions WcA and WcB are formed as wire joints Jw that are wider than the micro joints Jm without forming the openings BH to connect the first workpiece W1 and the remaining material portion.

[0035] Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, the wire joint Jw is punched out while leaving the edge of the first workpiece W1 protruding slightly by a rectangular standard punching die. In FIG. 3B, the punching shape KDa of the standard punching die is shown by a solid line. The edge remaining and protruding from the outline becomes the above-mentioned convex portion forming material remaining portion Rm. The convex portion forming material remaining portion Rm protrudes from the entire surface of the end face W1a of the first workpiece W1.

[0036] Next, as shown in FIG. 3C, using the convex portion forming die KD1 for thin plates or the convex portion forming die KD2 for thick plates, a forming process is performed to plastically deform the remaining portion Rm of the convex portion forming material to form the positioning convex portions WcA and WcB as described above. In FIG. 3C, the punching shape KDb of the punching die is shown by a solid line. In the base material BmA, the positioning convex portion WcA is formed using the convex portion forming die KD1 for thin plates, and in the base material BmB, the positioning convex portion WcB is formed using the convex portion forming die KD2 for thick plates. The positioning convex portions WcA and WcB are formed by plastically deforming so as to protrude from a part (lower side portion) of the end face W1a such that the protruding portion Rm (remaining portion Rm of the convex portion forming material) protruding from the entire surface of the end face W1a of the first workpiece W1 is interfered by the punching and descending operations of the punches 11 and 21 moving in the thickness direction.

[0037] By this forming process, the positioning convex portion Wc (WcA, WcB) shown in FIG. 3D is formed. Thereafter, the micro joint Jm is cut by a well-known method to obtain the first workpiece W1 having the positioning convex portion Wc.

[0038] (Second Embodiment) The first workpiece W1 is not limited to the method of punching with the above-described standard punching die (first embodiment), and may be cut out from the base material Bm by a method of cutting with a laser beam (second embodiment) as described below.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 4A, the contour of the first workpiece W1 is cut by a laser beam, leaving the four corners as micro joints Jm which are minute connection portions. Here, the contour is cut so as to form protruding portions Mm protruding leftward in a rectangular shape at two positions where the positioning convex portion Wc is to be formed.

[0040] Next, as shown in FIG. 4B, using a rectangular standard punching die, the protruding portion Mm is formed while leaving it slightly protruding from the contour of the first workpiece W1. This punching shape KDc1 is shown by a solid line. The portion protruding from the contour left by this forming becomes the convex portion forming material remaining portion Rm (protruding portion Rm) described above. Further, punching is performed so as to partially overlap with the punching shape KDc1 also on the adjacent front side and rear side. Each punching shape KDc2, KDc3 is shown by a solid line. By this punching, as shown in FIG. 4C, one opening BH2 is formed.

[0041] Next, for plastic deformation of the convex portion forming material remaining portion Rm, forming is performed using a convex portion forming die KD1 for thin plates for the base material BmA and a convex portion forming die KD2 for thick plates for the base material BmB. In FIG. 4C, this punch shape KDd is shown by a solid line.

[0042] Thereby, the positioning convex portion Wc shown in FIG. 4D is formed. Specifically, as described with reference to FIGS. 1B and 2B, the positioning convex portion WcA is formed by the convex portion forming die KD1 for thin plates for the base material BmA, and the positioning convex portion WcB is formed by the convex portion forming die KD2 for thick plates for the base material BmB. Thereafter, the micro joint Jm is cut by a well-known method to obtain the first workpiece W1 having the positioning convex portion Wc.

[0043] (Function and effect) As described above, according to one aspect of the method for forming the positioning convex portion Wc, in the first step, the contour of the first workpiece W1 is cut out so as to form the micro joint Jm which is a connecting portion connecting to the base material Bm at the four corners. Therefore, during the operation of cutting out the first workpiece W1 from the base material Bm, the first workpiece W1 is maintained in a state of being connected to the base material Bm. Therefore, the positioning convex portion Wc can be formed at a predetermined position on the contour of the first workpiece W1 while holding the base material Bm. Thereby, the positioning convex portion Wc can be stably obtained with high-precision shape and dimensions.

[0044] Further, in the forming process of the positioning convex portion Wc, a protruding portion Rm is previously formed at the position where the positioning convex portion Wc is to be formed. Thereby, a sufficient volume of material can be secured for forming the positioning convex portion Wc by plastic deformation in subsequent forming processes.

[0045] Specifically, in the second step, the punches 11 and 21 perform a forming process in which they interfere with the protruding portions Rm and Mm to plastically deform them. By this forming process, the protruding portion Rm is plastically flowed to form the positioning convex portion Wc extending from the end face of the first workpiece W1. The positioning convex portion Wc has a tapered shape (substantially triangular) having an inclined surface XC and a bottom surface X in a cross-sectional shape. The inclined surface XC can be formed in a shape having a protruding angle θw corresponding to the chamfering angle θc of the chamfered portion C at the tip edge of the punches 11 and 21. Further, when the first workpiece W1 is a thin plate, the protruding amount (height Wct) of the positioning convex portion Wc in the thickness direction of the first workpiece W1 can be controlled by the downward movement amount δ from the lower surface of the first workpiece W1 during the downward stroke of the punch 11.

[0046] By controlling the protruding angle θw and the height Wct of the positioning convex portion Wc, as will be described later, the positioning convex portion Wc can be accurately engaged in a concave-convex manner with the positioning concave portion Wd formed on the surface of the second workpiece W2. By this concave-convex engagement, the first workpiece W1 and the second workpiece W2 can be accurately positioned without using a jig in a state where they are abutted at right angles. The first workpiece W1 and the second workpiece W2 can be the workpieces W described above. That is, the first workpiece W1 and the second workpiece W2 are metal plates, for example, an iron plate or an aluminum plate. The iron plate is, for example, a cold-rolled steel plate (SPC) or a stainless steel plate (SUS). Further, the second workpiece W2 does not have to be a plate material, and may be a massive material of iron or aluminum.

[0047] Next, with reference to FIGS. 5A to 5D, a positioning concave portion Wd (see FIG. 6A) with which the above-described positioning convex portion Wc engages, a concave portion forming die KD3 for forming the positioning concave portion Wd, and a modified example thereof, a concave portion forming die KD3A will be described.

[0048] FIG. 5A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of a concave forming die KD3 that forms the positioning concave portion Wd according to one aspect of the present embodiment. FIG. 5B is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 5A. FIG. 5C is a perspective view of the forming portion 32P of the concave forming die KD3 as viewed from obliquely above to the left front. FIG. 5D is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of a concave forming die KD3A which is a modified example of the concave forming die KD3.

[0049] (Configuration of the concave forming die KD3) The positioning accuracy of the first workpiece W1 and the second workpiece W2 positioned by the concave-convex engagement of the positioning convex portion Wc and the positioning concave portion Wd improves as the gap in the engaged state between the positioning convex portion Wc and the positioning concave portion Wd decreases. Therefore, it is desirable that the shape and dimensions of the positioning concave portion Wd be the same shape and the same dimensions with the concavity and convexity reversed from those of the positioning convex portion Wc.

[0050] In other words, in the die, it is desirable that the shape of the forming portion that forms the positioning concave portion Wd be substantially the same shape and the same dimensions as the positioning convex portion Wc formed on the first workpiece W1.

[0051] In this desirable aspect, the forming portion of the die has a longitudinal length and protrudes linearly, and has a tapered shape forming a protrusion angle θw. The protrusion angle θw is the same as the chamfer angle θc and is, for example, an acute angle of about 30°. Therefore, there is a high possibility that problems such as cracking due to the force applied during forming and loss due to wear occur at the tip of the forming portion. Thus, the concave forming die KD3 is configured to suppress the occurrence of problems at the tip and to be able to form the positioning concave portion Wd as a concave portion that can be positioned with high precision.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 5A, the concave forming die KD3 includes a punch 31 and a die 32. The punch 31 has a flat surface portion 31a that contacts the second workpiece W2 with a flat surface at the lower end portion. The die 32 has a forming portion 32P as a portion that forms the positioning concave portion Wd. The tip portion of the forming portion 32P is the tip portion 32T.

[0053] The punch 31 and the die 32 are attached to a turret punch press (not shown) or the like so as to be in a facing positional relationship with the axis CL3 being concentric. When forming the positioning concave portion Wd, the punch 31 moves (descends) toward the die 32 by the operation of the turret punch press, and presses the second workpiece W2 while sandwiching it in cooperation with the die 32 arranged at the facing position.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 5B, the forming portion 32P is formed in a rib shape that protrudes upward with a triangular cross-sectional shape and extends in the front-rear direction (the front-back direction of the paper surface of FIG. 5B). The angle θp formed by the tip portion 32T is set to be larger than the protrusion angle θw of the positioning convex portion Wc (see FIGS. 1B and 2B). Specifically, the angle θp is an angle that is divided left and right by the protrusion angle θw around the axis CL3 extending in the vertical direction passing through the tip portion 32T. That is, the angle θp = (protrusion angle θw) × 2.

[0055] In this way, the forming portion 32P is formed such that the angle formed by the cross-sectional shape of the tip portion 32T is larger compared to the case where it has substantially the same shape and dimensions as the positioning convex portion Wc. Therefore, defects such as cracks and defects are less likely to occur in the tip portion 32T. As shown in FIGS. 5B and 5C, the forming portion 32P has inclined surfaces S31 and S32. The inclined surface S31 forms one concave surface inclined surface Sd3 of the positioning concave portion Wd, and the inclined surface S32 forms the other concave surface inclined surface Sd4. The inclined surface S31 is formed as an inclined surface that contacts the inclined surface XC of the positioning convex portion Wc when the positioning convex portion Wc engages with the positioning concave portion Wd.

[0056] In the inclined surface S32 of the forming portion 32P, a recessed portion 32H is formed. The recessed portion 32H has a peripheral surface shape when a cylinder having an axis extending in the vertical direction is dug in from the left to the right with respect to the inclined surface S32. A positioning concave portion Wd having a V-shaped cross section is formed by the forming portion 32P, and the material of the second workpiece W2 plastically flows and flows into the recessed portion 32H. Therefore, a protruding portion Wp (see FIGS. 6A and 6B) is formed on the inclined surface S32. Therefore, the positioning concave portion Wd is formed as a groove having an inclination angle θ3 equivalent to the protruding angle θw at the most protruding position of the protruding portion Wp, as shown in FIG. 6B. The peripheral surface Wp1 of the protruding portion Wp is a surface extending in the vertical direction.

[0057] In the positioning concave portion Wd, the cross-sectional shape of the portion where the protruding portion Wp is not formed is formed in a V shape in which both opposing surfaces are inclined. The angle θd of this V shape is the same as the angle θp of the tip portion 32T of the concave portion forming die KD3. Thus, when the positioning convex portion Wc formed on the first workpiece W1 is engaged so that the inclined surface XC thereof is in close contact with the concave surface Sd3 of the positioning concave portion Wd, the bottom surface X of the positioning convex portion Wc is a surface extending in the vertical, front, and rear directions. That is, the bottom surface X is in line contact with the most protruding portion of the peripheral surface Wp1 of the protruding portion Wp.

[0058] As described above, when the positioning convex portion Wc is engaged with the positioning concave portion Wd, the inclined surface XC of the positioning convex portion Wc is in surface contact and close contact with the concave surface Sd3 of the positioning concave portion Wd, and the bottom surface X of the positioning convex portion Wc is in line contact and close contact with the peripheral surface Wp1 of the protruding portion Wp of the positioning concave portion Wd.

[0059] Since the inclined surface XC, the bottom surface X, the concave inclined surface Sd3, and the peripheral surface Wp1 are all surfaces directly formed by the mold, they are stably formed with high precision. As a result, the positioning convex portion Wc and the positioning concave portion Wd are positioned with high precision in the left-right direction in the engaged state. Further, the engagement is a wedge-shaped engagement that becomes narrower downward. Therefore, by engaging the first workpiece W1 with the second workpiece W2 from above, due to the self-weight of the first workpiece W1, the positioning convex portion Wc engages with the positioning concave portion Wd so as to bite in. As a result, the first workpiece W1 is stably engaged with the second workpiece W2 without rattling.

[0060] Next, a schematic configuration of a concave portion forming die KD3A, which is a modified example of the concave portion forming die KD3, will be described with reference to FIG. 5D. The concave portion forming die KD3A is provided with a forming portion 31AP on the punch side instead of the forming portion 32P provided on the die side in the concave portion forming die KD3.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 5D, the concave portion forming die KD3A includes a punch 31A and a die 32A that are arranged to face each other with the axis CL3A concentric. The punch 31A has a punch case 31A1 and a punch main body portion 31A2. The punch main body portion 31A2 moves up and down with respect to the punch case 31A1 by a driving portion (not shown). The punch main body portion 31A2 has a forming portion 31AP on the lower surface. The forming portion 31AP has the same shape as the forming portion 32P shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C, including the recessed portion 32H, and is formed on the punch side, so it has an upside-down orientation in the vertical direction. On the other hand, the upper surface 32Aa of the die 32A is a flat surface.

[0062] When forming the concave portion Wd, the workpiece W2 is sandwiched and held between the punch case 31A1 of the punch 31A and the die 32A, and the punch main body portion 31A2 is lowered so that the forming portion 31AP forms the concave portion Wd on the surface of the workpiece W2 on the punch 31A side. This concave portion Wd has the same shape as the concave portion Wd formed by the concave portion forming die KD3.

[0063] (Method for Forming the Positioning Recess Wd) (First Forming Method) Next, an example of a method for forming the positioning recess Wd in the second workpiece W2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7A to 8C.

[0064] FIG. 7A is a schematic plan view showing a first step of a first method example for forming the positioning recess Wd according to an aspect of the present embodiment. FIG. 7B is a schematic plan view showing a second step of a first method example for forming the positioning recess Wd according to an aspect of the present embodiment. FIG. 7C is a schematic plan view showing a third step of a first method example for forming the positioning recess Wd according to an aspect of the present embodiment. FIG. 8A is a schematic plan view showing a first step of a second method example for forming the positioning recess Wd according to an aspect of the present embodiment. FIG. 8B is a schematic plan view showing a second step of a second method example for forming the positioning recess Wd according to an aspect of the present embodiment. FIG. 8C is a schematic plan view showing a third step of a second method example for forming the positioning recess Wd according to an aspect of the present embodiment.

[0065] First, with reference to FIGS. 7A to 7C, a first method for forming the positioning recess according to an aspect of the present embodiment will be described.

[0066] (First Forming Method) FIG. 7A shows the first step. In the first step, engraving is performed on the base material Bm using the recess forming die KD3 to form the positioning recesses Wd at predetermined positions and numbers spaced apart in a straight line. The positioning recesses Wd are formed such that the protrusions Wp are on the left side (the upper side of the paper surface in FIG. 7A). Since the processing in the first step is engraving, a bulge B (dashed line) bulging in the thickness direction is generated in a portion adjacent to the positioning recess Wd.

[0067] Figure 7B shows the second step. In the second step, a pressing process is performed to crush the bulge B generated in the first step. The bulge B is caused by the material of the portion pinched by the positioning recess Wd swelling in the thickness direction due to plastic flow. In the second step, a general mold used for pressing is used. By the pressing process, the material of the bulged portion of the bulge B uniformly plastically flows to the peripheral member, and the degree of bulge is suppressed to a level that does not cause practical problems and is substantially flattened.

[0068] Figure 7C shows the third step. In the third step, the second workpiece W2 is cut out from the base material Bm by punching with a standard punching die or cutting with a laser beam. At this time, micro joints Jm are formed as connecting portions connecting the four corners of the second workpiece W2 to the base material Bm. Figure 7C shows an example in which the contour is cut by forming an opening BH3 so as to form the micro joints Jm with a standard punching die. The micro joints Jm are cut at the final stage of the processing to separate the second workpiece W2 from the base material Bm. Thereby, the second workpiece W2 having the positioning recess Wd is obtained.

[0069] Next, with reference to FIGS. 8A to 8C, a second forming method of the positioning recess Wd according to an aspect of the present embodiment will be described.

[0070] (Second forming method) FIGS. 8A to 8C are schematic views showing a second forming method of forming a recess with which the positioning protrusion according to an aspect of the present embodiment engages (first step to third step). The first forming method is different from the first step and the second step. Therefore, only the differences will be described.

[0071] FIG. 8A shows the first step in the second forming method. In the first step, a hole H, which is a through-hole, is formed at a position outside the outer periphery (outline) of the second workpiece W2 corresponding to the formation position of the positioning recess Wd. The hole H is formed as a material escape so that the material corresponding to the recess when the positioning recess Wd is formed can easily plastically flow without affecting the thickness. The hole H is formed by punching with a standard punching die. Thereby, the material that has lost its way due to the plastic flow generated when forming the positioning recess Wd can be released by deforming the hole H. Therefore, the bulge B generated in the first forming method does not substantially occur.

[0072] FIG. 8B shows the second step. The second step is the same as the first step of the first forming method. FIG. 8C shows the third step. The third step is the same as the third step of the first forming method. Similar to the case of the first forming method, after the third step, the micro joint Jm is cut at the final stage, and the second workpiece W2 is separated from the base material Bm. Thereby, the second workpiece W2 having the positioning recess Wd is obtained. The hole H is formed in the member to be punched when punching the outline with a standard punching die, and remains in the remaining material in the case of laser cutting. Therefore, the hole H does not remain in the shape of the second workpiece W2.

[0073] As described above, according to the forming method of the positioning recess of one aspect, the positioning recess Wd having a V-shaped cross-sectional shape can be formed using the recess forming die KD3. The positioning recess Wd includes one recess slope Sd3 with which the inclined surface XC of the positioning protrusion Wc abuts, and the other recess slope Sd4 formed to include the protrusion Wp that contacts the bottom surface X of the positioning protrusion Wc.

[0074] Specifically, when the positioning convex portion is engaged, one concave slope Sd3 of the positioning concave portion Wd closely contacts the inclined surface XC of the positioning convex portion Wc, and the protrusion Wp formed on the other concave slope Sd4 is in line contact with the bottom surface X. Therefore, the positioning concave portion Wd can substantially eliminate the gap when the positioning convex portion Wc is engaged. As a result, when the first workpiece W1 and the second workpiece W2 are abutted at a right angle, they can be positioned with high precision.

[0075] (Positioning structure GK) The positioning structure GK for positioning the first workpiece W1 and the second workpiece W2 by the concave-convex engagement of the above-described positioning convex portion Wc and positioning concave portion Wd will be described with reference to FIGS. 9A to 10B showing a state in which the first workpiece W1 is orthogonally abutted against the second workpiece W2.

[0076] FIG. 9A is a top view for explaining the positioning structure GK in the thick plate workpiece Wb. FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in FIG. 9A. FIG. 10A is a top view for explaining the positioning structure GK in the thin plate workpiece Wa. FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line C-C in FIG. 10A. FIG. 10C is a perspective view for explaining the positioning structure GK in the thin plate workpiece Wa.

[0077] As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the positioning structure GK in the thick plate workpiece Wb is a positioning structure when the end surface W1a of the first workpiece W1, which is a thick plate, is orthogonally abutted against a predetermined position near the end of the surface W2b (upper surface W2b) of the second workpiece W2. The positioning structure GK in this thick plate has a positioning convex portion WcB formed on the first workpiece W1 and a positioning concave portion Wd formed on the upper surface W2b of the second workpiece W2.

[0078] One concave slope Sd3, which is on the end side in this example, of the positioning concave portion Wd is formed at the same inclination angle as the inclined surface XC of the positioning convex portion WcB, and the other concave slope Sd4 includes a protrusion Wp having a circumferential surface extending in the vertical direction that is in line contact with the bottom surface X of the positioning convex portion WcB at the position Pw.

[0079] Accordingly, when the positioning convex portion WcB is engaged with the positioning concave portion Wd, the positioning convex portion WcB is buried and engaged with the positioning concave portion Wd, and the first workpiece W1 and the second workpiece W2 can be positioned without using a jig in a state where they are abutted against each other at a right angle. The left-right position of the first workpiece W1 abutted against the second workpiece W2 is determined according to the left-right formation position of the positioning concave portion Wd. FIG. 9B shows a butting state in a so-called half-pull where half of the end face W1a of the first workpiece W1 is abutted against the second workpiece W2. On the other hand, by forming the positioning concave portion Wd further to the right in the second workpiece W2, it is possible to obtain a butting state in a so-called full-pull where the entire end face W1a is abutted against the second workpiece W2.

[0080] As shown in FIGS. 10A to 10C, the positioning structure GK in the thin plate workpiece Wa is a positioning structure when the end face W1a of the first workpiece W1, which is a thin plate, is abutted orthogonally against a predetermined position near the end of the upper surface W2b of the second workpiece W2. The positioning structure GK in this thin plate has a positioning convex portion WcA formed on the first workpiece W1 and a positioning concave portion Wd formed on the upper surface W2b of the second workpiece W2.

[0081] Similar to the case of the thick plate, in the positioning concave portion Wd, one concave slope Sd3, which is the end side in this example, is formed at the same inclination angle as the inclined surface XC of the positioning convex portion WcA, and the other concave slope Sd4 includes a protrusion Wp having a circumferential surface extending in the vertical direction that is in line contact with the bottom surface X of the positioning convex portion WcB at the position Pw.

[0082] As a result, as shown in FIG. 10C, by engaging the positioning convex portion WcA with the positioning concave portion Wd, the positioning convex portion WcA is buried and engaged with the positioning concave portion Wd, and the first workpiece W1 and the second workpiece W2 can be positioned without using a jig in a state where they are butted against each other at a right angle. The left-right position of the first workpiece W1 that abuts against the second workpiece W2 is determined according to the left-right formation position of the positioning concave portion Wd. FIG. 10B shows a butting state in which, so-called, half of the thickness direction surface of the end face W1a of the first workpiece W1 abuts against the second workpiece W2. On the other hand, by forming the positioning concave portion Wd further to the right in the second workpiece W2, a butting state in which the entire surface of the end face W1a abuts against the second workpiece W2, so-called, single-sided butting, can be achieved.

[0083] In addition, since the positioning convex portion WcA of the thin plate first workpiece W1 protrudes to the right as shown in FIG. 10B from the surface, the butting position of the first workpiece W1 can be positioned further to the left than in the case of a thick plate.

[0084] The positioning structure GK of the thin plate workpiece Wa is different from the positioning structure GK of the thick plate workpiece Wb in the thickness direction position where the positioning convex portion Wc is formed in the first workpiece W1. Specifically, the positioning convex portion Wc (WcB) in the case of a thick plate is formed so as to extend from the end face within the thickness range of the first workpiece W1. On the other hand, the positioning convex portion Wc (WcA) in the case of a thin plate is formed so as to extend beyond the thickness range of the first workpiece W1 and protrude in the thickness direction from the surface. Therefore, the positioning structure GK of the thin plate workpiece Wa can correspond to the positioning method shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B described below. The positioning structure GK of the thin plate workpiece Wa can position the first workpiece W1 against the second workpiece W2 in a desired positional relationship without using a jig, similar to the case of a thick plate.

[0085] (Positioning structure GK2) Using the above-described positioning concave portion Wd, a first workpiece W1 having a convex portion that engages with the concave and convex portions of the positioning concave portion Wd can be superposed on a second workpiece W2 for positioning. This superposition positioning structure is referred to as a positioning structure GK2 and will be described with reference to FIGS. 11A to 11C.

[0086] FIG. 11A is a partial cross-sectional view for explaining the positioning structure GK2. FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view for explaining the first aspect of the positioning structure GK2. FIG. 11C is a cross-sectional view for explaining the second aspect of the positioning structure GK2.

[0087] As shown in FIG. 11A, a positioning concave portion Wd having a protrusion Wp is formed in the second workpiece W2. This positioning concave portion Wd is the same as the positioning concave portion Wd in the positioning structure GK. On the other hand, a positioning convex portion WcC that engages with the positioning concave portion Wd is formed in the first workpiece W1. The positioning convex portion WcC protrudes from the right edge portion of the first workpiece W1 in the thickness direction (downward direction) and is formed long in the front-rear direction (front-back direction of the paper surface).

[0088] The positioning convex portion WcC is formed by a method such as filling the burrs generated when punching the right edge portion of the first workpiece W1 into the gap of a mold having a predetermined shape by plastic flow. The positioning convex portion WcC is formed in a tapered triangular shape with the bottom facing downward, and has a bottom surface X extending in the thickness direction of the first workpiece W1 and an inclined surface XC that is inclined with respect to the bottom surface X and extends at the same inclination angle as the concave surface slope Sd3 of the positioning concave Wd.

[0089] The first workpiece W1 is positioned with respect to the second workpiece W2 in a state where the surfaces are overlapped rather than the end faces by engaging the positioning convex portion WcC with the positioning concave portion Wd from above. Specifically, the positioning convex portion WcC is buried in the positioning concave portion Wd, and the lower surface W1b of the first workpiece W1 and the upper surface W2b of the second workpiece W2 are brought into contact and overlapped. At this time, the inclined surface XC and the bottom surface X of the positioning convex portion WcC buried in the positioning concave portion Wd come into contact with the concave inclined surface Sd3 of the positioning convex portion Wd and the circumferential surface Wp1 extending in the thickness direction of the protrusion Wp, respectively. Thereby, the left - right position of the first workpiece W1 with respect to the second workpiece W2 is determined with high precision. The front - rear position of the first workpiece W1 can be positioned with high precision by making the gap in the front - rear direction of the concave - convex engagement extremely small since the positioning convex portion WcC and the positioning concave portion Wd are directly formed by a mold respectively.

[0090] The first aspect of the positioning structure GK2 is shown in FIG. 11B. The first workpiece W1 is formed with positioning convex portions WcC at both left and right ends, and the second workpiece W2 is formed with a positioning concave portion Wd having a protrusion Wp as a concave portion engaging with one of the pair of positioning convex portions WcC formed on the first workpiece W1, and the concave portion engaging with the other is a positioning concave portion WdC in which the protrusion Wp is not formed. In the first aspect, since the first workpiece W1 engages with the second workpiece W2 at two locations on both the left and right ends with concave - convex engagement, not only the left - right direction but also the rotation about the vertical axis is well regulated, so that the positioning of the overlap is stabilized. Also, among the two concave - convex engagements, since one is the positioning concave portion Wd having the protrusion Wp, the left - right position of the first workpiece W1 can be determined with high precision without using a jig.

[0091] The second aspect of the positioning structure GK2 is shown in FIG. 11C. The first workpiece W1 is not a simple flat plate, but has a three-dimensional shape with a bent portion W1d bent upward at the left edge portion, so that a positioning convex portion cannot be formed. Even in this case, by using the positioning concave portion Wd having the protruding portion Wp for the concavo-convex engagement of one edge portion (the right edge portion in FIG. 11C), the positioning when the three-dimensional first workpiece W1 is superposed on the second workpiece W2 can be performed with high precision without using a jig.

[0092] (Welding mode) Examples of butting welding modes possible with the positioning structure GK in the thick plate workpiece Wb or the positioning structure GK in the thin plate workpiece Wa will be described with reference to FIGS. 12A and 12B. FIG. 12A is a schematic side view showing a welding mode in a single pull that the positioning structure GK according to one aspect of the present embodiment can handle. FIG. 12B is a schematic side view showing a welding mode in a semi-pull that the positioning structure GK according to one aspect of the present embodiment can handle.

[0093] FIG. 12A shows a welding mode in a single pull. The positioning convex portion WcA or the positioning convex portion WcB formed on the first workpiece W1 is engaged with the positioning concave portion Wd formed on the second workpiece W2, and the first workpiece W1 and the second workpiece W2 are butted so as to form a right angle. The formation position of the positioning concave portion Wd in the left-right direction is set by a single pull in which the entire end face W1a of the first workpiece W1 abuts on the upper surface W2b of the second workpiece W2.

[0094] Next, the butted portion of the first workpiece W1 and the second workpiece W2 is welded by forming a weld portion WS. In this way, since the first workpiece W1 and the second workpiece W2 can be butted and welded in a single pull without using a jig, the jig cost and the jig setting time can be reduced.

[0095] Depending on the formation position of the positioning concave portion Wd in the left-right direction, the abutting range of the end face W1a of the first workpiece W1 against the upper surface W2b of the second workpiece W2 can be made different. In the second workpiece W2, by forming the positioning concave portion Wd at a position to the left of that shown in FIG. 12A, so-called semi-pulling butt welding as shown in FIG. 12B becomes possible.

[0096] As described above, the abutting position of the first workpiece W1 against the second workpiece W2 depends on the formation position of the positioning concave portion Wd. That is, when the first workpiece W1 has the positioning convex portion WcA, the most protruding position where the bottom surface X of the positioning convex portion WcA in the protruding portion Wp of the positioning concave portion Wd contacts is such that it is located to the right by the height Wct of the positioning convex portion WcA from the position of the surface on the side where the positioning convex portion WcA is formed in the first workpiece W1 (the right surface in FIG. 10B).

[0097] Also, when the first workpiece W1 has the positioning convex portion WcB, the most protruding position where the bottom surface X of the positioning convex portion WcB in the protruding portion Wp of the positioning concave portion Wd contacts is set to be the position of the surface on the side where the positioning convex portion WcB is formed in the first workpiece W1 (the right surface in FIG. 9B). The positioning convex portion WcB can be regarded as a case where the height Wct of the positioning convex portion WcB is 0 (zero). That is, the height Wct can be freely set between 0 (zero) and the maximum movement amount δ.

[0098] The first work W1 and the second work W2 are positioned with high accuracy in the thickness direction of the first work W1 (left and right direction in Fig. 9B and Fig. 10B) because the positioning protrusion Wc and the positioning recess Wd formed directly by the mold are engaged with each other by a combination of a surface and a slope perpendicular to the thickness direction. In addition, the positioning accuracy of the first work W1 in the extension direction along the second work W2 (front-rear direction, i.e., the front-rear direction of the paper in Fig. 9B and Fig. 10B) depends on the gap in the front-rear direction when the positioning protrusion Wc and the positioning recess Wd are engaged. This gap is generated based on the difference in the length between the protrusion Rm and the recess slope Sd3 in the front-rear direction. However, since the protrusion Rm and the recess slope Sd3 are directly formed by the mold, the difference in length can be made small enough to be practically unproblematic. Therefore, the positioning of the first work W1 in the extension direction along the second work W2 is performed with high accuracy. In addition, the positioning of the first work W1 and the second work W2 in the butting direction (the vertical direction in Fig. 9B and Fig. 10B) is achieved by the contact of the end faces and the front surfaces, and therefore can be achieved with sufficient accuracy. In this way, the first work W1 and the second work W2 are positioned with high accuracy in all three axial directions by the engagement of the positioning protrusions Wc and the positioning recesses Wd without using a jig.

[0099] An example of a welding mode in the positioning structure GK2 is shown in Fig. 12C. Fig. 12C is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a welding mode in the positioning structure GK2. The edge of the first work W1, which is positioned with respect to the second work W2 by the overlapping positioning structure GK2 so that their surfaces overlap, is welded by forming a welded part WS by fillet welding. In this way, the first work W1 and the second work W2 can be welded in an overlapping state without using a jig, so that the jig cost and the jig setting time can be reduced.

[0100] As described in detail above, a first aspect of the present invention includes a punch 31 and a die 32 arranged to face the punch 31 in the vertical direction. One of the punch 31 and the die 32 has a flat surface portion 31a on the surface facing the other, and the other has a rib-shaped forming portion 32P that extends long in one direction, has a triangular cross-sectional shape, and protrudes toward one side. A recessed portion 32H is formed on one slope S32 of the forming portion 32P so as to have a circumferential surface shape of a cylinder with the vertical direction as the axis. This is the mold KD3.

[0101] By forming a recess in the second workpiece W2 using this mold, the first workpiece W1 can be positioned relative to the second workpiece W2 without using a jig, so that the cost of the jig and the setup time of the jig in the positioning operation can be reduced.

[0102] Further, a second aspect of the present invention includes a punch 31 and a die 32 arranged to face the punch 31 in the vertical direction. One of the punch 31 and the die 32 has a flat surface portion 31a on the surface facing the other, and the other has a rib-shaped forming portion 32P that extends long in one direction, has a triangular cross-sectional shape, and protrudes toward one side. A recessed portion 32H is formed on one slope S32 of the forming portion 32P so as to have a circumferential surface shape of a cylinder with the vertical direction as the axis. Using the mold KD3, the sheet metal W2 is sandwiched between the die 32 and the punch 31 and pressed, so that the sheet metal W2 has a V-shaped cross-sectional shape corresponding to the triangle of the forming portion 32P and a protruding protrusion Wp having a circumferential surface Wp1 extending in the vertical direction corresponding to the recessed portion 32H. This is a method for processing a positioning recess for forming a positioning recess Wd.

[0103] With the positioning recess formed in this way, the first workpiece W1 can be positioned relative to the second workpiece W2 without using a jig, so that the cost of the jig and the setup time of the jig in the positioning operation can be reduced.

[0104] A third aspect of the present invention includes a positioning convex portion Wc formed to protrude from an end surface W1a of a first sheet metal workpiece W1, and a positioning concave portion Wd formed on a surface W2b of a second workpiece W2 such that the positioning convex portion Wc is buried and engaged therein. The positioning convex portion Wc has a tapered shape having a bottom surface X extending in the extending material direction of the first workpiece W1 and an inclined surface XC inclined with respect to the bottom surface X. The positioning concave portion Wd is a concave portion extending in a predetermined length in one direction, and is formed in a V shape including a pair of concave inclined surfaces Sd3 and Sd4 whose cross-sectional shape is inclined with respect to the thickness direction of the second workpiece W2. A protrusion Wp having a vertical surface extending in the thickness direction is formed in a part of the predetermined length. When the positioning convex portion Wc is engaged, the inclined surface XC of the positioning convex portion Wc contacts one of the pair of concave inclined surfaces Sd3 and Sd4, and the bottom surface X contacts the surface extending in the thickness direction of the protrusion Wp to be positioned, so that the first workpiece W1 is positioned in a posture orthogonal to the second workpiece W2. This is a positioning structure GK.

[0105] Accordingly, the first workpiece W1 can be positioned with respect to the second workpiece W2 without using a jig, so that the cost of the jig and the set time of the jig in the positioning operation can be reduced.

[0106] A fourth aspect of the present invention includes a positioning convex portion WcC formed to protrude from an end face W1a of a first sheet metal workpiece W1, and a positioning concave portion Wd formed on a surface W2d of a second workpiece W2 such that the positioning convex portion WcC is buried and engaged therein. The positioning convex portion WcC is formed in a tapered shape having a bottom surface X extending in the thickness direction of the first workpiece W1 and an inclined surface XC inclined with respect to the bottom surface X. The positioning concave portion Wd is a concave portion extending in a predetermined length in one direction, and is formed in a V shape including a pair of concave slopes Sd3 and Sd4 whose cross-sectional shape is inclined with respect to the thickness direction of the second workpiece W2. A protrusion Wp having a surface extending in the thickness direction is formed in a part of the predetermined length. When the positioning convex portion WcC is engaged with the positioning concave portion Wd, the inclined surface XC of the positioning convex portion WcC contacts one of the pair of concave slopes Sd3 and Sd4, and the bottom surface X contacts the surface extending in the thickness direction of the protrusion Wp to be positioned, whereby the first workpiece W1 is positioned in a posture superposed on the second workpiece W2, which is a positioning structure GK2.

[0107] Accordingly, the first workpiece W1 can be positioned with respect to the second workpiece W2 without using a jig, so that the cost of the jig and the set time of the jig in the positioning operation can be reduced.

[0108] Embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-described configurations, and may be modified within a range not departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0109] The shape of the forming portion 32P is not limited to the above shape. The shape of the forming portion 32P only needs to have a shape in which at least one of the slopes S31 is in close contact with the inclined surface XC of the positioning convex portion Wc. Further, the surface shape of the recessed portion 32H does not have to be a cylindrical surface shape, and may be a rectangular cylindrical surface shape. Further, the position where the recessed portion 32H is provided may be any position in the front-rear direction of the forming portion 32P, and a plurality of them may be provided independently.

[0110] The forming part 32P may not have the recessed part 32H, and the inclination angle θ1 formed by the inclined surface S31 and the inclination angle formed by the inclined surface S32 with respect to the orthogonal plane including the axis CL3 (angle θp - inclination angle θ1) may be different. The set of the positioning convex part Wc and the positioning concave part Wd that engage between the first workpiece W1 and the second workpiece W2 is not limited to two sets as described above, and may be one set. Also, when the butting end face is long, it may be three sets or more.

Explanation of symbols

[0111] 11 Punch 12 Die 13 Counter 13a Upper surface 21 Punch 22 Die 22a Upper surface 31, 31A Punch 31A1 Punch case 31A2 Punch main body part 31a Flat surface part 32, 32A Die 32Aa Upper surface 32H Recessed part 32P, 31AP Forming part 32T Tip part Bm, BmA, BmB Base material BH, BH2, BH3 Opening C Chamfered part CL3, CL3A Axis GK, GK2 Positioning structure H Hole part Jm Micro joint (connection part) Jw Wire joint KDa, KDb, KDc1, KDc2, KDc3, KDd Punch-out shape KD1 Convex part forming die for thin plate KD2 Convex part forming die for thick plate KD3, KD3A Concave part forming die Mm Protrusion Pw Position Rm Protrusion (remaining part of convex part forming material) S31, S32 Inclined surface Concave slopes t of Sd3 and Sd4, plate thickness W, Wa, Wb, workpieces Lower holes of Wa1 and Wb2 Positioning convex parts of Wc, WcA, WcB, WcC End part of Wcs Height of Wct Positioning concave parts of Wd and WdC Protrusion of Wp Peripheral surface of Wp1 Welding part of WS First workpiece of W1 End face of W1a Bottom surface of W1b Bending part of W1d Second workpiece of W2 Upper surface (front surface) of W2b Bottom surface of X Inclined surface of XC Movement amount of δ Chamfer angle of θc Angle of θp Protrusion angle of θw Inclination angle of θ1

Claims

1. a positioning convex portion formed to protrude from an end surface of a first sheet metal workpiece; and a positioning concave portion formed on a surface of a second workpiece so that the positioning convex portion is buried and engaged therein, wherein the positioning convex portion is formed in a tapered shape having a bottom surface extending in the extending material direction of the first workpiece and an inclined surface inclined with respect to the bottom surface, the positioning concave portion is a concave portion extending in a predetermined length in one direction and is formed in a V shape including a pair of concave inclined surfaces whose cross-sectional shape is inclined with respect to the thickness direction of the second workpiece, and a protrusion having a surface extending in the thickness direction is formed in a part of the predetermined length, when the positioning convex portion is engaged with the positioning concave portion, the inclined surface of the positioning convex portion contacts one of the pair of concave inclined surfaces, and the bottom surface contacts the surface extending in the thickness direction of the protrusion to be positioned, whereby the first workpiece is positioned in a posture orthogonal to the second workpiece. A positioning structure.

2. a positioning convex portion formed to protrude from an edge of a first sheet metal workpiece; and a positioning concave portion formed on a surface of a second workpiece so that the positioning convex portion is buried and engaged therein, wherein the positioning convex portion is formed in a tapered shape having a bottom surface extending in the thickness direction of the first workpiece and an inclined surface inclined with respect to the bottom surface, the positioning concave portion is a concave portion extending in a predetermined length in one direction and is formed in a V shape including a pair of concave inclined surfaces whose cross-sectional shape is inclined with respect to the thickness direction of the second workpiece, and a protrusion having a surface extending in the thickness direction is formed in a part of the predetermined length, when the positioning convex portion is engaged with the positioning concave portion, the inclined surface of the positioning convex portion contacts one of the pair of concave inclined surfaces, and the bottom surface contacts the surface extending in the thickness direction of the protrusion to be positioned, whereby the first workpiece is positioned in a posture overlapped with the second workpiece. A positioning structure.

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