Assembly jig

Abstract

To surely fix both of two components with predetermined fixing force, when the components are fixed in a state where the fixed surfaces are aligned.SOLUTION: An assembly jig 1 includes: a first support part 10 where an EGR cooler 100 is set; a second support part 20 where an EGR body 200 is set; a slide mechanism (slide base 3) which makes the first support part 10 relatively slidable to the second support part 20 in a direction at which fixed surfaces 103a and 203a of both of components approach / separate; and a rotary mechanism (second clamp means 23) for making the second support part 20 relatively rotatable around a rotary axis L with respect to the first support part 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an assembly jig used for fixing two parts.

Background Art

[0002] For example, an EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) device provided in an internal combustion engine includes components such as an EGR body, an EGR cooler, and an EGR pipe. These components are usually fixed with bolts manually by an operator. However, when these components are fixed manually, due to assembly errors or the like, an error exceeding the tolerance occurs in the relative position of the mounting portions of each component to the engine, and there is a risk that the EGR device cannot be attached to the engine.

[0003] Therefore, the following Patent Document 1 shows a jig used for assembling an EGR device. By fixing adjacent components with bolts in a state where each component is set on the jig at a predetermined position and posture, the assembly accuracy of the EGR device can be improved.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The components of the EGR device are secured with bolts, with their respective mounting surfaces facing each other. When the components are set in the jig described above, if the mounting surfaces of adjacent components are not perfectly parallel but slightly inclined, a small gap will be created between the mounting surfaces when the bolts are fastened. In this case, when the assembled EGR device is removed from the jig, the fastening force (torque) of the bolts will decrease by the amount of the gap, which may lead to a fastening failure due to insufficient torque.

[0006] The above-described situation can occur not only with EGR devices, but also when fixing two parts together with their fixed surfaces facing each other.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to securely fix two parts with a predetermined fixing force when fixing two parts with their fixed surfaces facing each other. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the aforementioned problems, the present invention provides an assembly jig for fixing a first component with a fixing surface and a second component with a fixing surface, while the two components are aligned. A first support portion on which the first component is set, The second component is set in a second support portion with the fixing surface of the first component and the fixing surface of the second component facing each other, A sliding mechanism is provided to allow the first support portion to slide relative to the second support portion in a direction that brings the fixing surface of the first component and the fixing surface of the second component closer together and further apart. The present invention provides an assembly jig comprising a rotation mechanism that allows the second support portion to rotate relative to the first support portion around a rotation axis.

[0009] The first and second components are set in the first and second support parts of the assembly jig described above. By sliding the first support part relative to the second support part using a sliding mechanism, the fixing surfaces of both components are brought closer together. Simultaneously, by rotating the second support part relative to the first support part using a rotation mechanism, the angle between the fixing surfaces of both components is adjusted, allowing them to be positioned parallel to each other. This allows the two components to be fixed with their fixing surfaces perfectly aligned, thus preventing a decrease in the fixing force of both components when they are removed from the assembly jig.

[0010] In the assembly jig described above, it is preferable that the first support portion has a first positioning pin inserted through a mounting hole provided in the first component, and the second support portion has a second positioning pin inserted through a mounting hole provided in the second component. In this way, by positioning each component using the mounting holes provided in each component, the positioning of each component can be performed at low cost and simply.

[0011] For example, each component constituting the EGR device is provided with a mounting surface for attachment to an engine or the like, in addition to the fixed surface mentioned above. If the distance between the mounting surfaces of each component to the engine differs from the design value, there is a risk that the EGR device cannot be assembled to the engine. Therefore, it is preferable that the first support part has a support surface that positions a reference surface (for example, the mounting surface to the engine) provided on the first component in the direction of rotation axis, and the second support part has a support surface that positions a reference surface (for example, the mounting surface to the engine) provided on the second component in the direction of rotation axis, and that both components can slide relative to each other by a sliding mechanism and rotate relative to each other by a rotating mechanism while the reference surfaces of the first and second components are positioned in the direction of rotation axis by the support surfaces of the first and second support parts. This makes it possible to slide or rotate both components relative to each other while maintaining the distance (rotation axis distance) between the reference surfaces of both components, thus preventing situations where assembled components cannot be assembled to other components such as an engine. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] As described above, the assembly jig of the present invention allows two parts to be fixed in a state where their fixing surfaces are perfectly aligned, thus ensuring that both parts are securely fixed with a predetermined fixing force. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a plan view of an assembly jig relating to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a side view of the assembly jig. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view of the clamping member of the assembly jig described above. [Figure 4] This is a plan view showing the workpiece set and clamped in the assembly jig described above. [Figure 5] Figure 4 is a side view of the assembly jig. [Figure 6] This is a plan view showing the workpiece (first component) slid into the assembly jig described above. [Figure 7] Figure 6 is a side view of the assembly jig. [Figure 8] This is a partially cross-sectional plan view showing, in detail, how the first component (EGR cooler) and the second component (EGR body) are bolted together. [Figure 9] This is a partial cross-sectional plan view showing the state after both parts have been bolted together. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

