Mold storage device and bending processing system

Abstract

A mold storage device (2) is provided with a mold holding unit (35) which is provided inside a frame body (20) arranged to the side of a bending machine (1) in the left-right direction and holds a long upper mold (UT1). The mold holding unit (35) includes a stocker (45) which is provided linearly with a mold holding groove (46) holding the long upper mold (UT1), and a stocker moving portion which advances and retreats the stocker (45) in the front-rear direction and horizontally rotates the stocker (45). As a switchable state, the stocker (45) has a first state in which the stocker is stored inside the frame body (20) in a posture in which the mold holding groove (46) is in the front-rear direction, and a second state in which the stocker advances and retreats outside the frame body (20) and the mold holding groove (46) is arranged in the left-right direction along a holding groove of an upper mold holder (8).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a mold storage device and a bending processing system. Background Technology

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a mold box disposed on the side of a bending machine such as a bending machine. Multiple storage rails are arranged inside the mold box housing. In each storage rail, multiple molds are arranged in a front-to-back arrangement along their length. Each storage rail is configured to be able to be pulled out from the front of the housing along its length.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-501911 Summary of the Invention

[0006] In the method disclosed in Patent Document 1, multiple molds are arranged relative to the receiving track in a manner that extends along the front-to-back direction in the width direction of the mold. On the other hand, the worktable of the bending machine extends in the left-to-right direction. Therefore, when installing the mold on the bending machine, the mold's posture needs to be rotated after it has been removed from the receiving track. As a result, there is a problem of poor work efficiency when installing the mold on the bending machine.

[0007] This disclosure discloses a mold storage device that stores multiple molds for use by an operator to change molds relative to a mold holder mounted on the worktable of a bending machine in a left-right direction. The mold storage device comprises: a frame body disposed on the side of the bending machine in a left-right direction and having an opening on its front side; and a mold holding unit disposed inside the frame body for holding the molds. The mold holding unit includes: a storage container having a mold holding groove linearly arranged to hold the molds; and a storage container moving part that moves the storage container forward and backward in a front-back direction and rotates the storage container horizontally. The storage container has a first state and a second state that can be switched manually by the operator. In the first state, the storage container is stored within the frame body with the mold holding groove aligned in the front-back direction. In the second state, the storage container moves outward from the frame body, and the mold holding groove is arranged in a left-right direction along the holder groove of the mold holder.

[0008] According to one aspect of the mold holding device disclosed herein, the material storage container can be moved back and forth and rotated horizontally by a material storage container moving part. The operator moves the material storage container, housed in the frame body in the back-to-back direction, forward and changes its position in the left-to-right direction, thereby allowing the material storage container to be positioned to the side of the mold holder. This allows the mold holding groove of the material storage container to be aligned in the left-to-right direction along the holder groove of the mold holder, thus enabling the molds to be arranged side-by-side along the extension line of the holder groove of the mold holder. Therefore, by simply sliding the mold in the left-to-right direction, the mold held by the material storage container can be positioned on the mold holder.

[0009] According to one aspect of this disclosure, the operator can perform a series of actions to move the storage container back and forth and to rotate it horizontally, thereby smoothly transferring the mold held by the storage container to the mold holder. This improves the efficiency of installing the mold onto the mold holder of the bending machine. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This diagram illustrates the main components of the mold storage device.

[0011] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing the structure of the bending processing system according to the first embodiment.

[0012] Figure 3 This is a front view showing the main parts of the mold storage device.

[0013] Figure 4 This is a side view showing the main part of the mold storage device.

[0014] Figure 5 It is a magnified 3D view showing the main parts of the storage container.

[0015] Figure 6 This diagram illustrates the worktable-side fixing block installed on the upper worktable side of the bending machine.

[0016] Figure 7 This is an enlarged side view showing the main part of the storage container.

[0017] Figure 8 This diagram illustrates the changing action of the mold on the long strip of the upper storage section.

[0018] Figure 9 This diagram illustrates the action of mounting the long strip mold of the storage container onto the upper mold holder.

[0019] Figure 10 This diagram illustrates the changing action of the long lower mold in the middle storage section.

[0020] Figure 11 This diagram illustrates the adapter and locking rod of a bending machine.

[0021] Figure 12 This diagram illustrates the action of mounting the long lower mold of the middle mold worktable onto the lower retainer.

[0022] Figure 13 This diagram illustrates the changing action of the upper and lower molds of the short strips in the lower storage section.

[0023] Figure 14 This is a diagram illustrating the main parts of the mold storage device according to the second embodiment.

[0024] Figure 15 This is a diagram illustrating the main parts of the mold storage device according to the second embodiment.

[0025] Figure 16 This is a diagram illustrating the main parts of the mold storage device according to the third embodiment.

[0026] Figure 17 This is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of the mold holding unit.

[0027] Figure 18 This is a top view illustrating the guide platform and the storage container that moves on the guide platform.

[0028] Figure 19 This diagram illustrates the action of moving the mold on the long strip of the storage container upwards to the mold holder. Detailed Implementation

[0029] Hereinafter, the mold storage device and bending processing system of this embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] Figure 1 This diagram illustrates the main components of the mold holding device. When describing the structure of the mold holding device and the bending system, the left-right, front-back, and up-down directions are used as definitions of direction. The left-right and front-back directions correspond to two orthogonal directions in the horizontal direction, and the up-down direction corresponds to the vertical direction. However, these directions are used merely for convenience in describing the mold holding device and the bending system in this embodiment.

[0031] The mold storage device 2 of this embodiment stores multiple long upper molds UT1 for the operator to change long upper molds UT1 relative to the upper mold holder 8 arranged in the left-right direction on the upper worktable 7 of the bending machine. The mold storage device 2 includes: a frame body 20, which is arranged on the side of the bending machine 1 in the left-right direction and has an opening on the front side; and a mold holding unit 35, which is disposed inside the frame body 20 and holds the long upper molds UT1. The mold holding unit 35 includes: a storage container 45, which has a mold holding groove 46 arranged in a straight line to hold the long upper molds UT1; and a storage container moving part, which moves the storage container 45 forward and backward in the front-back direction and rotates the storage container 45 horizontally. As a state that can be switched by the operator's manual operation, the storage device 45 has a first state and a second state. In the first state, the storage device 45 is stored in the frame body 20 with the mold holding groove 46 in the front-back direction. In the second state, the storage device 45 moves out of the frame body 20, and the mold holding groove 46 is arranged in the left-right direction along the holding groove of the upper mold holding frame 8.

[0032] In this embodiment, the storage device moving part includes: a forward and backward mechanism, which is movably disposed on the frame body 20 in the front-back direction and moves the storage device 45 forward and backward through the opening; and a storage device rotating part 40, which connects the forward and backward mechanism and the storage device 45 to each other and makes the storage device 45 rotate horizontally about the storage device rotation axis in the up-down direction.

[0033] (First Implementation)

[0034] The mold storage device of the first embodiment and the bending processing system including the mold storage device will be described in detail below. Figure 2 This is a diagram showing the structure of the bending system according to the first embodiment. The bending system includes a bending machine 1 and a mold storage device 2.

