Masking jigs, electroplating equipment

Abstract

A masking jig 100 comprises: a prevention unit 110; and a support unit 160 supporting the prevention unit 110 in a manner that the prevention unit 110 can move to the shaft center direction. The prevention unit 110 has: a cylindrical part 131 that covers the periphery of a lower shaft part of a piston rod, wherein the piston rod has a rod shape and has a central shaft part and the lower shaft part, and the lower shaft part is a part not intended to be plated; and a flange 132 which is provided on the side on which the lower shaft part is inserted into the cylindrical part 131 and is brought into contact with an end face in the shaft center direction of the central shaft part. The prevention unit 110 prevents a substance to be plated from moving toward the lower shaft part.

Description

Technical Field

[0005]

[0001] The present invention relates to a masking jig and an electroplating apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an electroplating apparatus provided with a masking jig for masking the lower part of a rod-shaped workpiece (plated member) has been proposed. For example, the electroplating apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is an electroplating apparatus of a type in which a rod-shaped workpiece suspended by a workpiece support mechanism is immersed in a plating bath provided with an anode and filled with a plating solution. The plating bath is provided with a masking jig for masking the lower part of the workpiece, and the lower part of the workpiece is inserted into the masking jig in the liquid and masked. The masking jig has a concave portion larger than the outer diameter of the workpiece or a through hole having a larger diameter than the outer diameter of the workpiece for accommodating the lower part of the workpiece.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the masking jig described in Patent Document 1, there is room for improvement in terms of accurately masking the portions that should not be plated. An object of the present invention is to provide a masking jig or the like that can accurately mask the portions that should not be plated.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] To this end, the present invention provides a masking jig comprising: a cylindrical portion that covers the periphery of the smaller portion of a rod-shaped member to be plated, which is a portion that is not to be plated; a suppression unit provided on the side into which the smaller portion is inserted within the cylindrical portion and which contacts the axial end face of the larger portion, thereby suppressing the material to be plated from moving toward the smaller portion; and a support unit that supports the suppression unit so as to be movable in the axial direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a masking jig that can accurately mask areas that should not be plated. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the electroplating apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the state of the device during the electroplating process. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram of a piston rod as an example of a plated component. [Figure 4] This is an example of a view from above of a masking jig according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of a cross-section of section VV in Figure 4. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of the state where the first unit is located at its lowest position. [Figure 7] This figure shows the state in which the piston rod is inserted into the masking jig according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] This figure shows the state of the masking jig according to the first embodiment before the piston rod is inserted. [Figure 9] This figure shows the state in which the piston rod is inserted into the masking jig according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] This diagram shows the state of the masking jig when the piston rod is in the target position. [Figure 11] This figure shows a schematic configuration of the masking jig according to the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the electroplating apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. Figure 2 shows the state of the electroplating apparatus 1 while plating is being performed. The electroplating apparatus 1 includes a gripping mechanism 20, which is an example of a gripping part for gripping a piston rod 10, which is an example of a rod-shaped member to be plated, and a plating tank 30 that contains a plating solution containing the substance to be plated. The electroplating apparatus 1 performs the plating process by gripping multiple piston rods 10 with the gripping mechanism 20 and immersing the multiple piston rods 10 in the plating tank 30 located below. In the following description, in the axial direction of the piston rods 10 gripped by the gripping mechanism 20 (up and down direction in Figure 1), the side on which the gripping mechanism 20 is located (upper side in Figure 1) will be referred to as the "upper side," and the side on which the plating tank 30 is located will be referred to as the "lower side."

[0009] The electroplating apparatus 1 comprises a plurality of columns 11 extending in the axial direction, a plate-shaped horizontal plate 12 spanning the top of the plurality of columns 11, two rails 13 extending in the front-rear direction (perpendicular to the plane of the paper), and a self-propelled platform 14 that runs on the two rails 13. Furthermore, the electroplating apparatus 1 includes a motor 15 mounted on a self-propelled platform 14, a pinion 16 attached to the output shaft of the motor 15, and a rack 17 extending in the front-rear direction and forming a pinion-rack mechanism together with the pinion 16. The self-propelled platform 14 moves in the front-rear direction when driven by the motor 15.

[0010] The gripping mechanism 20 includes a lifting cylinder 21 that raises and lowers the piston rod 10, two guides 22 that assist in the lifting and lowering, and a plate-shaped lifting plate 23 attached to the lower ends of the lifting cylinder 21 and the two guides 22. Further, the gripping mechanism 20 is mounted on the lifting plate 23 and has a plurality of gripping sockets 24 that grip the piston rod 10. The plurality of gripping sockets 24 move up and down together with the lifting plate 23 as the lifting cylinder 21 expands and contracts.

[0011] Also, the electroplating apparatus 1 includes a tank 32 that stores the plating solution, a pump 33, a supply pipe 34 that supplies the plating solution stored in the tank 32 to the plating tank 30, and a return pipe 35 that returns the plating solution in the plating tank 30 to the tank 32. Also, the electroplating apparatus 1 includes an anode 36 for electroplating, an anode-side bus bar 37, a cathode holder 38, and a cathode-side bus bar 39.

[0012] Also, the electroplating apparatus 1 includes a masking jig 100 that is disposed in the plating tank 30 and masks a specific portion of the piston rod 10, and a lifting mechanism 50 that holds and moves up and down the masking jig 100. [[ID=—12]]The masking jig 100 will be described in detail later.

