Sealant nozzle

Abstract

To provide a nozzle device for a sealant which is excellent in sealing performance when an opening of workpiece is sealed with a sealant having viscosity.SOLUTION: A nozzle device 10 is a nozzle device for a sealant which is used for sealing an opening 4 of workpiece 3 by a sealant S having viscosity, and includes a nozzle 30 having an inflow port 31 through which the sealant S flows, a discharge port 32 which has an opening width larger than an opening diameter of the opening 4 and has a wide shape, and an internal space 33 for circulating the sealant S from the inflow port 31 to the discharge port 32, wherein the nozzle 30 is configured that the internal space 33 becomes a retention area having a flow channel cross sectional area exceeding the discharge port 32.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a nozzle device used for a sealant. [Background technology]

[0002] Workpieces such as automobile bodies are provided with various openings, such as openings for removing electrodeposition paint and openings used to position components for welding. To prevent rainwater, dust, noise, and the like from entering through these openings, elastically deformable sealing parts called plugs made of resin, rubber, or other materials are used. The openings are sealed by forcing these sealing parts into the openings of the workpiece.

[0003] When using sealing members for openings of different diameters, multiple types of sealing members must be prepared in advance, which can lead to problems such as high component costs and the need to use different sealing members as the number of types of sealing members increases. To address these problems, the present inventors conducted extensive research into a technology for sealing openings by discharging a viscous sealant toward the opening of a workpiece. Sealing openings with a sealant eliminates the need to prepare multiple types of sealing members for openings of different diameters, thereby reducing the construction costs required for sealing openings. In particular, automobile bodies have openings of a wide variety of shapes, and being able to seal openings in the vehicle body with a sealant instead of a sealing member would be extremely advantageous.

[0004] Patent Document 1 below discloses a viscous liquid discharge nozzle relating to this type of technology. This viscous liquid discharge nozzle is designed to uniformly apply viscous liquid to a large flat surface such as a floor, and includes a nozzle body having an inlet through which viscous liquid pressure-fed by a pump flows in, a cylindrical chamber located downstream of the inlet, and a number of holes spaced apart in the width direction of the chamber for discharging the viscous liquid downward from the chamber. With this viscous liquid discharge nozzle, the viscous liquid is applied to the floor surface by being discharged downward from the multiple holes in the viscous liquid discharge nozzle under pressure. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 3-119466 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the above-mentioned viscous liquid discharge nozzle is designed to simply apply a viscous liquid to the surface of a workpiece without an opening. Therefore, when using this viscous liquid discharge nozzle to discharge a sealant such as a viscous liquid to seal an opening in a workpiece, the difference in the sealant discharge pressure between the area corresponding to each nozzle hole and the area between two adjacent holes makes it difficult to achieve a generally uniform discharge pressure across the same cross section of the sealant. Such uneven discharge pressure makes it difficult to maintain a consistent cross-sectional shape of the sealant after dispensing, which can lead to the sealant adhering to the workpiece surface and then peeling off, the sealant penetrating into the opening of the workpiece and forming a dent, or even breaking through the through-hole. As a result, there are concerns that the appearance of the workpiece after sealing the opening with the sealant may be poor, or that the sealing performance of the opening may be reduced due to a decrease in the sealant film thickness strength.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and aims to provide a sealant nozzle device that has excellent sealing performance when sealing an opening in a workpiece with a viscous sealant. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is A sealant nozzle device used to seal an opening of a workpiece with a viscous sealant, a nozzle having an inlet through which the sealant flows, a wide discharge outlet having an opening width greater than the opening diameter of the opening, and an internal space through which the sealant flows from the inlet to the discharge outlet, The internal space of the nozzle is a retention area having a flow path cross-sectional area larger than the opening area of ​​the discharge port. the law of nature, the nozzle has two inner wall surfaces that face each other across the internal space in an opening width direction of the discharge outlet and that form curved shapes that bulge outward in the opening width direction between the inlet and the discharge outlet, and two inner wall surfaces that face each other across the internal space in an opening height direction of the discharge outlet and that form linear shapes between the inlet and the discharge outlet, When the nozzle is viewed from the opening height direction of the discharge port, the internal space of the nozzle expands outward in the opening width direction in a curved convex shape from the inlet side toward the discharge port side. , a nozzle device for sealant, is located. Another aspect of the present invention is A sealant nozzle device used to seal an opening of a workpiece with a viscous sealant, a nozzle having an inlet through which the sealant flows, a wide discharge outlet having an opening width greater than the opening diameter of the opening, and an internal space through which the sealant flows from the inlet to the discharge outlet, the internal space of the nozzle is a retention region having a flow path cross-sectional area greater than an opening area of ​​the discharge port, the nozzle has two inner wall surfaces that face each other in an opening height direction of the nozzle across the internal space, and the two inner wall surfaces are provided with outlet flat surfaces that are arranged parallel to each other, the nozzle is configured so that one of the two inner wall surfaces at the discharge port protrudes more than the other in the discharge direction of the sealant; is located. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] In the sealant nozzle device of the above aspect, viscous sealant flows into the nozzle through the inlet. The sealant then flows through the internal space of the nozzle from the inlet side toward the outlet side and is then discharged to the outside through the wide outlet. At this time, the internal space of the nozzle is a retention area having a flow path cross-sectional area that exceeds the opening area of ​​the outlet. Therefore, the sealant can be temporarily retained in the internal space of the nozzle and then discharged in a state where its flow is throttled at the outlet.

[0010] This allows the pressure of the sealant discharged from the nozzle outlet to be roughly uniform across the entire opening, stabilizing the discharge state of the sealant and making the cross-sectional shape of the sealant after discharge roughly consistent. Furthermore, by making the nozzle outlet wide, the opening of the workpiece can be sealed with a stable sealant film thickness. This allows the sealant to be uniformly applied to the application surface around the opening of the workpiece, preventing the sealant from entering the opening of the workpiece and forming a dent.

