Masking jig and electroplating device
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024554012
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-01
- Publication Date
- 2025-01-21
- Estimated Expiration
- 2042-11-02
Abstract
Description
Masking jigs, electroplating equipment
[0001] The present invention relates to a masking jig and an electroplating apparatus.
[0002] Conventionally, electroplating apparatuses have been proposed that include a masking jig for masking the lower portion of a rod-shaped workpiece (a member to be plated). For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an electroplating apparatus in which a rod-shaped workpiece suspended by a workpiece support mechanism is immersed in a plating tank equipped with an anode and filled with plating solution. The plating tank includes a masking jig for masking the lower portion of the workpiece, and the lower portion of the workpiece is inserted into the masking jig in the solution to mask it. The masking jig has a recess larger than the outer diameter of the workpiece or a through-hole larger than the outer diameter of the workpiece to accommodate the lower portion of the workpiece.
[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-13191
[0004] The masking jig described in Patent Document 1 leaves room for improvement in terms of accurately masking areas that should not be plated. An object of the present invention is to provide a masking jig or the like that can accurately mask areas that should not be plated.
[0005] With this objective in mind, the present invention provides a masking jig comprising: a cylindrical portion that covers the small portion, which is a portion of a rod-shaped plated member having a large portion and a small portion, that is not to be plated; a suppression unit that is provided on the side of the cylindrical portion where the small portion is inserted and that contacts the axial end face of the large portion, and that suppresses the material to be plated from moving toward the small portion; and a support unit that supports the suppression unit so that it can move in the axial direction.
[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a masking jig that can mask areas that should not be plated with high accuracy.
[0007] 5 is a schematic diagram of an electroplating apparatus according to the present embodiment; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state when a plating process is being performed in the electroplating apparatus; FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a piston rod as an example of a member to be plated; FIG. 8 is an example of a view of a masking jig according to a first embodiment as seen from above; FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a cross section taken along the V-V line of FIG. 4; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which a first unit is in the lowest position; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a state in which a piston rod is inserted into the masking jig according to the first embodiment; FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a state before a piston rod is inserted into the masking jig according to the first embodiment; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which a piston rod is inserted into the masking jig according to the first embodiment; FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a state of the masking jig when the piston rod is at a target position; FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a masking jig according to a second embodiment;
[0008] An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an electroplating apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a plating process is being performed using the electroplating apparatus 1. The electroplating apparatus 1 includes a gripping mechanism 20 (an example of a gripping unit) that grips a piston rod 10 (an example of a rod-shaped workpiece to be plated), and a plating tank 30 that contains a plating solution containing a material to be plated. The electroplating apparatus 1 performs a 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 (the vertical direction in FIG. 1 ), the side where the gripping mechanism 20 is located (the upper side in FIG. 1 ) is referred to as the "upper side," and the side where the plating tank 30 is located is referred to as the "lower side."
[0009] The electroplating apparatus 1 comprises a plurality of pillars 11 extending in the axial direction, a horizontal plate 12 suspended above the pillars 11, two rails 13 extending in the front-rear direction (perpendicular to the plane of the drawing), and a self-propelled platform 14 running on the two rails 13. The electroplating apparatus 1 also comprises a motor 15 provided on the 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 lifts and lowers the piston rod 10, two guides 22 that assist 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. The gripping mechanism 20 also has a plurality of gripping sockets 24 that are attached to the lifting plate 23 and grip the piston rod 10. The plurality of gripping sockets 24 lift and lower together with the lifting plate 23 as the lifting cylinder 21 extends and retracts.
[0011] The electroplating apparatus 1 also includes a tank 32 for storing a plating liquid, a pump 33, a supply pipe 34 for supplying the plating liquid stored in the tank 32 to the plating tank 30, and a return pipe 35 for returning the plating liquid in the plating tank 30 to the tank 32. The electroplating apparatus 1 also includes an anode 36 for electroplating, an anode-side bus bar 37, a cathode support 38, and a cathode-side bus bar 39.
