Levitation device and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

To provide an inexpensive levitation device having a structure for floating by properly closing / opening a discharge port for injecting compressed air toward a lower horizontal surface, by a valve member.SOLUTION: A levitation device supported on a horizontal surface h of a surface plate ST through a gap G in a non-contact state while opposed to a lower surface 100d includes: a plurality of discharge ports 105 formed on the lower surface to form a gap by discharging the compressed air Ac to the horizontal surface; communication passages 101c for every discharge ports communicating with a supply flow channel of the compressed air; ball valves 115 housed in the communication passages for closing or opening the discharge ports; and a plurality of fitting members 113 fixed in fitting holes having the discharge port, the communication passage and the ball valve and formed on a plurality of places of the lower surface. The ball valve is formed to close the discharge port by moving down in the communication passage and projecting from the discharge port below the lower surface, and to open the discharge port by moving up to a height equal to or higher than the lower surface in the communication passage to eliminate the closing of the discharge port.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a levitation device that levitates horizontally without contact resistance and a method for manufacturing the same. [Background technology]

[0002] When various tasks or transportation are performed while smoothly moving horizontally, a levitation device is known that blows compressed air between the object being carried and the support surface to raise it. In this case, the object is supported by air, so it can be slid horizontally without contact resistance even with a small force such as human power.

[0003] With such a levitation device, if the support surface onto which the compressed air is blown has unevenness, particularly a recess, the compressed air will not flow into the recess and will not be able to form a gap around it, making it impossible to levitate the object.

[0004] For this reason, for example, a levitation device such as that described in Patent Document 1 is designed to limit the injection of compressed air into the recess by installing a ball valve at each of the multiple outlets that inject compressed air, which enters into the recess and closes it. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-112240 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the levitation device described in Patent Document 1, the outlet for spraying compressed air opens upward, and in order to raise the ball valve and cause it to enter the recess, it is necessary to flow a considerable amount of compressed air with sufficient force to generate pressing pressure, and it is also difficult to arbitrarily adjust the amount of compressed air sprayed to levitate the object.

[0007] To solve this problem, it is possible to install a coil spring that biases the ball valve toward the discharge port, but installing the ball valve together with the coil spring at the discharge port in a functional manner would require a highly accurate assembly structure, which would be quite costly.

[0008] For example, when working on or transporting an object, the object is often fixed on a surface plate, so it is possible to install a levitation device on the surface plate, but this would make the surface plate complex and expensive.

[0009] As a result of further investigation into these issues, we came up with a structure in which a levitation device is provided on the object side and compressed air is sprayed toward the surface plate below to levitate it. In this structure, a T-groove formed beforehand in the horizontal surface (the so-called surface plate surface) that fixes the object on the surface plate becomes a recess on the surface onto which the compressed air is sprayed, but it is necessary to make the valve member that closes the compressed air outlet function with an inexpensive and simple structure.

[0010] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive device having a structure in which a discharge port for injecting compressed air toward a horizontal surface below is appropriately closed or opened by a valve member to float. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] One aspect of the invention for a levitation device that solves the above-mentioned problems is a levitation device that is supported non-contact on a smooth horizontal surface so as to be movable horizontally while its underside faces the horizontal surface via a gap, and that comprises: discharge ports that open at multiple locations on the underside so as to discharge compressed air toward the horizontal surface to form the gap; connecting passages for each of the discharge ports that connect the discharge ports to a supply flow path of the compressed air; a valve member that is housed in the connecting passage so as to be movable up and down and that closes or opens the discharge ports; and a plurality of fixing members that each have the discharge ports, the connecting passages, and the valve members and are fixed in fixing holes that open at multiple locations on the underside, and the valve members are configured so that they descend within the connecting passages to protrude from the discharge ports below the extended surface of the underside and close the discharge ports, and rise within the connecting passages above the extended surface of the underside to unblock the discharge ports and open them.

[0012] In this case, the desired discharge port can be positioned simply by fixing a fixed member within the fixing holes that open at multiple locations on the underside, and a structure can be installed in which the valve member housed in the communicating passage within the fixed member can close and open the discharge port simply by moving up and down without its movement being hindered by a spring member or the like.

