Manufacturing device for metal piece laminate and manufacturing method for metal piece laminate

Abstract

A manufacturing device 1 for a metal piece laminate comprises: a lower holder 10; an application unit base 63; an upper holder 30; a stripper plate 40; a pilot pin 50 that is attached to the lower holder 10 and positions a thin steel sheet SS by fitting and inserting a tip end into a pilot hole P from below in association with a movement operation of the stripper plate 40; and an adhesive application unit 60 that applies an adhesive to one surface of the thin steel sheet SS by an application head 62. The manufacturing device 1 for a metal piece laminate is configured to receive the thin steel plate SS on a lower surface 40a of the stripper plate at a timing before the start of application of the adhesive by the application head 62, and to position the thin steel plate SS by fitting and inserting the pilot pin 50 into the pilot hole P from below. The present invention makes it possible to provide a manufacturing device for a metal piece laminate that is capable of appropriately applying an adhesive even onto a thin steel sheet that can be easily bent in the thickness direction when an external force is applied.

Description

Manufacturing apparatus for metal piece stack and manufacturing method for metal piece stack

[0001] The present invention relates to a manufacturing apparatus for a metal piece stack and a manufacturing method for a metal piece stack.

[0002] Metal piece laminates, in which multiple metal pieces are stacked, are widely used in fields such as machinery and electricity, for example, in the form of motor cores. Metal piece laminates are made by stacking and bonding metal pieces of the same shape that have been punched out from thin steel sheets. Methods for bonding metal pieces include welding and crimping, but in recent years, adhesive bonding has also become increasingly common (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a conventional progressive die-type manufacturing apparatus for stacking metal pieces, which joins the metal pieces together by adhesive (hereinafter, this may be referred to simply as the "conventional apparatus." The numbers in parentheses are the symbols in Patent Document 1). The conventional apparatus includes an adhesive applicator (50), a pilot pin (84), a lifter pin (110), etc. The pilot pin (84) is attached to the upper die holder (12) so as to belong to the upper die holder (12).

[0004] When the upper holder (12) begins to descend from the top dead center position, first, the pilot pin (84) is inserted into the pilot hole P of the hoop material F, and the hoop material F is positioned in the transfer direction (see

[0110] , Figure 10A, etc. of Patent Document 1). As the upper holder (12) continues to descend, the stripper plate (32) also descends, and the lower surface of the stripper plate (32) abuts against the upper surface of the hoop material F. Thereafter, the stripper plate (32) pushes the hoop material F and the lifter pins (110) downward against the spring force of the lifter spring (114) until the hoop material F abuts against the upper surface of the die plate (40) (see

[0112] , Figures 11A, 17, 18, etc. of Patent Document 1). When the hoop material F is pressed against the upper surface of the die plate (40), the adhesive ejected from each outlet of the adhesive application device (50) is transferred to the lower surface of the hoop material F (see

[0113] , Figure 12B, etc. of Patent Document 1).

[0005] JP 2022-79616 A JP 2021-35242 A

[0006] However, in the conventional device, during the process of positioning the hoop material, adhesive may adhere to unnecessary areas on the hoop material F. This will be explained in detail below.

[0007] Figure 19 is a side view showing a schematic representation of the main components of a conventional metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus. (1) Generally, when positioning of the hoop material F begins, the hoop material F is more or less offset from its original position, and the center C1 of the pilot hole P does not coincide with the center C2 of the axis of the pilot pin (84) (see Figure 19(a)). (2) When the upper holder (12) begins to descend, the pilot pin (84) also descends, and eventually the lower end tapered shaft portion (84C) of the pilot pin (84) abuts against the upper surface of the hoop material F (the outer end A of the pilot hole P) (see Figure 19(a)). At this time, the hoop material F is lifted upward by the lifter pin (110). (3) When the pilot pin (84) attempts to descend further, a horizontal force acts on the hoop material F with the outer end A as the point of action (see the left-facing arrow Fh in Figure 19(a)). This force causes the hoop material F to move horizontally, following the inclined surface of the lower end tapered shank portion (84C). Finally, positioning is completed when the straight shank portion (84B) enters the pilot hole P. Note that the hoop material F is subjected to a vertical force Fv in addition to the horizontal force Fh. If the hoop material F is sufficiently thick, the vertical deformation of the hoop material F due to the vertical force Fv is not significant, and the hoop material F is properly positioned, and the intended adhesive application position (the portion indicated by width W2) of the hoop material F is properly aligned directly above the discharge port (64) of the application table (60) (symbol Ad indicates adhesive).

[0008] The thickness of the metal pieces (thickness of the hoop material) that make up the metal piece laminate varies, but as metal piece laminates become smaller and more powerful, there are now many cases where thin hoop materials F (thin steel plates) with thicknesses of 0.1 mm or less are used. When the hoop material F becomes this thick, its rigidity decreases and it becomes more susceptible to bending due to external forces, and deformation of the hoop material F when the pilot pin (84) is inserted into the pilot hole P becomes significant.

[0009] 19(a) to 19(c) are side views of the main part showing the hoop material deformation problem in adhesive application station IV of Patent Document 1 in chronological order. For reference, Figure 4 of Patent Document 1 shows the planar positional relationship of the pilot hole P, lifter pin (110), adhesive application point (E), etc. It can also be seen from Figure 4 of Patent Document 1 that the pilot pin (84) is located in a different position from the lifter pin (110) in plan view.

[0010] When the pilot pin (84) descends further from the state shown in FIG. 19( a), if the hoop material F is thin, as shown in FIG. 19( b), the hoop material F, while in contact with the lower tapered shaft portion (84C) of the pilot pin, is deformed by a vertical force Fv toward the adhesive discharge port (64) with the portion abutting the lifter pin (110) as a fulcrum. In other words, the hoop material F is pulled in the direction of the advancement of the pilot pin (84) and bends. As a result, even though the positioning of the hoop material F is not yet complete, its underside comes into contact with the adhesive Ad at the discharge port (64), resulting in the adhesive Ad being deposited in positions shifted from the intended adhesive application position (see FIG. 19( b)). As the pilot pin (84) descends further, the hoop material F is dragged horizontally by force Fh, rubbing against the top surface (61) of the application table and depositing adhesive Ad. As a result, more adhesive Ad than necessary is applied to the hoop material F over an area (the area indicated by width L) wider than the width W2 of the pattern to which the adhesive is intended to be applied (see Figure 19 (c)).

[0011] Another failure mode that is different from the above is that depending on the relationship between the pilot pin (84) and the pilot hole P, the pin may be difficult to insert into the hole, which may cause delays in positioning in the planar direction, and the hoop material F may begin to contact the upper surface (61) of the application table before positioning is complete, causing adhesive application to begin.

[0012] Experiments by the inventors have revealed that, as described above, when adhesive Ad is applied in a position shifted from the intended adhesive application position, or when adhesive Ad is applied over a wider area than the intended adhesive application pattern, it can lead to the following problems: (a) Adhesive Ad is unnecessarily applied to areas on the hoop material F where adhesion is not required, and depending on the position, adhesive Ad may adhere to mold parts (e.g., lifters, etc.), making it necessary to stop the mold and perform maintenance each time this happens; (b) The adhesive Ad that adhered to the mold parts in (a) is re-transferred to other parts of the following hoop material F that is fed forward, causing so-called poor adhesion; (c) The application position and amount of adhesive Ad vary depending on the degree of deformation of the hoop material F, making it difficult to control the application quality; and (d) Adhesive Ad is wasted.

[0013] In particular, when applying adhesive finely and with high precision so that the adhesive reaches close to the edge of the outer contour of the metal piece, as in Patent Document 2 (see

[0043] , Figure 3, etc. of Patent Document 2), it is necessary to take sufficient measures to prevent the adhesive from spilling out from the outer shape of the metal piece.

[0014] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the above problems, and aims to provide a manufacturing device for a metal piece stack that can appropriately apply adhesive to thin steel plates that can easily bend in the thickness direction when an external force is applied. It also aims to provide a manufacturing method for a metal piece stack that can appropriately apply adhesive to thin steel plates that can easily bend in the thickness direction when an external force is applied.