[0011] As described above, according to the above-described aspect, it is possible to provide a sealant nozzle device that has excellent sealing performance when sealing an opening in a workpiece with a viscous sealant. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing the overall configuration of a sealing facility according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the thixotropy of a sealing agent. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a nozzle device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] A view of Figure 3 from the direction of arrow A. [Figure 5] A view of Figure 4 from the direction of arrow B. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the nozzle of the first embodiment. [Figure 7] A view of Figure 6 from the direction of arrow C. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view showing the tip of the nozzle in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] XX line cross-sectional view of FIG. 7. [Figure 11] A view of Figure 7 from the direction of arrow D. [Figure 12] 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XII-XII in FIG. 10 . [Figure 13] 10 is a partial cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 9 of the tip of the nozzle of the second embodiment. [Figure 14]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a nozzle device according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Preferred embodiments of the above aspects are described below.

[0014] In the sealant nozzle device of the above aspect, it is preferable that the internal space of the nozzle, when viewed from the opening height direction of the discharge outlet, expands in a curved convex shape outward in the opening width direction of the discharge outlet as it moves from the inlet side toward the discharge outlet side.

[0015] With this sealant nozzle device, by making both sides of the nozzle's internal space in the opening width direction curved convex outward, a diffusion flow can be formed in the internal space that diffuses the flow of sealant outward in the opening width direction, and the difference in flow speed of the sealant that occurs between the central part of the internal space in the opening width direction and the parts on both sides of it can be kept small.

[0016] In the sealant nozzle device of the above-mentioned aspect, it is preferable that the nozzle has two inner wall surfaces that face each other in the opening height direction, separated by the internal space, and that the two inner wall surfaces are provided with outlet plane portions that are arranged parallel to each other.

[0017] This sealant nozzle device provides two flat outlet sections on the two inner wall surfaces of the nozzle that face each other in the height direction of the opening, thereby regulating and guiding the flow of the sealant so that the sealant is discharged linearly along the discharge direction. This prevents the discharged sealant from diffusing in the height direction of the opening. As a result, the shape of the sealant can be maintained and the directionality of the sealant can be improved.

[0018] In the sealant nozzle device of the above aspect, the nozzle is preferably configured so that one of the two inner wall surfaces at the discharge port protrudes more than the other in the discharge direction of the sealant.

[0019] According to this sealant nozzle device, the sealant discharged from the nozzle outlet flows along only the inner wall surface that is disposed so as to protrude in the protruding direction. As a result, the sealant flows while changing direction from the original discharge direction to a deflected direction that is deflected toward the relatively protruding inner wall surface. Therefore, the flow direction of the sealant discharged from the nozzle outlet can be changed from the discharge direction to the deflected direction.

[0020] In the sealant nozzle device of the above aspect, it is preferable that the nozzle has a plurality of straightening pieces provided in the internal space, and that the plurality of straightening pieces all extend toward the discharge outlet and are arranged at intervals in the opening width direction of the discharge outlet.

[0021] This sealant nozzle device provides multiple flow straightening pieces in the nozzle's internal space to straighten the flow of sealant within the internal space. This allows the sealant to be discharged from the nozzle outlet with a generally uniform flow rate, thereby achieving a generally uniform discharge pressure across the same cross section. As a result, the sealant is prevented from peeling off and sagging or entering the opening of the workpiece after adhering to the workpiece's surface, preventing the workpiece's appearance from being adversely affected after the opening is sealed with the sealant.

[0022] Hereinafter, for convenience, a part of the body of an automobile will be referred to as a workpiece, and one embodiment of a technique for sealing an opening provided in this workpiece will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0023] In the drawings for explaining this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, a first direction, which is the horizontal direction, is indicated by an arrow X, a second direction, which is the up-down direction perpendicular to the first direction X, is indicated by an arrow Y, and a third direction, which is perpendicular to both the first direction X and the second direction Y, is indicated by an arrow Z.

[0024] (Embodiment 1) 1, the sealing equipment 1 according to the first embodiment is for sealing an opening 4 formed in a horizontal surface of a workpiece 3 constituting a vehicle body 2. Here, the workpiece 3 is typically a base material such as a member or reinforcement constituting the underbody of the vehicle body 2.

[0025] In the operation of sealing the opening 4 with a sealant, the workpiece 3 is positioned in advance so as to extend approximately horizontally in the first direction X. Typical examples of the opening 4 include an opening hole, a through-hole, a recess, and a space formed by a step or a gap (for example, a space defined by two step surfaces and a vertical surface connecting the two step surfaces). In this embodiment, the opening 4 is exemplified by a through-hole (opening diameter d) that is circular in plan view.

[0026] (Overall configuration of sealing equipment 1) The sealing equipment 1 includes, as its constituent elements, a nozzle device 10, a pump 11, a supply pipe 12, a nozzle guide 40, a cylinder device 60, a robot 70, and a control device 80.

[0027] The nozzle device 10 of the first embodiment is a sealant nozzle device used to seal an opening 4 of a workpiece 3 with a viscous sealant S, and is attached to and driven by a robot 70. The nozzle device 10 is connected to a pump 11 via a supply pipe 12. The sealant S is a fluid resin-based material. The pump 11 is a known fluid discharge pump configured to pressurize and discharge the sealant S. The pump 11 is electrically connected to a control device 80. The sealant S pressurized by the pump 11 is pumped through the supply pipe 12 to the nozzle device 10, and then discharged from the nozzle device 10 to the outside.

[0028] The nozzle device 10 has an inlet pipe section 20 and a nozzle 30. The inlet pipe section 20 is connected to the downstream end of the supply pipe 12. The inlet pipe section 20 has a flow path with a circular cross section. The nozzle 30 is connected to the downstream end of the inlet pipe section 20. The nozzle 30 has an inlet 31 through which the sealant S flows, an outlet 32, and an internal space 33 through which the sealant S flows from the inlet 31 to the outlet 32. In the nozzle 30 of this embodiment, the inlet 31 is circular, and the outlet 32 ​​is shaped like a wide slit.

[0029] The nozzle guide 40 is attached to the nozzle 30. The nozzle guide 40 is provided with an adjustment mechanism 50 that can adjust the attachment position relative to the nozzle 30. The nozzle guide 40 is also fixed to an arm tip 72 of a robot arm 71 of a robot 70 via a cylinder device 60. Therefore, the nozzle device 10 is indirectly held by the robot arm 71 via the nozzle guide 40 and the cylinder device 60.

