Plate conveying device

Abstract

The present invention is a plate material conveying device that conveys a plate material (M) by sandwiching the plate material (M) between a lower roller (101) and an upper roller (102), the plate material conveying device being configured in such a manner that: a cam follower (201) is moved in accordance with the outer peripheral contour of a circular cam (200); the circular cam (200) is capable of switching between a nip state in which at least one of the upper roller (102) and the lower roller (101) is brought close to the other and a release state in which the one is separated from the other, and the outer peripheral contour of the circular cam (200) has a protrusion (200A) in a region of a rotation angle region of the circular cam during operation. A recess (200B) for accommodating a part of the outer periphery of the cam follower (201) is provided near the apex of the cam follower (201).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an improved technique for a plate-like material conveying device for conveying a plate-like material to a downstream process (a subsequent process), for example, to a plate-like material conveying device for conveying a plate-like material supplied to a press machine. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a technology for supplying a sheet material (blank material in a sheet shape) to a press machine, there is a material conveying device that conveys the sheet material by clamping the sheet material between an upper roller and a lower roller and driving at least one of the upper roller and the lower roller to rotate in this state.

[0003] Here, this material conveying device has a mechanism that enables switching between a clamping state in which the plate is clamped between the upper roller and the lower roller with a predetermined pressing force to apply a conveying force to the plate, and a release state in which the plate-like material is released from the upper roller and the lower roller when the press performs press working.

[0004] In the device of Patent Document 1, a clamping state in which the upper roller elastically applies force to the lower roller and the plate-like material via a link mechanism is switched, and a release state in which the upper roller is separated from the lower roller by a predetermined amount by rotating a circular cam abutting against the link mechanism by a motor so as to follow the outer peripheral shape of the circular cam (see Patent Document 1). Figure 2 ).

[0005] In the device of patent document 2, the rotational motion of the motor is converted into the linear motion of the slider, and the upper roller is moved closer to or away from (advance and retreat) relative to the lower roller using an inclined cam engaged with the slider. Thus, the upper roller is capable of switching between a clamping state and a release state relative to the lower roller and the plate.

[0006] In the device of Patent Document 3, a linear cam is linearly moved in a reciprocating manner by an air cylinder, and a lower roller is vertically moved via a cam follower that moves vertically along the contour of the linear cam, thereby being able to switch between a clamping state and a released state.

[0007] Here, Patent Document 1 is Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-225427, Patent Document 2 is International Publication No. WO2018 / 096903, and Patent Document 3 is Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-106990.

[0008] Here, during recovery and adjustment work when the sheet material is blocked or the sheet material is inclined or meandering, and during maintenance work such as roller cleaning, the rollers need to be released and the power supply of the material conveying device needs to be cut off for safety.

[0009] Therefore, in the device of Patent Document 1, in order to maintain the roller position at the position of the released state, it is necessary to provide an additional means such as a motor brake.

[0010] In the device of Patent Document 2 as well, there is a possibility that the roller may fall due to vibration or impact during operation, and in order to maintain the position of the roller, an additional brake unit or the like is required, similarly to Patent Document 1.

[0011] The device of Patent Document 3 has a structure in which the lower roller is held in the released position even when the power is turned off, but a mechanism for adjusting the position of the upper roller according to the thickness of the plate is separately required, resulting in a complicated structure.

[0012] Furthermore, in order to improve workability during the adjustment work and maintenance work, it is also desirable to open the upper roller and the lower roller to a larger separation amount (opening amount) than in the normal released state.

[0013] In particular, the release device using a circular cam such as Patent Document 1 is a structure that uses the circular cam to move the cam follower side to create a clamping state and a release state, and the clamping force is generated by the pressing force of the circular cam. Therefore, in order to stably transport the plate, it is necessary to accurately measure the plate thickness and reproduce the rotation angle position of the circular cam corresponding to the plate thickness. However, during the maintenance work of the device, if the control origin of the circular cam is lost, the control origin of the circular cam must be reset. For the operator who performs this reset, proficiency is required, and the work itself is complicated and time-consuming. Summary of the invention

[0014] The plate conveying device of the present invention sandwiches the plate by using a lower roller rotatably supported relative to the device body and an upper roller rotatably arranged parallel to the lower roller, and conveys the plate by applying rotational drive to at least one of the lower roller and the upper roller, and is characterized in that:

[0015] The plate conveying device is provided with a clamping / releasing mechanism, wherein the clamping / releasing mechanism is configured to switch between a clamping state in which at least one of the upper roller and the lower roller connected to the cam follower is brought close to the other and a releasing state in which at least one of the upper roller and the lower roller is separated from the other by moving the cam follower according to the outer peripheral contour of the circular cam.