[0013] One aspect of the invention of this levitation device is characterized in that, in addition to the configuration of one aspect of the invention of the above-mentioned levitation device, the fixing member and the fixing hole are configured as a fitting structure of an insert member and an insert hole that are fitted together and fixed, and the insert member as the fixing member is fitted into the insert hole as the fixing hole formed on the underside and fitted and fixed.

[0014] In this case, the valve member for closing and opening the discharge port can be easily arranged with a simple structure in which the fitting member as the fixing member is simply fitted into the fitting hole of the fixing hole and fixed.

[0015] Furthermore, one aspect of the invention of the levitation device is characterized in that, in addition to the configuration of one aspect of the invention of the above-mentioned levitation device, it is provided with a support part at an upper part located on the back side of the lower surface, which supports a moving body that moves horizontally on the horizontal surface.

[0016] In this case, the object is placed on top of the levitation device which has an outlet on the underside of the lower part, and compressed air can be blown onto the surface (horizontal surface) of the table which has a T-groove in the table, for example, and the object can be cheaply and easily supported non-contact on the horizontal surface of various devices so that it can be moved horizontally.

[0017] Furthermore, one aspect of the invention of the manufacturing method of the above-mentioned floating device is characterized in that the insertion hole and the insertion member are made to have dimensions and shapes that allow them to fit together so that they cannot be pulled out from each other, the insertion member is slid in the direction of fitting into the insertion hole and pushed to a desired depth to fit and fix, and the discharge ports communicating with the communication passage are distributed so as to open in multiple locations.

[0018] In this case, the insertion member can be easily pushed into the insertion hole to a predetermined depth using a press-in member or the like, and can be fitted and fixed so that the surface where the discharge port is formed is positioned within the insertion hole above the extended surface of the lower surface, and the compressed air ejected from the discharge port can be sprayed into the space between the extended surface of the lower surface and the surface where the discharge port is formed, thereby functioning as a hydrostatic pocket that effectively realizes non-contact support. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] Thus, according to one aspect of the present invention, an inexpensive levitation device can be provided that has a structure in which a discharge port that sprays compressed air toward a horizontal surface below is appropriately closed or opened by a valve member to levitate. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the usage of an embodiment of a levitation device according to the present invention, and is a conceptual longitudinal sectional view showing the base structure thereof. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the schematic structure of the main part thereof. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged vertical cross-sectional view showing the detailed structure of the main part of the structure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged vertical cross-sectional view showing one form of the main structure when in use. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a mode different from that shown in FIG. 4 in use in the main structure. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an assembly device used when carrying out one embodiment of a manufacturing method for a levitation device according to the present invention, and is a conceptual longitudinal sectional view showing the situation when the method is carried out. [Figure 7] 7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating the positional relationship of components of an assembly device when the manufacturing method is carried out, with (a) being a vertical cross-sectional view showing the entire components, and (b) being a partially enlarged vertical cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 to 7 are diagrams showing an embodiment of a levitation device and a manufacturing method thereof according to the present invention.

[0022] <Structure of the levitation device> 1 and 2, levitation device 100 is used, for example, when fixing and installing object PW to be transported at a predetermined position, and is used when positioning and fixing object PW on a surface plate ST while holding it in a state where it is placed on a support surface (support portion) 100u on the upper surface of the upper portion. This surface plate ST has multiple T-slots t extending linearly formed, and is structured so that object PW is positioned and fixed by fitting T-slot nuts (not shown) into the T-slots t.

[0023] This levitation device 100 has a lower surface 100d that comes into face-to-face contact with the entire surface of a smooth horizontal surface h on the base plate ST, and is fabricated into a flat plate-like structure in which the lower surface 100d and an upper support surface 100u located on the back side are extended as parallel horizontal surfaces.

[0024] Here, unless the levitation device 100 performs the levitation operation described below, the lower surface 100d is pressed against the horizontal surface h of the base plate ST with the weight of the object PW placed on the support surface 100u as a load, and therefore the levitation device 100 cannot easily move horizontally.

