Application device

Abstract

A sealing agent (25) sent from a nozzle tube (36) to a nozzle main body (37) is passed through a main body flow channel portion (37a), a connecting portion (37c), a first flow channel portion (37b), and plural second flow channel portions (37d), sent to a chamber (37e), and discharged from a nozzle port (37f) to the outside. Since the second flow channel portions (37d) are smaller than a downstream end of the first flow channel portion (37b), the sealing agent (25) in the first flow channel portion (37b) is vigorously sent to the chamber (37e), and discharged from the nozzle port (37f) to the outside. As a result, substantially the same quantity of the sealing agent (25) is discharged in the entire range of the chamber (37e).

Claims

1. A coating apparatus comprising a nozzle having a flow channel therein, the nozzle configured to discharge a viscous material flowing through the flow channel to apply the viscous material discharged from the nozzle to an object, wherein the flow channel comprises: a first flow channel portion through which the viscous material flows, the first flow channel portion having a rectangular shape in cross-section on an orthogonal plane orthogonal to a flowing direction of the viscous material through the flow channel; a plurality of second flow channel portions which are smaller than a downstream end of the first flow channel portion and intercommunicate with the downstream end of the first flow channel portion so as to cause the viscous material flowing from the first flow channel portion to flow therethrough; a discharge portion that intercommunicates with downstream ends of all of the plurality of second flow channel portions and discharges the viscous material flowing from the plurality of second flow channel portions; an upstream-side flow channel portion provided at an upstream side of the first flow channel portion, the upstream-side flow channel portion having a circular shape in cross-section on the orthogonal plane, and the upstream-side flow channel having a longer cross-sectional diameter on the orthogonal plane than a cross-sectional length of an upstream end of the first flow channel portion on the orthogonal plane, and causes the viscous material to flow to the first flow channel portion; and a connecting portion which is inclined and configured to connect the upstream-side flow channel portion and the first flow channel portion.

2. The coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a downstream end of the discharge portion is formed in elongated rectangular shape, an upstream end of the nozzle is formed in a circular shape, and a downstream end of the nozzle is formed in a rectangular shape corresponding to the discharge portion.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a side view showing a coating apparatus of the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2 is a front view showing a coating unit.

(3) FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III showing the coating unit.

(4) FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a nozzle and vehicle body plates.

(5) FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a nozzle main body.

(6) FIG. 6A is a front view showing the nozzle main body from a tip side.

(7) FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIB-VIB showing the nozzle main body.

(8) FIG. 6C is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIC-VIC showing the nozzle main body.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT

(9) Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(10) As shown in FIG. 1, a coating apparatus 10, i.e. an application device, comprises a coating robot 11, a robot control device 12, a coating unit 13, and a coating control device 14.

(11) The coating robot 11 is, for example, a multi-axis articulated robot, and is provided with arms 11a to 11d in order from the tip. The coating robot 11 is provided with plural motors (not shown) configured to drive the joints (not shown) of the respective arms 11a to 11d, and the driving thereof is controlled by the robot control device 12.

(12) A mounting portion 15 is attached to the arm 11a on the tip side of the coating robot 11, and the coating unit 13 is mounted on the mounting portion 15.

(13) The robot control device 12 drives the plural motors of the coating robot 11 to drive the arms 11a to 11d so as to move the coating unit 13 mounted on the mounting portion 15 to a position facing a coating target.

(14) As shown in FIG. 2, the coating unit 13 applies a sealing agent 25 (see FIG. 4) to, for example, the gap between two vehicle body plates 23 and 24 constituting the vehicle body.

(15) As shown in FIG. 3, the coating unit 13 comprises a nozzle unit 31, a main body portion 33 having a nozzle support portion 32 configured to rotatably support the nozzle unit 31, and a connecting portion 34 protruding from a base end portion of the main body portion 33. In FIG. 3, only the nozzle support portion 32 is illustrated in cross-sectional view, and illustrations of the sealing agent 25 and the flow channel thereof are omitted.

(16) The nozzle unit 31 discharges the sealing agent 25, and comprises a cylindrical nozzle tube 36 and a nozzle main body 37 fixed to the tip portion of the nozzle tube 36.

(17) As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the flow channel penetrating through the inside of the nozzle main body 37 comprises a main body flow channel portion 37a (upstream-side flow channel portion), a first flow channel portion 37b, a connecting portion 37c configured to connect the main body flow channel portion 37a and the first flow channel portion 37b, plural (for example, nineteen) second flow channel portions 37d, and a chamber 37e (discharge portion) which is formed at the tip portion to discharge the sealing agent 25.

(18) The nozzle main body 37 is configured so that the upstream end thereof is formed in a circular shape and the downstream end thereof is formed in an elongated quadrilateral shape. Furthermore, the nozzle main body 37 is formed so as to change from a circular shape to an elongated quadrilateral shape corresponding to the chamber 37e in a direction from the center portion to the downstream end side. Note that the shape of the nozzle main body 37 can be appropriately changed, and may be formed in a circular cross-section shape from the upstream end to the downstream end.