[0015] [1] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a manufacturing apparatus for a metal piece stack, which stacks metal pieces punched into a predetermined shape from an intermittently transported thin steel sheet and bonds the metal pieces together to form a metal piece stack. This manufacturing apparatus for a metal piece stack includes a lower holder, an application unit base attached to the lower holder, an upper holder configured to be movable up and down relative to the lower holder, a stripper plate configured to be movable up and down in accordance with the movement of the upper holder and to push the thin steel sheet toward the application unit base as it moves toward the lower holder, a pilot pin attached to the lower holder and having its tip inserted from below into a pilot hole formed in the thin steel sheet as it moves the stripper plate to position the thin steel sheet at a predetermined position in the planar direction, and an adhesive application unit having a application head arranged to face one side of the thin steel sheet and configured to apply adhesive to the thin steel sheet by depositing adhesive supplied from the application head onto one side of the thin steel sheet. This metal piece stack manufacturing device is configured to receive the thin steel plate on the underside of the stripper plate before the application of adhesive by the application head begins, and then position the thin steel plate by inserting a pilot pin into the pilot hole from below.

[0016] [2] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a metal piece stack using an apparatus for stacking metal pieces punched into a predetermined shape from an intermittently transported thin steel sheet and bonding the metal pieces together to form a metal piece stack. This method for manufacturing a metal piece stack is characterized by performing, in this order, a thin steel sheet positioning step in which a thin steel sheet is received on the underside of a stripper plate and then pilot pins are inserted into pilot holes from below, and an adhesive application step in which adhesive supplied from an application head is applied to one side of the thin steel sheet to apply the adhesive to the thin steel sheet.

[0017] According to the manufacturing device for a metal piece stack of the present invention, adhesive can be appropriately applied to thin steel plates that can easily bend in the thickness direction when an external force is applied. Also, according to the manufacturing method for a metal piece stack of the present invention, adhesive can be appropriately applied to thin steel plates that can easily bend in the thickness direction when an external force is applied.

[0018] 1 is a diagram for explaining a manufacturing apparatus 1 for a metal piece stack according to a first embodiment; a cross-sectional view of a main part of the manufacturing apparatus 1 for a metal piece stack according to the first embodiment; an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part showing a state when a pilot pin 50 is inserted into a pilot hole P of a thin steel plate SS; a cross-sectional view of a main part at a "top dead center stage" for explaining the operation of the manufacturing apparatus 1 for a metal piece stack; a cross-sectional view of a main part at a "stripper - thin steel plate contact start stage" for explaining the operation of the manufacturing apparatus 1 for a metal piece stack; a cross-sectional view of a main part at a "pilot pin - thin steel plate contact start stage" for explaining the operation of the manufacturing apparatus 1 for a metal piece stack; a cross-sectional view of a main part at a "positioning completion stage" for explaining the operation of the manufacturing apparatus 1 for a metal piece stack; a cross-sectional view of a main part at a "thin steel plate - coating unit base / die plate contact start stage" for explaining the operation of the manufacturing apparatus 1 for a metal piece stack; a cross-sectional view of a main part at a "bottom dead center stage" for explaining the operation of the manufacturing apparatus 1 for a metal piece stack. 1 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 1, and is an enlarged view of a main part at the "folding stage." FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a metal piece stack according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a main part illustrating switching of a transfer mode in the metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 1. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 2 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 2 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a main part at the "stripper - thin steel sheet contact start stage" illustrating the operation of the metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 2, and is a cross-sectional view of a main part at the "pilot pin - thin steel sheet contact start stage." FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a main part at the "thin steel sheet - coating unit base / die plate contact start stage" illustrating the operation of the metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 2, and is a cross-sectional view of a main part at the "bottom dead center stage." FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a main part illustrating switching of a transfer mode in the metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 2. FIG. 9 is a side view of a main part of a conventional metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus.

[0019] Hereinafter, the manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method for a metal piece stack of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, although there are notations in which serial numbers are given to symbols indicating components (for example, punch 75 -1 , 75 -２In the specification, the serial numbers may be omitted (e.g., punch 75). For configurations and structures common to the figures, the symbols in the previous figures may be used, and therefore the symbols may be omitted in subsequent figures.

[0020] In this specification, the side on which the upper holder 30 is arranged is defined as the "upper side," and the side on which the lower holder 10 is arranged is defined as the "lower side." Terms such as "up," "down," "upward," "downward," and the like also have the same meanings as those defined above. When the metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus of the present invention is placed upright, gravitational acceleration g basically acts in the direction from the upper holder 30 toward the lower holder 10. However, the orientation (placement) of the metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus of the present invention when used is not limited to this. For example, the apparatus may be used in an orientation rotated 90° from the above-mentioned upright orientation, or in an orientation rotated 180° from the above-mentioned upright orientation.

[0021] In this specification, applying the adhesive is sometimes referred to as “transfer.” Furthermore, the manufacturing device for the metal piece laminate is sometimes referred to simply as the “manufacturing device,” “device,” or “mold,” the thin steel plate SS is sometimes referred to as the “hoop material F,” the pilot pin is sometimes referred to simply as the “pin,” the pilot hole is sometimes referred to simply as the “hole,” and punching is sometimes referred to as “punching.”

[0022] [Embodiment 1] 1. Overall Layout of Metal Piece Stack Manufacturing Apparatus 1 The metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1 is an apparatus that stacks metal pieces PM punched into a predetermined shape from a thin steel plate SS that is intermittently transported, and bonds the metal pieces PM together to form a metal piece stack LM (not shown, the same applies below).

[0023] For details of the thin steel plate SS, the metal pieces PM, the metal piece stack LM, etc., the contents of Patent Document 2 can be cited. In the first embodiment, the thin steel plate SS is provided as a strip-shaped hoop material.

[0024] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 1A is a plan view of the metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 1 when viewed from directly above the thin steel plate SS toward the lower holder 10. Fig. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 1 of Fig. 1A taken along line B-B and viewed along arrow B, showing the state when the upper holder 30 reaches the bottom dead center.

[0025] 1, the metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 1 is a mold apparatus equipped with an upper mold having an upper holder 30 and a lower mold having a lower holder 10, and the mold opens and closes as the upper mold moves up and down relative to the lower mold. The metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 1 is also a so-called progressive feed apparatus that can intermittently transfer the thin steel sheet SS along the transfer direction TD by index feeding the thin steel sheet SS.

[0026] The metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 1 is provided with at least a "pilot hole punching station ST1," an "adhesive application station ST4," and an "outer shape punching and stacking station ST5" from the upstream side on the left side of the drawing to the downstream side on the right side. In the example of Figure 1, a "slot punching station ST2" and an "inner diameter punching station ST3" are also provided.

[0027] The pilot hole punching station ST1, the slot punching station ST2, and the inner diameter punching station ST3 are provided with pairs of punches 75 and dies 25, and by punching using the blades of each pair, pilot holes P (shown as 75 in FIG. 1(a)) are formed in the thin steel plate SS. －１ Shape shown in 》, slot hole (same 75 －２ (shape shown in) and inner diameter hole (same as 75 －３ The shapes shown by are formed sequentially.

[0028] The adhesive application station ST4 is provided with an adhesive application unit 60. The adhesive application unit 60 is disposed at a position upstream of the outer shape punching and laminating station ST5. The adhesive application unit 60 applies adhesive Ad to one surface of the thin steel sheet SS at a predetermined position in a predetermined shape (the shape indicated by P2 in FIG. 1(a)).

[0029] The outer shape punching and laminating station ST5 has an outer shape punch 75 －５ and the corresponding die 25 －５ For example, in FIG. 1B, the "metal pieces separated in advance by the previous die opening / closing cycle" are placed on the laminate receiving base 245, and the outer shape punch 75 －５ and die 25 －５ The metal pieces PM that have just been separated are additionally stacked and fixed with adhesive Ad. These metal pieces in the process of being stacked are housed and held inside the stack holding member 240. When a predetermined number (e.g., n pieces) of metal pieces PM are stacked, a single metal piece stack LM (not shown) is completed. In manufacturing the metal piece stack LM, the first metal piece or the nth metal piece is punched and stacked without applying adhesive Ad, thereby making it possible to distinguish and separate it from the metal piece stacks LM that have been / are being manufactured before and after. In addition, the reference numeral 246 denotes a stack holder shaft.