[0012] The electroplating apparatus 1 also includes a masking jig 100 that is placed in the plating tank 30 and masks a specific portion of the piston rod 10, and an elevating mechanism 50 that holds and elevates the masking jig 100. 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 the frame 51, screws 53 that lift and lower each nut member 52, and a transmission rod 54 and bevel gear 55 that rotate the screws 53. The lifting mechanism 50 also includes a motor 56 connected to one of the screws 53, and a rotation detector 57 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 depending on the length of the workpiece (in this embodiment, the piston rod 10) to be plated and the area to be masked. Meanwhile, the motor 15 is driven to move the workpiece above the plating tank 30, and the lifting cylinder 21 is driven to lower the workpiece at that position. The lifting plate 23 is then placed on the cathode support 38. A predetermined voltage is then applied between the anode 36 and the workpiece via the anode-side bus bar 37 and the cathode-side bus bar 39. Metal ions (e.g., Cr ions), which are an example of the material to be plated, in the plating solution are attracted to the workpiece on the cathode side, where the metal begins to be reduced and precipitate.
[0015] (Piston rod, masking jig) Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of a piston rod 10 as an example of a member to be plated. It is shown in the same orientation 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 of an example of a cross section taken along the line VV in Fig. 4. The masking jig 100 is a jig suitable for plating the piston rod 10.
[0016] {Piston Rod} The piston rod 10 is a component used in a vehicle suspension, and holds a piston placed in a cylinder at one end, while the other end is exposed to the outside of the cylinder. For example, to prevent the portion of the piston rod 10 exposed to the outside of the cylinder from sliding against the oil seal that seals the inside of the cylinder and wearing away, the portion that slides against the oil seal is plated with hard chrome.
[0017] The piston rod 10 is rod-shaped and composed of multiple cylindrical sections with different outer diameters. The piston rod 10 has a central shaft section 10a with the largest outer diameter, an upper shaft section 10b located above the central shaft section 10a, and a lower shaft section 10c located below the central shaft section 10a. A male thread 10d is formed on the outer surface of the upper end of the upper shaft section 10b, and a male thread 10e is formed on the outer surface of the lower end of the lower shaft section 10c. The central shaft section 10a is the section that contacts the oil seal and is therefore the section that should be plated by the electroplating device 1, i.e., the section where a thin metal film should be formed. The male threads 10d and 10e are the sections where a nut is tightened, and therefore are the sections that should not be plated, i.e., the section where a thin metal film should not be formed.
[0018] That is, the piston rod 10 has a stepped portion with different diameters between the central shaft portion 10a and the upper shaft portion 10b, with the central shaft portion 10a being the large portion with a larger diameter and the upper shaft portion 10b being the small portion with a smaller diameter. The piston rod 10 also has a stepped portion with different diameters between the central shaft portion 10a and the lower shaft portion 10c, with the central shaft portion 10a being the large portion with a larger diameter and the lower shaft portion 10c being the small portion with a smaller diameter. It is preferable to avoid plating the entire upper and lower shaft portions 10b, 10c, on which the male threads 10d and 10e are formed. Therefore, 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 metal ions, which are an example of a material to be plated, from moving 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 movably 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 is provided with a contact member 130 that can come into contact with the end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a of the piston rod 10 on the lower shaft portion 10c side in the axial direction, and that suppresses metal ions from moving toward the lower shaft portion 10c. The suppression unit 110 also includes a suppression member 140 that surrounds the lower end portion of the central shaft portion 10a located above the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10, and that suppresses metal ions from moving 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 tubular portion) that surrounds the lower shaft portion 10c and at least the male thread 10e of the piston rod 10, and a flange 132 (an example of a contact portion) that is provided at the upper end of the cylindrical portion 131. The contact member 130 is an elastic body 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 center line direction 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 disposed inside the contact member 130. The interior 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 having a through-hole 133 formed in the center thereof. The flange 132 is provided on the side where the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 131, and is in contact with the end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a in the axial direction.
