Socket Posture Change for Continuous Bolt Supply
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bolt tightening methods require frequent reciprocation of nut runners between the work and bolt supply locations, reducing efficiency and necessitating additional equipment, which can interfere with the work and obstruct bolt tightening.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that allow bolts to be supplied from an upward position to a socket on the tightening head, eliminating the need for auxiliary bolt supply devices near the nut runner's output shaft by using a posture-changing mechanism to position the socket for efficient bolt insertion and tightening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a plurality of nut runners are used to enhance efficiency, then productivity is improved, but device complexity and equipment investment increase
Solution Approach 1:
The socket is made dynamically changeable between different postures (upward posture for bolt supply and tightening posture for bolt tightening). This dynamic posture change allows a single nut runner to efficiently perform both bolt supply and tightening operations without requiring multiple static nut runners, thereby improving productivity while avoiding increased device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The bolt is supplied to the socket in advance when the socket is in the upward posture, before the tightening operation begins. This preliminary action allows the nut runner to immediately proceed with tightening without needing to return to the bolt supply location, enhancing efficiency while using only one nut runner
2Ease of operation
If an auxiliary device for supplying bolts is arranged near the forward end of the socket, then bolt supply is facilitated, but the auxiliary device interferes with the work and prevents bolt tightening
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of arranging the bolt supply device in the horizontal plane near the socket (which would cause interference), the invention changes the dimension by using vertical posture change of the socket. The bolt is supplied from above when the socket is in upward posture, eliminating spatial interference with the work area while facilitating easy bolt supply operation
3Reliability
If the nut runner reciprocates frequently between work and bolt supply locations, then bolt supply is ensured, but efficiency is deteriorated
Solution Approach 1:
The bolt is supplied to the socket in advance during the upward posture phase, before the tightening operation begins. This preliminary action ensures the bolt is ready in the socket, eliminating the need for the nut runner to reciprocate to the bolt supply location after tightening, thus maintaining reliability while dramatically improving productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The socket alternates between upward posture (for bolt supply) and tightening posture (for bolt tightening) in a continuous cycle. This continuous posture change enables uninterrupted workflow where bolt supply and tightening operations overlap in time, ensuring bolt supply reliability while maintaining continuous productive action without reciprocation delays
Data Source
AI summary
A tightening head (1) is provided with at least two sockets (4i, 4ii) which are alternatively connected to an output shaft of a nut runner (3), a socket replacing mechanism (6) and a bolt supplying mechanism (7). The socket replacing mechanism (6) is provided with a moving mechanism (61) and a posture changing mechanism (64). The moving mechanism (61) moves each socket (4i, 4ii) between a using position where the socket (4i, 4ii) agrees with an axis of the output shaft of the nut runner (3) and a waiting position which is distant from the axis. The posture changing mechanism (64) changes a posture of each socket (4i, 4ii) to an upward posture corresponding to the waiting position and to a tightening posture corresponding to the using position. The bolt supplying mechanism 7 is provided with bolt magazines (8i, 8ii) and bolt holding mechanism (9i, 9ii).During a bolt tightening step is executed by one socket in the using position, the bolt (B) is supplied to the other socket in the waiting position.