[0035] Bending machine 1 is a processing machine for bending sheet-shaped workpieces such as metal plates. Bending machine 1, for example, is a plate bending machine that bends workpieces by the cooperation of an upper die such as a punch and a lower die such as a mold.

[0036] The bending machine 1 has left and right side frames 3L and 3R, a lower worktable 5, an upper worktable 7, and left and right drive mechanisms 9L and 9R.

[0037] The left and right side frames 3L and 3R are arranged separately in the left-right direction, facing each other. The lower worktable 5 extends in the left-right direction and is supported on the lower front part of the left and right side frames 3L and 3R. The upper worktable 7 extends in the left-right direction and is supported on the upper front part of the left and right side frames 3L and 3R. The upper worktable 7 is configured to move freely in the up-down direction relative to the left and right side frames 3L and 3R.

[0038] On the upper side of the lower worktable 5, a lower mold holder 6 is provided along the left-right direction to detachably hold the lower mold. The lower mold holder 6 has a holder groove formed along the left-right direction for holding the base (handle) of the lower mold.

[0039] On the lower side of the upper worktable 7, an upper mold holder 8 is provided along the left-right direction to detachably hold the upper mold. The upper mold holder 8 has a holder groove formed along the left-right direction for holding the base (handle) of the upper mold.

[0040] The left and right drive mechanisms 9L and 9R are respectively located on the upper left and right sides of the side frames 3L and 3R. The left and right drive mechanisms 9L and 9R function as lifting mechanisms to move the upper worktable 7 up and down. The left and right drive mechanisms 9L and 9R are composed of electric motors and ball screw mechanisms, but can also be hydraulic cylinders, etc.

[0041] On the left-side side frame 3L, there is a control device 10, such as an NC (Numerical Control) device, which controls the movement of the bending machine 1.

[0042] As described below, the bending machine 1 of this embodiment, in addition to the structure described above, also includes a worktable-side fixing block 11, an adapter 15, and a locking rod 16. The worktable-side fixing block 11 is located to the side of the upper mold holder 8, which is disposed at the right end of the upper worktable 7. The adapter 15 and the locking rod 16 are located at the right end of the lower worktable 5. Furthermore, details regarding the worktable-side fixing block 11, the adapter 15, and the locking rod 16 will be described later.

[0043] In this bending machine 1 with such a structure, the workpiece is positioned on a lower die mounted on a lower die holder 6 on a lower worktable 5. When the upper worktable 7, on which the upper die is mounted on an upper die holder 8, is lowered toward the lower worktable 5, pressure is applied to the workpiece between the upper and lower dies. Through the cooperation of the upper and lower dies, the workpiece is bent to the desired target bending angle.

[0044] The following is for reference Figures 2 to 4 The mold storage device 2 will be described. Figure 3 This is a front view showing the main parts of the mold storage device. Figure 4 This is a side view showing the main part of the mold storage device.

[0045] The mold storage device 2 houses multiple molds, including upper molds UT1 and UT2, and lower molds LT1 and LT2. The mold storage device 2 is used by the operator to manually change the molds on the lower mold holder 6 and the upper mold holder 8. The mold storage device 2 is located on either or both sides of the bending machine 1. Figure 2 In the example shown, the mold storage device 2 is arranged adjacent to the right side of the bending machine 1.

[0046] The mold storage device 2 includes a frame body 20. The frame body 20 is composed of a frame and a panel covering its perimeter, and has a box shape. An opening is provided on the front side of the frame body 20. The frame body 20 includes an upper storage section 30, a middle storage section 60, and a lower storage section 80. Furthermore, in… Figure 4 For ease of explanation, the panel of the main frame 20 has been omitted.

[0047] The upper storage section 30 is located on the upper layer of the frame body 20. The upper storage section 30 houses a long strip upper mold UT1, which is relatively long in the mold width direction. The opening on the front side of the upper storage section 30 can be closed by a hinged door 31 that is freely installed via a hinge mechanism. Furthermore, in... Figure 3 The description of opening and closing door 31 is omitted.

[0048] The middle layer storage section 60 is located in the middle layer of the frame body 20. The middle layer storage section 60 houses a long strip lower mold LT1 with a relatively long dimension in the mold width direction. The opening on the front side of the middle layer storage section 60 can be closed by the middle layer door 61 installed at the front end of the middle layer mold worktable 65, which will be described later.

[0049] The lower storage section 80 is located on the lower layer of the frame body 20. The lower storage section 80 houses the short upper mold UT2 and the short lower mold LT2, which are short in the mold width direction. The opening on the front side of the lower storage section 80 can be closed by the lower door 81 installed at the front end of the lower mold worktable 85, which will be described later.

[0050] The following details the specifications for each storage section: 30, 60, and 80.

[0051] The upper storage section 30 includes a mold holding unit 35 for holding the elongated mold UT1. In the upper storage section 30, multiple mold holding units 35, or in this embodiment, two mold holding units 35, are arranged adjacent to each other in the left-right direction. Each mold holding unit 35 includes a sliding part 36, an arm rotating part 37, a holding block 38, an arm 39, a storage container rotating part 40, and a storage container 45.

[0052] The sliding part 36 is configured to move freely in the front-to-back direction. A pair of upper slide rails 41 extending in the front-to-back direction are provided on the frame body 20, and the left and right ends of the sliding part 36 are held by the pair of upper slide rails 41. The sliding part 36 moves in the front-to-back direction by being guided by the upper slide rails 41.

[0053] The arm rotating part 37 is connected to the lower part of the sliding part 36 and moves integrally with the sliding part 36. The arm rotating part 37 is configured to rotate freely about an arm rotation axis along the vertical direction.

[0054] The retaining block 38 is composed of a rectangular tube extending in one direction and is housed in the upper storage section 30 in a posture with its length along the front-back direction. The rear end of the retaining block 38 is connected to the lower end of the arm rotating section 37. The retaining block 38 rotates horizontally by rotating about the arm rotating section 37 (arm rotating axis) and swinging its front side left and right.

[0055] The front and rear ends of the retaining block 38 are open, and the arm 39 is held inside it. Inside the retaining block 38, a guide portion is provided along the length direction of the retaining block 38 to guide the movement of the arm 39. The arm 39 is guided by the retaining block 38 and can move forward and backward along the length direction of the retaining block 38. The arm 39 is held in the retaining block 38, and therefore rotates horizontally according to the horizontal rotation of the retaining block 38.

[0056] The rotating part 40 of the storage container is connected to the front end of the arm 39 and moves integrally with the arm 39. The rotating part 40 of the storage container is configured to rotate freely about the storage container rotation axis in the vertical direction.

[0057] The storage container 45 is composed of a box that extends longitudinally in one direction and is housed in the upper storage section 30 in a position that extends longitudinally along the front-back direction. The storage container 45 is positioned at a height corresponding to the upper die holder 8 of the bending machine 1. The central portion of the upper surface of the storage container 45 is connected to the lower end of the storage container rotating section 40. The storage container 45 rotates horizontally by rotating around the storage container rotating section 40 (the storage container rotating axis), causing both ends of the storage container 45 to swing left and right.