[0025] For this reason, levitation device 100 has a supply flow path 101 formed between support surface 100u and lower surface 100d for supplying compressed air Ac, and discharge ports 105 formed in communication with supply flow path 101 and opening at multiple locations on lower surface 100d. This levitation device 100 has connection ports 103 that communicate with supply flow path 101 and open to side surface 100s, and although not shown in the figures, one of these connection ports 103 is connected to the tip of a supply hose that is connected to a compressor (not shown) or the like and supplies compressed air Ac, for use. In this example, there are two connection ports 103, and a supply hose is installed at one of them and a blocking member is attached to the other connection port for use, but supply hoses can also be installed in two locations, or there may be only one connection port 103.

[0026] This levitation device 100 has discharge ports 105 that communicate with a supply flow path 101 that extends horizontally between the support surface 100u and the underside 100d, and these discharge ports 105 open at multiple locations on the underside 100d, allowing the compressed air Ac in the supply flow path 101 to be ejected evenly over the entire surface of the support surface 100u.

[0027] This allows the levitation device 100 to eject compressed air Ac from the outlet 105 on the lower surface 100d and spray it onto the horizontal surface h of the base plate ST, and by creating a gap G created by the compressed air Ac between the lower surface 100d and the horizontal surface h, the target object PW can be supported non-contact on the base plate ST as a mobile body that can move horizontally with ease.

[0028] Incidentally, since a T-groove t for positioning and fixing the target object PW is formed in the base plate ST, when the outlet 105 of the moving levitation device 10 is positioned above the T-groove t, the compressed air Ac ejected from the outlet 105 at the same position is blown into the T-groove t with less resistance than the other outlets 105, which may result in the gap G being unable to be effectively created by the compressed air Ac between the lower surface 100d and the horizontal surface h.

[0029] For this reason, the floating device 100 is formed by drilling circular insertion holes (fixing holes) 111 that open continuously from the underside 100d to the supply flow path 101 at the opening position of the discharge port 105, and a cylindrical insertion member (fixing member) 113 is inserted into each insertion hole 111 to position and fix it.

[0030] As a result, in the floating device 100, the inner surface (side wall surface) 113i of the inner cylinder of the insertion member 113 inserted into the insertion hole 111 of the lower surface 100d functions as a communication passage 101c that connects the supply flow path 101 and the discharge port 105, and the tip side opening of the insertion member 113 is open so as to function as the discharge port 105.

[0031] The fitting member 113 has an outlet 105 opening in a flat tip surface 113p located on the underside 100d of the levitation device 100, and its cylindrical inner surface 113i has a slope 113s in the shape of a circumferentially inclined surface of a truncated cone that tapers in diameter toward the tip surface 113p, with the outlet 105 formed at the center of the slope 113s. In other words, the fitting member 113 is formed so as to have a slope 113s that smoothly continues from the outlet 105 opening on the underside 100d of the levitation device 100 to the inner surface 113i of the inner cylinder, which has a large cross-sectional area in the horizontal direction. The rear end 113r of the fitting member 113 opposite the tip surface 113p is formed in a tapered shape with a cylindrical outer surface 113o that tapers in diameter, so that the fitting member 113 can be easily inserted into the fitting hole 111 opening on the underside 100d of the levitation device 100 and prepared for fitting.

[0032] This fitting member 113 houses a spherical ball valve (valve member) 115 within a cylindrical inner surface 113i so that it can move up and down and cannot fall off from the discharge port 105, and the ball valve 115 is formed to have a diameter smaller than the cylindrical inner surface 113i and larger than the discharge port 105. In addition, the fitting member 113 is formed in a size and shape that allows an outer surface 115s of the ball valve 115 in contact with the inclined surface 113s to protrude downward from the discharge port 105 beyond a tip end surface 113p by more than a predetermined distance, which will be described later, when the ball valve 115 is positioned at the lowest position within the cylindrical inner surface 113i. At this time, the ball valve 115 projects its outer surface 115s downward outward while being in line contact with the circumferential edge 113c of the inclined surface 113s that forms the discharge port 105. However, this is not limiting, and it goes without saying that the ball valve 115 may be capable of projecting downward by more than the predetermined distance from the tip surface 113p even when the outer surface 115s is in surface contact with the inner inclined surface 113s of the circumferential edge 113c. Note that, in this embodiment, a spherical ball valve 115 is described as an example of a valve member, but this is not limiting, and it goes without saying that other valve structures, such as a conical shape or a polygonal pyramid shape, may also be used.