[0013] The lifting mechanism 50 includes a substantially U-shaped frame 51 that holds the masking jig 100, a plurality of nut members 52 that support both ends of this frame 51, a screw 53 that moves up and down each nut member 52, and a transmission rod 54 and bevel gear 55 for rotating the screw 53. Further, the lifting mechanism 50 has a motor � that is connected to one screw 53 and a rotation detector 57 that is connected to the other screw 53.

[0014] In the electroplating apparatus 1 configured as described above, the height of the masking jig 100 can be adjusted according to the length of the work piece to be plated (the piston rod 10 in the present embodiment) and the part to be masked. On the other hand, the motor 15 is driven to move the work piece to be plated above the plating tank 30, and at that position, the lifting cylinder 21 is driven to lower the work piece to be plated. Then, the lifting plate 23 is placed on the cathode pedestal 38. Thereafter, a predetermined voltage is applied between the anode 36 and the work piece to be plated through the anode side bus bar 37 and the cathode side bus bar 39. Then, metal ions (such as Cr ions), which are an example of the substance to be plated in the plating solution, move toward the work piece to be plated on the cathode side, and the metal begins to be reduced and deposited.

[0015] (Piston rod, masking jig) FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the piston rod 10 as an example of the work piece to be plated. It is shown in the same direction as FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is an example of a view of the masking jig 100 according to the first embodiment as seen from above. FIG. 5 is a view showing an example of a cross section taken along the line V-V of FIG. 4. The masking jig 100 is a jig suitable for performing electroplating on the piston rod 10.

[0016] {Piston rod} The piston rod 10 is a component used in the suspension of a vehicle, holds a piston disposed in a cylinder at one end, and the other end is exposed outside the cylinder. For example, in order to suppress wear caused by sliding contact with an oil seal that seals the inside of the cylinder at the part of the piston rod 10 exposed outside the cylinder, electroplating is performed to apply hard chromium plating to the part that slides on the oil seal.

[0017] The piston rod 10 is rod-shaped and composed of multiple cylindrical parts with different outer diameters, including a central shaft portion 10a with the largest outer diameter, an upper shaft portion 10b located above the central shaft portion 10a, and a lower shaft portion 10c located below the central shaft portion 10a. A male thread 10d is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the upper end of the upper shaft portion 10b, and a male thread 10e is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the lower end of the lower shaft portion 10c. The central shaft portion 10a is the part that contacts the oil seal, and is therefore the part that should be plated by the electroplating apparatus 1, in other words, the part where a thin metal film should be formed. The male threads 10d and 10e are the parts to which the nut is tightened, and are therefore parts that should not be plated, in other words, parts where a thin metal film should not be formed.

[0018] In other words, the piston rod 10 has a stepped section with different diameters at the central shaft portion 10a and the upper shaft portion 10b, where the central shaft portion 10a is the larger portion with a larger diameter and the upper shaft portion 10b is the smaller portion with a smaller diameter. Furthermore, the piston rod 10 has a stepped section with different diameters at the central shaft portion 10a and the lower shaft portion 10c, where the central shaft portion 10a is the larger portion with a larger diameter and the lower shaft portion 10c is the smaller portion with a smaller diameter. It is preferable not to plate the entire upper shaft portion 10b and lower shaft portion 10c on which the male threads 10d and 10e are formed, as the upper shaft portion 10b is gripped by the gripping socket 24 of the gripping mechanism 20 and the lower shaft portion 10c is masked by the masking jig 100.

[0019] <First Embodiment> {Masking jig 100} The masking jig 100 according to the first embodiment includes a suppression unit 110 that suppresses the movement of metal ions, as an example of a substance to be plated, toward the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10. The masking jig 100 also includes a support unit 160 that supports the suppression unit 110 so that it can move in the axial direction of the piston rod 10 and in a direction intersecting the axial direction (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "intersecting direction").

[0020] [Suppression Unit 110] The suppression unit 110 includes a contact member 130 that can contact the end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a of the piston rod 10 on the side of the lower shaft portion 10c in the axial direction, and suppresses the direction of metal ions toward the lower shaft portion 10c. The suppression unit 110 also includes a suppression member 140 that surrounds the lower end of the central shaft portion 10a, which is located above the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10, and suppresses the direction of metal ions toward the lower shaft portion 10c. The suppression unit 110 also includes a holding member 150 that holds the contact member 130 and the suppression member 140.

[0021] The contact member 130 has a cylindrical portion 131 (an example of a cylindrical portion) that surrounds the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 and at least the male thread 10e, and a flange 132 (an example of a contact portion) provided at the upper end of the cylindrical portion 131. The contact member 130 is an elastic material such as rubber. For example, the contact member 130 can be molded from a thermoplastic fluoropolymer such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF).

[0022] The inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 131 is larger than the outer diameter of the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10, and the length of the cylindrical portion 131 in the direction of the centerline is longer than the length of the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10. Therefore, the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 is positioned inside the contact member 130. The inside of the cylindrical portion 131 of the contact member 130 functions as a through hole 133 through which the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 passes.

[0023] The flange 132 is an annular portion with a through hole 133 formed in its center. The flange 132 is located on the side into which the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 131, and the axial end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a is in contact with it.