[0058] A mold holding groove 46 for holding a long strip upper mold UT1 is provided on the lower surface of the storage container 45. The mold holding groove 46 is formed by a concave groove extending in a straight line along the length direction of the storage container 45. The long strip upper mold UT1 is installed in the mold holding groove 46 by sliding it into the mold holding groove 46 from one end side along the length direction. In this embodiment, two mold holding grooves 46 are provided side by side on the lower surface of the storage container 45. The storage container 45 is capable of holding a number of long strip upper molds UT1 corresponding to the number of mold holding grooves 46. Each long strip upper mold UT1 is held by the mold holding groove 46 at the same height as the long strip upper mold UT1 mounted on the upper mold holder 8 of the bending machine 1.

[0059] Figure 5 It is a magnified 3D view showing the main parts of the storage container. Figure 6 This diagram illustrates the worktable-side fixing block installed on the upper worktable side of the bending machine. Figure 7 This is an enlarged side view showing the main parts of the storage container. For example... Figure 6 As shown, storage container side fixing blocks 47 are provided at both ends of the storage container 45 along its length. Positioning grooves 47a are provided on the sides of the storage container side fixing blocks 47 for positioning the storage container 45 relative to the upper mold holder 8 at the right end of the upper worktable 7. On the other hand, as... Figure 7 As shown, a positioning pin 12 is provided on the right end face of the workbench side fixing block 11. By inserting the positioning pin 12 into the positioning groove 47a, the storage container 45 is positioned relative to the upper mold holder 8 at the right end.

[0060] However, during the movement and horizontal rotation of the storage container 45, inertial or centrifugal forces act on the elongated upper mold UT1, causing it to move horizontally within the mold holding groove 46. The elongated upper mold UT1 may then detach from the end of the mold holding groove 46. For example... Figure 7 As shown, two stop members 47c are provided on the storage container side fixing block 47. The stop members 47c are respectively positioned corresponding to the mold holding groove 46. Each stop member 47c is pressed downward by a pressing component such as a spring, and the lower part 47ca of the stop member 47c protrudes downward from the lower surface of the storage container side fixing block 47 by a certain amount. Therefore, even if the long strip mold UT1 moves horizontally along the mold holding groove 46, it can be prevented from falling off the end of the mold holding groove 46 by abutting against the stop member 47c.

[0061] A conical surface is formed on the upper part 47cb of the stop member 47c. When the positioning pin 12 enters the positioning groove 47a, the front end of the positioning pin 12 abuts against the conical surface of the upper part 47cb. Furthermore, when subjected to the insertion force of the positioning pin 12, the stop member 47c is pushed upward, and the lower end of the stop member 47c rises from the lower surface of the storage container side fixing block 47. Therefore, when the storage container 45 is positioned relative to the right end of the upper mold holder 8 of the upper worktable 7, since there is no restriction based on the stop member 47c, the long strip upper mold UT1 can be moved from the storage container 45 to the upper mold holder 8.

[0062] In addition, such as Figure 5 As shown, a fixing groove 47b for fixing the storage container 45 relative to the upper mold holder 8 at the right end is provided on the upper surface of the fixing block 47 on the storage container side. On the other hand, as Figure 6 As shown, a retaining latch 14 that moves in and out in the vertical direction is provided on the worktable-side fixing block 11. When the storage device 45 is positioned relative to the upper mold holder 8 at the right end, the retaining latch 14 is inserted into the fixing slot 47b. Thus, the storage device 45 is fixed to the upper mold holder 8 at the right end. Furthermore, by pressing the release button 14a, the retaining latch 14 is forcibly raised, and the fixing of the storage device 45 can be released.

[0063] like Figure 4 as well as Figure 5 As shown, an upper handle 48 for the operator to grip is provided on the upper surface of the storage container 45. By using the upper handle 48, the operator can perform horizontal rotation of the storage container 45, forward and backward movement of the arm 39, horizontal rotation of the arm 39 and the holding block 38, and forward and backward movement of the sliding part 36.

[0064] The intermediate storage section 60 includes an intermediate mold worktable 65 for holding the long lower mold LT1. An intermediate door 61 is provided at the front end of the intermediate mold worktable 65, and an intermediate handle 62 is provided on the front surface of the intermediate door 61. The intermediate mold worktable 65 is positioned at a height corresponding to the lower mold holder 6 of the bending machine 1.

[0065] The intermediate mold worktable 65 is configured to move freely in the front-to-back direction. A pair of intermediate slide rails 66 extending in the front-to-back direction are provided on the frame body 20, and the left and right ends of the intermediate mold worktable 65 are held by the pair of intermediate slide rails 66. The intermediate mold worktable 65 moves in the front-to-back direction guided by the intermediate slide rails 66. The operator can pull the intermediate mold worktable 65 out of the intermediate storage section 60 or store the pulled-out intermediate mold worktable 65 in the intermediate storage section 60 using the intermediate handle 62.

[0066] Multiple lower die holding parts 67 are arranged on the upper surface of the middle die worktable 65 to hold elongated lower dies LT1. The multiple lower die holding parts 67 are arranged at equal intervals in the front-to-back direction. Each lower die holding part 67 has a certain length in the left-to-right direction and is capable of holding one elongated lower die LT1. Each elongated lower die LT1 is held by the lower die holding part 67 at the same height as the elongated lower die LT1 mounted on the lower die holder 6 of the bending machine 1.

[0067] Multiple locking slots 68 are provided on the left and right sides of the middle mold worktable 65 to restrict the forward and backward movement of the middle mold worktable 65. The multiple locking slots 68 are provided corresponding to multiple lower mold holding parts 67.

[0068] The lower storage section 80 includes a lower mold worktable 85 for holding the upper short mold UT2 and the lower short mold LT2. A lower door 81 is provided at the front end of the lower mold worktable 85, and a lower handle 82 is provided on the front surface of the lower door 81.

[0069] The lower mold worktable 85 is configured to move freely in the front-to-back direction. A pair of lower slide rails 86 extending in the front-to-back direction are provided on the frame body 20, and the left and right ends of the lower mold worktable 85 are held by the pair of lower slide rails 86. The lower mold worktable 85 moves forward and backward guided by the pair of lower slide rails 86. The operator can pull the lower mold worktable 85 out of the lower storage section 80 or store the pulled-out lower mold worktable 85 in the lower storage section 80 using the lower handle 82.

[0070] The upper surface of the lower mold worktable 85 is provided with multiple upper mold holding parts 87 for holding short upper molds UT2 and multiple lower mold holding parts 88 for holding short lower molds LT2. The multiple upper mold holding parts 87 are arranged at equal intervals in the front-to-back direction. Each upper mold holding part 87 has a certain length in the left-to-right direction, enabling it to hold two or more short upper molds UT2 laterally. The multiple lower mold holding parts 88 are arranged at equal intervals in the front-to-back direction. Each lower mold holding part 88 has a certain length in the left-to-right direction, enabling it to hold two or more short lower molds LT2 laterally.