[0033] Here, the fitting member 113 is fabricated by fitting and fixing a small-diameter cylindrical member 119 (see Figure 4) into the rear end portion 113r on the opposite side (other end side) of the tip surface 113p of the cylindrical inner surface 113i that houses the ball valve 115, so that the ball valve 115 will not come off (fall off) from the cylindrical inner surface 113i.

[0034] As a result, when ball valve 115 descends within inner cylinder inner surface 113i of fitting member 113 and comes into airtight pressure contact with inclined surface 113s, it can close (block) discharge port 105 to prevent compressed air Ac from being ejected from supply flow path 101. Furthermore, when ball valve 115 ascends within inner cylinder inner surface 113i of fitting member 113 and moves away from inclined surface 113s, it opens discharge port 105 (opens for flow) to allow compressed air Ac to be ejected through inner cylinder inner surface 113i as communication passage 101c.

[0035] 3, when the outer surface 115s of the ball valve 115 descending within the cylindrical inner surface 113i abuts against the horizontal surface h of the base ST to open the discharge port 105 so that the compressed air Ac can be ejected, the fitting member 113 is fitted and fixed in a structure such that the tip surface 113p is fitted into the fitting hole 111 up to a predetermined pushing position 111p beyond the extended surface of the lower surface 100d of the levitation device 100, thereby forcing the compressed air Ac between the horizontal surface h and the tip surface 113p to function as a hydrostatic pressure pocket P (see FIG. 3). Here, the pushing position 111p at which the fitting member 113 pushes the tip surface 113p into the fitting hole 111 is set to a position that does not prevent the outer surface 115s of the ball valve 115 descending within the inner cylindrical surface 113i from protruding by approximately a protrusion dimension 115m that exceeds the extended surface of the lower surface 100d of the levitation device 100.

[0036] Therefore, as shown in Fig. 4, when discharge port 105 on lower surface 100d of levitation device 100 is out of position above T-groove t in surface plate ST, ball valve 115 in fitting member 113 abuts against horizontal surface h of surface plate ST and moves in direction M shown in Fig. 4 away from inclined surface 113s of inner cylinder inner surface 113i, thereby opening discharge port 105. Therefore, levitation device 100 can blow compressed air Ac from supply flow path 101 through communication passage 101c in inner cylinder inner surface 113i to horizontal surface h of surface plate ST from discharge port 105, and can effectively form and function a gap G that supports object PW on upper support surface 100u in a non-contact manner between lower surface 100d and horizontal surface h, as well as a hydrostatic pressure pocket P.

[0037] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, when the discharge port 105 on the lower surface 100d of the levitation device 100 is positioned above the T-groove t of the base plate ST, the ball valve 115 in the fitting member 113 receives compressed air Ac supplied from the supply flow path 101 into the inner surface 113i of the inner cylinder together with its own weight and is pushed by the downward pressure F shown in FIG. 5, causing the outer surface 115s of the ball valve 115 to enter the T-groove t and be pressed airtightly against the circumferential edge 113c of the inclined surface 113s of the inner surface 113i of the inner cylinder, thereby closing the discharge port 105. Therefore, the levitation device 100 can efficiently blow compressed air Ac supplied from within the supply flow path 101 onto the horizontal surface h of the base plate ST from other outlets 105 without wasting it from the outlet 105 above the T-groove t, and can effectively form and function a hydrostatic pocket P between the lower surface 100d and the horizontal surface h, along with a gap G that supports the object PW on the upper support surface 100u without contact.

[0038] <Manufacturing method of levitation device> First, in the levitation device 100, the insertion hole 111 and the insertion member 113 are fabricated in a size and shape that allows the insertion member 113 to be fitted into the insertion hole 111 arranged on the lower surface 100d without being pulled out.

[0039] This levitation device 100 has a structure in which outlets 105 that can be opened and closed by ball valves 115 are distributed over the underside 100d simply by fitting and fixing fitting members 113 into fitting holes 111, and therefore can be produced by carrying out a manufacturing method that utilizes assembly apparatus 200 shown in Figure 6, and the tip surface 113p of the fitting member 113 can be pushed and slid in the fitting direction beyond the underside 100d to a predetermined pushing position (depth) 111p with greater precision, thereby fitting and fixing it in a position that forms a hydrostatic pocket P that can generate high-quality uniform pressure.