[0024] The contact member 130 has a deformable portion 134 around the through hole 133 through which the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 passes. This deformable portion 134 elastically deforms when the lower shaft portion 10c is inserted into the through hole 133 and contacts the outer surface of the piston rod 10. The deformable portion 134 is composed of the upper and middle parts of the cylindrical portion 131 and the central part of the flange 132. Slits 135 are formed radially in the deformable portion 134, separating it into multiple sections. In other words, the contact member 130 has multiple separated contact pieces 136, and the slits 135 are formed so that the contact pieces 136 do not come into contact with each other when the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 is not inserted.

[0025] In the masking jig 100, cylindrical parts such as the cylindrical portion 131 and other members are positioned so that their centerlines are aligned with the axial direction of the piston rod 10. In the following, the direction intersecting the centerline direction (in other words, the axial direction) (for example, the orthogonal direction) will be referred to as the "radial direction." In the radial direction, the side closer to the centerline may simply be referred to as the "inside," and the side further away from the centerline may simply be referred to as the "outside."

[0026] The restraining member 140 has a base portion 141 which is a circular plate-shaped part with a through hole 141a formed in the center, an inclined portion 142 which is inclined diagonally upward and intersects the axial direction from the inner circumferential end of the base portion 141, and a cylindrical portion 143 which is a cylindrical shape that extends downward in the axial direction from the outer circumferential end of the base portion 141.

[0027] The diameter of the through hole 141a in the base portion 141 is larger than the outer diameter of the central shaft portion 10a of the piston rod 10. The outer diameter of the base portion 141 is larger than the outer diameter of the contact member 130. The inclined portion 142 is formed such that the gap between the inner surface 142a and the outer circumferential surface of the central shaft portion 10a of the piston rod 10 gradually decreases from the top to the bottom. In other words, the inclined portion 142 is inclined with respect to the axis such that the gap between it and the central shaft portion 10a gradually decreases as it approaches the contact member 130. It can be exemplified that the angle θ of the inclined portion 142 with respect to the axis is less than 45 degrees. The upper outer surface 142b of the upper part of the inclined portion 142 is formed to have the same outer diameter over a predetermined length so as to be parallel to the axial direction. The outer surface of the inclined portion 142 below the upper outer surface 142b is formed so that the outer diameter gradually decreases from the top to the bottom, so as to have approximately the same wall thickness.

[0028] The inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 143 is larger than the outer diameter of the flange 132 of the contact member 130, and the axial size of the cylindrical portion 143 is larger than the size of the flange 132 of the contact member 130. A male thread 143a is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 143, which is fastened to a female thread 152a formed on the retaining member 150. The suppression member 140 can be made of metal or resin, for example.

[0029] The holding member 150 has a disc-shaped portion 151, which is a circular plate-shaped part with a through hole 151a formed in the center, and a cylindrical portion 152 that extends upward in the axial direction from the outer peripheral end of the disc-shaped portion 151. The diameter of the through hole 151a in the disc-shaped portion 151 is larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 131 of the contact member 130, and smaller than the outer diameter of the flange 132 of the contact member 130. The outer diameter of the disc-shaped portion 151 is larger than the outer diameter of the flange 132 of the contact member 130. The inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 152 has a female thread 152a into which the male thread 143a formed on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 143 of the restraining member 140 is tightened. The retaining member 150 can be made of metal or resin, for example.

[0030] The suppression unit 110, configured as described above, is integrated by tightening the male thread 143a formed on the suppression member 140 and the female thread 152a formed on the holding member 150 with the contact member 130 positioned between the disc-shaped portion 151 of the holding member 150 and the base portion 141 of the suppression member 140.

[0031] [Support Unit 160] The support unit 160 comprises a first unit 170 that supports the suppression unit 110 so as to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and a second unit 210 that supports the suppression unit 110 so as to be movable in the axial direction. The support unit 160 also comprises an elastic member 240 disposed between the first unit 170 and the second unit 210, a restricting member 250 that restricts the movement of the first unit 170 relative to the second unit 210, and a lock nut 255 that restricts the movement of the restricting member 250. The elastic member 240 can be exemplified as a coil spring.

[0032] (Unit 1, page 170) The first unit 170 includes a base 180 on which the restraint unit 110 restrains, a regulating member 190 that restricts the axial movement of the restraint unit 110 by sandwiching it between the base 180 and the restraint unit 110, and a lock nut 195 that restricts the movement of the regulating member 190.

[0033] The base 180 has three cylindrical parts, a first cylindrical part 181, a second cylindrical part 182, and a third cylindrical part 183, which are arranged in the axial direction from bottom to top. The first cylindrical part 181 and the second cylindrical part 182 have the same outer diameter but different inner diameters. The second cylindrical part 182 and the third cylindrical part 183 have the same inner diameter but different outer diameters.

[0034] The inner diameter of the first cylindrical portion 181 is smaller than the inner diameter of the second cylindrical portion 182, and larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 131 of the contact member 130 of the suppression unit 110. The total length obtained by adding the axial length of the second cylindrical portion 182 and the axial length of the third cylindrical portion 183 is longer than the length of the cylindrical portion 131 of the contact member 130. As a result, the base 180 can accommodate the cylindrical portion 131 of the contact member 130 inside.