[0071] Next, the mold changing operation using the mold storage device 2 will be explained. The mold changing operation is different for the upper storage section 30, the middle storage section 60, and the lower storage section 80, so the mold changing operation will be explained for each storage section.

[0072] First, refer to Figures 1 to 4 , Figure 8 as well as Figure 9The replacement operation of the long upper mold UT1 utilizing the upper storage section 30 will be explained. In the following explanation, the case where the long upper mold UT1 stored in the upper storage section 30 is installed onto the upper mold holder 8 of the upper worktable 7 will be illustrated. Here, Figure 8 This diagram illustrates the changing action of the mold on the long strip of the upper storage section. Figure 9 This diagram illustrates the action of mounting the long strip mold of the storage container onto the upper mold holder.

[0073] First, such as Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 As shown, the retaining block 38 and the storage container 45 are in a posture where their length direction is aligned with the front-rear direction, and the arm 39 is in a position where it is retracted to the maximum extent. In this case, the storage container 45 is stored in the frame body 20 with the mold holding groove 46 in a posture along the front-rear direction, and the mold UT1 held on the long strip of the storage container 45 is also stored in the upper storage part 30 (first state).

[0074] The operator pulls the storage container 45 forward. By moving the sliding part 36 forward and the arm 39 moving forward, the storage container 45 can be pulled out from inside the upper storage part 30.

[0075] like Figure 8 As shown, the operator rotates the storage container 45 to the left or right. The storage container 45 rotates horizontally around the storage container rotating part 40. The operator changes the posture of the storage container 45 so that it rotates approximately 90 degrees, and the length direction of the storage container 45, i.e., the long strip upper mold UT1, is parallel to the upper mold holder 8. Thus, the storage container 45 is positioned to the side of the upper mold holder 8 at the right end and arranged in a left-right direction. As a result, the mold holding groove 46 of the storage container 45 is arranged in a left-right direction along the holder groove of the upper mold holder 8, allowing the long strip upper mold UT1 to be arranged side-by-side on the extension line LA of the holder groove of the upper mold holder 8 (second state).

[0076] Furthermore, when rotating the storage container 45, the operator can choose whether to rotate it to the left or to the right. Thus, when rotating the storage container 45 90 degrees, the operator can choose whether the front side of the upper mold UT1 faces the operator or the back side of the upper mold UT1 faces the operator. The operator can also choose whether the upper mold UT1 is mounted on the upper mold holder 8 with its front side facing up or its back side facing up.

[0077] Next, as Figure 1As shown, the operator moves the storage container 45 to the left until the storage container side fixing block 47 abuts against the worktable side fixing block 11. At this time, the holding block 38 rotates horizontally, and the arm 39 and the holding block 38 swing to the left, allowing the storage container 45 to move linearly to the left. In addition, the storage container 45 rotates horizontally relative to the arm 39, and the arm 39 and the sliding part 36 move forward, thereby enabling the storage container 45 to move smoothly in a straight line.

[0078] At this time, the operator uses the positioning pin 12 (refer to...) Figure 6 Insert positioning slot 47a (refer to) Figure 5 The storage container side fixing block 47 abuts against the worktable side fixing block 11 in a manner that allows the storage container side fixing block 47 to engage with the worktable side fixing block 11. Thus, as... Figure 9 As shown, the feeder 45 is properly positioned relative to the upper mold holder 8 at the right end. Additionally, the retaining latch 14 (see reference...) Figure 6 Insert into fixing slot 47b (refer to) Figure 5 This allows the storage container 45 to be fixed to the side of the upper mold holder 8 at the right end. Furthermore, when the positioning pin 12 is inserted into the positioning slot 47a, the stop 47c is pushed upwards. As a result, the restriction imposed by the stop 47c is removed, thus enabling the transfer of the long strip upper mold UT1.

[0079] like Figure 9 As shown, when the storage container 45 is positioned to the side of the upper mold holder 8 at the right end, the holder groove of the upper mold holder 8 and the mold holder groove 46 of the storage container 45 are aligned in the left-right direction. The operator can move the long upper mold UT1 from the storage container 45 to the upper mold holder 8 by moving it to the left. Then, the operator can position the long upper mold UT1 at the desired position relative to the upper worktable 7 by sliding it along the holder groove of the upper mold holder 8.

[0080] Next, refer to Figures 1 to 4 , Figures 10 to 12 The replacement operation of the long lower mold LT1 stored in the middle storage section 60 will be explained. The following explanation illustrates the installation of the long lower mold LT1 stored in the middle storage section 60 onto the lower mold holder 6 of the lower worktable 5. Here, Figure 10 This diagram illustrates the changing action of the long lower mold in the middle storage section. Figure 11 This diagram illustrates the adapter and locking rod of a bending machine. Figure 12 This diagram illustrates the action of mounting the long lower mold of the middle mold worktable onto the lower retainer.

[0081] First, such as Figure 3 as well as Figure 4As shown, the middle mold worktable 65 is housed inside the middle storage section 60.

[0082] The operator pulls the middle mold worktable 65 forward. The middle mold worktable 65 is guided by a pair of middle slide rails 66, thereby being pulled forward from the inside of the middle storage section 60.

[0083] like Figure 10 As shown, when one of the multiple elongated lower molds LT1 mounted on the middle mold worktable 65, which is the object to be installed relative to the lower worktable 5, reaches the right side of the lower worktable 5, the operator stops the middle mold worktable 65. The operator uses the locking lever 16 located at the right end of the lower worktable 5 to fix the middle mold worktable 65.

[0084] like Figure 11 As shown, the locking lever 16 can be operated along the guide groove 17a formed in the lever support member 17. The locking lever 16 can move left and right in an upright position. A cylindrical rod 16a extending in the left and right direction is connected to the lower end of the locking lever 16. When the locking lever 16 moves to the right end of the guide groove 17a, the locking lever 16 reaches the locked position. When the locking lever 16 is in the locked position, the right end of the rod 16a enters the locking groove 68 provided on the side of the intermediate mold worktable 65. As a result, the movement in the front and back direction relative to the intermediate mold worktable 65 is restricted, and the intermediate mold worktable 65 can be fixed.

[0085] Furthermore, with the locking lever 16 in the locked position, tilting the locking lever 16 forward causes it to enter the locking groove 17b. This locks the left-right movement of the locking lever 16 and lever 16a, thereby locking the front-back movement of the intermediate mold worktable 65.

[0086] On the other hand, by restoring the locking lever 16 from the tilted state to the upright state, the locking lever 16 can move left and right along the guide groove 17a. When the locking lever 16 is located at the left end of the guide groove 17a, the right end of the lever 16a is pulled out from the locking groove 68 of the middle mold worktable 65. As a result, the middle mold worktable 65 can be moved forward and backward.

[0087] As described above, if the middle mold worktable 65 is fixed by the locking rod 16, then as Figure 12 As shown, the operator slides the long strip lower mold LT1 to the left. This allows the operator to move the long strip lower mold LT1 from the middle mold worktable 65 to the lower mold holder 6. Then, by sliding the long strip lower mold LT1 along the holder groove of the lower mold holder 6, the operator can position the long strip lower mold LT1 at the desired position relative to the lower worktable 5.