[0040] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the assembly device 200 functions by positioning and setting (preparing) a holding plate (holding member) 251 that holds the insertion member 113 in an orientation that aligns it with the same extension axis direction as the insertion hole 111, a press-in member 261 that inserts and slides the insertion member 113 into the insertion hole 111 to push it to a desired depth, and a support member 271 that supports the press-in member 261 so that it can slide freely in the insertion direction of the insertion member 113 into the insertion hole 111.

[0041] The retaining plate 251 is made of a plate-like material that is thicker than the size (height) of the cylindrical axial direction of the insertion member 113, and is formed so that one retaining hole 251i penetrates both sides 251p1, 251p2 of the retaining plate 251 with an inner diameter equal to the outer diameter of the insertion member 113, and holds the insertion member 113 in a slidable manner.

[0042] This holding plate 251 is placed on top of the lower surface 100d of the levitation device 100 facing upward, with the bottom surface 251p2 in face-to-face contact, and then the holding hole 251i that penetrates and opens to the upper surface 251p1 is positioned and set so that the inner surfaces of the holding hole 251i are continuous with the insertion hole 111, allowing the insertion member 113 held in the holding hole 251i to be fitted and fixed simply by inserting it into the insertion hole 111 from the rear end 113r and sliding it in as if pushing it in.

[0043] Here, it goes without saying that the holding plate 251 may be formed with not only one holding hole 251i, but also holding holes 251i that open to correspond to a plurality of insertion holes 111 that are distributed over part or the entire surface of the underside 100d of the levitation device 100, so that the fitting and fixing work of the insertion member 113 can be completed with fewer setting operations.

[0044] The press-in member 261 is formed in a cylindrical shape with an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the holding hole 251i of the holding plate 251, and a cylindrical push rod 265 having an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the holding hole 251i and extending coaxially is integrally formed at the cylindrical tip surface 261p, and the push rod 265 is formed longer than the thickness of the holding plate 251 by the depth from the underside 100d of the levitation device 100 to the push-in position 111p.

[0045] This press-in member 261 is slid toward the underside 100d of the levitation device 100 while bringing the tip end surface 265p of the push rod 265 into face-to-face contact with the tip end surface 113p of the fitting member 113 held in the holding hole 251i of the holding plate 251, thereby enabling the fitting member 113 held in the holding hole 251i to reliably enter and push in without hindrance from the tapered rear end portion 113r side into the fitting hole 111. Also, by pushing the press-in member 261 until the tip end surface 261p comes into face-to-face contact with the upper surface 251p1 of the holding plate 251, the tip end surface 113p of the fitting member 113 can be pushed in and fixed in place until it passes the extended surface of the underside 100d of the levitation device 100 and is positioned at the pushing position 111p.

[0046] Furthermore, the press-fitting member 261 has a cylindrical positioning pin 255, the outer diameter of which is smaller than the inner diameter of the circumferential edge 113c that opens into the tip surface 113p of the fitting member 113, fixed to the center of the tip surface 265p of the push rod 265 in a state of extending coaxially. This allows the press-fitting member 261 to position and hold the fitting member 113 by inserting the positioning pin 255 of the push rod 265 into the circumferential edge 113c that opens into the tip surface 113p of the fitting member 113 so that the axial centers are aligned, while preventing the outer surfaces 261o, 265o of the press-fitting member 261 and the push rod 265 from coming into strong sliding contact with the holding hole 251i of the holding plate 251 and the holding hole 271i of the support member 271 described below, thereby preventing an increase in the load when sliding.

[0047] The support member 271 is formed so as to have an opening for a holding hole 271i that penetrates the support member 271 with an inner diameter equal to the outer diameter of the cylindrical shape of the press-in member 261 and holds the press-in member 261 in a freely slidable manner, and the bottom surface 271p of one end of the cylindrical shape is placed and set so as to be in face-to-face contact with the upper surface 251p1 of the holding plate 251 and overlapped thereon.