[0015] The assembling jig 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is for fixing an EGR cooler 100 (a first component) and an EGR body 200 (a second component), which are components of an EGR device. The EGR cooler 100 has a main body 101, a first bracket 102 attached to an engine, and a second bracket 103 attached to the EGR body 200. The EGR body 200 has a main body 201, a first bracket 202 attached to an engine, and a second bracket 203 attached to the EGR cooler 100. Mounting holes 102a and 202a into which bolts for attaching to the engine are inserted are provided in the first brackets 102 and 202. Fixing holes 103b and 203b into which bolts for fixing them to each other are inserted are provided in the second brackets 103 and 203 (see FIG. 8).

[0016] The assembling jig 1 includes a base 2, a slide table 3 as a slide mechanism slidably provided on the base 2, a first support portion 10 provided on the slide table 3 on which the EGR cooler 100 is set, and a second support portion 20 provided on the base 2 on which the EGR body 200 is set. In the illustrated example, the first support portion 10 is provided at one location, and the second support portion 20 is provided at two locations.

[0017] The slide table 3 is linearly slidable along a rail 4. The slide table 3 is slidable in a direction in which the fixing surface 103a of the EGR cooler 100 approaches and separates from the fixing surface 203a of the EGR body 200. In the present embodiment, the slide table 3 is slidable in a horizontal direction (the left - right direction in FIGS. 1 and 2) orthogonal to the fixing surfaces 103a and 203a of the EGR cooler 100 and the EGR body 200.

[0018] On the upper surface of the first support portion 10, a support surface 11 for supporting the EGR cooler 100 from below and a positioning pin 12 are provided. The support surface 11 of the first support portion 10 supports the first bracket 102 of the EGR cooler 100 from below. The positioning pin 12 is inserted into a mounting hole 102a provided in the first bracket 102 of the EGR cooler 100.

[0019] A first clamping means 13 is provided on the slide base 3 for clamping the EGR cooler 100 set on the first support portion 10. In the illustrated example, multiple first clamping means 13 are provided on the slide base 3. Note that in the side view of Figure 2, the first clamping means 13 located on the front side of the first support portion 10 is omitted (the same applies to the following side views). The first clamping means 13 has a base portion 13a fixed to the slide base 3, an arm 13b rotatably attached to the base portion 13a, and a pressing member 13d attached to the tip of the arm 13b via a shaft 13c. The first clamping means 13 has a mechanism (for example, a toggle mechanism) for fixing the arm 13b while the pressing member 13d is pressing the workpiece (EGR cooler 100).

[0020] The upper surface of the second support portion 20 is provided with a support surface 21 that supports the EGR body 200 from below, and a positioning pin 22. The support surface 21 of the second support portion 20 supports the first bracket 202 of the EGR body 200 from below. The positioning pin 22 is inserted into a mounting hole 202a provided in the first bracket 202 of the EGR body 200.

[0021] A second clamping means 23 is provided on the base 2 for clamping the EGR body 200 set on the second support portion 20. In the illustrated example, only one second clamping means 23 is provided, and only one part of the EGR body 200 is clamped. The second clamping means 23 has a base portion 23a fixed to the base 2, an arm 23b rotatably attached to the base portion 23a, and a pressing member 23d attached to the tip of the arm 23b via a shaft 23c. The second clamping means 23 has a mechanism (e.g., a toggle mechanism) for fixing the arm 23b while the pressing member 23d is pressing the workpiece (EGR body 200).