[0030] The manufacturing apparatus 1 for manufacturing a stack of metal pieces includes at least a lower holder 10, a coating unit base 63, an upper holder 30, a stripper plate 40, a pilot pin 50, and an adhesive coating unit 60. In the first embodiment, the apparatus further includes a punch plate 70, a punch 75, a die plate 20, lifters 80A and 80B, a guide rail 90, and the like. Each of the components will be described below.

[0031] 2. Unit Configuration Centered on Adhesive Application Station ST4 Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the main parts of the metal piece stacking device 1 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 2(a) is a cross-sectional view of the metal piece stacking device 1 cut by a virtual plane perpendicular to the transfer direction TD of the thin steel plate SS, as viewed from upstream to downstream in the transfer direction TD. Fig. 2(a) is a view mainly showing the relationship between the punch plate 70, thin steel plate SS, lifters 80A, 80B, application unit base 63, etc. in adhesive application station ST4, but in order to explain the relationship with punching later, the punch plate 70 and punch 75, including those in other stations, are also shown. －２, die plate 20, etc. are also shown in Figure 2(a). The components depicted here are not necessarily on the same imaginary plane, but rather show components at appropriate positions, including other stations. Figure 2(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line G-G in Figure 1(a), showing the adhesive application unit 60, etc., in adhesive application station ST4. Note that Figures 2(a) and 2(b) each show the state when the upper holder 30 is at the top dead center.

[0032] (1) Adhesive Application Unit 60 As shown in Fig. 2(b), the adhesive application unit 60 has an application head 62 arranged to face one surface of the thin steel plate SS. The adhesive application unit 60 applies the adhesive Ad to the thin steel plate SS by adhering the adhesive Ad supplied from the application head 62 to one surface of the thin steel plate SS.

[0033] Various methods for applying adhesive by the adhesive application unit 60 can be employed. For example, the application head 62 may be made of porous resin, and the surface 62a of the application head may be brought into contact with or pressed against the thin steel sheet SS, causing the adhesive Ad that oozes out of the surface 62a to adhere to the thin steel sheet SS (stamping method). Alternatively, although not shown, a discharge port may be provided on a portion of the surface of the application head, and the adhesive Ad that rises from the discharge port may be applied to the thin steel sheet SS. In this case, the components constituting the application head may not contact the thin steel sheet SS, and only the adhesive Ad that emerges from the discharge port may contact the thin steel sheet SS (adhesive-only application method). Furthermore, although not shown, a jet port may be provided on a portion of the surface of the application head, and the adhesive Ad that emerges from the jet port may be applied to the thin steel sheet SS. In this case, the components constituting the application head and the jet port are essentially spaced apart from the thin steel sheet SS (jet method). Hereinafter, the stamping method will be used as an example to continue the description of the first embodiment.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 2(b) (see also FIG. 4(b) and other figures described below as necessary), the application head 62 is made of porous resin, and a transfer portion 62c is provided on the surface 62a of the application head. The transfer portion 62c has a shape substantially identical to the adhesive application pattern P2 in plan view. The transfer portion 62c is a portion that transfers the adhesive Ad exuding from the surface 62a to the thin steel sheet SS. A non-transfer portion (not referenced) of the application head 62, from which the adhesive Ad does not exudate, is formed around the transfer portion 62c, etc. As described in Patent Document 2, the surface of the non-transfer portion (not referenced) is melted by a flash of light, blocking the fine pores, preventing the adhesive Ad from seeping out from the interior. Note that the "adhesive application pattern P2" refers to a pattern corresponding to the planar shape (referenced P1 in Patent Document 2) intended for the metal piece PM (see FIG. 1(a)).

[0035] The adhesive Ad is supplied from an adhesive supply source 160 (not shown) to the application head 62 via an adhesive flow path 161, a liquid reservoir 65, and the back surface 62b of the application head. The liquid reservoir 65 is a space surrounded by the back surface 62b of the application head, the head presser 64, and the application unit base 63.

[0036] The coating head 62 is built into a coating unit base 63 and is arranged below the thin steel plate SS. A head presser 64 is arranged on the back surface 62b side of the coating head 62. The head presser 64 presses the coating head 62 from the back surface 62b of the coating head 62 when coating the adhesive Ad. The head presser 64 has a pressing surface 64a that, when viewed in plan, forms a pressing pattern (reference symbol P3 in Patent Document 2) that corresponds to the adhesive coating pattern P2, and the pressing surface 64a is configured to abut against the back surface 62b of the coating head 62 at a position and orientation that corresponds to the transfer portion 62c.

[0037] On the other hand, on the opposite side of the application head 62 with the thin steel plate SS sandwiched therebetween, a receiving base 92 made of resin is provided at a position corresponding to the application head 62. In the first embodiment, the adhesive Ad is transferred from below the thin steel plate SS, and therefore the receiving base 92 in the first embodiment functions as a "pressing plate" that presses down the thin steel plate SS from above.

[0038] Regarding the other structures and configurations of the adhesive application unit 60, the technology described in Patent Document 2, which was previously invented by the present inventor, can be appropriately applied to the present invention.

[0039] The adhesive application unit 60 is configured as described above, and adhesive Ad is applied to the thin steel plate SS by contacting or pressing the surface 62a (more specifically, the transfer portion 62c) of the application head against the underside of the thin steel plate SS.

[0040] (2) Lower Holder 10, Upper Holder 30, Punch Plate 70, and Punch 75 As shown in Fig. 2(a), at least the lower holder 10 and the upper holder 30 are arranged in the adhesive application station ST4. The lower holder 10 is also called a die holder, and basically holds the die plate 20 by sandwiching the die backing plate 29 therebetween. However, the lower holder 10 may also hold the die plate 20 directly.

[0041] The upper holder 30 is also called a punch holder, and basically holds the punch plate 70 and punch 75 with a punch backing plate 79 sandwiched between them. The punch 75 is a cutting tool, and is integrated with the punch plate 70 in the assembled state. Note that the punch plate 70 is not arranged in the adhesive application station ST4 because the punch 75 is not required.

[0042] The upper holder 30 and the lower holder 10 are connected via a main post 94, and the upper holder 30 is capable of moving up and down relative to the lower holder while being guided by the main post 94.

[0043] Lifters 80A and 80B (lifter block 82, guide lifter 84), pilot pin 50, etc. are attached to the lower holder 10, but these will be described in detail later.

[0044] (3) Coating unit base 63, die plate 20, and sub-guide posts 95A, 95B In adhesive coating station ST4, the coating unit base 63 is disposed on the lower holder 10. The coating unit base 63 serves as a base to hold the above-described adhesive coating unit 60. When adhesive coating is performed, the upper surface 63a of the coating unit base 63, together with the lower surface 40a of the stripper plate 40, sandwiches the thin steel sheet SS and fixes the thin steel sheet SS.

[0045] In the cross sections of Figures 8, 9, 18, etc. described below, the thin steel sheet SS is not in contact with the coating unit base 63, but when viewed in a cross section including the axis TD in the transport direction, for example, the coating unit base 63 and the thin steel sheet SS are in contact with each other.

[0046] On the other hand, in the stations (reference numerals ST1 to ST3, ST5) equipped with the punch 75, a die plate 20 is attached to the lower holder 10. The die plate 20 holds a die 25. When punching is performed, the upper surface 20a of the die plate 20, together with the lower surface 40a of the stripper plate 40, sandwiches the thin steel sheet SS and fixes the thin steel sheet SS.

[0047] The above-mentioned coating unit base 63 may be realized by a dedicated unit, or may be realized by the die plate 20 serving as the coating unit base.

[0048] 2(a), sub-guide posts 95A and 95B are erected between the die plate 20 or the coating unit base 63, the stripper plate 40 (described in detail later), and the punch plate 70. Reference numerals 97A and 97B denote springs, and reference numerals 96A and 96B denote guide pushers. These configurations maintain the planar positional accuracy of the die plate 20 or the coating unit base 63, the stripper plate 40, and the punch plate 70 or the upper holder 30, while guiding their approach to and separation from each other in the vertical direction.

[0049] (4) Lifters 80A, 80B Lifters 80A, 80B are provided in the adhesive application station ST4. Each lifter includes a lifting piece and a spring.

[0050] The lifter 80A as the first embodiment has a lifter block 82 which is a lifting piece, and a spring 83 which is attached to the lower holder 10 and biases the lifter block 82 upward. The lifter block 82 is movable up and down relative to the lower holder 10 by expansion and contraction of the spring 83. The lifter block 82 is configured to abut against the thin steel sheet SS with its upper surface to lift the thin steel sheet SS.