[0048] By setting this support member 271 on the holding plate 251, the holding hole 271i can be supported so that the pushing rod 265 at the tip end of the press-in member 261 can be smoothly inserted into the holding hole 251i of the holding plate 251 and slides against the outer surface 261o of the press-in member 261 to prevent it from falling over, and the pushing rod 265 of the press-in member 261 can be used to slide the insertion member 113 from the holding hole 251i of the holding plate 251 into the insertion hole 111 inside the underside 100d of the levitation device 100, allowing it to be stably fitted and fixed in the desired position.

[0049] <Procedure for manufacturing the levitation device> Then, the levitation device 100 is prepared by preparing a base structure in which a plurality of insertion holes 111 communicating with the supply flow path 101 are drilled and formed in the underside 100d on the rear side of the support surface 100u, and the underside 100d is set facing upward.

[0050] 6, the press-in member 261 with the tip of the push rod 265 inserted into the holding hole 251i of the holding plate 251 is positioned so as to be slidably housed and supported in the holding hole 271i of the support member 271, and then the press-in member 261 is prepared for assembly.

[0051] After this, a manufacturing method (procedure) is carried out in which ball valve 115 is housed inside inner cylinder surface 113i, cylindrical member 119 is fitted into rear end 113r, and fitting and fixing fitting member 113, which has been prepared in advance, into fitting holes 111 distributed on underside 100d of levitation device 100. Here, fitting member 113 can be prepared in advance and manufactured with high precision, and because it has a simple structure that does not require springs or the like, it can be manufactured inexpensively and with high precision, and it is also possible to easily and accurately fit and fix fitting member 113.

[0052] At this time, the insertion member 113 is inserted into the insertion hole 111 on the underside 100d of the floating device 100 from the rear end 113r side, or is inserted only partially into the holding hole 251i of the holding plate 251 of the assembly device 200 from the front end surface 113p side.

[0053] Next, with the insertion member 113 partially inserted into the insertion hole 111 in the underside 100d of the levitation device 100 from the rear end 113r side, and partially inserted into the holding hole 251i of the holding plate 251 of the assembly device 200 from the tip surface 113p side, the push rod 265 of the press-in member 261 is lowered so that the positioning pin 255 on the tip surface 265p side of the push rod 265 of the press-in member 261 is inserted into the circumferential edge 113c of the tip surface 113p of the insertion member 113, and the bottom surface 251p2 of the holding plate 251 of the assembly device 200 is lowered so as to bring the tip surface 261p of the press-in member 261 and one end side bottom surface 271p of the support member 271 into face-to-face contact with the underside 100d of the levitation device 100, and with the upper surface 251p1 of the holding plate 251 of the assembly device 200.

[0054] As a result, the fitting member 113 is simply and easily fitted up to the push-in position 111p so that a hydrostatic pressure pocket P can be formed between the tip surface 113p and the extension surface of the lower surface 100d of the levitation device 100, and is fitted and fixed with high precision.

[0055] In this way, in the levitation device 100 of this embodiment, by simply inserting and fixing the insertion member 113, which has a simple structure that only accommodates the ball valve 115, into the insertion hole 111 in the lower surface 100d, the treatment object PW placed and held on the upper support surface 100u can be supported in a non-contact levitated state that allows horizontal movement with little force, even on a base plate ST having a T-groove t, by effectively forming a gap G using compressed air Ac.

[0056] The scope of the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments shown and described, but also includes all embodiments that achieve equivalent effects to the object of the present invention. Furthermore, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the combination of inventive features defined by each claim, but can be defined by any desired combination of specific features from among all the respective disclosed features. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 10 Levitation Device 100d bottom surface 100u support surface 101 supply channel 101c Communication path 105 Discharge port 111 Insertion hole 111p Push position 113 Insertion member 113c Circumferential edge 113i Cylindrical inner surface 113p Tip surface 113r rear end 113s Slope 115 Ball valve 115s exterior 200 Assembly Equipment 251 Retaining Plate 255 Locating Pin 261 Press-fit member 265 Push Rod 265p Tip surface 271 Supporting member Ac compressed air G Gap P Hydrostatic pocket PW Object ST fixing h horizontal plane t T-ditch