[0024] The contact member 130 has a deformation portion 134 around a through hole 133 through which the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 passes. The deformation portion 134 elastically deforms and comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the piston rod 10 when the lower shaft portion 10c is inserted into the through hole 133. The deformation portion 134 is made up of an upper and middle portion of the cylindrical portion 131 and a central portion of the flange 132. The deformation portion 134 is separated into multiple pieces by radial slits 135. 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 or members such as the cylindrical portion 131 are arranged so that the center line direction thereof is the same as the axial direction of the piston rod 10. Hereinafter, a direction intersecting (for example, a direction perpendicular to) the center line direction (in other words, the axial direction) will be referred to as the "radial direction." In the radial direction, the side toward the center line will sometimes be simply referred to as the "inner side," and the side away from the center line will sometimes be simply referred to as the "outer side."
[0026] The suppression member 140 has a base 141 which is a circular plate-shaped portion with a through hole 141a formed in the center, an inclined portion 142 which is inclined diagonally upward from the inner end of the base 141 and intersects with the axial direction, and a cylindrical portion 143 which is cylindrical and extends downward in the axial direction from the outer end of the base 141.
[0027] The diameter of the through-hole 141a of the base 141 is larger than the outer diameter of the central shaft portion 10a of the piston rod 10. The outer diameter of the base 141 is larger than the outer diameter of the contact member 130. The inclined portion 142 is formed so that the gap between the inner surface 142a and the outer peripheral surface of the central shaft portion 10a of the piston rod 10 gradually decreases from top to bottom. In other words, the inclined portion 142 is inclined with respect to the axis so that the gap between the inclined portion 142 and the central shaft portion 10a gradually decreases toward the contact member 130. The angle θ of the inclined portion 142 with respect to the axis can be, for example, less than 45 degrees. The upper outer surface 142b at the top of the inclined portion 142 is molded 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 molded so that the outer diameter gradually decreases from top to bottom so that the wall thickness is approximately constant.
[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 size of the cylindrical portion 143 in the axial direction is larger than the size of the flange 132 of the contact member 130. A male thread 143a is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 143, and is fastened to a female thread 152a formed on the holding member 150. The suppression member 140 can be made of, for example, metal or resin.
[0029] The holding member 150 has a disk-shaped portion 151, which is a circular plate-shaped portion with a through hole 151a formed in the center, and a cylindrical portion 152 extending upward in the axial direction from the outer peripheral end of the disk-shaped portion 151. The diameter of the through hole 151a in the disk-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 disk-shaped portion 151 is larger than the outer diameter of the flange 132 of the contact member 130. The inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 152 is formed with a female thread 152a to which a male thread 143a formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 143 of the suppression member 140 is fastened. The holding member 150 can be made of, for example, metal or resin.
[0030] The suppression unit 110 configured as described above is integrated by placing the contact member 130 between the disk-shaped portion 151 of the holding member 150 and the base 141 of the suppression member 140, and tightening the male screw 143a formed on the suppression member 140 and the female screw 152a formed on the holding member 150.
[0031] [Support unit 160] The support unit 160 includes a first unit 170 that supports the suppression unit 110 so that it can move in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and a second unit 210 that supports the suppression unit 110 so that it can move in the axial direction. The support unit 160 also includes an elastic member 240 arranged between the first unit 170 and the second unit 210, a restricting member 250 that restricts movement of the first unit 170 relative to the second unit 210, and a lock nut 255 that restricts movement of the restricting member 250. The elastic member 240 can be, for example, a coil spring.
[0032] (First unit 170) The first unit 170 comprises a base 180 on which the suppression unit 110 rests, a regulating member 190 that restricts axial movement of the suppression unit 110 by sandwiching the suppression unit 110 between the base 180 and the regulating member 190, and a lock nut 195 that restricts movement of the regulating member 190.