[0016] During operation, the sheet is conveyed in the clamping state, and the sheet is released in the releasing state.

[0017] The outer peripheral contour of the circular cam has a raised portion with increased lift in an area in the following rotation angle area, and has a recessed portion near the apex of the raised portion for accommodating a portion of the outer periphery of the cam follower in contact at least at two points or in contact with a portion of the bottom surface, wherein the rotation angle area is the area from the rotation angle position of the circular cam in the clamping state during operation to the rotation angle position of the circular cam in the released state.

[0018] The present invention may be characterized in that:

[0019] In a cross section of the recessed portion orthogonal to the central axis of the circular cam,

[0020] When the concave portion of the circular cam and a portion of the outer periphery of the cam follower are in contact at two points, namely, the first inlet end and the second inlet end,

[0021] The first inlet end portion and the second inlet end portion are located on opposite sides to each other with respect to a straight line connecting a rotation center of the circular cam and a rotation center of the cam follower.

[0022] The present invention may be characterized in that:

[0023] In a cross section of the recessed portion orthogonal to the central axis of the circular cam,

[0024] When the concave portion of the circular cam accommodates a portion of the outer periphery of the cam follower in surface contact with a portion of the bottom surface of the concave portion,

[0025] The contact surface extends to both sides across a straight line connecting the rotation center of the circular cam and the rotation center of the cam follower.

[0026] The present invention may be characterized in that:

[0027] When the concave portion of the circular cam and a portion of the outer periphery of the cam follower are in contact at two points, namely, the first inlet end and the second inlet end,

[0028] During maintenance, the rotation of the circular cam is suppressed by causing the dead weight of the swing frame connected to the cam follower to act on these two points.

[0029] The present invention may be characterized in that:

[0030] When the concave portion of the circular cam accommodates a portion of the outer periphery of the cam follower in surface contact with a portion of the bottom surface of the concave portion,

[0031] During maintenance, the rotation of the circular cam is suppressed by causing the weight of the swing frame connected to the cam follower to act on the surface contact portion.

[0032] The present invention may be characterized in that:

[0033] The lift amount of the cam follower in a state where the recessed portion of the circular cam accommodates a portion of the outer periphery of the cam follower in contact at least at two points or in surface contact with a portion of the bottom surface is greater than the lift amount of the cam follower in the released state. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] exist Figure 1 In the drawings, (A) is a front view showing a configuration example of a plate conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and (B) is a view taken along the arrow AA of (A).

[0035] exist Figure 2 In the figure, (A) is a right side view of the plate conveying device in a clamped state, (B) is a right side view of the plate conveying device in a released state, (C) is a right side view of the plate conveying device in a maintenance state, (D) is an enlarged view of the circular cam and the cam follower in a clamped state, (E) is an enlarged view of the circular cam and the cam follower in a released state, and (F) is an enlarged view of the circular cam and the cam follower in a maintenance state.

[0036] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the outer peripheral profile (cross-sectional shape) of the circular cam according to the above embodiment, with the horizontal axis representing the rotation angle position and the vertical axis representing the lift amount.

[0037] exist Figure 4 Among them, (A) is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an example of a state in which a part of the outer periphery of the cam follower is accommodated in the recessed portion of the above-mentioned circular cam (a state supported at two contact points), and (B) is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing another example of a state in which a part of the outer periphery of the cam follower is accommodated in the recessed portion of the above-mentioned circular cam (a state supported by a surface).

[0038] Figure 5 This is a diagram for explaining the difficulty of rotating the circular cam in a state where a part of the outer periphery of the cam follower abuts against and is supported by the concave portion of the circular cam at two contact points P1 and P2.

[0039] exist Figure 6Among them, (A) is a figure showing the situation in the clamping state near the contact portion of the above-mentioned circular cam and the cam follower, (B) is a figure showing the situation in the release state near the contact portion of the above-mentioned circular cam and the cam follower, and (C) is a figure showing the situation in the maintenance state near the contact portion of the above-mentioned circular cam and the cam follower. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] Hereinafter, a sheet material conveying device (transporting device) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. In addition, the sheet material can also be referred to as a sheet material, a workpiece, a plate material, or the like.