[0022] The retaining member 23d of the second clamping means 23 is mounted so as to be rotatable relative to the shaft 23c. For example, as shown in Figure 3, a large-diameter portion 23e is provided at the tip of the shaft 23c, and a hole 23f is provided in the retaining member 23d into which the large-diameter portion 23e of the shaft 23c is inserted. In the illustrated example, the inner surfaces of the large-diameter portion 23e and the hole 23f that contacts it are spherical. The diameter D1 of the opening of the hole 23f is slightly smaller than the diameter D2 of the large-diameter portion 23e of the shaft 23c. This restricts the retaining member 23d from coming off the shaft 23c, while allowing rotation of the shaft 23c around its axis L (rotation axis). When the workpiece is clamped by the second clamping means 23, the shaft 23c is pressed against the retaining member 23d, and the retaining member 23d is pressed against the workpiece. In this state, the workpiece and the clamping member 23d can be rotated integrally around the axis L with respect to the shaft 23c.

[0023] The retaining member 13d of the first clamping means 13 is mounted on the shaft 13c in a rotatable manner, similar to the second clamping means 23. However, since the retaining member 13d of the first clamping means 13 does not need to be rotated, it may be fixed to the shaft 13c.

[0024] The following describes the procedure for fixing the EGR cooler 100 and the EGR body 200 using the assembly jig 1 described above.

[0025] First, as shown by the dashed lines in Figures 1 and 2, the EGR cooler 100 and the EGR body 200 are set in the assembly jig 1. Specifically, the first bracket 102 of the EGR cooler 100 is placed on the support surface 11 of the first support part 10 while inserting the positioning pin 12 into the mounting hole 102a of the first bracket 102. This positions the EGR cooler 100 roughly horizontally by the positioning pin 12 and vertically by the support surface 11. Similarly, the first bracket 202 of the EGR body 200 is placed on the support surface 21 of the second support part 20 while inserting the positioning pin 22 into the mounting hole 202a of the first bracket 202. This positions the EGR body 200 roughly horizontally by the positioning pin 22 and vertically by the support surface 21. In this state, the fixing surface 103a provided on the second bracket 103 of the EGR cooler 100 and the fixing surface 203a provided on the second bracket 203 of the EGR body 200 are approximately parallel and facing each other in the horizontal direction (the direction of movement of the slide base 3).

[0026] Next, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the EGR cooler 100 is clamped with the first clamping means 13, and the EGR body 200 is clamped with the second clamping means 23. Specifically, the arms 13b of each first clamping means 13 are rotated to press down on the first bracket 102 of the EGR cooler 100 from above with the pressing member 13d. As a result, the first bracket 102 of the EGR cooler 100 is clamped from above and below by the pressing member 13d and the support surface 11 of the first support part 10. Similarly, the arms 23b of the second clamping means 23 are rotated to press down on the first bracket 202 of the EGR body 200 from above with the pressing member 23d. As a result, the first bracket 202 of the EGR body 200 is clamped from above and below by the pressing member 23d and the support surface 21 of the second support part 20.

[0027] In the illustrated example, the retaining member 23d of the second clamping means 23 presses from above around the mounting hole 202a in the EGR body 200 into which the positioning pin 22 is inserted. At this time, as shown by the dotted line in Figure 5, the upper end of the positioning pin 22, which is positioned below the retaining member 23d, is positioned below the upper surface of the second bracket 202, so the retaining member 23d can press from above around the mounting hole 102a of the second bracket 202.

[0028] As described above, the EGR cooler 100 is fixed in a non-rotatable state on the first support portion 10 because it is clamped by multiple first clamping means 13. On the other hand, the EGR body 200 is clamped at only one point by a single second clamping means 23, so it is allowed to rotate on the second support portion 20 around the portion held by the pressing member 23d of the second clamping means 23 (specifically, the axis L of the shaft 23c). In other words, the second clamping means 23 constitutes a rotation mechanism that allows the EGR body 200 to rotate around a vertical axis of rotation (axis L).