[0033] The base 180 has three cylindrical portions aligned axially from bottom to top: a first cylindrical portion 181, a second cylindrical portion 182, and a third cylindrical portion 183. The first cylindrical portion 181 and the second cylindrical portion 182 have the same outer diameter but different inner diameters. The second cylindrical portion 182 and the third cylindrical portion 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 of the second cylindrical portion 182 plus the axial length of the third cylindrical portion 183 is longer than the length of the cylindrical portion 131 of the contact member 130. This allows the base 180 to accommodate the cylindrical portion 131 of the contact member 130 inside.
[0035] The first cylindrical portion 181 has a cylindrical recess 186 formed upward from the lower end surface. A plurality of recesses 186 (e.g., six recesses 186) are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The upper portion of the elastic member 240 is housed in the recess 186.
[0036] A through-hole 187 is formed in the second cylindrical portion 182, penetrating radially from the interior to the exterior. The through-hole 187 is an elongated hole shaped like two semicircles connected by a rectangle with sides twice the length of the radii of the semicircles. The through-hole 187 is formed so that its size in the axial direction is larger than its size in the circumferential direction. The radius of the semicircle of the through-hole 187 is set to be equal to or larger than the radius of a shaft portion 251 (described later) of the restricting member 250.
[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, to which a female thread 191a formed on the restricting member 190 is fastened. The base 180 can be made of, for example, metal or resin.
[0038] The restricting member 190 has two cylindrical portions, a first cylindrical portion 191 and a second cylindrical portion 192, which have the same outer diameter but different inner diameters, and a protruding portion 193 that protrudes inward from the upper end of the second cylindrical portion 192. The restricting member 190 can be made of, for example, metal or resin.
[0039] The inner circumferential surface of the first cylindrical portion 191 is formed with a female thread 191a that is fastened to a male 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. The inner diameter of the second cylindrical portion 192 is also larger than the outer diameter of the holding member 150. The axial size of the second cylindrical portion 192 is larger than the axial size of the holding member 150 of the suppression unit 110. The protruding portion 193 is a circular plate-shaped portion 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] In the first unit 170 configured as described above, the restricting member 190 is attached to the base 180 with the lower end surface (the lower surface of the disk-shaped portion 151) of the holding member 150 of the suppression unit 110 placed 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 protrusion 193 of the restricting member 190. Then, the female thread 191a formed on the restricting member 190 is tightened onto the male thread 188 formed on the base 180, thereby movably supporting the suppression unit 110. Downward movement of the restricting 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 so that the gap between the upper end surface 189 of the base 180 and the protrusion 193 of the regulating member 190 is larger than the size of the suppression unit 110 sandwiched between the upper end surface 189 of the base 180 and the protrusion 193 of the regulating 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 is larger than the outer diameter of the holding member 150 of the suppression unit 110, so 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] (Second unit 210) The second unit 210 supports the first unit 170 so as to restrict movement of the first unit 170 in the transverse direction and allow movement of the first unit 170 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 disc-shaped portion 221 that is a circular plate-shaped portion, 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 recess 226 formed therein, which is cylindrically recessed downward from the upper end surface. A plurality of recesses 226 (e.g., six recesses 226) are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The recess 226 is positioned opposite the recess 186 of the first unit 170, and accommodates a 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 equal to or greater than 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 disk-shaped portion 221. The fitting member 230 is arranged such that the lower end of the cylindrical portion 231 surrounds the cylindrical portion 222 of the support member 220. 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, but 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. A through hole 234 is formed in the cylindrical portion 231 above the portion where the flange 232 is provided, radially penetrating from the interior to the exterior. A female thread 235 is formed in the through hole 234.
[0047] The flange 232 is a rectangular plate-like 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 inserted into the central through-hole 236. An example of a method for joining the cylindrical portion 231 and the flange 232 is welding.
[0048] The flange 232 has peripheral through-holes 237, which are cylindrical through-holes, formed around the central through-hole 236. The peripheral through-holes 237 are formed at each of the four corners of the rectangle. Note that the fitting member 230 is composed of two parts, the cylindrical portion 231 and the flange 232, but the cylindrical portion 231 and the flange 232 may be integrally formed.