[0041] The sheet material conveying device 100 of the present embodiment is a device for conveying a sheet material to a press machine or the like, and can be arranged on at least one of the upstream side and the downstream side of the press machine.

[0042] Here, the plate material may be any plate-shaped material, and may be a long plate material wound into a roll or a sheet-shaped plate material.

[0043] The present invention has been completed in view of the various facts mentioned above, and its purpose is to provide an easy-to-use plate conveying device that can maintain a relatively simple and low-cost structure while easily adjusting the clamping state and the release state according to the thickness of the plate, and can smoothly create a maintenance state with a sufficient opening amount and can safely maintain this state, and does not require the setting of the positional relationship between the circular cam and the cam follower side after maintenance work.

[0044] like Figure 1 (A) Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1B , the sheet conveying device 100 of the present embodiment includes a lower roller 101 and an upper roller 102 disposed in parallel with the lower roller 101 with a predetermined gap therebetween. The sheet M is supplied to the predetermined gap between the lower roller 101 and the upper roller 102 .

[0045] One end side of the lower roller rotating shaft 101A of the lower roller 101 is rotatably connected to the output shaft 110A of the lower roller driving motor 110 via a lower friction fastener 101B or the like. This connection can also be achieved by spline coupling or the like.

[0046] A lower outer peripheral gear (lower gear) 111 is substantially integrally mounted on the output shaft 110A. An intermediate outer peripheral gear (intermediate gear) 112 is meshed with the upper side of the lower outer peripheral gear 111.

[0047] The rotating shaft 112A of the intermediate outer peripheral gear 112 is rotatably connected to the intermediate rotating element 102C via the Oldham coupling 112B. The intermediate rotating element 102C is rotatably connected to the upper roller rotating shaft 102A of the upper roller 102 via the upper friction fastener 102B or the like. This connection can also be achieved by spline connection or the like.

[0048] The lower friction fastener 101B and the upper friction fastener 102B are mechanical elements that coaxially fasten and connect two rotating shafts by a wedge method utilizing a wedge action by screwing in bolts or the like, or by a hydraulic method utilizing Pascal's principle.

[0049] The lower roller 101, the lower roller rotating shaft 101A, the output shaft 110A, and the lower outer peripheral gear 111 are rotatably supported by the device main frame 100A (housing, etc.) via bearings 120A, 120B, and 120C. The lower roller drive motor 110 is substantially integrally mounted on the device main frame 100A.

[0050] The upper roller 102, the upper roller rotating shaft 102A, and the intermediate rotating element 102C are rotatably supported by the swing frame 100B via bearings 120D and 120E. Meanwhile, the rotating shaft 112A of the intermediate outer peripheral gear 112 is rotatably supported by the device main body frame 100A via bearings 120F.

[0051] The lower outer peripheral gear 111 and the middle outer peripheral gear 112 are gears with the same module and the same number of teeth. The swing frame 100B is supported to swing freely around the swing axis 144 relative to the device main body frame 100A, and is configured to be able to be clamped and released via the clamping / releasing mechanism 140. Figure 1 In (B), it swings in the clamping direction C and the releasing direction R.

[0052] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the intermediate outer peripheral gear 112 is meshed with the upper outer peripheral gear (upper gear) 113, and the rotating shaft 113A of the upper outer peripheral gear 113 is integrally formed with the output shaft 130A of the upper roller drive motor 130. The rotating shaft 113A of the upper outer peripheral gear 113 is supported rotatably relative to the device main body frame 100A via bearings 120G and 120H. The upper roller drive motor 130 is substantially integrally mounted relative to the device main body frame 100A and is mounted on the same side as the lower roller drive motor 110 relative to the lower roller 101 and the upper roller 102.

[0053] The clamping / releasing mechanism 140 includes a clamping / releasing motor 141 substantially integrally supported by the device main body frame 100A. A circular cam 200, which is one of the components of the rotation / swing motion conversion mechanism 142, is coaxially mounted on a rotation output shaft 141A of the clamping / releasing motor 141. Therefore, the circular cam 200 rotates around the rotation center X of the rotation output shaft 141A.

