Assembling Head Storage Chamber Cotter Piece Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for assembling retainers to valve stems require time-consuming adjustments and often result in engagement failures due to positional shifts between cotter pieces and valve stems, leading to inefficiencies in the assembly process.
Innovation Solution
An assembling apparatus and method that prepares and positions cotter pieces in a separated state, using a storage member with abutting portions to accurately align and engage them with the valve stem, ensuring precise positioning and engagement without the need for apparatus adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If adjustment is performed on an apparatus basis to place the pair of cotter pieces in the same posture, then positioning accuracy is improved, but adjustment time and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The storage chamber is designed with abutting portions that automatically position the cotter pieces in the correct posture during storage. The cotter pieces self-align against the abutting portions without requiring external adjustment mechanisms or operator intervention, thereby achieving high positioning accuracy while eliminating time-consuming adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage chamber pre-positions the cotter pieces in the desired posture before they are transferred to the valve stem. The abutting portions are configured in advance to maintain the correct spatial relationship between cotter pieces, so that when they are picked up for assembly, they are already in the proper alignment, eliminating the need for subsequent adjustments.
2Manufacturing precision
If adjustment is performed on an apparatus basis to place the pair of cotter pieces in the same posture, then positioning accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The storage chamber structure itself provides the positioning function through its abutting portions. Instead of adding complex adjustment mechanisms, the design uses the inherent geometry of the storage chamber to self-position the cotter pieces, thereby achieving high precision while keeping the device simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning function is extracted from the assembly mechanism and integrated into the storage chamber structure. The abutting portions within the storage chamber independently handle the positioning task, separating the positioning function from the main assembly apparatus and eliminating the need for complex adjustment mechanisms in the assembly head.
3Productivity
If a position shift between the pair of cotter pieces and the valve stem occurs, then assembly speed is maintained, but engagement failure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The storage chamber pre-positions the cotter pieces in the correct spatial relationship before assembly. The abutting portions ensure that when cotter pieces are transferred to the valve stem, they maintain their predetermined positions, preventing position shifts and ensuring successful engagement without sacrificing assembly speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage chamber acts as an intermediary that maintains the correct positional relationship between cotter pieces and the valve stem. By holding the cotter pieces in a pre-positioned state within the storage chamber, it ensures accurate alignment during transfer, preventing position shifts that would lead to engagement failures.
Data Source
AI summary
An assembling apparatus assembles a retainer by engaging a pair of cotter pieces with a valve stem. The apparatus includes an assembling head configured to hold, in a separated state, the pair of cotter pieces in the separated state prepared by a preparation unit and engage the pair of cotter pieces with the upper end of the valve stem. The head includes a storage member including a storage chamber, and a holding unit capable of pressing the pair of cotter pieces stored in the storage chamber against the upper end of the valve stem. The storage member includes first and second abutting portions. The second abutting portion positions the valve stem in the axial direction, and the first abutting portion positions the pair of cotter pieces in the axial direction.