[0049] The fitting member 230 configured as described above is joined to the support member 220 with the cylindrical portion 222 of the support member 220 inserted into the lower end of the cylindrical portion 231 and the lower end surface of the cylindrical portion 231 abutting against the disk-shaped portion 221 of the support member 220. An example of a method for joining the support member 220 and the fitting member 230 is welding. Note that although the second unit 210 is configured by the support member 220 and the fitting member 230, the support member 220 and the fitting member 230 may be configured integrally.
[0050] (Regulating member 250) The regulating member 250 is a cylindrical member having a cylindrical shaft portion 251 at one end, a male thread 252 formed on the outer surface from the center to the other end, and a recess 253 recessed in the shape of a tool from the end face at the other end.
[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, for example, bolts with shafts passing through peripheral through-holes 237 formed in the flange 232 of the fitting member 230. 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 has the first cylindrical portion 181 and the second cylindrical portion 182 of the base 180 inserted into 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 placed in the recess 226 of the second unit 210, and the circumferential position of the first unit 170 is adjusted 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 adjusted 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 thread 252 is tightened onto the female thread 235 so that the shaft 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 thread 252 of the restricting member 250 to restrict movement of the restricting member 250 so that the shaft 251 of the restricting member 250 remains positioned within 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 engaging member 230 of the second unit 210, so that the first unit 170 can move axially relative to the second unit 210.
[0055] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a state in which the first unit 170 is positioned at its lowest position. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a state in which the first unit 170 is positioned at its highest position. The first unit 170 receives a spring force from the elastic member 240 in a direction that moves it upward, and the upward movement of the first unit 170 is restricted by the lower end of the through-hole 187 of the first unit 170 abutting against the shaft 251 of the regulating member 250. Therefore, when the first unit 170 is not receiving a downward force, the lower end of the through-hole 187 of the first unit 170 abuts against the shaft 251 of the regulating member 250, as shown in FIG. 5 . The axial length of the elastic member 240 is set so that the elastic member 240 is in a contracted state when the lower end of the through-hole 187 of the first unit 170 abuts against the shaft 251 of the regulating member 250.
[0056] On the other hand, first unit 170 receives the downward force and moves downward against the spring force of elastic member 240. Then, the lower end surface of third cylindrical portion 183 of first unit 170 abuts against the upper end surface of fitting member 230 of second unit 210, thereby restricting downward movement of first unit 170. Figure 6 shows a state in which the lower end surface of third cylindrical portion 183 of first unit 170 abuts against the upper end surface of fitting member 230 of second unit 210. The downward movement of first unit 170 may also be restricted by the upper end of through hole 187 abutting against shaft portion 251 of restricting member 250. 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 so 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, a gap is left 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] 7 is a diagram showing a 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 bus bar 37 and the cathode-side bus bar 39, metal ions Mi in the plating solution move toward the cathode-side piston rod 10, and the metal begins to be reduced and precipitated.
[0058] Meanwhile, the gap between the inner surface 142a of the inclined portion 142 of the suppression member 140 and the outer peripheral surface of the central shaft portion 10a of the piston rod 10 is gradually reduced from top to bottom, so that the amount of metal ions Mi reaching the outer peripheral surface of the central shaft portion 10a decreases toward the bottom end of the central shaft portion 10a. Furthermore, the inner diameter (the diameter of the through-hole 133) of the cylindrical portion 131 of the contact member 130 of the suppression unit 110 is larger than the outer diameter of the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10. Therefore, 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 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 toward the lower shaft portion 10c. Furthermore, because the cylindrical portion 131 of the contact member 130 surrounds the periphery of the lower shaft portion 10c, metal ions Mi are prevented from moving from the outside of the cylindrical portion 131, between the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 131 and the inner circumferential surface of the base 180, toward the lower shaft portion 10c located inside the cylindrical portion 131. This prevents a thin metal film from being formed on the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 (metal being reduced and precipitated).
[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 surface of the cylindrical portion 131 and the outer surface of the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 becomes uniform.