[0054] A cam follower 201 as one of the components of the rotation / swing motion conversion mechanism 142 is disposed on the outer periphery of the circular cam 200, and the cam follower 201 is rotatably supported around the support shaft 100C of the swing frame 100B. Therefore, the circular cam 200 rotates around the rotation center Y which is the center of the support shaft 100C.

[0055] That is, the cam follower 201 is connected to the swing frame 100B and the upper roller 102 , and they are configured to be able to swing integrally around the swing shaft 144 .

[0056] The outer peripheral contour of the circular cam 200 is formed as follows, for example. Figure 3 In addition, Figure 3 The horizontal axis is the rotation angle position, and the vertical axis is the lift amount. Figure 2 The cross-sectional shapes of the circular cam 200 are shown in (D) to (F).

[0057] The clamping / releasing mechanism 140 includes a gas spring device 143 as an example of an actuator, whereby a predetermined pressing force is applied about a swing shaft 144 to move the swing frame 100B and the upper roller 102 downward (in the clamping direction C).

[0058] Therefore, when the rotation output shaft 141A of the clamping / releasing motor 141 is rotated in a predetermined direction so that the circular cam 200 is in the clamping position CP ( Figure 3 The horizontal axis is near 0°, then Figure 2 (A) Figure 2 As shown in (D), the contact between the circular cam 200 and the cam follower 201 is released, and the gas spring device 143 applies a predetermined pressing force in the clamping direction C to the swing frame 100B and then to the upper roller 102 around the swing shaft 144, thereby forming a clamping state in which the plate M is clamped between the lower roller 101 and the upper roller 102 with a predetermined pressing force.

[0059] In this clamped state, if the lower roller drive motor 110 and the upper roller drive motor 130 are driven to rotate, the lower roller 101 and the upper roller 102 rotate to move in a predetermined conveying direction F (see Figure 1 (B) Figure 2 (A), etc.) to deliver the plate M.

[0060] However, the following state may be used as the clamping state: the circular cam 200 is set to the clamping position CP, the outer periphery of the circular cam 200 is brought into contact with the cam follower 201 , and a pressing force is applied to the sheet M sandwiched between the lower roller 101 and the upper roller 102 .

[0061] Furthermore, when the fed sheet M is processed by a press machine or the like in a downstream process, it is necessary to put the sheet M into a released state from the lower roller 101 and the upper roller 102 .

[0062] Therefore, the rotation output shaft 141A of the clamping / releasing motor 141 is rotated, and the contact position between the circular cam 200 and the cam follower 201 is brought into the release position RP ( Figure 3 The upper roller 102 is moved to a position near 270° of the horizontal axis of the gas spring device 143. As a result, the predetermined pressing force of the gas spring device 143 is overcome, and the swing frame 100B and the upper roller 102 swing (rotate) in the upward direction (release direction R) around the swing axis 144, so that the lower roller 101 and the upper roller 102 are separated (opened) by a predetermined amount, and the plate M is released (refer to the release state). Figure 2 (B) Figure 2 (E)).

[0063] also, Figure 3 The position of the clamping position CP and the position of the release position RP shown can be appropriately changed according to the thickness (thickness) of the plate M clamped between the lower roller 101 and the upper roller 102, the required separation amount (opening amount), or according to the pressing force of pressing the lower roller 101 and the upper roller 102 against the plate M.

[0064] In addition, in the production of the press working production line, the clamping / releasing motor 141 is controlled in the following manner: Figure 2 (D) Figure 3 As shown, by making the circular cam 200 rotate back and forth (swing, forward and reverse) between the rotation angle position of 0° (clamping position) and 270° (release position), the clamping state and the release state are switched, and the conveyance and pressure processing of the plate M are repeated in sequence.

[0065] In this way, in the plate conveying device 100 of this embodiment which can switch (alternately create) the clamping state and the released state by using the clamping / releasing mechanism 140, the clamping state can be formed by using the clamping / releasing mechanism 140, and the lower roller drive motor 110 and the upper roller drive motor 130 are driven to rotate, so that the lower roller 101 and the upper roller 102 are rotated to convey (transport) the plate M in a predetermined conveying direction F, and the release state can be formed by using the clamping / releasing mechanism 140, so that the lower roller 101 and the upper roller 102 are separated (opened) by a predetermined amount to release the plate M, so that during press processing, etc., no excess force from the plate conveying device 100 is applied to the plate M, which can help to achieve good press processing.