[0051] The lifter 80B as a second embodiment has a guide lifter 84, which is a lifting piece, and a spring 85 attached to the lower holder 10 and biasing the guide lifter 84 upward. The guide lifter 84 is movable up and down relative to the lower holder 10 by the expansion and contraction of the spring 85. The guide lifter 84 has a groove cut out in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction near its upper end, into which the widthwise end of the thin steel plate SS fits and becomes caught, and the thin steel plate SS is lifted through this portion (the portion that contacts the inner wall of the groove). In addition, the guide lifter 84 loosely restricts the widthwise position of the thin steel plate SS at the portion that contacts the bottom of this groove, allowing for loose positioning and guiding the transport of the thin steel plate SS.

[0052] The lifters 80A and 80B press the thin steel plate SS from below to prevent it from falling. Furthermore, when the thin steel plate SS is being transported, the lifters 80A and 80B move the thin steel plate SS away from the various mechanisms below to prevent the transport from being impeded and also prevent the thin steel plate SS from coming into contact with the various mechanisms and accidentally causing the applied adhesive Ad to adhere to the various mechanisms.

[0053] The lifters 80A, 80B also simply fix the thin steel plate SS by sandwiching the thin steel plate SS together with the stripper plate 40. For example, just before or during positioning of the thin steel plate SS, the lifters 80A, 80B may press the lower surface of the thin steel plate SS from below, and sandwich the thin steel plate SS together with the stripper plate 40 to simply fix it.

[0054] (5) Guide rail 90 The guide rail 90 loosely restricts the widthwise position of the thin steel plate SS with its side walls to guide the transport of the thin steel plate SS, and its eave portion prevents the thin steel plate SS from bouncing upward (see Figure 2; the guide rail 90 is not shown in Figure 1).

[0055] (6) Stripper Plate 40 The stripper plate 40 is configured to be able to move up and down in accordance with the movement of the upper holder 30, and by moving in the direction toward the lower holder 10, it pushes the thin steel sheet SS toward the coating unit base 63 or the die plate 20.

[0056] In the stations (reference numerals ST1 to ST3, ST5) equipped with the punches 75, the stripper plate 40 presses the thin steel sheet SS toward the die plate 20, and further presses the thin steel sheet SS against the upper surface 20a of the die plate 20.

[0057] In the adhesive application station ST4, the stripper plate 40 pushes the thin steel sheet SS toward the application unit base 63, and further presses the thin steel sheet SS against the upper surface 63a of the application unit base 63. The stripper plate 40 also brings the thin steel sheet SS into contact with or presses it against the surface 62a of the application head (in the case of a stamping type).

[0058] The lower surface 40a of the stripper plate 40 is a surface that is approximately perpendicular to the axial direction of a pilot pin 50, which will be described later. The lower surface 40a of the stripper plate is provided with a pin escape recess 42 at a position corresponding to the pilot pin 50 (described in detail later). The stripper plate 40 of the adhesive application station ST4 also has a built-in receiving base 92.

[0059] (6-1) Structure Around the Stripper Plate 40 The stripper plate 40 belongs to the lower holder 10 and is provided on the lower holder 10 via an elastic member (spring 47B) so as to be vertically movable.

[0060] 2(a), a lower stripper bolt 45B is erected on the lower side of the stripper plate 40, and the lower stripper bolt 45B is connected to the lower holder 10 via a spring 47B. The spring 47B and the lower stripper bolt 45B push the stripper plate 40 upward and float it, so that when the die is at the top dead center, the lower surface 40a of the stripper plate 40 is separated from the thin steel sheet SS, the upper surface 20a of the die plate 20, the tip 50a of the pilot pin 50, etc. Furthermore, when the upper die descends, the spring 47B acts as a damper, and when the upper die ascends, the biasing force of the spring 47B supports the upward movement.

[0061] An upper stripper bolt 45A is provided above the stripper plate 40 as an auxiliary force, and the upper stripper bolt 45A is connected to the upper holder 30 via a spring 47A. The spring 47A compresses just before the bottom dead center, thereby ensuring the punching stroke when the punch 75 descends. Furthermore, in the adhesive application station ST4, just before the bottom dead center, the biasing force of the spring 47A may be used to auxiliary bias the receiving base 92 against the thin steel sheet SS, thereby pressing the thin steel sheet SS against the application head 62 (in the case of a stamping method).

[0062] (6-2) Function: The stripper plate 40 may have a function of simply fixing the thin steel sheet SS when punching or applying adhesive. Specifically, the stripper plate 40 simply fixes the thin steel sheet SS by sandwiching the thin steel sheet SS together with the die plate 20 and the application unit base 63. In this way, the thin steel sheet SS is prevented from shifting horizontally and is prepared for punching or applying adhesive.

[0063] The stripper plate 40 may also have a function of stripping the thin steel sheet SS clinging to the punch 75 after punching.

[0064] Furthermore, the stripper plate 40 has the function of receiving the thin steel sheet SS on the lower surface 40a of the stripper plate when the thin steel sheet SS is positioned by the pilot pin 50. In the case of a conventional manufacturing apparatus for a metal piece stack, before adhesive application as shown in Figure 19(a), the downward force of the hoop material F caused by being pushed from above by the pilot pin (84) is received only by the upper surface of the lifter (110), but in embodiment 1, the lower surface 40a of the stripper plate is designed to receive or accommodate the force with a considerably large area.

[0065] (7) Thrust Block 93 As shown in Figure 2(b), a thrust block 93 is disposed in the adhesive application station ST4. The thrust block 93 is fixed to the lower holder 10 via a spacer 15. The thrust block 93 receives the descent of the stripper plate 40 with an upper surface 93a, thereby restricting the descent of the stripper plate 40. When the device approaches the bottom dead center, the stripper plate 40 basically sandwiches the thin steel sheet SS between itself and the application unit base 63, but the thrust block 93 restricts the stripper plate 40 from going below a predetermined level, thereby preventing the thin steel sheet SS from being crushed more than necessary.

[0066] (8) Pilot Pin 50 The adhesive application station ST4 is provided with a pilot pin 50. The pilot pin 50 and the lifters 80A, 80B are disposed at different positions from each other in a plan view.

[0067] The pilot pin 50 belongs to the lower holder 10 and is disposed on the lower holder 10 via an elastic member (spring 59) so as to be movable up and down.

[0068] The pilot pin 50 is attached to the lower holder 10, and as the stripper plate 40 moves (towards the lower holder 10), its tip 50a is inserted from below into a pilot hole P formed in the thin steel plate SS, thereby positioning the thin steel plate SS at a predetermined position in the planar direction.

[0069] The pilot pin 50 has an axial direction (longitudinal direction) in the vertical direction and is, for example, substantially cylindrical. The pilot pin 50 has a tip 50a that faces upward and protrudes from the upper surface 20a of the die plate 20. The base end 50b side of the pilot pin 50 is dropped into a bottomed hole provided in the lower holder 10 and is connected to a spring 59 that urges the pilot pin 50 upward.

[0070] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the state when the pilot pin 50 is inserted into the pilot hole P of the thin steel plate SS, and is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of the area surrounded by the dashed line E in FIG. 1(b).

[0071] As shown in Figure 3, the pilot pin 50 has a tapered portion 52 on the tip 50a side, and positioning is performed by abutting the tapered portion 52 against the outer end A of the pilot hole P. Reference numeral 54 denotes a straight portion (cylindrical body portion). In the first embodiment, the angle of the tapered portion 52 is set to approximately 30°, but it has been confirmed that there are no problems with the positioning operation within the range of 10° to 50°. In the first embodiment, the tapered portion 52 is frustum-shaped, but this is not limited thereto and may be, for example, a cone-shaped, bullet-shaped, or the like.

[0072] 3, a pin escape recess 42 for receiving the tip 50a of the pilot pin 50 is provided on the lower surface 40a of the stripper plate at a position corresponding to the pilot pin 50. An inner diameter dimension D2 near the entrance 42a of the pin escape recess 42 is equal to or smaller than the inner diameter dimension D1 of the corresponding pilot hole P. Furthermore, the diameter of the straight portion 54 of the pilot pin 50 is preferably larger than the inner diameter D2 of the pilot hole P.