[0035] The first cylindrical portion 181 has a cylindrical recess 186 formed on the upper side from the lower end surface. Multiple recesses 186 are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction (for example, six). The upper portion of the elastic member 240 is housed in the recess 186.

[0036] The second cylindrical portion 182 has a through hole 187 that penetrates radially from the inside to the outside. The through hole 187 is an elongated hole shaped like two semicircles connected by a rectangle having sides twice the length of the radius of each semicircle. The through hole 187 is formed such that its axial size is larger than its circumferential size. The radius of the semicircle in the through hole 187 is set to be greater than or equal to the radius of the shaft portion 251 of the regulating member 250, which will be described later.

[0037] The outer diameter of the third cylindrical portion 183 is larger than the outer diameter of the second cylindrical portion 182. A male thread 188 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the third cylindrical portion 183, into which the female thread 191a formed on the regulating member 190 is tightened. For example, the base 180 can be made of metal or resin.

[0038] The regulating member 190 has two cylindrical parts, a first cylindrical part 191 and a second cylindrical part 192, which have the same outer diameter but different inner diameters, and a protruding part 193 that protrudes inward from the upper end of the second cylindrical part 192. The regulating member 190 can be exemplified by being made of metal or resin.

[0039] The inner circumferential surface of the first cylindrical portion 191 has an internal thread 191a which is fastened to an external thread 188 formed on the outer circumferential surface of the third cylindrical portion 183 of the base 180. The inner diameter of the second cylindrical portion 192 is larger than the inner diameter of the first cylindrical portion 191. Also, the inner diameter of the second cylindrical portion 192 is larger than the outer diameter of the retaining member 150. The axial size of the second cylindrical portion 192 is larger than the axial size of the retaining member 150 of the suppression unit 110. The protruding portion 193 is a circular, plate-shaped part with a through hole 193a formed in its center. The diameter of the through hole 193a is smaller than the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 143 of the suppression member 140 of the suppression unit 110. The diameter of the through hole 193a is larger than the outer diameter of the upper outer surface 142b, which is the largest outer diameter of the inclined portion 142 of the suppression member 140.

[0040] The first unit 170, configured as described above, is attached to the base 180 with the regulating member 190 attached while the lower end surface (lower surface of the disc-shaped portion 151) of the holding member 150 of the suppression unit 110 rests on the upper end surface 189 of the base 180 of the first unit 170. At this time, the inclined portion 142 of the suppression member 140 of the suppression unit 110 is passed through the through hole 193a of the protruding portion 193 of the regulating member 190. Subsequently, the female thread 191a formed on the regulating member 190 is tightened onto the male thread 188 formed on the base 180, thereby supporting the suppression unit 110 so that it can move. The downward movement of the regulating member 190 is restricted by a lock nut 195 tightened onto the male thread 188 formed on the base 180. The position of the lock nut 195 is determined such that the gap between the upper end surface 189 of the base 180 and the protruding portion 193 of the restricting member 190 is larger than the size of the restraining unit 110 that is sandwiched between the upper end surface 189 of the base 180 and the protruding portion 193 of the restricting member 190.

[0041] In the first unit 170, the inner diameter of the second cylindrical portion 192 of the regulating member 190 is larger than the inner diameter of the first cylindrical portion 191 and larger than the outer diameter of the holding member 150 of the suppression unit 110. As a result, a gap is created between the inner circumferential surface of the second cylindrical portion 192 and the outer circumferential surface of the holding member 150 of the suppression unit 110. Therefore, the suppression unit 110 is movable in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction until the outer circumferential surface of the holding member 150 contacts the inner circumferential surface of the second cylindrical portion 192 of the regulating member 190.

[0042] (Unit 2, 210) The second unit 210 supports the first unit 170 so as to restrict its movement in the intersecting direction and allow it to move in the axial direction. More specifically, the second unit 210 includes a support member 220 that supports the lower end of the elastic member 240 and a fitting member 230 into which the base 180 of the first unit 170 is fitted.

[0043] The support member 220 has a circular, plate-shaped portion called a disc-shaped portion 221 and a cylindrical portion 222 that protrudes upward from the upper end face of the disc-shaped portion 221. The outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 222 is smaller than the outer diameter of the disc-shaped portion 221, and the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 222 is equal to the inner diameter of the first cylindrical portion 181 of the base 180.

[0044] The cylindrical portion 222 has a cylindrical recess 226 formed on the lower side from the upper end surface. Multiple recesses 226 are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction (for example, six). The recesses 226 are positioned opposite the recess 186 of the first unit 170 and house the lower portion of the elastic member 240.

[0045] The fitting member 230 has a cylindrical portion 231 and a flange 232 that protrudes outward from the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 231.

[0046] The inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 231 is greater than or equal to the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 222 of the support member 220, and the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 231 is equal to the outer diameter of the disc-shaped portion 221. The fitting member 230 is positioned such that the lower end of the cylindrical portion 231 is positioned around the cylindrical portion 222 of the support member 220. Furthermore, the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 231 is larger than the outer diameters of the first cylindrical portion 181 and the second cylindrical portion 182 of the base 180, and smaller than the outer diameter of the third cylindrical portion 183 of the base 180. The outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 231 is larger than the outer diameter of the third cylindrical portion 183 of the base 180. In the cylindrical portion 231, above the area where the flange 232 is provided, a through hole 234 is formed that penetrates radially from the inside to the outside. A female thread 235 is formed in the through hole 234.