[0088] like Figure 11 As shown, a transition section 15 for guiding the movement of the long strip lower die LT1 is provided on the right side of the lower die holder 6. The transition section 15 includes a driven roller 15a that can rotate about a rotation axis in the front-rear direction.

[0089] like Figure 12 As shown, when the operator slides the long strip lower mold LT1 to the left, the long strip lower mold LT1 reaches the lower mold holder 6 via the driven roller 15a of the adapter 15. Therefore, even if the middle mold worktable 65 and the lower mold holder 6 are separated in the left-right direction, the long strip lower mold LT1 can be smoothly transferred from the middle mold worktable 65 to the lower mold holder 6 via the adapter 15. In addition, even if there is a vertical height gap between the lower mold holder 6 and the middle mold worktable 65, the transfer height of the long strip lower mold LT1 can be adjusted via the adapter 15. As a result, the long strip lower mold LT1 will not collide with the lower mold holder 6, and the long strip lower mold LT1 can be smoothly transferred from the middle mold worktable 65 to the lower mold holder 6.

[0090] In addition, such as Figure 11 As shown by the dashed line, when the locking lever 16 is in the upright position, it is located on the transport path of the long lower mold LT1 from the middle mold worktable 65 to the lower mold holder 6. Therefore, if the long lower mold LT1 is slidably moved to the left from the middle mold worktable 65, it interferes with the locking lever 16, preventing the long lower mold LT1 from reaching the lower mold holder 6. Therefore, the long lower mold LT1 can only be moved to the lower mold holder 6 when the locking lever 16 is reliably locked by entering the locking groove 17b.

[0091] Finally, refer to Figures 1 to 4 , Figure 13 The replacement operation of the short upper mold UT2 and short lower mold LT2, which utilize the lower storage section 80, will be explained. In the following explanation, an example will be shown where the short upper mold UT2 stored in the lower storage section 80 is installed onto the upper mold holder 8 of the upper worktable 7, and the short lower mold LT2 is installed onto the lower mold holder 6 of the lower worktable 5. Here, Figure 13 This diagram illustrates the changing action of the upper and lower molds of the short strips in the lower storage section.

[0092] First, such as Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 As shown, the lower mold worktable 85 is housed inside the lower storage section 80.

[0093] The operator pulls the lower mold worktable 85 forward. The lower mold worktable 85 is guided by a pair of lower slide rails 86, thereby pulling it forward from the inside of the lower storage section 80.

[0094] like Figure 13 As shown, if the lower mold worktable 85 is pulled out, the operator removes the short upper mold UT2 that is to be installed relative to the upper worktable 7 from among the multiple short upper molds UT2 mounted on the lower mold worktable 85. Then, the operator installs the removed short upper mold UT2 into the upper mold holder 8 of the upper worktable 7. Similarly, the operator removes the short lower mold LT2 that is to be installed relative to the lower worktable 5 from among the multiple short lower molds LT2 mounted on the lower mold worktable 85. Then, the operator installs the removed short lower mold LT2 into the lower mold holder 6 of the lower worktable 5. Through the above operations, the required molds are configured in the mold holders 6 and 8 of each worktable 5 and 7.

[0095] The above description illustrates the installation of molds from each of the storage sections 30, 60, and 80. Of course, this embodiment can also be applied when molds are stored from each of the worktables 5 and 7 into each of the storage sections 30, 60, and 80. When storing molds, the installation operations described above are performed in reverse order.

[0096] Thus, according to the mold storage device 2 of this embodiment, the forward and backward movement of the storage container 45 and the horizontal rotation of the storage container 45 can be achieved by utilizing the forward and backward movement of the forward and backward movement of the forward and backward movement of the forward and backward movement of the forward and backward movement of the storage container rotation unit 40. The operator can move the storage container 45, which is stored in the frame body 20 in the forward and backward direction, forward and change the posture of the storage container 45 in the left and right direction, so that the storage container 45 can be placed against the side of the upper mold holder 8. Since the mold holding groove 46 of the storage container 45 can be arranged in the left and right direction along the holder groove of the upper mold holder 8, the long upper mold UT1 can be arranged side by side on the extension line LA of the holder groove of the upper mold holder 8. Therefore, the long upper mold UT1 held by the storage container 45 can be placed on the upper mold holder 8 simply by sliding the long upper mold UT1 in the left and right direction.

[0097] In this way, the operator can move the storage container 45 back and forth and rotate it horizontally in a series of actions, thus smoothly transferring the long strip upper mold UT1 held by the storage container 45 to the upper mold holder 8. As a result, the work efficiency when installing the long strip upper mold UT1 relative to the upper mold holder 8 of the upper worktable 7 of the bending machine 1 can be improved.

[0098] In this embodiment, the mold holding unit 35 further includes an arm rotating part 37 that allows the advance and retreat mechanism to rotate horizontally about an arm rotation axis along the vertical direction.

[0099] According to this structure, not only the storage container 45, but also the feed mechanism can rotate horizontally. By rotating the feed mechanism horizontally, the storage container 45 can move in the left and right directions. Even when the upper mold holder 8 and the mold holding unit 35 are separated in the left and right directions, the storage container 45 can be placed horizontally near the upper mold holder 8.

[0100] In this embodiment, the forward and backward mechanism includes: a sliding part 36, which moves in the front-back direction by being guided by an upper slide rail 41 fixed to the frame body 20; a holding block 38, which is connected to the sliding part 36 via an arm rotating part 37; and an arm 39, which is guided by the holding block 38 to move forward and backward along the length direction of the holding block 38.

[0101] According to this structure, the storage container 45 can be moved forward and backward by the forward and backward movement of the sliding part 36 and the arm 39. Furthermore, the holding block 38 can be rotated horizontally by the arm rotating part 37, thus allowing the holding block 38 and the arm 39 to swing in the left and right directions. This allows the storage container 45 to swing left and right. Even when the upper mold holder 8 and the mold holding unit 35 are separated in the left and right directions, the storage container 45 can be positioned horizontally near the upper mold holder 8.

[0102] In this embodiment, a plurality of mold holding grooves 46 are arranged side by side in the storage container 45.

[0103] According to this structure, a single storage container 45 can hold multiple elongated upper dies UT1, thus efficiently accommodating multiple elongated upper dies UT1. Furthermore, by positioning the storage container 45 in the front-to-back direction, it is possible to select elongated upper dies UT1 arranged laterally on the upper die holder 8 from among the multiple elongated upper dies UT1. Moreover, since the posture of multiple elongated upper dies UT1 can be changed at once, operational efficiency can be improved compared to changing the posture of multiple elongated upper dies UT1 independently.

[0104] In this embodiment, on the frame body 20, the mold holding unit 35 on the left side adjacent to the bending machine 1 and the mold holding unit 35 on the right side adjacent to it are arranged adjacent to each other in the left-right direction.

[0105] When the storage container 45 is housed in the frame body 20, the storage container 45 can be positioned in the front-to-back direction. Therefore, even if there is not much space in the left-to-right direction, multiple storage containers 45 can be housed within the frame body 20.