[0060] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state before the piston rod 10 is inserted into the masking jig 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a state after the piston rod 10 is inserted into the masking jig 100 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8 , if the center Ch of the through hole 133 of the contact member 130 is misaligned with the axis Cs of the piston rod 10 (the lower shaft portion 10c) when the piston rod 10 is inserted into the masking jig 100, the outer circumferential surface of the lower shaft portion 10c contacts only the upper portions of some of the contact pieces 136, and the contacting contact pieces 136 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 pieces 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 coincide with each other. After the piston rod 10 is inserted into the masking jig 100, the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 131 and the outer peripheral surface of the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 tends to become uniform. As a result, metal ions Mi are more reliably prevented from passing from above the contact member 130 through the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 131 and the outer peripheral surface of the lower shaft portion 10c toward the male thread 10e.
[0061] For example, in a configuration in which 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 is misaligned with the axis Cs of the piston rod 10 (lower shaft portion 10c) when the piston rod 10 is inserted, the outer circumferential surface of the lower shaft portion 10c contacts only the upper ends of some of the 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 outer circumferential surface of the lower shaft portion 10c and the contact pieces 136 that did not contact the outer circumferential surface of the lower shaft portion 10c. This gap facilitates metal ions Mi to flow from above the contact member 130 toward the male thread 10e, facilitating plating of the male thread 10e of the piston rod 10. 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 some of the contact pieces 136 are repeatedly deformed, these some of the contact pieces 136 are more likely to be damaged, such as being plastically deformed, and the durability of the masking jig will decrease.
[0062] In contrast, with the masking jig 100 according to the first embodiment, even if the center Ch of the through hole 133 of the contact member 130 is misaligned with the axis Cs of the piston rod 10 (lower shaft portion 10 c), the center Ch of the through hole 133 and the axis Cs of the piston rod 10 are likely to coincide. That is, because 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 are likely to coincide with each other after the insertion. As a result, after the piston rod 10 is inserted into the masking jig 100, the gaps between the outer peripheral surface of the lower shaft portion 10 c and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 131 are likely to become equal, and metal ions Mi are more likely to be prevented from moving from above the contact member 130 toward the male thread 10 e. Therefore, the masking jig 100 according to the first embodiment can more reliably prevent the areas to be masked from being plated (from having a thin metal film formed thereon).
[0063] Additionally, with the masking jig 100, the support unit 160 can absorb any axial positional deviation of the piston rod 10. For example, when the axial position of the piston rod 10 gripped by the gripping mechanism 20 is lower than the reference position (e.g., the position where the end face 10 f of the central shaft portion 10 a of the piston rod 10 contacts the upper end face of the contact piece 136 of the contact member 130 in the state shown in FIG. 5 ) and the end face 10 f of the central shaft portion 10 a abuts against the upper end face of the contact piece 136, the contact member 130 moves downward. That is, with the masking jig 100, the first unit 170 supporting the suppression unit 110 can move downward relative to the second unit 210. Therefore, for example, when the end face 10 f of the central shaft portion 10 a 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. This makes it possible to prevent damage to the deformed portion 134 of the contact member 130 caused by the end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a coming into strong contact with the contact member 130, thereby improving durability.
[0064] Furthermore, since it is possible to prevent damage to the contact member 130 due to strong contact of the end face 10f of the central shaft 10a with the contact member 130, it is possible to keep the end face 10f of the central shaft 10a of the piston rod 10 in constant contact with the upper end face of the contact piece 136 of the contact member 130 during plating. In other words, the target axial position of the piston rod 10 gripped by the gripping mechanism 20 can be determined so that the end face 10f of the central shaft 10a comes into contact with the upper end face of the contact piece 136 of the contact member 130 at a position intermediate between the uppermost position of the first unit 170 shown in Fig. 5 and the lowermost position of the first unit 170 shown in Fig. 6.