[0073] In the first embodiment, the cylindrical punch 75 －１ Since the pilot hole P is formed using the above-mentioned method, the inside of the pilot hole P is made up of an inner peripheral wall having a surface on the circumference of a circle centered on the center C1 (see FIG. 6). The "outer end A of the pilot hole P" refers to the end or edge of the inner peripheral wall where the surface of the inner peripheral wall intersects with one surface (one main surface) of the thin steel plate SS.

[0074] (9) Receiving the thin steel plate SS The manufacturing apparatus 1 for a metal piece stack according to embodiment 1 is configured to receive the thin steel plate SS on the underside 40a of the stripper plate before the application of adhesive Ad by the application head 62 begins, and then to position the thin steel plate SS by inserting the pilot pin 50 into the pilot hole P from below.

[0075] Here, "receiving the thin steel plate SS" has the meaning of receiving, backing, supporting, etc. the thin steel plate SS on the lower surface 40a of the stripper plate not at discrete points but over a fairly large area. "After receiving the thin steel plate SS, positioning the thin steel plate SS" has the meaning of receiving the thin steel plate SS from just before positioning and continuing to receive the thin steel plate SS until positioning is completed.

[0076] In the adhesive application station ST4, one surface of the thin steel plate SS and the application head are spaced apart until the positioning of the thin steel plate SS is completed.

[0077] In the manufacturing apparatus 1 for metal piece stacks, the degree of protrusion (height of the tapered portion) of the pilot pin 50 relative to the upper surface 63a of the application unit base 63 or the upper surface 20a of the die plate 20, and the degree of protrusion (height of the thin steel plate SS during transport) of the lifters 80A, 80B are appropriately set so that the thin steel plate SS is received at the appropriate timing in the manner described above.

[0078] 3. Positioning and Application Operations at Adhesive Application Station ST4 Figures 4 to 10 are cross-sectional views of the main components sequentially illustrating a series of operations in the metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 1, in which the upper holder 30 descends from the top dead center toward the bottom dead center and then ascends again. The figures indicated with subscript (a) primarily show the relationship between the stripper plate 40, thin steel plate SS, pilot pin 50, etc., and are enlarged cross-sectional views of the area surrounded by dashed line J1 in Figure 2. The figures indicated with subscript (b) show the vicinity of the application head 62 (at the same timing as the figure indicated with the same subscript (a)), and are enlarged cross-sectional views of the area surrounded by dashed line J2 in Figure 2.

[0079] The metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 1 operates in conjunction with the opening and closing of the mold, and one cycle at the adhesive application station ST4 consists of the following operations in this order: "top dead center stage," "stripper to thin steel sheet contact start stage," "pilot pin to thin steel sheet contact start stage," "positioning completion stage," "thin steel sheet to application unit base / die plate contact start stage," "bottom dead center stage," and "turning back stage." Note that intermittent forward feeding of the thin steel sheet SS can be achieved by transferring the thin steel sheet SS in the transfer direction TD when the mold is open between cycles.

[0080] (1) Top dead center stage (Fig. 4) When the mold is at the top dead center stage, the upper holder 30 is located at the top dead center as shown in Fig. 2. At this time, the stripper plate 40 is separated from the various mechanisms and the thin steel sheet SS below as shown in Fig. 4. Thereafter, when the upper holder 30 starts to descend from this state due to mold opening and closing, the stripper plate 40 also starts to descend against the elastic force of the spring 47B.

[0081] (2) Stripper-Thin Steel Sheet Contact Start Stage (FIG. 5) As the stripper plate 40 further descends, the lower surface 40a of the stripper plate begins to come into contact with the upper surface of the thin steel sheet SS lifted by the lifters 80A, 80B, and soon receives the thin steel sheet SS (see FIG. 5). At this time, the thin steel sheet SS is sandwiched between the stripper plate 40 and the lifters 80A, 80B. At this stage, the thin steel sheet SS is still spaced apart from the pilot pin 50 and application head 62 below. Thereafter, as the stripper plate 40 continues to descend due to the opening and closing of the mold, the thin steel sheet SS and the lifters 80A, 80B also descend accordingly.

[0082] (3) Pilot Pin - Thin Steel Sheet Contact Start Stage (FIG. 6) When the stripper plate 40 further descends, the tapered portion 52 of the pilot pin 50 begins to come into contact with the vicinity of the pilot hole P formed in the thin steel sheet SS. FIG. 6 is an example showing the pilot pin - thin steel sheet contact start stage. In this figure, the center C1 of the pilot hole P is offset from the center C2 of the axis of the pilot pin 50, and the outer end A on the left side of the figure of the pilot hole P begins to come into contact with the tapered portion 52, and insertion and engagement of the hole P and the tapered portion 52 begins.

[0083] Thereafter, as the stripper plate 40 continues to descend, the thin steel sheet SS and the lifters 80A, 80B also descend accordingly, and in the vicinity of the position where the pilot pin 50 is engaged with the pilot hole P, the outer end A of the pilot hole P moves horizontally so that the center C1 of the hole coincides with the center C2 of the pin, following the inclined surface of the tapered portion 52. Note that even while the stripper plate 40 continues to descend, the pilot pin 50 is urged upward by the spring 59.

[0084] Initially, if there is a misalignment between the hole P and the pin 50, the tapered portion 52 will come into contact with a part of the pilot hole P as shown in Figure 6. At this time, a horizontal force Fh is generated at the outer end A of the pilot hole P (see Figure 3), and this force Fh causes the thin steel sheet SS to move horizontally, thereby performing positioning. Regarding the guiding of the horizontal movement, in the first embodiment, the guide is not provided by discrete points (only the upper surface of the lifter) as in the conventional case, but by the surface of the lower surface 40a of the stripper plate.

[0085] Furthermore, a force Fv in the vertical direction is also generated at the outer end A, but in the first embodiment, the thin steel plate SS is supported by the surface of the lower surface 40a of the stripper plate as a backing, so that even if the force Fv is applied, the thin steel plate SS does not flap in the thickness direction and deformation (deflection, etc.) in the vertical direction can be suppressed.

[0086] Although not shown, the thin steel sheet SS is still spaced apart from the coating head 62 located below during this positioning process.

[0087] (4) Positioning completion stage (FIG. 7) When the stripper plate 40 further descends together with the thin steel sheet SS, the tapered portion 52 is completely inserted into the pilot hole P, the center C1 of the pilot hole P roughly coincides with the center C2 of the pilot pin 50, and the positioning of the thin steel sheet SS is completed (see FIG. 7). Even at this timing, the thin steel sheet SS is still spaced apart from the coating head 62 below.

[0088] (5) Thin Steel Sheet to Coating Unit Base / Die Plate Contact Start Stage (FIG. 8) When the stripper plate 40 further descends together with the thin steel sheet SS, the lower surface of the thin steel sheet SS reaches the upper surface 63a of the coating unit base 63 or the upper surface 20a of the die plate 20, and contact between the thin steel sheet SS and the coating unit base 63 or the die plate 20 begins (see FIG. 8). At this time, the thin steel sheet SS is sandwiched and temporarily fixed between the lower surface 40a of the stripper plate and the upper surface 63a of the coating unit base 63 or the upper surface 20a of the die plate, and preparations are made for adhesive application and punching, which will be performed at subsequent times.

[0089] In the case of adhesive application by stamping, in the example of Fig. 8(b), the thin steel sheet SS begins to come into contact with the transfer portion 62c of the application head 62 near the application head 62. However, this is not limiting, and the thin steel sheet SS may be configured to begin to come into contact with the transfer portion 62c of the application head 62 at a timing after the "thin steel sheet - application unit base / die plate contact start stage" and before the bottom dead center.

[0090] (6) Bottom dead center stage (FIG. 9) While the upper holder 30 further descends to the bottom dead center, in the station having the punch 75, the punch plate 70 and punch 75 descend in conjunction with this to punch out a predetermined portion of the thin steel sheet SS (see FIG. 9(a)). Also, in conjunction with this, in the adhesive application station ST4, the adhesive Ad supplied from the application head 62 is applied to one surface (the lower surface in the first embodiment) of the thin steel sheet SS. In the case of the stamping method, a receiving base 92 (pressing plate) provided on the stripper plate 40 may be configured to press the thin steel sheet SS downward in conjunction with the descent of the punch backing plate 79.