[0106] In this embodiment, the mold storage device 2 further includes a middle mold worktable 65 configured to be pulled out in the front-back direction. On the middle mold worktable 65, a plurality of elongated lower molds LT1 mounted on the lower mold holder 6 of the lower worktable 5 of the bending machine 1 are arranged in the front-back direction. The locking rod 16 of the bending machine 1 moves in and out of the locking position in the left-right direction, entering the locking groove 68 of the middle mold worktable 65, thereby restricting the front-back movement of the middle mold worktable 65.

[0107] According to this structure, the forward and backward movement of the middle mold worktable 65 can be restricted by the locking rod 16. As a result, the lower mold holder 6 of the lower worktable 5 and the long lower mold LT1 held on the middle mold worktable 65 can be properly positioned and fixed.

[0108] The locking lever 16 is positioned between the lower worktable 5 and the middle mold worktable 65. The locking lever 16 can be moved from an upright position in the vertical direction to a left-right position to reach the locking position, thereby enabling it to be switched to a tilting position in the forward-backward direction.

[0109] When the locking lever 16 is in the upright position, it is present in the movement path of the long lower mold LT1. Therefore, due to interference with the locking lever 16, the long lower mold LT1 cannot be moved from the middle mold worktable 65 to the lower mold holder 6. On the other hand, when the locking lever 16 reaches the locked position, it can be tilted. This allows the locking lever 16 to retract from the movement path of the long lower mold LT1. Thus, interference with the locking lever 16 is avoided, and the long lower mold LT1 can be moved from the middle mold worktable 65 to the lower mold holder 6. In this way, the long lower mold LT1 cannot be moved unless the middle mold worktable 65 is locked by the locking lever 16. Therefore, the movement of the long lower mold LT1 is only permitted when the middle mold worktable 65 is locked by the locking lever 16.

[0110] (Second Implementation)

[0111] The following is for reference Figure 14 as well as Figure 15 The mold storage device 2 of the second embodiment will be described. Figure 14 This is a diagram illustrating the main parts of the mold storage device according to the second embodiment. Figure 15 This is a diagram illustrating the main parts of the mold storage device according to the second embodiment.

[0112] The mold holding unit 35 of the first embodiment includes an arm rotating part 37 and a storage container rotating part 40, and is a structure that rotates horizontally via two axes. However, the mold holding unit 35 may also be a structure that rotates horizontally via one axis via the storage container rotating part 40.

[0113] like Figure 14 As shown, the mold holding unit 35 of the second embodiment includes a sliding part 36, a holding block 38, an arm 39, a storage container rotating part 40, and a storage container 45. That is, the mold holding unit 35 of the second embodiment does not have an arm rotating part 37, and the holding block 38 is connected to the sliding part 36.

[0114] According to this structure, the sliding part 36 moves forward, and the arm 39 moves forward, thereby pulling the storage container 45 forward from the interior of the upper receiving part 30. Then, the operator rotates the position of the storage container 45 by about 90 degrees, changing the position of the storage container 45 so that the longitudinal direction of the storage container 45, i.e., the long strip upper mold UT1, is parallel to the upper mold holder 8. Thus, the storage container 45 is positioned to the side of the upper mold holder 8 at the right end and arranged in a left-right direction. In this case, the long strip upper mold UT1 can be aligned side by side on the extension line LA of the holder groove of the upper mold holder 8.

[0115] Thus, according to the mold storage device 2 of this embodiment, the forward and backward movement of the storage container 45 and the horizontal rotation of the storage container 45 can be achieved by utilizing the forward and backward movement of the forward and backward movement of the forward and backward movement of the forward and backward movement of the forward and backward movement of the storage container rotation unit 40. The operator can move the storage container 45, which is stored in the frame body 20 in the forward and backward direction, forward and change the posture of the storage container 45 in the left and right direction, so that the storage container 45 can be placed against the side of the upper mold holder 8. Since the mold holding groove 46 of the storage container 45 can be arranged in the left and right direction along the holder groove of the upper mold holder 8, the long upper mold UT1 can be arranged side by side on the extension line LA of the holder groove of the upper mold holder 8. Therefore, the long upper mold UT1 held by the storage container 45 can be placed on the upper mold holder 8 simply by sliding the long upper mold UT1 in the left and right direction.

[0116] In this way, the operator can move the storage container 45 back and forth and rotate it horizontally in a series of actions, thus smoothly transferring the long strip upper mold UT1 held by the storage container 45 to the upper mold holder 8. As a result, the work efficiency when installing the long strip upper mold UT1 relative to the upper mold holder 8 of the upper worktable 7 of the bending machine 1 can be improved.

[0117] like Figure 15As shown, in the left-side die holding unit 35 adjacent to the bending machine 1, the storage container 45 can be rotated to position it to the side of the upper die holder 8 at the right end. On the other hand, in the right-side die holding unit 35 located away from the bending machine 1, even if the storage container 45 is rotated, there is still a distance between the storage container 45 and the upper die holder 8 at the right end. Therefore, when transferring the long strip upper die UT1 from the storage container 45 of the right-side die holding unit 35, a path for transferring the die to the upper worktable 7 can also be formed via the die holding groove 46 of the storage container 45 provided in the left-side die holding unit 35.

[0118] Thus, in this embodiment, the long lower mold LT1 held by the mold holding unit 35 on the right is transferred to the upper mold holding frame 8 of the upper worktable 7 via the mold holding groove 46 of the storage device 45 provided by the mold holding unit 35 on the left.

[0119] According to this structure, adjacent storage containers can be arranged laterally on the left and right sides of the mold holder. Thus, by the cooperation of the adjacent storage containers, the mold in the storage container located away from the bending machine can be transferred to the mold holder.

[0120] The above-described embodiments disclose not only a mold storage device 2, but also a bending processing system comprising a bending processing machine 1 and a mold storage device 2. According to this bending processing system, it is possible to improve the work efficiency when mounting a long upper mold UT1 on the upper mold holder 8 relative to the upper worktable 7 of the bending processing machine 1.

[0121] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments described above, the storage container 45 can also hold the short strip upper mold UT2, and is not limited to the long strip upper mold UT1. Similarly, the middle layer mold worktable 65 can also hold the short strip lower mold LT2, and is not limited to holding the long strip lower mold LT1.

[0122] (Third Implementation)

[0123] The following is for reference Figures 16 to 18 The mold storage device 2 of the third embodiment will be described. Figure 16 This is a diagram illustrating the main parts of the mold storage device according to the third embodiment. Figure 17 This is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of the mold holding unit. Figure 18 This is a top view illustrating the guide platform and the storage container that moves on the guide platform.

[0124] Similar to the first embodiment, the mold storage device 2 in the third embodiment is provided with an upper storage section 30, a middle storage section 60, and a lower storage section 80. The difference between the third embodiment and the first embodiment lies in the structure of the mold holding unit 100 in the upper storage section 30. Hereinafter, the differences will be the focus of the explanation.

[0125] On the upper storage section 30, a plurality of mold holding units 100, or four mold holding units 100 in this embodiment, are arranged adjacent to each other in the left-right direction. Each mold holding unit 100 is disposed on the guide table 200 described later. Each mold holding unit 100 has a storage container 103 and a storage container moving part 106.