[0065] 10 is a diagram showing the state of the masking jig 100 when the piston rod 10 is at the target position. By determining the target position as described above, even if the axial position of the piston rod 10 deviates vertically from the target position, the end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a of the piston rod 10 can be kept in contact with the upper end face of the contact piece 136 of the contact member 130. As a result, it is possible to prevent metal ions from moving toward the lower shaft portion 10c through a 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 region 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 so that the gap between it and the central shaft portion 10a gradually decreases toward the contact member 130, and the angle θ with respect to the axial direction is less than 45 degrees. Therefore, with the masking jig 100 according to the first embodiment, metal ions Mi are less likely to flow from above the contact member 130 toward the lower shaft portion 10c, compared to when the angle θ of the inclined portion 142 with respect to the axial direction is 45 degrees or greater. As a result, the masking jig 100 according to the first embodiment can more reliably prevent the area to be masked from being plated.
[0067] Furthermore, in the masking jig 100, slits 135 are formed in the contact member 130, preventing the multiple separate contact pieces 136 from contacting each other when the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 is not inserted. In contrast, if the multiple contact pieces 136 are in contact with each other before the lower shaft portion 10c of the piston rod 10 is inserted, the contact pieces 136 may collide with each other after the lower shaft portion 10c is inserted, potentially resulting in the contact pieces 136 contacting the central shaft portion 10a. If the contact pieces 136 are in contact with the central shaft portion 10a, a thin metal film is not formed on the lower end of the central shaft portion 10a. As described above, the masking jig 100 according to the first embodiment can reliably prevent areas that should be plated from being left unplated. However, the contact member 130 does not necessarily need to have slits 135 formed therein.
[0068] Furthermore, in the masking jig 100, the upper outer surface 142b of the inclined portion 142 of the suppressing member 140 of the suppressing unit 110 is shaped to be parallel to the axial direction. Furthermore, the size of the inclined portion 142 of the suppressing member 140 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction is smaller than the size of the base 180 of the support unit 160 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction. In this manner, the size of the upper outer surface 142b of the inclined portion 142 of the suppressing member 140 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction is reduced. 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 suppressing member 140 is less likely to interfere with the anode 36 (see FIG. 1 ). In other words, according to the masking jig 100 of the first embodiment, by configuring the inclined portion 142 of the suppressing member 140 in the above-described shape, the space efficiency of the electroplating apparatus 1 can be improved.
[0069] In the masking jig 100, the disk-shaped portion 221 of the support member 220 of the second unit 210 is a circular plate-shaped portion and is configured to block metal ions Mi from moving toward the inside of the first unit 170, but is not particularly limited to this configuration. For example, a through-hole may be formed in the center of the disk-shaped portion 221, and a cylindrical collar may be fitted around the outer periphery of the disk-shaped portion 221. Even with this configuration, it is possible to prevent metal ions Mi from moving toward the inside of the first unit 170.
[0070] Second Embodiment Fig. 11 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a masking jig 200 according to a second embodiment. The masking jig 200 according to the second embodiment differs from the masking jig 100 according to the first embodiment in that a support unit 260 corresponding 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 following mainly describes the differences from the masking jig 100 according to the first embodiment. Components 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 detailed description thereof will be omitted.
[0071] The support unit 260 of the second embodiment includes a first unit 270 that supports the suppression unit 110, a second unit 210 that supports the suppression unit 110 so that it can move axially, an elastic member 240 arranged between the first unit 270 and the second unit 210, a regulating member 250, and a lock nut 255.
[0072] The first unit 270 comprises a base 180, a regulating member 290 that restricts axial movement of the suppression unit 110 by sandwiching the suppression unit 110 between the base 180, and a lock nut 195 that restricts movement of the regulating member 290.
[0073] The regulating member 290 has two cylindrical portions, a first cylindrical portion 291 and a second cylindrical portion 292, which have the same outer diameter but different inner diameters, and a protrusion 193 that protrudes inward from the upper end of the second cylindrical portion 292.
[0074] An internal thread 291a is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the first cylindrical portion 291. The internal thread 291a is fastened to an external thread 188 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the third cylindrical portion 183 of the base 180. The internal diameter of the second cylindrical portion 292 is equal to or smaller than the internal diameter of the first cylindrical portion 291 and is equal to the external diameter of the holding member 150 of the suppression unit 110. Therefore, no gap is created between the internal surface of the second cylindrical portion 292 and the outer peripheral surface of the holding member 150 of the suppression unit 110, and the second cylindrical portion 292 restricts movement of the suppression unit 110 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction.