[0091] (7) Turning stage (FIG. 10) After the bottom dead center stage, the upper holder 30 turns back from the bottom dead center and rises, and the members separate from each other basically in the reverse order to the above (see FIG. 10), eventually reaching the top dead center state (see FIG. 1).

[0092] 4. Manufacturing Method of Metal Piece Laminate Figure 11 is a flowchart for explaining the manufacturing method of the metal piece laminate according to embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 11, the manufacturing method of the metal piece laminate according to embodiment 1 is a manufacturing method using an apparatus equipped with a metal piece laminate manufacturing apparatus 1, and involves performing a thin steel plate positioning step S10 and an adhesive application step S20 in this order.

[0093] Specifically, the method for manufacturing a metal piece stack according to the first embodiment includes a lower holder 10, a coating unit base 63 attached to the lower holder 10, an upper holder 30 configured to be movable up and down relative to the lower holder 10, a stripper plate 40 configured to be movable up and down in accordance with the movement of the upper holder 30 and to push the thin steel sheet SS towards the coating unit base 63 by moving it in a direction towards the lower holder 10, and a stripper plate 40 attached to the lower holder 10 and configured to push the thin steel sheet SS towards the coating unit base 63 by moving it in a direction towards the stripper plate 40. Accordingly, the method for manufacturing a metal piece stack is provided with a pilot pin 50 whose tip 50a is inserted from below into a pilot hole P formed in the thin steel plate SS to position the thin steel plate SS at a predetermined position in the planar direction, and an adhesive application unit 60 having an application head 62 arranged opposite one side of the thin steel plate SS, and which stacks metal pieces PM punched into a predetermined shape from the thin steel plate SS that is intermittently transported, and bonds the metal pieces PM together to form a metal piece stack LM.

[0094] Here, in the thin steel plate positioning step S10, the thin steel plate SS is received on the lower surface 40a of the stripper plate 40, and then the pilot pin 50 is inserted from below into the pilot hole P. In the adhesive application step S20, the adhesive Ad supplied from the application head 62 is applied to one surface of the thin steel plate SS, thereby applying the adhesive Ad to the thin steel plate SS.

[0095] 5. Switching of Operation Modes of Manufacturing Apparatus 1 for Metal Piece Laminates FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a main part for explaining switching of transfer modes in manufacturing apparatus 1 for metal piece laminates. The cross-sectional cut shown in the figure is the same as that in FIG. 2(b). FIG. 12(a) shows the state at the bottom dead center in the transfer mode, and FIG. 12(b) shows the state at the bottom dead center in the non-transfer mode. Note that the "transfer mode" is an operation mode in which adhesive Ad is transferred to thin steel plate SS, and the "non-transfer mode" is an operation mode in which adhesive Ad is not transferred to thin steel plate SS.

[0096] When the adhesive application unit 60 is of the stamping type or the adhesive-only application type, it is preferable to provide an adhesive transfer mode switching means in the adhesive application station ST4. The adhesive transfer mode switching means is configured so that (i) when the apparatus is in the transfer mode, the adhesive Ad coming out / coming out of the application head 62 comes into contact with the thin steel sheet SS at the necessary timing during the process of the upper holder 30 moving from the top dead center to the bottom dead center, and (ii) when the manufacturing apparatus 1 is in the non-transfer mode, the adhesive Ad coming out / coming out of the application head 62 does not come into contact with the thin steel sheet SS at all during the process of the upper holder 30 moving from the top dead center to the bottom dead center.

[0097] 12, in embodiment 1, a coating head up-down position switching means 91A is provided as adhesive transfer mode switching means. The coating head up-down position switching means 91A has a cam 91Aa that determines the height of the coating head 62 relative to the lower holder 10, and an air cylinder 91Ab connected to the cam 91Aa.

[0098] In the transfer mode, the air cylinder 91Ab is advanced to raise the coating unit base 63 with the high-level surface 911 of the cam 91Aa, thereby setting the height of the coating head 62 to the upper position. In this way, the stripper plate 40 descends together with the thin steel sheet SS, and when the stripper plate 40 is stopped at the lowest position by the body block 93, the thin steel sheet SS comes into contact with at least the transfer portion 62c of the coating head 62 (see FIG. 12(a)).

[0099] In the non-transfer mode, the air cylinder 91Ab is retracted so that the coating unit base 63 is supported by the low-level surface 912 of the cam 91Aa, and the height of the coating head 62 is set to the lower position. This ensures that the thin steel sheet SS does not come into contact with the transfer portion 62c of the coating head 62 even when the stripper plate 40 has stopped at the lowest position (see FIG. 12(b)).

[0100] 6. Effects of the Manufacturing Apparatus 1 and Manufacturing Method for Metal Piece Laminated Body According to Embodiment 1 (1) In the manufacturing apparatus 1 for metal piece laminated body according to Embodiment 1, the pilot pin 50 is attached to the lower holder 10. Then, before starting to apply the adhesive Ad, the thin steel sheet SS is received on the lower surface 40 a of the stripper plate 40, and the tip 50 a of the pilot pin 50 is inserted into the pilot hole P from below to position the thin steel sheet SS.

[0101] Even if the thin steel plate SS descends and the pilot pin 50 waiting below hits a portion other than the inner wall of the pilot hole P (for example, the outer end A) and the thin steel plate SS is subjected to an upward force Fv, in the manufacturing apparatus 1 for a metal piece stack according to embodiment 1, the lower surface 40a of the stripper plate receives the thin steel plate SS (in other words, acts as a backing), so the upward deformation of the thin steel plate SS peaks out at the lower surface 40a of the stripper plate, and as a result, the thin steel plate SS comes into close contact with the lower surface 40a of the stripper plate and can remain approximately horizontal. Furthermore, during this time, the stripper plate 40 continues to descend while pressing the upper surface of the thin steel plate SS, so that the displacement of the upper surface of the thin steel plate SS is evened out by the lower surface of the stripper plate, and the thin steel plate SS can remain approximately horizontal without bending obliquely or flapping as in the conventional case.

[0102] In this way, the thin steel plate SS can be prevented from bending or flapping due to the vertical force when the pin is inserted into the hole, and it is possible to prevent the thin steel plate SS from dripping down toward the application head and coming into contact with the adhesive Ad supplied from the application head, which would otherwise occur in the past, and causing the adhesive Ad to adhere to areas where no adhesive is required.

[0103] Furthermore, since the thin steel plate SS can be kept approximately horizontal, the position of the thin steel plate SS in the planar direction can be accurately determined before proceeding to the adhesive application process (as in the conventional method, when the thin steel plate SS is bent and cannot be kept horizontal, accurate positioning is not possible).

[0104] From the above, according to the manufacturing apparatus 1 for a metal piece stack according to embodiment 1, adhesive can be appropriately applied even to thin steel plates with small thicknesses that can easily bend in the thickness direction when an external force is applied.

[0105] (2) The manufacturing apparatus 1 for a stack of metal pieces is configured so that when positioning the thin steel plate with the pilot pin, the lifters 80A and 80B press the lower surface of the thin steel plate SS from below.

[0106] After the stripper plate 40 receives the thin steel sheet SS on its lower surface 40a, the lifters 80A and 80B press the lower surface of the thin steel sheet SS from below, so that the thin steel sheet SS is sandwiched between the stripper plate 40 and the lifters 80A and 80B. This makes it possible to position the thin steel sheet SS while further preventing it from flapping up and down. This also makes it possible to more accurately apply adhesive to the specified position.

[0107] (3) The pilot pin 50 is disposed in the lower holder 10 via an elastic member (spring 59) so as to be movable up and down.

[0108] With this configuration, even while the stripper plate 40 is being lowered together with the thin steel plate SS after positioning is completed, the tip 50a of the pilot pin is urged toward the pilot hole P of the thin steel plate SS by the elastic member (spring 59), so that the appropriate positioning relationship can be maintained. As a result, adhesive can be applied to the predetermined position more accurately.

[0109] (4) The pilot pin 50 has a tapered portion 52 on the tip 50a side, and positioning is performed by the tapered portion 52 abutting against the outer end A of the pilot hole P.