[0066] In this embodiment, the position of the upper roller 102 in the vertical direction is adjusted by using the clamping / release mechanism 140 to move the swing frame 100B relative to the device main body frame 100A in the vertical direction. In this case, the offset (eccentricity) between the "upper roller rotating shaft 102A (intermediate rotating element 102C) of the upper roller 102" and the "rotating shaft 112A of the intermediate outer peripheral gear 112" generated when the upper roller 102 is moved relative to the lower roller 101 can be absorbed by the cross head coupling 112B.

[0067] Here, in the plate conveying device 100 of the present embodiment, it is constructed as follows: it is possible to achieve a maintenance state in which the separation amount (opening amount) between the upper roller 102 and the lower roller 101 is larger than that in the released state in the clamping state and the released state during the operation (during production) of the press working production line, in order to improve the operability during the adjustment and maintenance operations.

[0068] Specifically, if Figure 3 As shown, the outer peripheral contour of the circular cam 200 is formed with a raised portion 200A having a recessed portion 200B near the apex and gradually rising to a relatively large lift amount in a rotation angle range (e.g., 270° to 328°) which is an area of ​​the rotation angle range during operation (production) (e.g., 0° to 270°) used for switching between a clamping state and a released state during operation (production) of a press working production line.

[0069] Furthermore, during the above adjustment and maintenance work, in the sheet conveying device 100 of the present embodiment, the rotation output shaft 141A of the clamping / releasing motor 141 of the clamping / releasing mechanism 140 is moved in the positive direction ( Figure 3The cam follower 201 is lifted by the raised portion 200A of the outer peripheral contour of the circular cam 200, thereby causing the swing frame 100B and the upper roller 102 to swing (rotate) in the upward direction (release direction R) around the swing shaft 144, achieving a large lifting amount and thus a large separation amount (opening amount) between the upper roller 102 and the lower roller 101. At the same time, when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the rotation center of the circular cam 200, a portion of the outer periphery of the cam follower 201 is accommodated in the recessed portion 200B ( Figure 3 of the cam follower 201).

[0070] This state is the maintenance state of the present invention.

[0071] As an example of the form of such containment, Figure 4 As shown in (A) of FIG. 2 , it is assumed that the curvature R2 of the convex shape of the outer periphery of the cam follower 201 is larger than the curvature R1 of the concave shape (bottom surface 200C) of the concave portion 200B of the circular cam 200 . Figure 4 (A) shows a cross section when the contact portion between the entrance of the recessed portion 200B of the circular cam 200 and the outer periphery of the cam follower 201 is cut along a plane perpendicular to the rotation center axis of the circular cam 200 .

[0072] exist Figure 5 , when the curvature R2 of the convex shape of the outer periphery of the cam follower 201 is larger than the curvature R1 of the concave shape (bottom surface 200C) of the concave portion 200B of the circular cam 200, the following effects occur.

[0073] like Figure 5 As shown, when the curvature R2 of the convex shape of the outer periphery of the cam follower 201 is larger than the curvature R1 of the concave shape of the recess 200B of the circular cam 200, the recess 200B and the cam follower 201 will abut at two points, namely, the first contact point (the end of the first recess entrance) P1 and the second contact point (the end of the second recess entrance) P2.

[0074] At this time, since it is a maintenance operation, the gas spring device 143 is stopped and no force is generated to swing the swing frame 100B around the swing axis 144 in the clamping direction C. However, due to its own weight, a force acts on the swing frame 100B to move in the clamping direction C around the swing axis 144.

[0075] Therefore, a force (acting force) to return to the original position (the position in the clamped state) also acts on the cam follower 201 rotatably supported on the swing frame 100B, so a predetermined pressing force from the cam follower 201 acts on the first contact point P1 and the second contact point P2.

[0076] And, if Figure 5 As shown, as components of the force acting on the first contact point P1 and the second contact point P2, components a and b of the force acting inward are generated on both sides. Therefore, no matter in which direction the circular cam 200 is to rotate due to certain factors such as interference, the cam follower 201 acts in a manner to suppress its rotation, and there is an area that becomes an obstacle to the rotational movement of the circular cam 200.

[0077] Therefore, according to the present embodiment, even when the power is turned off during adjustment work or maintenance work, and even if a special brake unit is not provided, the cam follower 201 can be prevented from falling off from the recess 200B of the circular cam 200, causing the circular cam 200 to rotate accidentally, the upper roller 102 to fall accidentally to the lower roller 101 side, etc., and the maintenance state in which the upper roller 102 and the lower roller 101 are widely opened can be safely maintained.