[0030] The cylinder device 60 is an air cylinder device that uses the pressure of air, which is a fluid, to drive the nozzle guide 40. The cylinder device 60 is electrically connected to the control device 80. With the cylinder device 60, the relative position of the nozzle device 10 with respect to the nozzle guide 40 can be changed by raising and lowering the nozzle guide 40.

[0031] The robot 70 is configured as a multi-axis robot in which multiple drive axes are provided on a robot arm 71. The robot 70 is electrically connected to a control device 80. In the robot 70, the position and posture of an arm tip 72 of the robot arm 71 are controlled.

[0032] The control device 80 is configured with a known CPU, memory, input / output unit, etc. The control device 80 includes a robot control unit 81, a pump control unit 82, and a cylinder control unit 83.

[0033] The robot control unit 81 has a function of controlling the robot 70. The robot control unit 81 controls the robot 70 so that the arm tip 72 of the robot arm 71 moves according to a movement trajectory that has been taught in advance. As a result, the position and posture of the nozzle device 10 are adjusted to a desired state.

[0034] The pump control unit 82 has a function of controlling the pump 11. The pump control unit 82 controls the supply flow rate of the sealant S supplied to the nozzle device 10.

[0035] The cylinder control unit 83 has a function of controlling the cylinder device 60. By controlling the cylinder device 60, the cylinder control unit 83 can adjust the relative positions of the workpiece 3 and the nozzle device 10.

[0036] When using the sealing equipment 1 configured as described above, a control signal is output from the robot control unit 81 of the control device 80 to the robot 70 to adjust the position and posture of the arm tip 72 of the robot arm 71. This allows the nozzle device 10 to approach the workpiece 3 from below. At this time, the nozzle device 10 is positioned facing upward so that the discharge port 32 of the nozzle 30 faces the peripheral area of ​​the opening 4 of the workpiece 3.

[0037] (Characteristics of sealant S) As the sealant S, a resin-based sealant (for example, a resin such as vinyl chloride) is typically used, which has fluidity at room temperature and a static viscosity that allows it to maintain its shape after application at room temperature. This sealant S has a shear rate of 4.2 [s ], which corresponds to the static viscosity at room temperature. -1 It is preferable that the viscosity at room temperature is 120 [Pa.s] or more. Furthermore, it is preferable that this sealing agent S has thixotropy to improve fluidity at room temperature. The "room temperature" referred to here is typically a temperature in the range of 20 to 30 [°C].

[0038] 2, the "thixotropy" of the sealant S refers to the property of decreasing viscosity as the shear rate decreases. According to such thixotropy, the viscosity of the sealant S decreases in a region where the shear rate of the sealant S is relatively high, while the viscosity of the sealant S increases in a region where the shear rate of the sealant S is relatively low.

[0039] If the sealant S has thixotropy, the application of discharge pressure by the pump 11 when the sealant S is discharged from the nozzle device 10 causes the sealant S in the nozzle device 10 to flow, increasing the shear rate of the sealant S. At this time, the viscosity of the sealant S temporarily decreases, allowing the sealant S to maintain a constant level of fluidity. Therefore, the discharge performance of the sealant S in the nozzle device 10 can be improved.

[0040] Furthermore, when the sealant S is discharged from the nozzle device 10 and adheres to the workpiece 3, no external force acts on the sealant S, so the shear rate of the sealant S is lower than when it is discharged. At this time, the viscosity of the sealant S, which has thixotropy, increases, so the desired adhesion performance and shape retention performance of the sealant S can be ensured. In other words, once the sealant S has adhered to the workpiece 3, it is less likely to peel off or drip off the workpiece 3.

[0041] Shear rate is 4.2 [s -1 When the sealant S has a viscosity of 120 [Pa.s] or more at [°C], and further has thixotropy, it becomes possible to use a versatile and inexpensive pump 11 to discharge the sealant S. This makes it possible to keep the cost required for the sealing equipment 1 for carrying out the sealing method low.

[0042] By discharging the sealant S from the nozzle device 10, the worker can perform the sealing work without having to reach out to the opening 4 in the workpiece 3, thereby reducing the burden on the worker. Furthermore, by changing the discharging conditions of the sealant S, it is possible to perform the sealing work according to the position, size, shape, etc. of the opening 4 in the workpiece 3. The sealing work can be performed without being affected even if the workpiece 3 has unevenness. Furthermore, since there is no need to prepare and use sealing parts such as plugs for each type of opening 4, multiple types of sealing parts are not required, and the part costs for the sealing parts can be reduced.

[0043] (Nozzle guide 40 structure) 3, the nozzle guide 40 is indirectly attached to the nozzle 30 via the connecting member 21 and the inlet pipe portion 20. The nozzle guide 40 has an extending portion 41 that extends toward the outlet 32 ​​of the nozzle 30 when the nozzle 30 is attached. When the third direction Z is defined as the left-right direction, the extending portion 41 has two guide arms 42, a guide roller 43, and a connecting member 44 that are spaced apart in the left-right direction.

[0044] 3 and 4, the guide rollers 43 are supported rotatably about rotation shafts 42b provided at the extending tip ends 42a of the guide arms 42. Each guide roller 43 has an outer periphery 43a as a protruding part that always protrudes in the discharge direction E1 beyond the discharge outlet 32 ​​of the nozzle 30 when the nozzle guide 40 is attached to the nozzle 30. As a result, when the opening 4 of the workpiece 3 is sealed with the sealant S, if the outer periphery 43a of the guide roller 43 is pressed against the surface 3a to be coated of the workpiece 3, a constant distance L (see FIG. 4) can be physically ensured between the surface 3a to be coated of the workpiece 3 and the tip end 30a of the nozzle 30.

[0045] According to this embodiment, the gap L is uniquely determined by pressing the outer periphery 43a of the guide roller 43 against the coating surface 3a of the workpiece 3, so there is no need for labor such as fine-tuning the position of the arm tip 72 of the robot arm 71 to adjust the gap. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, it is not necessary to use electronic device sensors to adjust the gap L. This has the advantages of improving maintainability compared to using electronic device sensors, and keeping the device cost low due to the simple structure.