[0075] In the first unit 270 configured as described above, the restricting member 290 is attached to the base 180 with the lower end surface of the holding member 150 of the suppression unit 110 placed 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 protrusion 193 of the restricting member 290. Thereafter, the female thread 291a formed on the restricting member 290 is tightened onto the male thread 188 formed on the base 180, thereby holding the suppression unit 110. Downward movement of the restricting 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 so that the gap between the upper end surface 189 of the base 180 and the protrusion 193 of the regulating member 290 is the same size as the suppression unit 110 sandwiched between the upper end surface 189 of the base 180 and the protrusion 193 of the regulating member 290.
[0076] In the support unit 260 according to the second embodiment, the second unit 210 also supports the first unit 270, which holds the suppression unit 110, so that the first unit 270 can move axially. Therefore, according to the masking jig 200, even if the end surface 10 f of the central shaft portion 10 a of the piston rod 10 hits the upper end surface of the contact piece 136 of the contact member 130, the contact member 130 moves downward, thereby preventing damage to the deformed portion 134 of the contact member 130 caused by strong contact between the central shaft portion 10 a and the contact member 130. As a result, the durability of the masking jig 200 is improved.
[0077] Furthermore, even if the axial position of the piston rod 10 deviates vertically from the target position, the end face 10f of the central shaft portion 10a of the piston rod 10 can always be in contact with the upper end face of the contact piece 136 of the contact member 130. As a result, it is possible to prevent metal ions from moving toward the lower shaft portion 10c through a 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 region that should not be plated.
[0078] 1... electroplating apparatus, 10... piston rod (an example of a plated member), 10a... central shaft portion (an example of a large portion), 10c... lower shaft portion (an example of a small portion), 10e... male thread, 10f... end surface, 100, 200... masking jig, 110... suppression unit, 130... contact member, 131... cylindrical portion (an example of a cylindrical portion), 132... flange (an example of a contact portion), 140... suppression member, 150... holding member, 160, 260... support unit, 170, 270... first unit, 180... base, 190... regulating member, 195... lock nut, 210... second unit, 220... support member, 230... fitting member (an example of a fixing member), 240... elastic member, 250... regulating member
Claims
1. a suppression unit having a cylindrical portion that surrounds the small portion, which is a portion of a rod-shaped plated member having a large portion and a small portion and that is not to be plated, and a contact portion that is provided on the side where the small portion is inserted into the cylindrical portion and that comes into contact with an axial end face of the large portion, the suppression unit suppressing the material to be plated from moving toward the small portion; a support unit that supports the suppression unit movably in the axial direction, the support unit including a first unit that supports the suppression unit so as to restrict movement of the suppression unit in the axial direction, and a second unit that supports the first unit so as to restrict movement of the first unit in a direction intersecting the axial direction and to allow movement of the first unit in the axial direction; Equipped with the first unit supports the suppression unit to allow movement of the suppression unit in the transverse direction; Masking fixture.
2. the second unit has a fixed member fixed to a plating device, The support unit has an elastic member disposed between the fixed member and the first unit in the axial direction. The masking tool according to claim 1.
3. The first unit has a base on which the suppression unit is placed, and a restricting member that restricts movement of the suppression unit in the axial direction by sandwiching the suppression unit between the base and the restricting member, and by forming a gap between an inner peripheral surface of the restricting member and an outer peripheral surface of the suppression unit, the suppression unit is supported movably in the intersecting direction relative to the base until the outer peripheral surface of the suppression unit contacts the inner peripheral surface of the restricting member. The masking tool according to claim 1 .
4. A plating tank containing a plating solution containing a material to be plated; A gripping portion that grips a member to be plated; The masking jig according to claim 1 , which is disposed in the plating tank; and An electroplating apparatus comprising: