US-12618741-B2 - Chamber, lid, and leak tester

US12618741B2US 12618741 B2US12618741 B2US 12618741B2US-12618741-B2

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a chamber in which workpieces of different sizes can be positioned. A chamber according to an aspect of the present invention is a chamber for a leak tester, the chamber housing in the interior thereof a workpiece having an opening, the chamber including: a first member having a recess that forms a housing space for the workpiece; a second member adapted to close an open end of the recess; and a positioning mechanism for positioning the workpiece within the housing space such that the opening is in a predetermined position, wherein the positioning mechanism holds the workpiece apart from the first member and the second member.

Inventors

Toru Ishii
Minoru Yamamoto
Daisuke HOMMA
Kosei FUJITA

Assignees

YAMAHA FINE TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20230808
Priority Date: 20220809

Claims (14)

1 . A chamber for a leak tester, the chamber housing in an interior thereof a workpiece having an opening, the chamber comprising: a first member having a recess that forms a housing space for the workpiece; a second member adapted to close an open end of the recess; and a positioning mechanism for positioning the workpiece within the housing space such that the opening is in a predetermined position, wherein the positioning mechanism includes a spacer plate and a pushing body, wherein the pushing body is disposed so as to face the spacer plate with the workpiece therebetween, wherein the pushing body is adapted to push the workpiece toward the spacer plate, and wherein the positioning mechanism holds the workpiece apart from the first member and the second member.
2 . The chamber according to claim 1 , wherein the spacer plate and the pushing body are disposed on the second member, and wherein the spacer plate is interposed between the workpiece and an inner surface of the recess.
3 . The chamber according to claim 1 , wherein the pushing body pushes the spacer plate via the workpiece such that the spacer plate is appressed to an inner surface of the recess.
4 . The chamber according to claim 1 , wherein the positioning mechanism includes a connecting portion for connecting the spacer plate and the second member, and wherein the spacer plate is held by the connecting portion in a cantilevered manner.
5 . The chamber according to claim 4 , wherein the connecting portion includes a swinging mechanism adapted to swing the spacer plate, and a fixing mechanism adapted to maintain an interval between the spacer plate and the workpiece.
6 . The chamber according to claim 5 , wherein the fixing mechanism includes an elastic body for pushing the spacer plate in a direction heading away from the second member.
7 . The chamber according to claim 4 , wherein the connecting portion holds the spacer plate and the pushing body such that the spacer plate and the pushing body do not contact the workpiece before the second member closes the open end of the recess, and holds the spacer plate and the pushing body in contact with the workpiece once the second member has closed the open end of the recess.
8 . The chamber according to claim 1 , wherein the second member is adapted to close the open end of the recess in a state where the workpiece is disposed between the spacer plate and the pushing body.
9 . The chamber according to claim 1 , further comprising a nozzle, wherein the positioning mechanism positions the workpiece in a position where the nozzle is attachable to the opening.
10 . A chamber for a leak tester, the chamber housing in an interior thereof a workpiece having an opening, the chamber comprising: a first member having a recess that forms a housing space for the workpiece; a second member adapted to close an open end of the recess; and a positioning mechanism for positioning the workpiece within the housing space such that the opening is in a predetermined position, wherein the positioning mechanism includes: a first moving body that projects into the housing space and supports the workpiece in a predetermined position in a projection direction of the first moving body; and a second moving body that projects into the housing space such that the second moving body faces the first moving body, and pushes the workpiece toward the first moving body, and wherein the positioning mechanism holds the workpiece apart from the first member and the second member.
11 . The chamber according to claim 10 , wherein the first moving body and the second moving body penetrate the first member.
12 . The chamber according to claim 10 , wherein the first moving body includes a rod that is caused to extend and retract by a numerical value control actuator.
13 . A lid for use on a chamber for a leak tester, the chamber housing a workpiece having an opening, the lid comprising: a lid body that is adapted to close an entrance or exit through which the workpiece is inserted into or removed from the chamber; a spacer plate disposed on an inner surface side of the lid body such that an interval is formed between the spacer plate and the lid body; and a pushing body disposed on the inner surface of the lid body such that the workpiece is sandwiched between the pushing body and the spacer plate, wherein the pushing body is disposed so as to face the spacer plate with the workpiece therebetween, and wherein the pushing body is adapted to push the workpiece toward the spacer plate.