[0046] In this embodiment, the nozzle guide 40 is configured such that two guide rollers 43 are disposed on either side of the nozzle 30 in the third direction Z, sandwiching the nozzle 30 therebetween. This configuration stabilizes the movement of the nozzle 30 in the feed direction E2 (see FIG. 5 ) while maintaining a physically constant distance L between the application surface 3 a of the workpiece 3 and the tip 30 a of the nozzle 30. This makes it possible to obtain the desired sealing quality of the opening 4 of the workpiece 3 with the sealant S using a simple structure.

[0047] 3 and 4, the connecting member 44 connects the two guide arms 42 of the extension portion 41. Therefore, the connecting member 44 is a member on the nozzle guide 40 side. This connecting member 44 is attached to the plate member 22 via the adjustment mechanism 50. The plate member 22 is connected to the inlet pipe portion 20 of the nozzle device 10 via the connecting member 21. Therefore, the plate member 22 is a member on the nozzle device 10 side that is integrated with the nozzle device 10.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 5, each guide roller 43 of the extension portion 41 is configured to roll on the coating surface 3a of the workpiece 3 as the nozzle guide 40 moves in the feed direction E2 across the opening 4 while pressed against the coating surface 3a. Therefore, the nozzle guide 40 is configured so that the guide rollers 43 roll on the coating surface 3a, thereby maintaining a constant distance L (see FIG. 4) between the discharge port 32 of the nozzle 30 and the coating surface 3a. This configuration prevents the tip 30a of the nozzle 30 from contacting the coating surface 3a of the workpiece 3 and minimizes resistance between the guide rollers 43 and the coating surface 3a, preventing the coating surface 3a of the workpiece 3 from being scratched by the nozzle 30 or nozzle guide 40. As an additional measure, a protective film may be attached to the guide rollers 43 to prevent scratches.

[0049] Furthermore, the nozzle guide 40 of this embodiment is configured to be rotatable in a rotation direction E3, in which the discharge angle α of the discharge port 32 relative to the coating surface 3a is changed, with the pressing portion 43b as a fulcrum, while the guide rollers 43 of the extension portion 41 are pressed against the coating surface 3a of the workpiece 3. According to this configuration, by rotating the nozzle guide 40 in the rotation direction E3, the discharge angle α of the discharge port 32 of the nozzle 30 can be changed as desired.

[0050] In this embodiment, it is preferable to fix the orientation of the nozzle 30 so that the discharge angle α of the discharge port 32 is within a range of approximately 70° to 90°. The discharge angle α in this case is defined as the angle between the discharge direction E1 of the sealant S and the first direction X. If the nozzle 30 is fixed in a state inclined with respect to the opening plane of the opening 4 of the workpiece 3 and moved in the feed direction E2, it becomes easy to adjust the supply balance of the sealant S when it adheres to the application surface 3a of the workpiece 3.

[0051] (Structure of adjustment mechanism 50) As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the adjustment mechanism 50 allows the attachment position of the nozzle guide 40 relative to the nozzle 30 to be adjusted. The adjustment mechanism 50 includes guide holes 51 and 52 (see Figure 3), screw holes 53 and 54 (see Figure 4), and fastening members 55 and 56 (see Figures 3 and 4). These drawings illustrate the structure of the adjustment mechanism 50 for the sake of convenience, with the aim of conceptually explaining the function of enabling adjustment of the relative positions of the connecting member 44 and the plate member 22 in the second direction Y and in the third direction Z. For this reason, when actually designing the adjustment mechanism 50, it is preferable to appropriately refer to known position adjustment structures for the detailed structure.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 3, the guide holes 51, 52 are provided in the plate member 22, which is a component on the nozzle device 10 side. Both of the two guide holes 51 are horizontally elongated holes with the third direction Z as their longitudinal direction. These two guide holes 51 are arranged side by side in the third direction Z with a gap between them. In contrast, both of the two guide holes 52 are vertically elongated holes with the second direction Y as their longitudinal direction. These two guide holes 52 are arranged side by side in the third direction Z with a gap between them.

[0053] 4, the screw holes 53, 54 are provided in the connecting member 44, which is a member on the nozzle guide 40 side. The two screw holes 53 are spaced apart and arranged side by side in the third direction Z. Similarly, the two screw holes 54 are spaced apart and arranged side by side in the third direction Z.

[0054] 3 and 4, each of the two fastening members 55 has a screw shaft 55a that threads into the screw hole 53 of the connecting member 44 through the guide hole 51 of the plate member 22. Similarly, each of the two fastening members 56 has a screw shaft 56a that threads into the screw hole 54 of the connecting member 44 through the guide hole 52 of the plate member 22.

[0055] In the adjustment mechanism 50 configured as described above, when adjusting the relative position of the connecting member 44 and the plate member 22 in the third direction Z, the two fastening members 56 are removed and only the two fastening members 55 are used. The connecting member 44 and the plate member 22 are moved relatively in the third direction Z using the two guide holes 51, and then the screw shafts 55a of each fastening member 55 are threaded into the corresponding screw holes 53 to fasten and fix the connecting member 44 and the plate member 22. This makes it possible to adjust the relative position of the connecting member 44 and the plate member 22 in the third direction Z.

[0056] Furthermore, in the adjustment mechanism 50 configured as described above, when adjusting the relative position of the connecting member 44 and the plate member 22 in the second direction Y, only two fastening members 56 are used, without using two fastening members 55. The connecting member 44 and the plate member 22 are moved relatively in the second direction Y using the two guide holes 52, and then the screw shafts 56a of each fastening member 56 are threaded into the corresponding screw holes 54 to fasten and fix the connecting member 44 and the plate member 22. This makes it possible to adjust the relative position of the connecting member 44 and the plate member 22 in the second direction Y.

[0057] According to the adjustment mechanism 50 configured as described above, in particular, by adjusting the relative position of the connecting member 44 and the plate member 22 in the second direction Y, it becomes possible to arbitrarily adjust the distance L (see Figure 4) between the application surface 3a of the workpiece 3 and the tip 30a of the nozzle 30.