[0029] The lower surface of the second bracket 102 of the EGR cooler 100 becomes the mounting surface 102b that contacts the engine when it is attached to the engine, and also becomes the reference surface P that serves as the vertical reference when it is set on the first support part 10. Similarly, the lower surface of the second bracket 202 of the EGR body 200 becomes the mounting surface 202b that contacts the engine when it is attached to the engine, and also becomes the reference surface Q that serves as the vertical reference when it is set on the second support part 20. As described above, by clamping the second bracket 102 of the EGR cooler 100 from above and below with the first clamping means 13 and the support surface 11, the mounting surface 102b (reference surface P) of the second bracket 102 is positioned vertically. Similarly, by clamping the second bracket 202 of the EGR body 200 from above and below with the second clamping means 23 and the support surface 21, the mounting surface 202b (reference surface Q) of the second bracket 202 is positioned vertically. As described above, the distance (height difference) between the reference surface P of the EGR cooler 100 and the reference surface Q of the EGR body 200 matches the height difference of the support surfaces 11 and 21 (i.e., the height difference of the engine-side mounting surfaces to which the mounting surfaces 102b and 202b are attached), and both parts 100 and 200 are fixed to the support parts 10 and 20, respectively.

[0030] The diameters of the mounting holes 102a of the EGR cooler 100 and 202a of the EGR body 200 are slightly larger than the diameter of the bolts inserted when fixing them to the engine. Therefore, when attaching the EGR device to the engine, the EGR device can be moved relative to the engine to align it by the amount of play between the mounting holes 102a and 202a and the bolts in the radial direction of the mounting holes 102a and 202a. On the other hand, in the axial direction of the mounting holes 102a and 202a, that is, in the direction perpendicular to the mounting surfaces 102b and 202b (reference surfaces P and Q) (the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 4, and the vertical direction in Figure 5), it may not be possible to move the EGR device relative to the engine. In this case, as described above, by fixing both parts 100 and 200 with the distance (height difference) between the mounting surfaces 102b and 202b matching the height difference of the mounting surface on the engine side to which they are attached, it is possible to avoid a situation where the EGR device cannot be assembled to the engine.

[0031] With each component 100 and 200 fixed to the support parts 10 and 20 respectively, the slide base 3 is slid along the rail 4, bringing the fixing surface 103a of the second bracket 103 of the EGR cooler 100, which is set on the slide base 3, close to the fixing surface 203a of the second bracket 203 of the EGR body 200 (see Figures 6 and 7). Then, the slide base 3 is stopped either when the two fixing surfaces 103a and 203a come into contact, or just before they do.

[0032] Subsequently, as shown in Figure 8, bolts 300 are inserted through the fixing holes 103b of the second bracket 103 of the EGR cooler 100 and the fixing holes 203b of the second bracket 203 of the EGR body 200 and tightened. In this embodiment, bolts 300 are inserted from the EGR body 200 side (right side in Figure 8), and the tip of the bolt 300 is screwed into the thread groove formed on the inner circumferential surface of the fixing hole 103b of the EGR cooler 100 and tightened.

[0033] Incidentally, the fixing surface 103a of the EGR cooler 100 and the fixing surface 203a of the EGR body 200 are perpendicular to the mounting surfaces 102b and 202b (reference surfaces P and Q), respectively. Therefore, by pressing the mounting surfaces 102b and 202b against the support surface 11 of the first support part 10 and the support surface 21 of the second support part 20, as described above, both fixing surfaces 103a and 203a become vertical and parallel within the vertical plane. On the other hand, since there is a small gap between the mounting hole 102a of the EGR cooler 100 and the positioning pin 12, and between the mounting hole 202a of the EGR body 200 and the positioning pin 22, the horizontal positioning accuracy of the EGR cooler 100 and the EGR body 200 is not very high. Therefore, in the horizontal plane, as exaggeratedly shown in Figure 8, the fixed surface 103a of the EGR cooler 100 and the fixed surface 203a of the EGR body 200 may not be parallel to each other, but may be slightly inclined.

[0034] In this embodiment, as described above, the EGR body 200 fixed to the second support portion 20 is rotatable about the portion held down by the pressing member 23d of the second clamping means 23 (specifically, the axis L of the shaft 23c). On the other hand, the EGR cooler 100 is slidable horizontally along the rail 4. Therefore, by sliding the EGR cooler 100 in the direction of arrow A in Figure 8 and slightly rotating the EGR body 200 in the direction of arrow B, the fixed surfaces 103a and 203a can be adjusted to be parallel to each other.