14 . A leak tester comprising a chamber, the chamber housing in an interior thereof a workpiece having an opening, the chamber comprising: a first member having a recess that forms a housing space for the workpiece; a second member adapted to close an open end of the recess; and a positioning mechanism for positioning the workpiece within the housing space such that the opening is in a predetermined position, wherein the positioning mechanism includes a spacer plate and a pushing body, wherein the pushing body is disposed so as to face the spacer plate with the workpiece therebetween, wherein the pushing body is adapted to push the workpiece toward the spacer plate, and wherein the positioning mechanism holds the workpiece apart from the first member and the second member.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a chamber, a lid, and a leak tester. 2. Description of the Related Art A leak tester is used to inspect a workpiece having an opening for gas leaks and the like. In a known leak tester of this type, the workpiece is positioned in a chamber such that the opening is in a predetermined position, whereupon a nozzle is attached to the opening of the workpiece and a tracer gas is supplied to the space inside the workpiece through the nozzle (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-134098). SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-134098 describes a chamber in which a housing space for housing the workpiece is formed by joining first and second chamber constituent bodies to each other. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-134098 indicates that the housing space is formed in a shape corresponding to the workpiece, and the workpiece is positioned within the chamber by partially supporting the workpiece using the inner surface of the first chamber constituent body forming the housing space. The chamber described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-134098 is designed to correspond to the size of the workpiece. Therefore, according to the configuration described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-134098, a different chamber must be prepared every time the size of the workpiece changes. Accordingly, the chamber described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-134098 lacks versatility. The present invention has been designed on the basis of the circumstances described above, and an object thereof is to provide a chamber in which workpieces of different sizes can be positioned. (1) A chamber according to an aspect of the present invention is a chamber for a leak tester, the chamber housing in the interior thereof a workpiece having an opening, the chamber including: a first member having a recess that forms a housing space for the workpiece; a second member adapted to close an open end of the recess; and a positioning mechanism for positioning the workpiece within the housing space such that the opening is in a predetermined position, wherein the positioning mechanism holds the workpiece apart from the first member and the second member. (2) In (1), preferably, the positioning mechanism includes a spacer plate and a pushing body respectively disposed on the second member, the spacer plate is interposed between the workpiece and an inner surface of the recess, the pushing body is disposed so as to face the spacer plate with the workpiece therebetween, and the pushing body is adapted to push the workpiece toward the spacer plate. (3) In (2), the pushing body preferably pushes the spacer plate via the workpiece such that the spacer plate is appressed to the inner surface of the recess. (4) In (2) or (3), preferably, the positioning mechanism includes a connecting portion for connecting the spacer plate to the second member, and the spacer plate is held by the connecting portion in a cantilevered manner. (5) In (4), the connecting portion preferably includes a swinging mechanism adapted to swing the spacer plate, and a fixing mechanism adapted to maintain an interval between the spacer plate and the workpiece. (6) In any of (2) to (5), the second member is preferably adapted to close the open end of the recess in a state where the workpiece is disposed between the spacer plate and the pushing body. (7) In (4) or (5) or in (6) citing (4) or (5), preferably, the connecting portion holds the spacer plate and the pushing body such that the spacer plate and the pushing body do not contact the workpiece before the second member closes the open end of the recess, and holds the spacer plate and the pushing body in contact with the workpiece once the second member has closed the open end of the recess. (8) In (5), the fixing mechanism preferably includes an elastic body for pushing the spacer plate in a direction heading away from the second member. (9) In any of (1) to (8), the positioning mechanism preferably includes: a first moving body that projects into the housing space and supports the workpiece in a predetermined position in a projection direction of the first moving body; and a second moving body that projects into the housing space such that the second moving body faces the first moving body, and pushes the workpiece toward the first moving body. (10) In (9), the first moving body and the second moving body preferably penetrate the first member. (11) In (9) or (10), the first moving body preferably includes a rod that is caused to extend and retract by a numerical value control actuator. (12) In any of (1) to (11), preferably, the chamber further includes a nozzle, and the positioning mechanism positions the workpiece in a position where the nozzle can be attached to the