[0110] In conventional positioning using a pilot pin, positioning is often completed by inserting the pin up to the cylindrical body portion into the pilot hole. In this case, if the punch for forming the pilot hole wears and the diameter of the pilot hole P becomes smaller, it may become impossible to insert the pin up to the position of the cylindrical body portion, and the positioning process will not be completed. On the other hand, in embodiment 1, positioning is completed when the tapered portion 52 abuts against the outer end A of the pilot hole P, so the punch 75 for forming the pilot hole －１ Even if the inner diameter (hole diameter) of the pilot hole P becomes smaller than the original diameter due to wear, positioning can be completed.

[0111] Furthermore, when positioning is performed using the tapered portion 52 of the pilot pin 50, an upward force Fv is applied to the thin steel plate SS, but this force is received by the lower surface 40a of the stripper plate, thereby suppressing unnecessary deformation of the thin steel plate SS. Furthermore, since vertical deformation of the thin steel plate SS can be suppressed, the thin steel plate SS can be moved smoothly in the planar direction, and it is further possible to suppress the application of adhesive Ad before the thin steel plate SS is positioned in the predetermined position.

[0112] (5) A pin escape recess 42 is provided on the lower surface of the stripper plate 40. Due to this configuration, when the pilot pin 50 is inserted into the pilot hole P, the tapered portion 52 can be inserted further in while the tip 50 a is retracted into the pin escape recess 42.

[0113] (6) The stripper plate 40 is provided on the lower holder 10 via an elastic member (spring 47B) so as to be movable up and down.

[0114] Due to this configuration, when the mold is fully open at the top dead center, the elastic member (spring 47B) compresses somewhat under the weight of the stripper plate 40, but the stripper plate 40 is suspended above the lower holder 10 via the elastic member. However, when the stripper plate 40 descends toward and collides with the coating unit base 63 or the die plate 20, the impact is absorbed by the elastic member (spring 47B), suppressing flapping of the thin steel sheet SS and enabling the thin steel sheet SS to stably contact the coating head 62. This in turn improves the positional accuracy and uniformity of the coating film thickness when applying the adhesive.

[0115] (7) In the manufacturing apparatus 1 for metal piece laminates according to embodiment 1, the adhesive application unit 60, application head 62, etc. are incorporated into the present invention by using the configuration described in Patent Document 2, which was previously invented by the inventor of the present invention.

[0116] Even if the product specifications for the metal piece stack are a narrow adhesive application pattern or a complex adhesive application pattern, the adhesive Ad can be applied appropriately to narrow and complex local areas with the application head 62 configured as described above. In addition, the manufacturing apparatus 1 for metal piece stacks is configured so that "before the application head 62 begins to contact the thin steel sheet SS, the thin steel sheet SS is received on the lower surface 40a of the stripper plate, and the pilot pin 50 is inserted into the pilot hole P from below to position the thin steel sheet SS," so that even if the pattern is narrow and complex, positioning can be performed with high precision, and therefore the adhesive can be applied more appropriately.

[0117] (8) In the manufacturing device 1 for a metal piece stack body, a receiving base 92 made of resin is provided at a position corresponding to the application head 62 on the opposite side of the thin steel plate SS from the application head 62 .

[0118] In some embodiments, the adhesive Ad may be made of a material that chemically reacts with metal. Even if, for some reason, the adhesive Ad adheres to the opposite side of the application head 62, which sandwiches the thin steel sheet SS, during the adhesive transfer process, if the adhesive Ad adheres to a resin member (receiving base 92), the adhesive Ad will not react and cause problems. Furthermore, by using the resin receiving base 92 to press the opposite side of the application head 62, stamping can be performed more flexibly.

[0119] (9) The adhesive application station ST4 is provided with an adhesive transfer mode switching means (reference numeral 91A).

[0120] In order to divide and separate the metal piece laminate LM into units (see [1. Overall layout of the manufacturing apparatus 1 for metal piece laminate]), rather than providing separate stations where adhesive is applied to the metal pieces PM and stations where adhesive is not applied, by providing an adhesive transfer mode switching means as described above, it is possible to produce metal pieces PM with adhesive Ad applied and metal pieces PM without adhesive Ad applied within the same adhesive application station ST4.

[0121] (10) The method for manufacturing a metal piece stack according to the first embodiment is premised on the use of the metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. Therefore, the method for manufacturing a metal piece stack according to the first embodiment similarly achieves the corresponding effects obtained by the metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0122] [Embodiment 2] Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of a metal piece laminate manufacturing apparatus 2 according to embodiment 2. This figure corresponds to Figure 2(b) and shows the adhesive application station ST4 at the top dead center. While this figure depicts the application head 62 as interfering with the guide lifter 84 when it descends, the guide lifter 84 and the application head 62 are actually positioned at different planar positions. Although not shown, the adhesive application station ST4 includes a stripper plate 40, pilot pin 50, lifters 80A and 80B, and other components similar to those shown in Figure 2(a). Figures 14 to 17 sequentially illustrate the adhesive application station ST4 as the upper holder 30 descends toward the bottom dead center in the metal piece laminate manufacturing apparatus 2.

[0123] The metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 2 according to the second embodiment basically has the same configuration as the metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, but differs from the metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment in that the application head 62 is disposed above the thin steel plate SS. The following will mainly describe the differences from the metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0124] 1. Adhesive Application Unit 60' As shown in Figure 13, the adhesive application unit 60' of the second embodiment is built into the stripper plate 40' with the application head 62 facing downward.

[0125] When the stripper plate 40' is lowered and the lower surface 40a reaches the height of the thin steel sheet SS, the processes of receiving the thin steel sheet SS by the lower surface 40a of the stripper plate and positioning the thin steel sheet SS by the pilot pin 50 start, as in the first embodiment. After these processes start and until positioning is completed, care must be taken not to allow the adhesive Ad supplied from the application head 62 to adhere to the thin steel sheet SS.

[0126] To achieve this, in the second embodiment, a receiving pin 68 is newly provided with a tip 68a protruding from the upper surface 63a of the application unit base 63, and the tip 68a of the receiving pin is configured to receive the lower abutment 60a provided on the underside of the adhesive application unit 60' (see FIGS. 13 and 14). The receiving pin 68 is connected to the lower holder 10 via a spring 69.

[0127] With this configuration, even if the main body of the stripper plate 40' descends, the descending of the adhesive application unit 60' is temporarily slowed down or prevented, and only the adhesive application unit 60' can remain at a position above the main body of the stripper plate 40' (see FIG. 14). At this time, the application head 62 is separated from the thin steel sheet SS, and during that time the main body of the stripper plate 40' descends further (see FIG. 15), allowing the undersurface 40a of the stripper plate to receive the thin steel sheet SS and the pilot pins 50 to position the thin steel sheet SS (not shown).

[0128] Then, once the positioning of the thin steel plate SS is completed, a pushing means 67 is additionally used to push the adhesive application unit 60' downward against the biasing force of the spring 69 (see FIG. 16), thereby bringing the application head 62 into contact with and pressing it against the thin steel plate SS, thereby applying adhesive (see FIG. 17). The pushing means 67 can be configured appropriately, and can also be configured, for example, by a push pin that can push downward with a time lag, various cams, various actuators, etc.

[0129] 2. Switching of Operation Modes of the Metal Piece Laminate Manufacturing Apparatus 2 Fig. 18 is a cross-sectional view of a main part for explaining switching of the transfer mode in the metal piece laminate manufacturing apparatus 2. The figure shows the bottom dead center state in the non-transfer mode.

[0130] When the adhesive application unit 60 is of a stamping type or an adhesive-only application type, it is preferable to provide an adhesive transfer mode switching means in the adhesive application station ST4 of embodiment 2. In embodiment 2, a stripper plate descent restriction position switching means 91B is provided as the adhesive transfer mode switching means.

[0131] As can be seen in FIGS. 17 and 18, the stripper plate descent restricting position switching means 91B has a cam 91Ba that determines the lowest reachable point of the stripper plate 40' body, and an air cylinder 91Bb connected to the cam.

[0132] In the transfer mode, the air cylinder 91Bb is retracted to adjust the height of the stripper plate 40' by the low-level surface 914 of the cam 91Ba. In this way, the stripper plate 40' (main body) reaches the lowest position, and by performing the operation described in [1. Adhesive application unit 60'], the transfer portion 62c of the application head 62 comes into contact with the thin steel sheet SS (see FIG. 17).