[0047] The flange 232 is a rectangular plate-shaped member with a central through-hole 236, which is a cylindrical through-hole, formed in the center. The diameter of the central through-hole 236 is equal to the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 231. The flange 232 is joined to the cylindrical portion 231, which is inserted into the central through-hole 236. One example of a method for joining the cylindrical portion 231 and the flange 232 is welding.

[0048] The flange 232 has cylindrical through-holes 237 surrounding the central through-hole 236. The periphery through-holes 237 are formed at each of the four corners of the rectangle. The fitting member 230 is composed of two parts, a cylindrical portion 231 and a flange 232, but the cylindrical portion 231 and the flange 232 may be integrally formed.

[0049] In the fitting member 230 configured as described above, the cylindrical portion 222 of the support member 220 is inserted into the lower end of the cylindrical portion 231, and the lower end surface of the cylindrical portion 231 is joined to the support member 220 with the disc-shaped portion 221 of the support member 220 abutting against it. One example of a method for joining the support member 220 and the fitting member 230 is welding. The second unit 210 is composed of the support member 220 and the fitting member 230, but the support member 220 and the fitting member 230 may be integrally constructed.

[0050] (Regulating member 250) The regulating member 250 is a cylindrical member, having a cylindrical shaft portion 251 at one end, with male threads 252 formed on the outer circumferential surface from the central portion to the other end, and a recess 253 formed at the other end, recessed in the shape of a tool from the end face.

[0051] (Assembly of support unit 160) In the support unit 160 configured as described above, the second unit 210 is fixed to the frame 51 of the electroplating apparatus 1 via a bolt, for example, through a circumferential through-hole 237 formed in the flange 232 of the fitting member 230, with the shaft portion passing through it. In other words, the fitting member 230 functions as an example of a fixing member fixed to the electroplating apparatus 1.

[0052] The first unit 170 is inserted into the second unit 210 by inserting the first cylindrical portion 181 and the second cylindrical portion 182 of the base 180 into the inside of the fitting member 230 of the second unit 210. When inserting the first unit 170 into the second unit 210, the lower end of the elastic member 240 is positioned in the recess 226 of the second unit 210, and the circumferential position of the first unit 170 is aligned so that the upper end of the elastic member 240 fits into the recess 186 of the first cylindrical portion 181 of the base 180 of the first unit 170. In addition, the circumferential and axial positions of the first unit 170 are aligned so that the through hole 187 formed in the second cylindrical portion 182 of the base 180 of the first unit 170 faces the female thread 235 formed in the cylindrical portion 231 of the fitting member 230 of the second unit 210.

[0053] After inserting the first unit 170 into the second unit 210, the male screw 252 is tightened onto the female screw 235 so that the shaft portion 251 of the restricting member 250 passes through the through hole 187 of the first unit 170. Then, the lock nut 255 is tightened onto the male screw 252 of the restricting member 250 to restrict the movement of the restricting member 250 so that the shaft portion 251 of the restricting member 250 remains located inside the through hole 187 of the first unit 170.

[0054] In the support unit 160 configured as described above, the outer diameters of the first cylindrical portion 181 and the second cylindrical portion 182 of the base 180 of the first unit 170 are smaller than the inner diameter of the fitting member 230 of the second unit 210, so the first unit 170 is movable in the axial direction relative to the second unit 210.

[0055] Figure 6 shows an example of the state in which the first unit 170 is in its lowest position. Figure 5 shows an example of the state in which the first unit 170 is in its highest position. The first unit 170 receives a spring force in the direction of upward movement due to the elastic member 240, and its upward movement is restricted when the lower end of the through hole 187 of the first unit 170 abuts against the shaft portion 251 of the restricting member 250. Therefore, when the first unit 170 is not subjected to a downward force, as shown in Figure 5, the lower end of the through hole 187 of the first unit 170 abuts against the shaft portion 251 of the restricting member 250. The axial length of the elastic member 240 is set so that it is in a compressed state when the lower end of the through hole 187 of the first unit 170 abuts against the shaft portion 251 of the restricting member 250.

[0056] On the other hand, the first unit 170 moves downward against the spring force of the elastic member 240 when subjected to a downward force. The downward movement of the first unit 170 is restricted when the lower end surface of the third cylindrical portion 183 abuts against the upper end surface of the fitting member 230 of the second unit 210. Figure 6 shows the state in which the lower end surface of the third cylindrical portion 183 of the first unit 170 abuts against the upper end surface of the fitting member 230 of the second unit 210. The downward movement of the first unit 170 may also be restricted when the upper end of the through hole 187 abuts against the shaft portion 251 of the restricting member 250. Furthermore, the axial lengths of the first cylindrical portion 181 and the second cylindrical portion 182 of the base 180 of the first unit 170 are set such that, when the lower end surface of the third cylindrical portion 183 of the base 180 abuts against the upper end surface of the fitting member 230 of the second unit 210, there is a gap between the lower end surface of the first cylindrical portion 181 and the upper end surface of the cylindrical portion 222 of the support member 220.

