US 7,320,176 B2
Assembly device of support mat for ceramic catalyst carrier
Yasuhiro Sugiyama, Tokyo (Japan); and Isao Kato, Tokyo (Japan)
Assigned to Calsonic Kansei Corporation, Tokyo (Japan)
Filed on Jan. 03, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/25,951.
Prior Publication US 2005/0147708 A1, Jul. 07, 2005
Int. Cl. B21D 51/16 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 29—890  [425/394; 425/397; 425/403.1; 425/438; 425/409] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An assembly device of a support mat for a ceramic catalyst carrier, comprising:
a base capable of holding the support mat in a flat plate shape substantially horizontally, the support mat having in both end portions a depression and a projection engageable with the depression, respectively;
a shaping die provided on an intermediate portion of said base and having a recession that has a shape substantially fitting a semicircular bottom surface of the ceramic catalyst carrier;
an automatic tape feeder to feed an adhesive tape to an upper surface of one end portion of said base;
a tape/support mat pressing unit that presses one end portion of the support mat toward the adhesive tape while the end portion of the support mat is placed on an upper surface of the adhesive tape, thereby sticking the adhesive tape to the end portion;
a tool base provided above said shaping die and driven by a first actuator to be vertically movable;
a push-in unit provided in said tool base and driven by a second actuator to be capable of pushing the ceramic catalyst carrier together with the support mat into the recession of said shaping die;
a first pressing unit and a second pressing unit that are provided in said tool base and that are driven by a third actuator and a fourth actuator to press both end portions of the support mat from side faces so as to curve the both end portions of the support mat along an arc-shaped upper surface of the ceramic catalyst carrier;
pressure rollers provided at tip portions of said first pressing unit and said second pressing unit respectively to be vertically turnable and biased by biasing members so as to press the both end portions of the support mat toward the ceramic catalyst carrier;
a tape presser that is independently disposed in an intermediate portion of said push-in unit and that is driven by a fifth actuator to press the adhesive tape to an upper surfaces of engagement portions of the depression and the projection of the support mat in a gap formed between said both pressure rollers and to operate concurrently with said push-in unit in pushing the ceramic catalyst carrier together with the support mat into the recession of said shaping die;
a push-up unit provided on a bottom of the recession of said shaping die and driven by a sixth actuator to be capable of pushing up the ceramic catalyst carrier together with the support mat; and
a main body formed to have a substantial L-shaped cross section having a horizontal surface and a vertical surface.