(19) The main body flow channel portion 37a is formed to be circular in cross-section on an orthogonal plane orthogonal to the flowing direction of the sealing agent 25. The first flow channel portion 37b is formed in an elongated cross-sectional shape, and has a smaller cross-sectional shape than the main body flow channel portion 37a. The first flow channel portion 37b may be extended to the upstream end of the nozzle main body 37 without providing the main body flow channel portion 37a.

(20) The connecting portion 37c is formed so as to change from the circular shape of the main body flow channel portion 37a to the elongated shape of the first flow channel portion 37b in a direction to the tip side (downstream end side). The chamber 37e is formed to have an elongated rectangular shape in cross-section.

(21) The plural second flow channel portions 37d connect the first flow channel portion 37b and the chamber 37e. As a result the sealing agent 25 sent from the nozzle tube 36 is passed through the main body flow channel portion 37a, the first flow channel portion 37b, and the plural second flow channel portions 37d, and sent to the chamber 37e. The sealing agent 25 sent to the chamber 37e is discharged to the outside from the nozzle port 37f which is an opening on the tip side of the chamber 37e. FIG. 6A is a front view in which the nozzle main body 37 is viewed from the tip side, FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIB-VIB in FIG. 6A, and FIG. 6C is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIC-VIC in FIG. 6A.

(22) The nozzle port 37f of the nozzle main body 37 is formed in a rectangular shape and has directivity. The nozzle main body 37 discharges the sealing agent 25 while being in contact with the vehicle body plate 23. The nozzle unit 31 is set so that the center axial line thereof is perpendicular to the surface of the vehicle body plate 23 in front view (FIG. 2). Note that the right-and-left direction in FIG. 2 is the longitudinal direction of the nozzle port 37f. Furthermore, the center axial line of the nozzle unit 31 may be inclined with respect to the surface of the vehicle body plate 23 in front view (FIG. 2).

(23) As shown in FIG. 3, the base end portion of the nozzle tube 36 is inserted through support holes 32a and 32b formed in the nozzle support portion 32, and the nozzle unit 31 is supported by the nozzle support portion 32 so as to be rotatable around the center axial line and be capable of advancing and retreating relative to the nozzle support portion 32.

(24) A motor 40 is disposed inside the main body portion 33. A first gear 41 connected to the motor 40 is rotatably attached to the lower surface of the main body portion 33. The first gear 41 is engaged with a second gear 42 attached to the base end portion of the nozzle tube 36. The rotation of the motor 40 is transmitted to the second gear 42 via the first gear 41, whereby the nozzle unit 31 comprising the nozzle tube 36 to which the second gear 42 is attached, and the nozzle main body 37 rotates.

(25) A receiving plate 46 is attached to the base end portion of the nozzle tube 36. The receiving plate 46 is arranged inside the nozzle support portion 32. The receiving plate 46 is fixed to the nozzle tube 36 and receives a lower end of a coil spring 47 in which the nozzle tube 36 is inserted. An upper end of the coil spring 47 is in contact with the inner surface of an upper plate portion of the nozzle support portion 32, and the nozzle unit 31 is urged in a protruding direction (downward in FIG. 3) by the coil spring 47. In a state where the nozzle unit 31 is urged in the protruding direction, a gap is provided between the second gear 42 and the nozzle support portion 32 and the lower surface of the main body portion 33, so that the nozzle unit 31 is allowed to retreat.

(26) The vehicle body plates 23 and 24 have convex portions which are different from the designed shapes thereof, and when the tip of the nozzle main body 37 is pushed by the convex portions, the nozzle unit 31 retreats against the urging force of the coil spring 47. As a result, even when the nozzle main body 37 is pushed by the convex portions of the vehicle body plates 23 and 24, the nozzle unit 31 can be prevented from being damaged. Note that the nozzle unit 31 may be protruded by its own weight without providing any spring.

(27) A supply tube (not shown) of a sealing agent supply device is connected to the connecting portion 34. The supply tube is connected to a supply passage (not shown) provided inside the connecting portion 34. The sealing agent 25 supplied from the sealing agent supply device is passed through the supply tube, the supply passage of the connecting portion 34 and a supply passage (not shown) provided inside the main body portion 33, and then supplied to the nozzle tube 36 of the nozzle unit 31.

(28) As shown in FIG. 4, the nozzle unit 31 is in contact with the vehicle body plate 23 while the nozzle port 37f is inclined with respect to the surface of the vehicle body plate 23 so that the nozzle unit 31 can discharge the sealing agent 25 while the nozzle main body 37 is in contact with the vehicle body plate 23. When the sealing agent 25 is discharged from the nozzle port 37f to a stepped portion of the vehicle body plates 23 and 24 under the above state, the gap between the vehicle body plates 23 and 24 is filled with the discharged sealing agent 25.