[0078] That is, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide a plate conveying device 100 that can smoothly create a maintenance state having a sufficient opening amount while maintaining a relatively simple and low-cost structure, and can safely maintain this state.

[0079] In addition, if Figure 5 As shown, in order to effectively exert the above-mentioned effect, it is preferred that, in a cross section, when the recess 200B of the circular cam 200 and a part of the outer periphery of the cam follower 201 are in contact at two points, namely, the first contact point (the first recess entrance end) P1 and the second contact point (the second recess entrance end) P2 of the recess 200B, the first contact point (the first recess entrance end) P1 and the second contact point (the second recess entrance end) P2 are located on opposite sides relative to a straight line Z connecting a rotation center X of the circular cam 200 and a rotation center Y of the cam follower 201.

[0080] However, the concave shape (cross-sectional shape) of the concave portion 200B of the circular cam 200 is not limited to the concave shape (cross-sectional shape) of the concave portion 200B of the circular cam 200. Figure 4 (A) Figure 5 In the case where the bottom surface 200C of the recessed portion 200B is formed with a single curvature as shown in FIG. 200B, the bottom surface 200C may be formed with a shape combining a plurality of curvatures, or may be formed with a groove shape without curvature, i.e., groove GV1 (see FIG. 200B ). Figure 4 (A)) etc. In addition, the cross-sectional shape of the groove GV1 is not particularly limited.

[0081] That is, between the first contact point (the end of the first recess entrance) P1 and the second contact point (the end of the second recess entrance) P2, the shape of the bottom surface 200C is not particularly limited as long as the bottom surface 200C of the recess 200B and the cam follower 201 do not abut against each other to disconnect the contact between the first contact point (the end of the first recess entrance) P1 and the second contact point (the end of the second recess entrance) P2 (a shape that causes one side to separate).

[0082] That is, the cross-sectional shape (concave shape) of the concave portion 200B of the circular cam 200 is within the scope of the present invention as long as it accommodates a portion of the outer periphery of the cam follower 201 so as to contact at least two points.

[0083] Next, regarding another example of the form of the above-mentioned accommodation, Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 2(B) , it is assumed that the curvature R1 of the concave shape (bottom surface 200C) of the concave portion 200B of the circular cam 200 and the curvature R2 of the convex shape of the outer periphery of the cam follower 201 are the same.

[0084] In this case, on the concave shape (bottom surface 200C) of the concave portion 200B, instead of Figure 5 Although a distributed load acts on the force components a and b (concentrated load) shown in the figure, in this case, a force component is generated toward the inside. Therefore, even if the circular cam 200 rotates in a certain direction due to some reasons, the cam follower 201 acts in a manner to suppress its rotation, and there is an area that becomes an obstacle to the rotational movement of the circular cam 200.

[0085] Therefore, in Figure 4 In the form shown in (B), even if the power is disconnected during the adjustment operation or maintenance operation, the maintenance state in which the upper roller 102 and the lower roller 101 are widely opened can be safely maintained even without providing a special brake unit.

[0086] That is, through Figure 4 The form shown in (B) can also provide a plate conveying device 100 that can smoothly create a maintenance state with a sufficient opening amount while maintaining a relatively simple and low-cost structure, and can safely maintain this state.

[0087] In addition, Figure 5 Similarly to the example shown in the figure, in order to effectively exert the above-mentioned effect, it is preferred that, in the cross section, the contact surface (contact arc) between the concave portion 200B of the circular cam 200 and a portion of the outer periphery of the cam follower 210 extends to both sides with the straight line Z connecting the rotation center X of the circular cam 200 and the rotation center Y of the cam follower 201 sandwiched therebetween ( Figure 4(B)).

[0088] However, in Figure 4 In the form shown in (B), the contact arc ARC does not need to be Figure 4 The plane of (B) is continuous from end to end, and can also be formed as a rib-shaped groove GV2 between the ends of the contact arc ARC (refer to Figure 4 (B)) etc. and a shape without a part of the entity. In addition, the cross-sectional shape, number, etc. of the rib-like groove GV2 are not particularly limited.

[0089] That is, the cross-sectional shape (concave shape) of the recess 200B of the circular cam 200 of the present embodiment is within the scope of the present invention as long as it accommodates a portion of the outer periphery of the cam follower 201 in surface contact with a portion of the bottom surface 200C of the recess 200B.