[0035] In this embodiment, the tightening force of the bolt 300 is used to align the two fixing surfaces 103a and 203a. Specifically, as shown in Figure 8, first, the bolt 300 is inserted into the fixing hole 203b of the EGR body 200 from the right side in the figure, and the tip of the bolt 300 is screwed into the thread groove provided in the fixing hole 103b of the EGR cooler 100. At this time, since the fixing hole 203b of the EGR body 200 is larger than the outer diameter of the shaft of the bolt 300, the bolt 300 can be inserted into the fixing hole 203b of the EGR body 200 and screwed into the fixing hole 103b of the EGR cooler 100 even if the fixing holes 103b and 203b are inclined relative to each other. By tightening the bolt 300 in this state, the axial force of the bolt 300 causes the EGR cooler 100 to slide in the direction of arrow A. Furthermore, by tightening the bolt 300, the fixing surfaces 103a and 203a press against each other, and this force causes the EGR body 200 to rotate in the direction of arrow B. As a result, as shown in Figure 9, both fixing surfaces 103a and 203a become parallel to each other and can be joined together without any gaps, so that the second bracket 103 of the EGR cooler 100 and the second bracket 203 of the EGR body 200 can be securely fastened with a predetermined fixing force (torque).

[0036] Subsequently, if necessary, the torque of the bolts 300 that secure the EGR cooler 100 and the EGR body 200 is inspected. Normally, such torque inspection of bolts 300 is performed with the assembled workpiece (EGR cooler 100 and EGR body 200) removed from the assembly jig. However, when assembled using the assembly jig 1 described above, the EGR cooler 100 and EGR body 200 are fixed with their fixing surfaces 103a and 203a perfectly aligned, so the bolts 300 will not loosen even when removed from the assembly jig 1. Therefore, the torque inspection of bolts 300 can be performed while the workpiece is mounted on the assembly jig 1.

[0037] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, the above embodiments show a case where the first component (EGR cooler 100) is slid and the second component (EGR body 200) is rotated, but the invention is not limited to this, and one component may be fixed while the other component is slid and rotated.

[0038] The present invention is also applicable to assembly jigs for fixing parts other than those mentioned above, and can be applied, for example, to an assembly jig for fixing an EGR cooler and an EGR pipe. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to assembly jigs for EGR devices, but can be applied to any assembly jig for fixing two parts in a face-to-face position, regardless of the use of the parts. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 1. Assembly jig 2 bases 3. Sliding base (sliding mechanism) 4 rails 10. First support 11 Support surface 12 positioning pins 13 First clamping means 20 Second support 21 Support surface 22 Positioning pins 23. Second clamping means (rotating mechanism) 100 EGR cooler 101 Main Unit 102 First bracket 102a Mounting hole 102b Mounting surface 103 Second bracket 103a Fixed surface 103b fixing hole 200 EGR body 201 Main Unit 202 First bracket 202a Mounting holes 202b Mounting surface 203 Second bracket 203a Fixed surface 203b fixing hole 300 volts L rotation axis P,Q reference plane

Claims

1. An assembly jig for fixing two parts together, with a fixing surface provided on the first part and a fixing surface provided on the second part aligned face to face, The first support portion on which the first component is set, The second component is set in a second support portion with the fixing surface of the first component and the fixing surface of the second component facing each other, A sliding mechanism is provided to allow the first support portion to slide relative to the second support portion in a direction that brings the fixing surface of the first component and the fixing surface of the second component closer together and further apart. An assembly jig comprising a rotation mechanism that allows the angle between the fixed surface of the first part and the fixed surface of the second part to be adjusted by making the second part, which is set on the second support part, rotatable relative to the first support part around a rotation axis.

2. The first support portion has a first positioning pin that is inserted through a mounting hole provided in the first component, The assembly jig according to claim 1, wherein the second support portion has a second positioning pin that is inserted through a mounting hole provided in the second component.

3. The first support portion has a support surface that positions a reference surface provided on the first component in the direction of the rotation axis, The second support portion has a support surface that positions a reference surface provided on the second component in the direction of the rotation axis, The assembly jig according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the reference surface of the first component and the reference surface of the second component are positioned in the rotation axis direction on the support surface of the first support and the support surface of the second support, respectively, and the two components are slidable relative to each other by the sliding mechanism, and the two components are rotatable relative to each other by the rotating mechanism.

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