[0126] The storage device 103 includes a storage device base 101 and a support column 102, and is supported by the storage device base 101 and the support column 102 at a specified height from the guide table 200.

[0127] The storage container base 101 is composed of a box that extends longitudinally in one direction, with its lower surface open. The storage container base 101 is stored in the upper storage section 30 in a longitudinal orientation. Upper handles 105 for operators to grip are provided at both ends of the storage container base 101 along its length.

[0128] The support column 102 is positioned at the center of the length of the storage container base 101, standing at a right angle to the storage container base 101. The storage container 103 is fixed on the upper part of the support column 102, and the support column 102 supports the storage container 103 at a certain height.

[0129] The storage container 103 is a longitudinally elongated structure, housed in the upper storage section 30 with its length direction aligned with the front-to-back direction. The storage container 103 is positioned at a height corresponding to the upper die holder 8 of the bending machine 1. A die holding groove 104 for holding a long strip upper die UT1 is provided on the lower surface of the storage container 103. The die holding groove 104 is formed by a concave groove extending linearly along the length direction of the storage container 103. The long strip upper die UT1 is mounted in the die holding groove 104 by sliding it into one or both ends along the length direction. In this embodiment, a die holding groove 104 is provided on the lower surface of the storage container 103. The die holding groove 104 is configured to hold the long strip upper die UT1 at the same height as the long strip upper die UT1 mounted on the upper die holder 8 of the bending machine 1.

[0130] A storage device moving part 106 is mounted on the lower surface of the storage device base 101. The storage device moving part 106 enables the storage device 103 to rotate horizontally, move back and forth, and move left and right, and therefore has a pair of guide pins 108a and 108b.

[0131] A pair of guide pins 108a and 108b are arranged at intervals along the extending direction of the mold holding groove 104. With the mold holding unit 100 housed in the upper housing 30, one guide pin 108a is located at the front and the other guide pin 108b is located at the rear. A guide plate 107 is mounted on the pair of guide pins 108a and 108b, arranged opposite to the accumulator base 101.

[0132] The guide plate 107 is composed of a box that is longitudinally elongated in one direction, with its upper surface open. The guide plate 107 is installed with its length direction aligned with the length direction of the storage tank base 101.

[0133] like Figure 18 As shown, a plurality of guide grooves 210 are provided on the upper surface of the guide table 200. The plurality of guide grooves 210 include four longitudinal guide grooves 211a-211d extending in the front-back direction and one transverse guide groove 212 extending in the left-right direction. The four longitudinal guide grooves 211a-211d are correspondingly provided with four mold holding units 100. These longitudinal guide grooves 211a-211d, in cooperation with a pair of guide pins 108a, 108b, function as guides for restricting the posture of the storage container 103 housed in the upper storage section 30 to the front-back direction or for moving the storage container 103 in the front-back direction. The transverse guide groove 212, in cooperation with a pair of guide pins 108a, 108b, functions as a guide for moving the storage container 103 in the left-right direction or for rotating the storage container 103 horizontally. The transverse guide groove 212 is disposed on the front side of the guide table 200, specifically on the outside of the frame body 20. The front ends of the four longitudinal guide grooves 211a to 211d are respectively connected to the transverse guide groove 212. The connection between the longitudinal guide grooves 211a to 211d and the transverse guide groove 212 is chamfered in a manner that allows the storage container 103 to rotate smoothly horizontally.

[0134] The material storage base 101 of the aforementioned mold holding unit 100 is located on the surface side of the guide platform 200, and the guide plate 107 is located on the back side of the guide platform 200. The material storage base 101 and the guide plate 107 are positioned above and below the guide platform 200, thereby ensuring the support column 102 is stably erected and the material storage unit 103 remains horizontal. Furthermore, a pair of guide pins 108a and 108b are inserted into the guide groove 210. Thus, the spaced-apart pair of guide pins 108a and 108b move along the guide groove 210, causing the material storage unit 103 to move forward / backward or left / right. Additionally, the pair of guide pins 108a and 108b pass through the connection between the longitudinal guide grooves 211a-211d and the transverse guide groove 212 and enter the transverse guide groove 212, thereby causing the material storage unit 103 to rotate horizontally.

[0135] Next, refer to Figures 16 to 19 The replacement operation of the long strip upper mold UT1 utilizing the upper storage section 30 will be explained. In the following explanation, the long strip upper mold UT1 located on the far right of the upper storage section 30 will be shown as being installed onto the upper mold holder 8 of the upper worktable 7. Here, Figure 19 This diagram illustrates the action of moving the mold on the long strip of the storage container upwards to the mold holder.

[0136] First, such as Figures 16 to 18 As shown, a pair of guide pins 108a and 108b are arranged in a front-back direction and are located at the rearmost side of the longitudinal guide groove 211d. The storage container 103 is housed in the upper storage section 30 with the mold holding groove 104 in a front-back direction position, and the mold UT1 held on the long strip of the storage container 103 is also housed in the upper storage section 30 (first state).

[0137] like Figure 18 As shown, the operator pulls the storage container 103 forward. A pair of guide pins 108a, 108b are guided by the longitudinal guide groove 211d, so the storage container 103 moves forward in a posture that maintains its length along the longitudinal direction. The operator can pull the storage container 103 forward until the front guide pin 108a reaches the transverse guide groove 212.

[0138] When the front guide pin 108a reaches the transverse guide groove 212, the operator pulls the storage container 103 forward and moves its front end to the right. The front guide pin 108a moves to the right along the transverse guide groove 212. At this time, the rear guide pin 108b moves forward along the longitudinal guide groove 211d, and when it reaches the transverse guide groove 212, it moves to the right along the transverse guide groove 212. In conjunction with the movement of this pair of guide pins 108a and 108b, the storage container 103 rotates horizontally at the connection point of the longitudinal guide groove 211d and the transverse guide groove 212. As a result, the posture of the storage container 103 changes to a state of rotation of approximately 90 degrees. Furthermore, the storage container 103 is arranged transversely with the upper mold holder 8 of the upper worktable 7.

[0139] When a pair of guide pins 108a and 108b enter the transverse guide groove 212, the pair of guide pins 108a and 108b are arranged in the left-right direction, so the material storage device 103 and the mold holding groove 104 are also arranged in the left-right direction. The transverse guide groove 212 is formed with high precision at a predetermined position on the guide table 200, so when the material storage device 103 is arranged in the left-right direction by the pair of guide pins 108a and 108b, the mold holding groove 104 of the material storage device 103 is located on the extension line LA of the retainer groove of the upper mold retainer 8. Thus, the long strip upper mold UT1 can be arranged side by side on the extension line LA of the retainer groove of the upper mold retainer 8 (second state).

[0140] Next, as Figure 18 as well as Figure 19 As shown, the operator moves the storage device 103 to the left until the left end of the storage device 103 touches the upper mold holder 8. At this time, a pair of guide pins 108a and 108b move to the left along the transverse guide groove 212, thereby enabling the storage device 103 to move smoothly in a straight line.