[0133] Furthermore, in the non-transfer mode, the height of the stripper plate 40' is adjusted by the high-level surface 913 of the cam 91Ba by advancing the air cylinder 91Bb. In this way, even if the stripper plate 40' (main body) reaches the lowest position and the operation described in [1. Adhesive application unit 60'] is further performed, the transfer portion 62c of the application head 62 remains separated from the thin steel sheet SS, and the adhesive Ad is not transferred (see FIG. 18).

[0134] The metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 2 according to the second embodiment is basically configured in the same way as the metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, except that the application head 62 is disposed above the thin steel plate SS. Therefore, the metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 2 according to the second embodiment has the same effects as the metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0135] Although the present invention has been described above based on the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and for example, the following modifications are also possible.

[0136] (1) In the first and second embodiments, the adhesive application station ST4 and the upstream pilot hole punching station ST1, slot punching station ST2, and inner diameter punching station ST3 are configured as separate units (see FIG. 1). However, the present invention is not limited to this. The punch plate 70, stripper plate 40, die plate 20, etc., common to the adhesive application station ST4 and the various upstream stations may be used to configure the apparatus (Modification 1). The same applies to the gap between the adhesive application station ST4 and the downstream outer shape punching and laminating station ST5 (Modification 2).

[0137] (2) Each embodiment and each modified example has been described primarily with the configuration of adhesive application station ST4 in mind. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Elements other than the adhesive application units 60, 60′ described above (such as the lower holder 10, stripper plates 40, 40′, pilot pin 50, punch plate 70, lifters 80A, 80B, and guide rails 90) and the relationships between elements can be configured in the same way in other stations.

[0138] (3) In the description of the second embodiment, the stripper plate descent restricting position switching means 91B was used as an example of the "adhesive transfer mode switching means." However, this is not limited to this. For example, a control unit (not shown) that controls the pushing means 67 may be provided, and the control unit may be configured to prevent the pushing means 67 from performing additional pushing when the manufacturing apparatus 2 is in the non-transfer mode, and the pushing means 67 and the control unit may constitute the "adhesive transfer mode switching means."

[0139] 1, 2...Metal piece stack manufacturing apparatus, 10...Lower holder, 15...Spacer, 20...Die plate, 20a...Upper surface of die plate, 25...Die, 29...Die backing plate, 30...Upper holder, 40, 40'...Stripper plate, 40a...Lower surface of stripper plate, 42...Pin escape recess, 42a...Entrance of pin escape recess, 45A...Upper stripper bolt, 45B...Lower stripper bolt, 47A, 47B, 59, 69, 83, 85...Spring 50...pilot pin, 50a...tip end of pilot pin, 50b...base end of pilot pin, 52...tapered portion of pilot pin, 54...straight portion of pilot pin, 60, 60'...adhesive application unit, 60a...lower contact portion of adhesive application unit, 62...application head, 62a...surface of application head, 62b...back surface of application head, 62c...transfer portion of application head, 63...application unit base, 63a...surface of application unit base, 64...head presser, 64a...presser surface, 65...liquid reservoir, 67...pushing means, 68...receiving pin, 68a...tip of receiving pin, 70...punch plate, 75...punch, 79...punch backing plate, 80A, 80B...lifter, 82...lifter block, 84...guide lifter, 90...guide rail, 91A...applying head up / down position switching means, 91Aa...cam, 91Ab...air cylinder, 91B...stripper plate descent restriction position switching means, 91Ba...cam, 91Bb...air cylinder, 92...receiving base, 9 3...body block, 93a...top surface of body block, 94...main post, 95A, 95B...sub-guide post, 96A, 96B...guide bush, 160...adhesive supply source, 161...adhesive flow path, 240...laminate holding member, 245...laminate receiving base, 911, 913...high level surface, 912, 914...low level surface, A...outer end, Ad...adhesive, LM...metal piece laminate, P...pilot hole, P2...adhesive application pattern, PM...metal piece, SS...thin steel plate, TD...transport direction

Claims

1. A manufacturing device for metal piece stacks that stacks metal pieces punched into a predetermined shape from thin steel plates that are intermittently transported, and bonds the metal pieces together to form a metal piece stack, comprising: a lower holder; an application unit base attached to the lower holder, and an upper holder configured to be movable up and down relative to the lower holder; a stripper plate configured to be movable up and down in accordance with the movement of the upper holder, and that pushes the thin steel plate toward the application unit base by moving toward the lower holder; a pilot pin attached to the lower holder, and that inserts its tip into a pilot hole formed in the thin steel plate from below in accordance with the movement of the stripper plate, thereby positioning the thin steel plate at a predetermined position in a planar direction; and an adhesive application unit that has an application head positioned to face one side of the thin steel plate, and that applies adhesive to the thin steel plate by adhering adhesive supplied from the application head to one side of the thin steel plate, a pilot pin inserted into the pilot hole from below to position the thin steel plate, after the thin steel plate is received on the underside of the stripper plate at a timing before the application of the adhesive by the application head begins.

2. A manufacturing device for a stack of metal pieces as described in claim 1, comprising a lifting piece and a spring attached to the lower holder for biasing the lifting piece upward, and further comprising a lifter for pressing the underside of the thin steel plate from below to keep the thin steel plate separated from the lower holder when the thin steel plate is being transported, the lifter and the pilot pin being positioned at different positions in a plan view, and when the thin steel plate is positioned using the pilot pin, the lifter presses the underside of the thin steel plate from below.

3. A manufacturing device for a stack of metal pieces according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the pilot pin is arranged on the lower holder via an elastic member so as to be movable up and down.

4. A manufacturing device for a metal piece stack according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pilot pin has a tapered portion at its tip, and positioning is achieved by the tapered portion coming into contact with the outer end of the pilot hole.

5. A manufacturing device for a stack of metal pieces as described in claim 4, wherein the underside of the stripper plate is provided with a pin escape recess at a position corresponding to the pilot pin, for the tip of the pilot pin to enter, and the inner diameter dimension D2 near the entrance of the pin escape recess is equal to or smaller than the inner diameter dimension D1 of the corresponding pilot hole.

6. A manufacturing device for a stack of metal pieces according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the stripper plate is mounted on the lower holder via an elastic member so as to be movable up and down.

7. An apparatus for manufacturing a metal piece stack according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the adhesive application unit comprises: the application head that applies adhesive in an adhesive application pattern corresponding to the planned planar shape of the metal piece; and a head presser that presses the application head from the back side of the application head when applying the adhesive to the thin steel plate; the application head is made of porous resin; the surface of the application head is provided with a transfer section that has a shape substantially identical to the adhesive application pattern when viewed in plan and that transfers the adhesive that seeps out from the surface to the thin steel plate when the thin steel plate comes into contact with it; and the head presser has a press surface that has a press pattern that corresponds to the adhesive application pattern when viewed in plan, and the press surface is configured to abut against the back side of the application head in a position and orientation that corresponds to the transfer section.

8. A manufacturing device for a metal piece stack as described in claim 7, characterized in that a receiving base made of resin is provided on the opposite side of the application head across the thin steel plate at a position corresponding to the application head.

9. A manufacturing device for metal piece stacks according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising an adhesive transfer mode switching means, wherein the adhesive transfer mode switching means is configured (i) such that in the transfer mode, the adhesive coming out of the application head comes into contact with the thin steel plate while the upper holder is moving from the top dead point to the bottom dead point, and (ii) such that in the non-transfer mode, the adhesive coming out of the application head does not come into contact with the thin steel plate while the upper holder is moving from the top dead point to the bottom dead point.

10. A method for manufacturing a metal piece stack using an apparatus comprising: a lower holder; an application unit base attached to the lower holder; an upper holder configured to be movable up and down relative to the lower holder; a stripper plate configured to be movable up and down in accordance with the movement of the upper holder and for pushing a thin steel plate towards the application unit base by moving towards the lower holder; a pilot pin attached to the lower holder and for inserting its tip from below into a pilot hole formed in the thin steel plate in accordance with the moving action of the stripper plate to position the thin steel plate at a predetermined position in a planar direction; and an adhesive application unit having an application head arranged to face one side of the thin steel plate, the method comprising: a thin steel plate positioning step of receiving the thin steel plate on the underside of the stripper plate and then inserting the pilot pin from below into the pilot hole; an adhesive application step of applying adhesive to the thin steel plate by adhering the adhesive supplied from the application head to one side of the thin steel plate, said method for manufacturing a metal piece stack, characterized by carrying out the steps in this order.

Images