(29) When the sealing agent 25 is applied to the gap between the vehicle body plates 23 and 24 by the coating apparatus 10, an operator operates an operation panel (not shown) to input coating execution data for driving the coating robot 11 and the motor 40 of the coating unit 13. Based on the coating execution data, the robot control device 12 drives the coating robot 11 to set the nozzle unit 31 of the coating unit 13 mounted on the mounting portion 15 at a desired position as shown in FIG. 1.

(30) Next, as shown in FIG. 2, the coating control device 14 drives the motor 40 of the nozzle unit 31 to rotate the nozzle unit 31 until the nozzle unit 31 faces in a desired direction.

(31) The desired position of the nozzle unit 31 is a position at which the tip surface of the nozzle unit 31 is in contact with the end portion of the vehicle body plate 23. Furthermore, the desired direction of the nozzle unit 31 is a direction in which the longitudinal direction of the nozzle port 37f of the nozzle unit 31 (the right-and-left direction in FIG. 2) extends to both the vehicle body plates 23 and 24 over the stepped portion between the vehicle body plates 23 and 24.

(32) When the nozzle unit 31 is set at a desired position and in a desired direction, the sealing agent supply device is driven to supply the sealing agent 25 to the nozzle unit 31. The sealing agent 25 supplied to the nozzle unit 31 is passed through the nozzle tube 36, and sent to the nozzle main body 37. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the sealing agent 25 sent to the nozzle main body 37 is discharged from the nozzle port 37f to the vehicle body plates 23 and 24. The gap between the vehicle body plates 23 and 24 is filled with the discharged sealing agent 25.

(33) In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the sealing agent 25 sent from the nozzle tube 36 is passed through the main body flow channel portion 37a, the connecting portion 37c, the first flow channel portion 37b, and the plural second flow channel portions 37d, sent to the chamber 37e and then discharged to the outside from the nozzle port 37f which is an opening on the tip side of the chamber 37e.

(34) Since the sealing agent 25 is sent from the main body flow channel portion 37a having a circular cross-section shape through the connecting portion 37c to the first flow channel portion 37b which has an elongated cross-sectional shape and is smaller than the downstream end of the main body flow channel portion 37a, pressure is applied to the sealing agent 25 inside the first flow channel portion 37b. As a result, the sealing agent 25 flows vigorously from the first flow channel portion 37b to the second flow channel portion 37d.

(35) Furthermore, since the second flow channel portion 37d is smaller than the downstream end of the first flow channel portion 37b, the sealing agent 25 in the first flow channel portion 37b is vigorously sent to the chamber 37e, and discharged from the nozzle port 37f to the outside. Accordingly, the discharge quantities at both end portions in the longitudinal direction of the chamber 37e are never smaller than that at the center portion. Accordingly, it is possible to discharge substantially the same quantity of the sealing agent 25 in the entire range of the chamber 37e.

(36) The sealing agent 25 can be discharged at substantially the same velocity over the entire range of the chamber 37e, so that the gap between the vehicle body plates 23 and 24 can be filled evenly. Particularly, a sufficient quantity of the sealing agent 25 can be applied to the vehicle body plate 24 on a farther side from the nozzle main body 37 while the coating quantity (heaping quantity) of the sealing agent 25 to be applied to the vehicle body plate 23 on a closer side to the nozzle main body 37 is maintained at an appropriate thickness.

(37) In the above embodiment, the nozzle main body 37 discharges the sealing agent 25 while being in contact with the vehicle body plate 23, but a gap may be provided between the nozzle main body 37 and the vehicle body plate 23.

(38) Furthermore, the cross-sectional shapes of the main body flow channel portion 37a and the first flow channel portion 37b are not limited to the circular shape and the elongated shape, and may be appropriately changed.

(39) Furthermore, the material to be discharged from the nozzle is not limited to the sealing agent, and it may be any material insofar as it has viscosity.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

(40) 10 . . . coating apparatus, 11 . . . coating robot, 12 . . . robot control device, 13 . . . coating unit, 14 . . . coating control apparatus, 15 . . . mounting portion, 21 . . . support portion, 23, 24 . . . vehicle body plate, 25 . . . sealing agent, 31 . . . nozzle unit. 32 . . . nozzle support portion, 33 . . . main body portion, 34 . . . connecting portion, 36 . . . nozzle tube, 37 . . . nozzle main body, 37a . . . main body flow channel portion (upstream-side flow channel portion), 37b . . . first flow channel portion, 37c . . . connecting portion, 37d . . . second flow channel portion, 37e . . . chamber (discharge portion), 37f . . . nozzle port, 40 . . . motor, 41, 42 . . . first, second gear, 46 . . . receiving plate, 47 . . . coil spring