[0141] like Figure 19 As shown, when the storage container 103 reaches the side of the upper mold holder 8 at the right end, the holder groove of the upper mold holder 8 and the mold holding groove 104 of the storage container 103 are continuous in the left-right direction. The operator can move the long upper mold UT1 from the storage container 103 to the upper mold holder 8 by moving it to the left. Then, the operator can position the long upper mold UT1 at the desired position relative to the upper worktable 7 by sliding it along the holder groove of the upper mold holder 8.

[0142] Thus, according to this embodiment, the storage device moving part 106 includes a pair of guide pins 108a and 108b that are spaced apart in the extending direction of the mold holding groove 104 and inserted into the guide groove 210 formed on the guide table 200 to guide the movement of the storage device 103. The guide groove 210 of the guide table 200 has: longitudinal guide grooves 211a to 211d that extend forward from inside the frame body to outside the frame body; and a transverse guide groove 212 that extends in the left-right direction and connects to the front end of the longitudinal guide grooves 211a to 211d. The pair of guide pins 108a and 108b reach the transverse guide groove 212 from the longitudinal guide grooves 211a to 211d through the connection between the longitudinal guide grooves 211a to 211d and the transverse guide groove 212, thereby causing the storage device 103 to rotate horizontally.

[0143] According to this structure, the storage container 103 can be moved forward and backward and rotated horizontally via the storage container moving part 106. The operator moves the storage container 103, which is housed in the frame body 20 in the forward and backward direction, forward and backward, and changes the posture of the storage container 103 in the left and right direction, thereby allowing the storage container 103 to be positioned on the side of the upper mold holder 8. Since the mold holding groove 104 of the storage container 103 can be arranged in the left and right direction along the holder groove of the upper mold holder 8, the long upper mold UT1 can be arranged side by side on the extension line LA of the holder groove of the upper mold holder 8. Therefore, the long upper mold UT1 held by the storage container 103 can be positioned on the upper mold holder 8 simply by sliding the long upper mold UT1 in the left and right direction.

[0144] In this way, the operator can move the storage container 103 back and forth and rotate it horizontally in a series of actions, thus enabling the long strip upper mold UT1 held by the storage container 103 to be smoothly transferred to the upper mold holder 8. As a result, the work efficiency when installing the long strip upper mold UT1 on the upper mold holder 8 relative to the upper worktable 7 of the bending machine 1 can be improved.

[0145] Furthermore, the storage container 103 of the third embodiment can also hold the short strip upper mold UT2, and is not limited to the long strip upper mold UT1.

[0146] As described above, this embodiment has been presented, but the discussions and drawings that form part of this embodiment should not be construed as limiting this embodiment. Based on this embodiment, those skilled in the art will be able to identify various alternative embodiments, examples, and techniques.

[0147] The disclosures in this application are related to the subject matter described in Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-62509 filed on April 4, 2022, and all of those disclosures are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A mold storage device for storing multiple molds, wherein the molds are used by an operator to change molds relative to a mold holder disposed on the worktable of a bending machine in a left-right direction. The mold storage device is characterized by having: The frame body is positioned to the side of the bending machine in the left-right direction and has an opening on the front side; and A mold holding unit, disposed inside the main frame body, holds the mold. The mold holding unit includes: A storage container, which is provided in a straight line with a mold holding groove for holding the mold; as well as The storage container moving part causes the storage container to move forward and backward in the front-to-back direction and to rotate horizontally. The storage device has a first state and a second state that can be switched manually by the operator. In the first state, the storage container is housed within the frame body with the mold holding groove positioned along the front-to-back direction. In the second state, the storage container moves out of the frame body, and the mold holding groove is arranged in the left-right direction along the holding groove of the mold holder.

2. The mold storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The moving part of the storage container includes: A forward / reverse mechanism, which is freely movable in the front-to-back direction and allows the storage container to move forward and backward through the opening; and The rotating part of the storage device connects the forward and backward mechanism to the storage device, so that the storage device rotates horizontally about the storage device rotation axis along the vertical direction.

3. The mold storage device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The mold holding unit also includes an arm rotating part, which causes the forward and backward mechanism to rotate horizontally about the arm rotation axis along the vertical direction.

4. The mold storage device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The advancing / retreating mechanism includes: The sliding part moves in the front-to-back direction by being guided by a track component fixed to the main body of the frame; The retaining block, which is connected to the sliding part via the rotating part of the arm; and The arm is guided by the retaining block to move forward and backward along the length of the retaining block.

5. The mold storage device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, Multiple mold holding slots are arranged side by side on the storage container.

6. The mold storage device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, On the frame body, a first mold holding unit adjacent to the bending machine and a second mold holding unit adjacent to the first mold holding unit are arranged in a left-right adjacent manner.

7. The mold storage device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The mold held by the second mold holding unit is transferred to the mold holding frame via the mold holding groove of the storage device provided by the first mold holding unit.

8. The mold storage device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, The worktable is the upper worktable of the bending machine. The mold is the upper mold of the upper mold holder installed on the upper worktable.

9. The mold storage device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The mold storage device also includes a mold worktable, which is configured to be pulled out in the front-to-back direction. The die worktable is equipped with multiple lower dies, which are mounted on the lower die holders of the lower worktable of the bending machine, along the front-to-back direction. The locking rod of the bending machine moves into the locking position along the left and right direction and enters the locking groove of the mold worktable, thereby restricting the forward and backward movement of the mold worktable.

10. The mold storage device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The locking lever is positioned between the lower worktable and the mold worktable. The locking lever can be switched to a tilting state in the forward and backward directions by moving from an upright position in the vertical direction to the left and right directions and reaching the locking position.

11. The mold storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The moving part of the storage container includes a pair of guide pins, which are spaced apart and mounted on the storage container in the extending direction of the mold holding groove, and are inserted into guide grooves formed in the guide platform to guide the movement of the storage container. The guide groove of the guide platform has: A longitudinal guide groove extends forward from inside the frame body to outside the frame body; as well as A transverse guide groove extends in the left-right direction and connects to the front end of the longitudinal guide groove. The pair of guide pins extend from the longitudinal guide groove through the connection between the longitudinal guide groove and the transverse guide groove to the transverse guide groove, thereby causing the storage container to rotate horizontally.

12. A bending processing system, characterized in that, have: A bending machine includes a worktable with a die holder arranged in a left-right direction; and A mold storage device that stores multiple molds, which are used by the operator to change molds relative to the mold holder on the worktable. The mold storage device includes: The frame body is positioned to the side of the bending machine in the left-right direction and has an opening on the front side; and A mold holding unit, disposed inside the main frame body, holds the mold. The mold holding unit includes: A storage container, which is linearly provided with a mold holding groove for holding the mold; and The storage container moving part causes the storage container to move forward and backward in the front-to-back direction and to rotate horizontally. The storage device has a first state and a second state that can be switched manually by the operator. In the first state, the storage container is housed within the frame body with the mold holding groove positioned along the front-to-back direction. In the second state, the storage container moves out of the frame body, and the mold holding groove is arranged in the left-right direction along the holding groove of the mold holder.

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