[0090] To summarize, the cross-sectional shape (concave shape) of the concave portion 200B of the circular cam 200 of the present embodiment can be any shape (concave shape) as long as it accommodates a portion of the outer periphery of the cam follower 201 in contact at least at two points. Figure 4 (A)) or a shape that is received in a manner that contacts a portion of the bottom surface 200C of the recessed portion 200B ( Figure 4 The form of (B)) can be regarded as the scope of the present invention.

[0091] The clamping state, the releasing state, and the maintenance state of the circular cam 200 and the cam follower 201 in the clamping / releasing mechanism 140 of the present embodiment are shown in FIG. Figure 6 (A)~ Figure 6 (C) shows an enlarged view.

[0092] The circular cam 200 is coaxially mounted on the rotation output shaft 141A (rotation center X) of the clamping / releasing motor 141, and the cam follower 201 is rotatably supported on the support shaft 100C via a bearing, etc. The support shaft 100C is supported substantially integrally with the swing frame 100B (rotation center Y).

[0093] Figure 6 The state (A) shows the clamping state of this embodiment.

[0094] In this state, the circular cam 200 and the cam follower 201 have a predetermined gap g and are substantially parallel to each other. In this embodiment, by having the predetermined gap g, the gas spring device 143 can apply a predetermined pressing force in the clamping direction C to the swing frame 100B and then to the upper roller 102, and the plate M is clamped between the lower roller 101 and the upper roller 102 by the predetermined pressing force. Figure 3 The outer peripheral profile of the circular cam 200 is set by setting a predetermined gap g near the CP (refer to Figure 2 (D) Figure 3 ).

[0095] Figure 6 The state of (B) shows the released state of this embodiment.

[0096] In this state, the circular cam 200 contacts the cam follower 201 and presses the cam follower 201, overcoming the predetermined pressing force of the gas spring device 143 to lift the swing frame 100B and the upper roller 102 in the release direction R, thereby releasing the plate M from the pressing force of the lower roller 101 and the upper roller 102. Figure 3 The outer peripheral profile of the circular cam 200 is set in such a way that the separation amount (opening amount) between the lower roller 101 and the upper roller 102 near the RP becomes larger than the plate thickness of the plate M (refer to Figure 2 (E), Figure 3 ).

[0097] In addition, in this embodiment, the clamping position ( Figure 3 The rotation angle position of the CP), the release position ( Figure 3 The rotation angle position of RP) can be easily changed (adjusted) according to the thickness of the plate M, etc., and it can be easily changed (adjusted) by changing the rotation angle position of the circular cam 200 to change the lifting amount of the cam follower 201.

[0098] Figure 6 The state (C) shows the maintenance state of this embodiment.

[0099] In this state, the circular cam 200 uses the raised portion 200A with a large lift amount to move the cam follower 201 from Figure 6 The state (B) of the circular cam 200 is further improved, and the outer peripheral profile of the circular cam 200 is set in a manner such that a part of the outer periphery of the cam follower 201 is accommodated in the concave portion 200B formed near the apex of the protrusion 200A (see Figure 2 (F) Figure 3 , Figure 4 (A) Figure 4 (B), etc.).

[0100] At this time, the cam follower 201 and the swing frame 100B swing a predetermined amount around the swing shaft 144 and maintain (hold) this position (a state in which the separation amount (opening amount) between the lower roller 101 and the upper roller 102 is increased) in such a manner that the rotating output shaft 141A (rotation center X) of the circular cam 200 and the supporting shaft 100C (rotation center Y) of the cam follower 201 are not parallel but intersected at a predetermined inclination angle θ.

[0101] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, since the rotation output shaft 141A (rotation center X) of the circular cam 200 and the support shaft 100C (rotation center Y) of the cam follower 201 are in a state of intersecting at a predetermined inclination angle θ, if the outer peripheral surface 201A of the cam follower 201 is a plane parallel to the support shaft 100C, the contact state with the outer peripheral surface 200D of the circular cam 200 may cause obstacles such as edge contact. Therefore, if Figure 6 As shown in (C), the outer peripheral surface 201A of the cam follower 201 is formed into a spherical shape (barrel shape, arc cross-section shape). This can suppress wear of the outer peripheral surface 200D of the circular cam 200 and maintain the outer peripheral profile of the circular cam well for a long time.