[0057] (Function of masking jig 100) Figure 7 shows the state in which the piston rod 10 is inserted into the masking jig 100 according to the first embodiment. In the electroplating apparatus 1, when a predetermined voltage is applied between the anode 36 and the piston rod 10 via the anode-side busbar 37 and the cathode-side busbar 39, metal ions Mi in the plating solution are directed toward the cathode-side piston rod 10, and the metal begins to be reduced and deposited.

[0058] On the other hand, the gap between the inner surface 142a of the inclined portion 142 of the suppression member 140 and the outer circumferential surface of the central shaft portion 10a of the piston rod 10 is formed to gradually decrease from the top to the bottom, so that the amount of metal ions Mi reaching the outer circumferential surface of the central shaft portion 10a decreases as you move towards the lowest end of the central shaft portion 10a. Also, since the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 131 of the contact member 130 of the suppression unit 110 (the diameter of the through hole 133) is larger than the outer diameter of the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10, when the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 is inserted into the through hole 133, the cylindrical portion 131 of the contact member 130 covers the periphery of the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10. Therefore, the contact member 130 suppresses the movement of metal ions Mi from above the contact member 130 towards the lower shaft portion 10c. Furthermore, since the cylindrical portion 131 of the contact member 130 surrounds the lower shaft portion 10c, the movement of metal ions Mi from the space between the outer surface of the cylindrical portion 131 and the inner surface of the base 180 towards the lower shaft portion 10c located inside the cylindrical portion 131 is suppressed. As a result, the formation of a thin metal film on the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 (reduction deposition of metal) is suppressed.

[0059] When the piston rod 10 is inserted into the masking jig 100, if the center Ch of the through hole 133 of the contact member 130 and the axis Cs of the piston rod 10 (lower shaft portion 10c) are the same, the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 131 and the outer circumferential surface of the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 will be uniform.

[0060] Figure 8 shows the state before the piston rod 10 is inserted into the masking jig 100 according to the first embodiment. Figure 9 shows the state after the piston rod 10 has been inserted into the masking jig 100 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 8, when the piston rod 10 is inserted into the masking jig 100, if the center Ch of the through hole 133 of the contact member 130 and the axis Cs of the piston rod 10 (lower shaft portion 10c) are misaligned, the outer circumferential surface of the lower shaft portion 10c will only contact the upper part of some of the contact pieces 136 among the multiple contact pieces 136, and the contacted contact pieces 136 will receive a force in a direction perpendicular to the axis. As a result, the suppression unit 110 moves in a direction corresponding to the force received by the contact piece 136 from the lower shaft portion 10c, making it easier for the center Ch of the through hole 133 and the axis Cs of the piston rod 10 to become the same. After the piston rod 10 is inserted into the masking jig 100, the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 131 and the outer circumferential surface of the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 tends to become uniform. As a result, the movement of metal ions Mi from above the contact member 130, through the space between the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 131 and the outer circumferential surface of the lower shaft portion 10c, toward the male screw 10e is suppressed with greater certainty.

[0061] For example, in a configuration where the contact member 130 cannot move in a direction perpendicular to the axis, if the center Ch of the through hole 133 formed in the contact member 130 and the axis Cs of the piston rod 10 (lower shaft portion 10c) are misaligned when the piston rod 10 is inserted, the outer circumferential surface of the lower shaft portion 10c will only contact the upper ends of some of the contact pieces 136 among the multiple contact pieces 136. The piston rod 10 then moves downward, elastically deforming some of the contact pieces 136. As a result, after the piston rod 10 is inserted, a large gap is created between the contact piece 136 that did not contact the outer circumferential surface of the lower shaft portion 10c and the outer circumferential surface of the lower shaft portion 10c. This gap makes it easier for metal ions Mi to move from above the contact member 130 towards the male thread 10e, making it easier for the male thread 10e of the piston rod 10 to be plated. Furthermore, if the center Ch of the through hole 133 and the axis Cs of the piston rod 10 (lower shaft portion 10c) are misaligned, and only a portion of the contact piece 136 is repeatedly deformed, this portion of the contact piece 136 is more susceptible to damage such as plastic deformation, which reduces the durability of the masking jig.

[0062] In contrast, according to the masking jig 100 of the first embodiment, even if the center Ch of the through hole 133 of the contact member 130 and the axis Cs of the piston rod 10 (lower shaft portion 10c) are misaligned, the center Ch of the through hole 133 and the axis Cs of the piston rod 10 tend to become the same. In other words, since the suppression unit 110 is movably supported with respect to the support unit 160, even if the center Ch of the through hole 133 and the axis Cs of the piston rod 10 are misaligned when the piston rod 10 is inserted, the center Ch of the through hole 133 and the axis Cs of the piston rod 10 tend to become the same after insertion. As a result, after the piston rod 10 is inserted into the masking jig 100, the gap between the outer surface of the lower shaft portion 10c and the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 131 tends to become equal, and the metal ions Mi are more reliably suppressed from moving from above the contact member 130 towards the male screw 10e. Therefore, the masking jig 100 according to the first embodiment can more reliably suppress the plating (formation of a thin metal film) on the area to be masked.

[0063] In addition, with the masking jig 100, the axial displacement of the piston rod 10 can be absorbed by the support unit 160. For example, if the axial position of the piston rod 10 gripped by the gripping mechanism 20 is lower than the reference position (for example, the position where the end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a of the piston rod 10 contacts the upper end surface of the contact piece 136 of the contact member 130 in the state shown in Figure 5), and the end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a abuts against the upper end surface of the contact piece 136, the contact member 130 moves downward. That is, with the masking jig 100, the first unit 170 that supports the suppression unit 110 is movable downward relative to the second unit 210, so for example, if the end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a of the piston rod 10 abuts against the upper end surface of the contact piece 136 of the contact member 130, the contact member 130 moves downward. This prevents damage to the deformed portion 134 of the contact member 130 caused by strong contact between the end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a and the contact member 130, thereby improving durability.

[0064] Furthermore, in this way, damage to the contact member 130 caused by strong contact between the end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a and the contact member 130 can be suppressed. Therefore, when applying the plating treatment, the end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a of the piston rod 10 and the upper end face of the contact piece 136 of the contact member 130 can always be kept in contact. In other words, the target position in the axial direction of the piston rod 10 gripped by the gripping mechanism 20 can be determined such that the end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a and the upper end face of the contact piece 136 of the contact member 130 are in contact at an intermediate position between the uppermost position of the first unit 170 shown in Figure 5 and the lowermost position of the first unit 170 shown in Figure 6.

[0065] Figure 10 shows the state of the masking jig 100 when the piston rod 10 is in the target position. As described above, by defining a target position, even if the axial position of the piston rod 10 shifts vertically from the target position, the end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a of the piston rod 10 and the upper end face of the contact piece 136 of the contact member 130 can always be kept in contact. As a result, it is possible to suppress metal ions from moving towards the lower shaft portion 10c through gaps such as the gap between the end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a and the upper end face of the contact piece 136 of the contact member 130. In other words, the masking jig 100 can accurately mask the lower shaft portion 10c, which is a part that should not be plated.

[0066] Furthermore, in the masking jig 100, the inclined portion 142 of the suppression member 140 of the suppression unit 110 is inclined with respect to the axial direction such that the gap between it and the central shaft portion 10a gradually decreases as it approaches the contact member 130, and the angle θ with respect to the axial direction is less than 45 degrees. Therefore, according to the masking jig 100 of the first embodiment, compared to the case where the angle θ of the inclined portion 142 with respect to the axial direction is 45 degrees or more, metal ions Mi are less likely to move from above the contact member 130 towards the lower shaft portion 10c. As a result, the masking jig 100 of the first embodiment can more reliably suppress the plating of the area to be masked.

[0067] Furthermore, in the masking jig 100, a slit 135 is formed in the contact member 130, so that the multiple separated contact pieces 136 do not come into contact with each other when the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 is not inserted. In contrast, in a configuration where the multiple contact pieces 136 come into contact with each other before the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 is inserted, there is a risk that the contact pieces 136 will collide with each other after the lower shaft portion 10c is inserted, causing the contact pieces 136 to come into contact with the central shaft portion 10a. If the contact pieces 136 come into contact with the central shaft portion 10a, a thin metal film will not be formed on the lower end of the central shaft portion 10a. Therefore, according to the masking jig 100 of the first embodiment, it is possible to reliably suppress the fact that the part to be plated will not be plated. However, it is not necessary for the contact member 130 to have a slit 135 formed in it.

[0068] Furthermore, in the masking jig 100, the upper outer surface 142b of the inclined portion 142 of the suppression member 140 of the suppression unit 110 is shaped to be parallel to the axial direction. Also, the magnitude of the inclined portion 142 of the suppression member 140 in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction is smaller than the magnitude of the base 180 of the support unit 160 in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction. In this way, the magnitude of the upper outer surface 142b of the inclined portion 142 of the suppression member 140 in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction is suppressed. As a result, when the masking jig 100 is installed in the electroplating apparatus 1, the upper outer surface 142b of the inclined portion 142 of the suppression member 140 is less likely to interfere with the anode 36 (see Figure 1). In other words, according to the masking jig 100 of the first embodiment, by making the shape of the inclined portion 142 of the suppression member 140 the shape described above, the space efficiency of the electroplating apparatus 1 can be improved.

[0069] In the masking jig 100, the disc-shaped portion 221 of the support member 220 of the second unit 210 is a circular plate-shaped part, configured to block metal ions Mi from moving towards the inside of the first unit 170, but the configuration is not limited to this. For example, a through hole may be formed in the center of the disc-shaped portion 221, and a cylindrical collar may be fitted around the outer circumference of the disc-shaped portion 221. Even with this configuration, it is possible to suppress the movement of metal ions Mi towards the inside of the first unit 170.

[0070] <Second Embodiment> Figure 11 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of the masking jig 200 according to the second embodiment. The masking jig 200 according to the second embodiment differs from the masking jig 100 according to the first embodiment in that the support unit 260, which corresponds to the support unit 160, does not support the suppression unit 110 so as to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction. The differences from the masking jig 100 according to the first embodiment will be mainly described below. Parts having the same shape and function in the masking jig 100 according to the first embodiment and the masking jig 200 according to the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0071] The support unit 260 according to the second embodiment includes a first unit 270 that supports the restraint unit 110, a second unit 210 that supports the restraint unit 110 so as to be movable in the axial direction, an elastic member 240 disposed between the first unit 270 and the second unit 210, a regulating member 250, and a lock nut 255.