Claims

1. A levitation device that is supported in a non-contact manner on a smooth horizontal surface so as to be movable in a horizontal direction while its lower surface faces the horizontal surface via a gap, discharge ports that open at a plurality of locations on the lower surface so as to discharge compressed air toward the horizontal surface to form the gap; a communication passage for each of the discharge ports that communicates with a supply flow path of the compressed air; a valve member that is housed in the communication passage so as to be movable up and down and that closes or opens the discharge port; a plurality of fixing members each having the discharge port, the communication passage, and the valve member, and fixed in fixing holes opening at a plurality of locations on the lower surface; With the valve member is configured to move downward within the communication passage to close the discharge port in a state where it protrudes from the discharge port below an extension of the lower surface, and to move upward within the communication passage to a position above the extension of the lower surface to unblock the discharge port and open the discharge port, The fixing member and the fixing hole are configured to have a fitting structure of a fitting member and a fitting hole that are fitted together and fixed, The fitting member as the fixing member is fitted into the fitting hole as the fixing hole formed in the lower surface, and is fixed. A method for manufacturing a levitation device, comprising: the insertion hole and the insertion member are formed to have dimensions and shapes such that they can be fitted together and cannot be pulled out from each other; The fitting member is slid in a direction to be fitted into the fitting hole to a desired depth, and is fixed in place; and the discharge ports communicating with the communication passages are dispersed and arranged so as to open at a plurality of locations, a holding member that holds the insertion member slidably in a direction in which the insertion member is inserted into the insertion hole; a press-in member that slides the insertion member in the insertion direction into the insertion hole to push it to a desired depth; and a support member that supports the press-in member slidably in the insertion direction of the insertion member into the insertion hole, A method for manufacturing a levitation device, characterized in that while positioning the holding member and the support member, the press-in member is slid in the insertion direction of the insertion member positioned and held by the holding member, thereby pushing the insertion member to the desired depth and engaging and fixing it.

2. The levitation device comprises: the communication passage is formed to have a cross-sectional area in a horizontal plane larger than that of the discharge port, and has an inclined surface that slopes from a side wall surface of the communication passage toward the discharge port, The method for manufacturing a floating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the valve member descends and makes line or surface contact with the slope from the side wall surface of the communicating passage toward the discharge port, thereby press-fitting the valve member in an airtight manner to close the discharge port.

3. The levitation device comprises: The valve member is formed in a spherical shape, 3. The method for manufacturing a levitation device according to claim 2, wherein the inclined surface continuing from the communication passage to the discharge port is formed in the shape of a truncated cone.

4. The levitation device comprises: A method for manufacturing a floating device as described in claim 2 or claim 3, characterized in that the fixed member is formed in a cylindrical shape and forms the communicating passage with an inner cylinder, the wall surface on one end side of the inner cylinder is gradually narrowed to form the inclined surface and the discharge port having a smaller diameter than the inner cylinder, and a small-diameter cylindrical member is fixed to the other end side of the inner cylinder so that the valve member is housed within the cylinder in an undetachable manner.

5. The levitation device is 5. A method for manufacturing a levitation device according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member is fixed so that the surface forming the discharge port is positioned within the fixing hole rather than the extension surface of the lower surface, and so as to form a static pressure pocket of the compressed air discharged from the discharge port between the fixing member and the horizontal surface.

6. The levitation device is A method for manufacturing a levitation device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a support part for supporting a moving body that moves horizontally on the horizontal surface is provided at an upper part located on the rear side of the lower surface.

7. The method for manufacturing a floating device according to claim 1, wherein the press-in member presses the ejection port forming surface of the fitting member to a predetermined depth within the fitting hole by contacting another member and restricting sliding.

8. The press-fitting member has a rod shape in which a cross section perpendicular to the fitting direction is smaller than the fitting hole, a positioning pin is provided at the tip of the rod shape, the positioning pin being fitted into the discharge port to position the insertion member when the press-insertion member slides the insertion member into the insertion hole; The method for manufacturing a levitation device according to claim 7, wherein the press-in member is positioned by the positioning pin at the tip of the rod-shaped member, and the ejection port forming surface of the fitting member is pressed into the fitting hole to a predetermined depth.

9. A method for manufacturing a levitation device described in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the cross section of the insertion member perpendicular to the insertion direction on the end side that is inserted into the insertion hole is formed in a tapered shape that is smaller than the opening area of ​​the insertion hole as it approaches the end, and the insertion member is inserted and pushed into the insertion hole from the end side.

Images