[0058] As a modification of the adjustment mechanism 50 configured as described above, screw holes 53 and 54 may be provided in the plate member 22, and guide holes 51 and 52 may be provided in the connecting member 44. Also, either the combination of guide hole 51, screw hole 53, and fastening member 55 or the combination of guide hole 52, screw hole 54, and fastening member 56 may be omitted. Furthermore, if necessary, a structure in which the adjustment mechanism 50 itself is omitted may be adopted.

[0059] (Structure of cylinder device 60) 3, the cylinder device 60 is a device for driving the nozzle 30 by utilizing the pressure of air, which is a compressible fluid. The cylinder device 60 includes a cylinder 61 that houses a piston 61a so that the piston 61a can reciprocate in the second direction Y, a rod 62, and a movable member 63 that is joined to the plate member 22 and attached to the cylinder 61 via the rod 62. The cylinder device 60 is capable of driving the nozzle 30 together with the nozzle guide 40 in the second direction Y by controlling the pressure of the air in the cylinder 61 to move the piston 61a in the second direction Y.

[0060] With the cylinder device 60 configured as described above, it is possible to appropriately adjust the position of the discharge port 32 of the nozzle 30 relative to the coating surface 3a of the workpiece 3. Furthermore, with the guide roller 43 of the nozzle guide 40 pressed against the coating surface 3a of the workpiece 3, vibrations transmitted from the workpiece 3 can be absorbed by the compressibility of the air inside the cylinder 61 of the cylinder device 60. Therefore, the cylinder device 60 has both the original function of driving the nozzle 30 using air pressure and the function of a vibration absorption mechanism that absorbs vibrations of the nozzle 30 by the compressibility of air.

[0061] In addition, the cylinder device 60 configured as described above may be configured to use a fluid other than air, such as hydraulic oil, to drive the nozzle 30. Also, an elastic member or cushioning material (shock absorber) capable of absorbing vibrations of the nozzle 30 may be newly provided separately from the cylinder device 60, or may be provided in place of the cylinder device 60. Also, if necessary, the cylinder device 60 itself may be omitted, and a structure may be adopted in which the arm tip 72 of the robot arm 71 is directly fixed to the plate member 22.

[0062] (Sealing operation of opening 4) When sealing the opening 4 of the workpiece 3, the robot arm 71 of the robot 70 is controlled to move the nozzle 30 of the nozzle device 10 in the feed direction E2. This makes it possible to automate and speed up the sealing operation of the opening 4 of the workpiece 3. At this time, the nozzle 30 moves in the feed direction E2 while maintaining constant the distance L between its discharge port 32 and the application surface 3a of the workpiece 3, the discharge angle α of the discharge port 32, and the discharge pressure of the sealant S.

[0063] Therefore, in the sealing operation of the opening 4 of the workpiece 3, the nozzle 30 discharges the sealant S from its discharge port 32 in the discharge direction E1 at a constant discharge angle α, causing it to adhere to the workpiece 3, and then moves in the feed direction E2 while maintaining this discharge state. This allows the sealant S extending from the initial adhesion point on the workpiece 3 to block the opening 4 and achieve good resin sealing. Note that it is preferable to conduct a sealing test of the opening 4 in advance and then appropriately set the interval L, discharge angle α, and discharge pressure to values ​​that will allow the opening 4 to be sealed well.

[0064] (Nozzle 30 structure) 6, the nozzle 30 of the first embodiment is a wide nozzle, and has a wide discharge port 32 in which the opening width w in the opening width direction N2 exceeds the opening height h in the opening height direction N1. The discharge port 32 of the nozzle 30 is formed so that the opening height h is equivalent to or less than the target set film thickness, and the opening width w exceeds the opening diameter d (see FIG. 1) of the opening 4 in the workpiece 3. Here, the opening height direction N1 and the opening width direction N2 are both perpendicular to the longitudinal direction N3 of the nozzle 30.

[0065] For example, when the nozzle device 10 is positioned so that the discharge port 32 of the nozzle 30 faces upward, the sealant S is continuously discharged from the discharge port 32 in a band shape with a width sufficient to cover the opening 4 of the workpiece 3. At this time, after being discharged, the sealant S is affected by gravity and curves so that the discharge tip side hangs down.

[0066] Since the opening height h of the discharge port 32 of the nozzle 30 roughly corresponds to the thickness of the strip-shaped sealant S after discharge, this is effective in controlling the seal thickness of the opening 4 of the workpiece 3 to be roughly constant. At this time, by applying the sealant S evenly to the opening 4 of the workpiece 3 and its surrounding area without spreading it, the sealing performance of the opening 4 can be improved.

[0067] Although the value of the opening diameter d of the opening 4 is not particularly limited, a typical vehicle body 2 is provided with a relatively large number of openings 4 with opening diameters d ranging from φ10 to φ25, including openings 4 with opening diameters d of about φ10. The opening width w of the discharge port 32 of the nozzle 30 is determined according to the opening diameter d of the target opening 4. When the opening diameter d is smaller than the opening width w, the opening 4 can be sealed with the sealant S.

[0068] The opening 4 may have a shape other than a circle in a plan view (for example, an ellipse or a polygon). In this case, the opening diameter d may be interpreted as the maximum opening diameter of the opening 4, and the discharge port 32 of the nozzle 30 may be configured so that its opening height h is equivalent to or less than the target set film thickness and its opening width w is equal to or greater than the maximum opening diameter.

[0069] 7, the nozzle 30 has two inner wall surfaces 33a, 33b that define the opening width direction N2 of the internal space 33. The two inner wall surfaces 33a, 33b are wall surfaces that face each other in the opening width direction N2 across the internal space 33. The two inner wall surfaces 33a, 33b have a curved shape that bulges outward in the opening width direction N2 between the inlet 31 and the outlet 32. By forming the two inner wall surfaces 33a, 33b in such a curved shape, the sealant S can be more easily retained in the internal space 33 while being diffused in the opening width direction N2.

[0070] 9, the nozzle 30 has two inner wall surfaces 34, 35 that define the opening height direction N1 of the internal space 33. The two inner wall surfaces 34, 35 are wall surfaces that face each other in the opening height direction N1 across the internal space 33. The two inner wall surfaces 34, 35 form a straight line between the inlet 31 and the outlet 32.

[0071] As shown in Figure 7, when the nozzle 30 is viewed from the opening height direction N1, the dimension of the internal space 33 in the opening width direction N2 gradually increases from the inlet 31 side toward the outlet 32 ​​side. The internal space 33 expands in a curved, convex shape outward in the opening width direction N2 from the inlet 31 side toward the outlet 32 ​​side. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, when the nozzle 30 is viewed from the opening width direction N2, the dimension of the internal space 33 in the opening height direction N1 gradually decreases from the inlet 31 side toward the outlet 32 ​​side.

[0072] For this reason, the nozzle 30 is configured so that its internal space 33 serves as a retention region having a flow path cross-sectional area greater than that of the discharge port 32. That is, as shown in Fig. 10, when the opening area Pa of the discharge port 32 is compared with the flow path cross-sectional area Pb of the internal space 33, the flow path cross-sectional area Pb is larger than the opening area Pa. The flow path cross-sectional area Pb is the area of ​​the flow path cross section whose normal direction is the discharge direction E1.

[0073] 8 and 9, a plurality of rectifying pieces 36, 37 are provided on the tip end 30a side of the internal space 33 of the nozzle 30. Each of the plurality of rectifying pieces 36, 37 is a plate-like portion whose thickness direction is the opening width direction N2, and extends toward the discharge port 32 along the longitudinal direction N3 (the flow direction of the sealant S). The number and shape of the rectifying pieces 36, 37 are not particularly limited and can be changed as needed.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 11 , the flow rectifying pieces 36 protrude upward toward the inner wall surface 34, with the inner wall surface 35 as their base end, and are provided so as to form a gap between them and the inner wall surface 34. In contrast, the flow rectifying pieces 37 protrude downward toward the inner wall surface 35, with the inner wall surface 34 as their base end, and are provided so as to form a gap between them and the inner wall surface 35. The flow rectifying pieces 36 and 37 are alternately arranged at intervals 38 in the opening width direction N2. By providing a gap between the flow rectifying pieces 36 and the inner wall surface 34 and a gap between the flow rectifying pieces 37 and the inner wall surface 35, it is possible to prevent the flow of sealant S in the internal space 33 from being split into multiple flows by the flow rectifying pieces 36 and 37. Furthermore, alternately arranging the flow rectifying pieces 36 and 37 is effective in preventing the flow of sealant S toward the discharge port 32 from being biased upward or downward in the opening height direction N1.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 9 , the two inner wall surfaces 34, 35 of the nozzle 30 are provided with outlet flat surfaces 34a, 35a arranged parallel to each other. The outlet flat surface 34a is a flat surface formed on the inner wall surface 34 in a boundary region between the outlet 32 ​​and the nozzle 30. The outlet flat surface 35a is a flat surface formed on the inner wall surface 35 in a boundary region between the outlet 32 ​​and the nozzle 30. By providing the outlet flat surfaces 34a, 35a on the nozzle 30, the flow of the sealant S can be regulated and guided so that the sealant S is discharged linearly along the discharge direction E1. This prevents the discharged sealant S from diffusing in the opening height direction N1. The provision of the outlet flat surfaces 34a, 35a is effective in maintaining the shape of the discharged sealant S and increasing the directionality of the sealant S.

[0076] Here, the flow of the sealant S in the internal space 33 of the nozzle 30 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0077] 12, when the inlet 31 has a circular shape, a first flow Fa having a high flow velocity in the central portion in the opening width direction N2 is formed in the region immediately below the inlet 31 in the internal space 33. Furthermore, a second flow Fb, which is a diffusing flow in which the flow of the sealant S diffuses outward in the opening width direction N2, is formed in the region immediately below the first flow Fa. This makes it possible to minimize the difference in flow velocity of the sealant S occurring between the central portion and both sides in the opening width direction N2 in the internal space 33 of the nozzle 30. The reason why the second flow Fb is a diffusing flow is that the internal space 33 is a retention region that expands outward in the opening width direction N2 in a curved, convex shape, as described above.

[0078] In this embodiment, since the plurality of flow straightening pieces 36, 37 are provided in the internal space 33 of the nozzle 30, the third flow Fc, which is formed as a turbulent flow in the region directly below the second flow Fb, interferes with the plurality of flow straightening pieces 36, 37 and is then straightened as it passes through the gap 38 between the flow straightening pieces 36 and 37, becoming a fourth flow Fd, which is a minute vortex flow. Then, this fourth flow Fd is narrowed near the discharge port 32 (see FIG. 9 ), which has a shape whose dimension in the opening height direction N1 is gradually reduced, and then becomes a fifth flow Fe, which is discharged from the discharge port 32.

[0079] This allows the sealant S to be discharged from the discharge port 32 with its flow rate kept generally uniform across the entire opening of the discharge port 32, and allows the discharge pressure at the same cross section of the sealant S to be maintained generally uniform. If the discharge pressure can be maintained generally uniform, the cross-sectional shape of the sealant S after discharge can be maintained as a constant cross-sectional shape corresponding to the opening shape of the discharge port 32, and it is possible to prevent the sealant S from being continuously discharged in a twisted state from the discharge port 32 of the nozzle 30.

[0080] Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a phenomenon (hereinafter referred to as "the first phenomenon") in which the sealant S cannot be evenly applied to the application surface 3a of the workpiece 3, causing part of the sealant S to peel off and droop from the application surface 3a. In addition, the discharge pressure of the sealant S from the discharge port 32 can be reduced by the amount that the twisted state of the sealant S can be prevented, and it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a phenomenon (hereinafter referred to as "the second phenomenon") in which the sealant S enters the opening 4 of the workpiece 3 due to the high discharge pressure.

[0081] By suppressing the occurrence of the second phenomenon, it is possible to prevent the film thickness of the sealant S from becoming unstable and the sealing strength of the opening 4 of the workpiece 3 from decreasing. In addition, by suppressing the occurrence of the first and second phenomena, it is possible to prevent the appearance of the workpiece 3 from becoming poor after the opening 4 is sealed.

[0082] According to the above-described first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0083] In the nozzle device 10 of the first embodiment, the viscous sealant S flows into the nozzle 30 through the inlet 31. The sealant S then flows through the internal space 33 of the nozzle 30 from the inlet 31 side toward the outlet 32 ​​side, and is then discharged to the outside through the wide outlet 32. At this time, the internal space 33 of the nozzle 30 is made to be a retention region having a flow path cross-sectional area Pb that exceeds the opening area Pa of the outlet 32. Therefore, the sealant S can be temporarily retained in the internal space 33 of the nozzle 30, and then discharged in a state where its flow is narrowed at the outlet 32.

[0084] This makes it possible to stabilize the discharge state of the sealant S by making the pressure of the sealant S discharged from the discharge port 32 of the nozzle 30 roughly uniform across the entire opening, and to make the cross-sectional shape of the sealant S after discharge roughly constant. Furthermore, by making the discharge port 32 of the nozzle 30 wide, the opening 4 of the workpiece 3 can be sealed with a stable film thickness of the sealant S. This makes it possible to uniformly apply the sealant S to the application surface 3a around the opening 4 of the workpiece 3, and prevents the sealant S from entering the opening 4 of the workpiece 3 and forming a recessed shape.

[0085] As described above, according to the first embodiment, it is possible to provide the nozzle device 10 that has excellent sealing performance when sealing the opening 4 of the workpiece 3 with the viscous sealant S.

[0086] According to the nozzle device 10 of embodiment 1, by making both sides of the internal space 33 of the nozzle 30 curved convex outward in the opening width direction N2, a diffusion flow can be formed in the internal space 33, diffusing the flow of the sealant S outward in the opening width direction N2, and the difference in flow speed of the sealant S occurring between the central part of the internal space 33 in the opening width direction N2 and its both side parts can be kept small.

[0087] According to the nozzle device 10 of the first embodiment, by providing outlet flat surfaces 34a, 35a on two inner wall surfaces 34, 35 facing each other in the opening height direction E1 of the nozzle 30, it is possible to regulate and guide the flow of the sealant S so that the sealant S is discharged linearly along the discharge direction E1. This makes it possible to prevent the discharged sealant S from diffusing in the opening height direction N1. As a result, it is possible to maintain the shape of the sealant S and improve the directionality of the sealant S.

[0088] According to the nozzle device 10 of the first embodiment, by providing a plurality of flow straightening pieces 36, 37 in the internal space 33 of the nozzle 30, the flow of the sealant S generated in the internal space 33 can be straightened. Therefore, the sealant S can be discharged from the discharge port 32 of the nozzle 30 with a substantially uniform flow rate, and the discharge pressure of the sealant S at the same cross section can be substantially uniform. As a result, the sealant S can be prevented from peeling off and dripping or from entering the opening 4 of the workpiece 3 after it has once adhered to the application surface 3a of the workpiece 3, and the appearance of the workpiece 3 can be prevented from being poor after the opening 4 is sealed with the sealant S.

[0089] It should be noted that the nozzle device 10 of embodiment 1 can also change the structure of the multiple flow straightening pieces 36, 37. For example, a structure in which either the flow straightening pieces 36 or the flow straightening pieces 37 are omitted, or a structure in which both the flow straightening pieces 36 and the flow straightening pieces 37 are omitted, can be employed.

[0090] Next, other embodiments related to the above-described embodiment 1 will be described with reference to the drawings. In the other embodiments, the same elements as those in the above-described embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the same elements will be omitted.

[0091] (Embodiment 2) 13 , the nozzle device 110 of the second embodiment differs from the nozzle device 10 of the first embodiment in the structure of the tip portion 130a of the nozzle 130. The nozzle device 110 is configured such that the inner wall surface 34, which is one of the two inner wall surfaces 34, 35 at the discharge port 32 of the nozzle 130, protrudes further in the discharge direction E1 of the sealant S than the other inner wall surface 35. That is, the region of the tip portion 130a of the nozzle 130 on the inner wall surface 34 side protrudes further toward the tip than the region on the inner wall surface 35 side. In this embodiment, the tip portion 130a of the nozzle 130 is provided with a one-side facing region 39 that faces only the inner wall surface 34 of the two inner wall surfaces 34, 35 in the opening height direction N1.

[0092] The other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0093] According to the nozzle device 110 of the second embodiment, the sealant S discharged from the discharge port 32 of the nozzle 130 deviates from the inner wall surface 35 in the one-side facing region 39, and then flows along only the inner wall surface 34, of the two inner wall surfaces 34, 35, which protrudes in the protruding direction E1 beyond the inner wall surface 35. Therefore, the sealant S flows while changing direction from the original discharge direction E1 to a deflected direction E1' deflected toward the protruding inner wall surface 34 side (upward in FIG. 13).

[0094] Therefore, by providing the one-side facing region 39 at the tip 130a of the nozzle 130, the flow direction of the sealant S discharged from the discharge port 32 of the nozzle 30 can be changed from the discharge direction E1 to the deflected direction E1'.

[0095] In addition, the same effects as those of the first embodiment are achieved.

[0096] As a modification of the nozzle 130 of the second embodiment, a structure can be adopted in which the outlet flat surfaces 34a, 35a of the two inner wall surfaces 34, 35 are replaced with outlet flat surfaces that are not parallel to each other.

[0097] (Embodiment 3) As shown in Figure 14, the nozzle device 210 of the third embodiment differs from the nozzle device 10 of the first embodiment in the structure of the nozzle guide 140. The nozzle guide 140 has two guide arms 42, but does not have the guide roller 43 (see Figure 3) of the first embodiment. The extending tip 42a of each guide arm 42 is a protrusion that always protrudes in the discharge direction E1 beyond the discharge port 32 of the nozzle 30 when the nozzle guide 40 is attached to the nozzle 30. At this time, to prevent the extending tip 42a of each guide arm 42 from scratching the coating surface 3a of the workpiece 3, it is preferable to attach a protective film to the surface of the extending tip 42a to prevent scratching.

[0098] The other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0099] According to the nozzle device 210 of the third embodiment, when the opening 4 of the workpiece 3 is sealed with the sealant S, the extending tip 42a of the guide arm 42 is pressed against the coating surface 3a of the workpiece 3, so that a constant distance L (see FIG. 4) can be maintained between the coating surface 3a of the workpiece 3 and the tip 30a of the nozzle 30. Furthermore, by omitting the guide roller 43, the structure of the nozzle guide 140 can be simplified.

[0100] In addition, the same effects as those of the first embodiment are achieved.

[0101] If necessary, the structure of the nozzle guide 140 of the third embodiment can be applied to the structure of the nozzle guide 40 of the first and second embodiments.

[0102] The present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described above, and various applications and modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the following embodiments can be implemented by applying the above embodiments.

[0103] In the above embodiment, the nozzle 30 is provided with the nozzle guide 40, but if necessary, a structure in which the nozzle guide 40 is omitted can also be adopted.

[0104] In the above embodiment, an example is given of using the robot arm 71 to move the nozzle device 10, 110, 210 in the feed direction E2, but instead, a drive device can be used that slides the nozzle device 10, 110, 210 in the feed direction E2 along a slide rail (not shown).

[0105] In the above embodiment, the case where the sealant S is discharged upward from the bottom surface side of the workpiece 3 extending in the horizontal direction by the upward facing nozzle device 10, 110, 210 has been exemplified, but instead of this, a structure in which the sealant S is discharged downward from the top surface side of the workpiece 3 extending in the horizontal direction by the downward facing nozzle device 10, 110, 210, or a structure in which the sealant S is discharged sideways from the side surface side of the workpiece extending in the vertical direction by the side facing nozzle device 10, 110, 210, can be employed. In this case, the surface of the workpiece 3 to which the sealant S is applied may be a horizontal surface or a vertical surface.

[0106] In the above embodiment, an example was given of a technology for sealing the opening 4 of the workpiece 3 that constitutes the underbody of the vehicle body 2 with a sealant S, but the sealing location is not limited to this, and this technology can also be applied to a technology for sealing the opening of a part that constitutes an element of the vehicle body 2 other than the underbody with a sealant S, or a technology for sealing the opening provided in a part that constitutes an object other than an automobile with a sealant S.

[0107] In view of the above-mentioned embodiments and various modifications, the present invention can adopt the following aspects.

[0108] (Aspect 1) A sealant nozzle device used to seal an opening of a workpiece with a viscous sealant, a nozzle having an inlet through which the sealant flows, a wide discharge outlet having an opening width greater than the opening diameter of the opening, and an internal space through which the sealant flows from the inlet to the discharge outlet, the internal space of the nozzle is a retention region having a flow path cross-sectional area greater than an opening area of ​​the discharge port, the nozzle has two inner wall surfaces that face each other in the opening height direction across the internal space, and the two inner wall surfaces are provided with outlet flat surfaces that are arranged parallel to each other, The nozzle has a plurality of straightening pieces provided in the internal space, and the plurality of straightening pieces all extend toward the discharge outlet and are arranged at intervals in the opening width direction of the discharge outlet.

[0109] (Aspect 2) A sealant nozzle device used to seal an opening of a workpiece with a viscous sealant, a nozzle having an inlet through which the sealant flows, a wide discharge outlet having an opening width greater than the opening diameter of the opening, and an internal space through which the sealant flows from the inlet to the discharge outlet, the internal space of the nozzle is a retention region having a flow path cross-sectional area greater than an opening area of ​​the discharge port, the nozzle has two inner wall surfaces that face each other in the opening height direction across the internal space, and one of the two inner wall surfaces protrudes more than the other at the discharge port in the discharge direction of the sealant, The nozzle has a plurality of straightening pieces provided in the internal space, and the plurality of straightening pieces all extend toward the discharge outlet and are arranged at intervals in the opening width direction of the discharge outlet. [Explanation of symbols]

[0110] 3 Work 4 Openings 10,110,210 Nozzle device (nozzle device for sealant) 30,130 nozzles 31 Inlet 32 Discharge port 33 Internal space (retention area) 34,35 Inner wall surface 34a,35a Exit flat part d Opening diameter E1 Discharge direction N1 Opening height direction N2 Opening width direction Pa opening area Pb flow path cross-sectional area S Sealant w Opening width

Claims

1. A sealant nozzle device used to seal an opening of a workpiece with a viscous sealant, a nozzle having an inlet through which the sealant flows, a wide discharge outlet having an opening width greater than the opening diameter of the opening, and an internal space through which the sealant flows from the inlet to the discharge outlet, the internal space of the nozzle is a retention region having a flow path cross-sectional area greater than an opening area of ​​the discharge port, the nozzle has two inner wall surfaces that face each other across the internal space in an opening width direction of the discharge outlet and that form curved shapes that bulge outward in the opening width direction between the inlet and the discharge outlet, and two inner wall surfaces that face each other across the internal space in an opening height direction of the discharge outlet and that form linear shapes between the inlet and the discharge outlet, A sealant nozzle device, wherein the internal space of the nozzle expands in a curved convex shape outward in the opening width direction as it moves from the inlet side toward the outlet side when the nozzle is viewed from the opening height direction of the outlet.

2. A nozzle device for sealant as described in claim 1, wherein the internal space of the nozzle, when viewed from the opening width direction, gradually reduces in dimension in the opening height direction as it moves from the inlet to the outlet.

3. A nozzle device for sealant as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the two inner wall surfaces facing each other in the opening height direction are provided with outlet plane portions arranged parallel to each other.

4. 4. The sealant nozzle device according to claim 3, wherein the nozzle is configured such that one of the two inner wall surfaces facing each other in the opening height direction at the discharge port protrudes in the discharge direction of the sealant more than the other.

5. A sealant nozzle device used to seal an opening of a workpiece with a viscous sealant, a nozzle having an inlet through which the sealant flows, a wide discharge outlet having an opening width greater than the opening diameter of the opening, and an internal space through which the sealant flows from the inlet to the discharge outlet, the internal space of the nozzle is a retention region having a flow path cross-sectional area greater than an opening area of ​​the discharge port, the nozzle has two inner wall surfaces that face each other in an opening height direction of the nozzle across the internal space, and the two inner wall surfaces are provided with outlet flat surfaces that are arranged parallel to each other, The nozzle is configured so that one of the two inner wall surfaces at the discharge port protrudes more than the other in the discharge direction of the sealant.

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