[0072] The first unit 270 includes a base 180, a restricting member 290 that restricts the axial movement of the restraining unit 110 by sandwiching the restraining unit 110 between itself and the base 180, and a lock nut 195 that restricts the movement of the restricting member 290.

[0073] The regulating member 290 has two cylindrical parts, a first cylindrical part 291 and a second cylindrical part 292, which have the same outer diameter but different inner diameters, and a protruding part 193 that protrudes inward from the upper end of the second cylindrical part 292.

[0074] The inner circumferential surface of the first cylindrical portion 291 has an internal thread 291a which is fastened to an external thread 188 formed on the outer circumferential surface of the third cylindrical portion 183 of the base 180. The inner diameter of the second cylindrical portion 292 is less than or equal to the inner diameter of the first cylindrical portion 291 and equal to the outer diameter of the retaining member 150 of the suppression unit 110. Therefore, no gap is created between the inner circumferential surface of the second cylindrical portion 292 and the outer circumferential surface of the retaining member 150 of the suppression unit 110, and the second cylindrical portion 292 restricts movement in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the suppression unit 110.

[0075] In the first unit 270 configured as described above, the regulating member 290 is attached to the base 180 with the lower end surface of the holding member 150 of the suppression unit 110 resting on the upper end surface 189 of the base 180. At this time, the inclined portion 142 of the suppression member 140 of the suppression unit 110 is passed through the through hole 193a of the protruding portion 193 of the regulating member 290. Subsequently, the suppression unit 110 is held in place by tightening the female thread 291a formed on the regulating member 290 onto the male thread 188 formed on the base 180. The downward movement of the regulating member 290 is restricted by a lock nut 195 tightened onto the male thread 188 formed on the base 180. The position of the lock nut 195 is determined such that the gap between the upper end surface 189 of the base 180 and the protruding portion 193 of the restricting member 290 is the same as the size of the restraining unit 110 that is sandwiched between the upper end surface 189 of the base 180 and the protruding portion 193 of the restricting member 290.

[0076] Furthermore, in the support unit 260 according to the second embodiment, the second unit 210 supports the first unit 270, which holds the suppression unit 110, so that it can move in the axial direction. Therefore, with the masking jig 200, for example, even if the end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a of the piston rod 10 abuts against the upper end face of the contact piece 136 of the contact member 130, the contact member 130 moves downward, so that damage to the deformed portion 134 of the contact member 130 caused by strong contact between the central shaft portion 10a and the contact member 130 can be suppressed. As a result, the durability of the masking jig 200 is improved.

[0077] Furthermore, even if the axial position of the piston rod 10 shifts vertically from the target position, the end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a of the piston rod 10 and the upper end face of the contact piece 136 of the contact member 130 can always be kept in contact. As a result, it is possible to suppress metal ions from moving towards the lower shaft portion 10c through gaps such as the gap between the end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a and the upper end face of the contact piece 136 of the contact member 130. In other words, the masking jig 200 can accurately mask the lower shaft portion 10c, which is a part that should not be plated. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 1…Electroplating apparatus, 10…Piston rod (example of a member to be plated), 10a…Central shaft (example of a large part), 10c…Lower shaft (example of a small part), 10e…Male screw, 10f…End face, 100, 200…Masking jig, 110…Restraining unit, 130…Contact member, 131…Cylindrical part (example of a cylindrical part), 132…Flange (example of a contact part), 140…Restraining member, 150…Holding member, 160, 260…Support unit, 170, 270…First unit, 180…Base, 190…Restricting member, 195…Lock nut, 210…Second unit, 220…Support member, 230…Fitting member (example of a fixing member), 240…Elastic member, 250…Restricting member

Claims

1. A suppression unit having a cylindrical portion that covers the periphery of the smaller portion of a rod-shaped member to be plated, which is a part that is not to be plated, and a contact portion provided on the side into which the smaller portion is inserted within the cylindrical portion, and which contacts the axial end face of the larger portion, thereby suppressing the material to be plated from moving toward the smaller portion, A support unit that supports the suppression unit so as to be movable in the axial direction, comprising: a first unit that supports the suppression unit so as to restrict the movement of the suppression unit in the axial direction; and a second unit that supports the first unit so as to restrict movement in an intersecting direction that intersects the axial direction of the first unit and to allow movement of the first unit in the axial direction, Equipped with, The first unit supports the suppression unit so as to allow movement of the suppression unit in the intersecting direction, The second unit has a fixing member fixed to the plating apparatus, The support unit includes an elastic member positioned between the fixing member and the first unit in the axial direction, and a first unit restricting member that restricts the movement of the first unit in the axial direction relative to the second unit. Masking jig.

2. The first unit comprises a base on which the restraint unit restrains, and a restricting member that restricts the movement of the restraint unit in the axial direction by sandwiching the restraint unit between itself and the base, and supports the restraint unit so that it can move relative to the base in the intersecting direction until the outer surface of the restraint unit contacts the inner surface of the restricting member, by forming a gap between the inner surface of the restricting member and the outer surface of the restraint unit. The masking jig according to claim 1.

3. A plating tank containing a plating solution that includes the substance to be plated, A gripping portion for gripping the member to be plated, A masking jig according to claim 1 or 2, disposed within the plating tank, An electroplating apparatus equipped with the following features.

Images