[0102] As described above, according to the plate conveying device 100 of this embodiment, by accommodating the relative cam follower 201 in the recess 200B provided in the circular cam 200, the position of the upper roller 102 can be mechanically maintained even if the power source is cut off, thereby safely performing maintenance operations such as material blockage, adjustment operations during snaking, and roller cleaning.

[0103] In addition, since the state in which the cam follower 201 is accommodated in the recess 200B provided in the circular cam 200 can be made the mechanical origin for the release operation, the setting position becomes clear, and even if resetting is required due to electrical failure, replacement of the motor, etc., it can be easily set.

[0104] That is, when a circular cam of a shape like that of the prior art is used, the cam surface becomes a smooth curve that is always in contact with the cam follower at one point. Therefore, when setting the servo origin of the cam shaft, which is required due to an electrical failure or a motor replacement, it is necessary to align the phase of the circular cam by aligning the position of a mark or the like. In this case, it is difficult to align the position of the cam precisely, but this problem can be solved according to the present embodiment.

[0105] As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide an easy-to-use plate conveying device that can easily adjust the clamping state and the release state according to the thickness of the plate while maintaining a relatively simple and low-cost structure, can smoothly create a maintenance state with a sufficient opening amount, can safely maintain this state, and does not require the setting of the positional relationship between the circular cam and the cam follower side after maintenance work.

[0106] In addition, in the present embodiment, a configuration example is described based on the presence of a lower roller 101 and an upper roller 102, the lower roller 101 being driven to rotate by a lower roller driving motor 110, the upper roller 102 being driven to rotate by an upper roller driving motor 130, and the plate M being fed out. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a configuration can be formed in which only one of the lower roller 101 and the upper roller 102 is driven to rotate.

[0107] In addition, in the present embodiment, a case is described as an example in which a clamping state, a release state, and a maintenance state relative to the plate M are created by having a lower roller 101 and an upper roller 102, and by making the upper roller 102 side approach or leave (engage and separate) relative to the lower roller 101 via a circular cam and a cam follower. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be formed into a structure in which either the lower roller 101 or the upper roller 102 approaches or leaves (engages and separates) relative to the other.

[0108] In addition, in this embodiment, the gas spring device 143 is described as an example of a device for applying a pressing force to the upper roller 102, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various other actuators can be used.

[0109] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a sheet conveying device that is easy to use and can easily adjust the clamping state and the release state according to the thickness of the sheet while maintaining a relatively simple and low-cost structure, can smoothly create a maintenance state with a sufficient opening amount, can safely maintain this state, and does not require the setting of the positional relationship between the circular cam and the cam follower side after maintenance work.

[0110] The embodiments of the present invention described above are merely examples for explaining the present invention, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Claims

1. A plate conveying device, wherein a plate is sandwiched by a lower roller rotatably supported relative to a device body and an upper roller rotatably arranged in parallel with the lower roller, and the plate is conveyed by applying a rotational drive to at least one of the lower roller and the upper roller, characterized in that: The plate conveying device is provided with a clamping / releasing mechanism, wherein the clamping / releasing mechanism is configured to switch between a clamping state in which at least one of the upper roller and the lower roller connected to the cam follower is brought close to the other and a releasing state in which at least one of the upper roller and the lower roller is separated from the other by moving the cam follower according to the outer peripheral contour of the circular cam. During operation, the sheet is conveyed in the clamping state, and the sheet is released in the releasing state. The outer peripheral contour of the circular cam has a raised portion with increased lift in an area in the following rotation angle area, and has a recessed portion near the apex of the raised portion for accommodating a portion of the outer periphery of the cam follower in contact at least at two points or in contact with a portion of the bottom surface, wherein the rotation angle area is the area from the rotation angle position of the circular cam in the clamping state during operation to the rotation angle position of the circular cam in the released state.

2. The plate conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: In a cross section of the recessed portion orthogonal to the central axis of the circular cam, When the concave portion of the circular cam and a portion of the outer periphery of the cam follower are in contact at two points, namely, the first inlet end and the second inlet end, The first inlet end portion and the second inlet end portion are located on opposite sides to each other with respect to a straight line connecting a rotation center of the circular cam and a rotation center of the cam follower.

3. The plate conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: In a cross section of the recessed portion orthogonal to the central axis of the circular cam, When the concave portion of the circular cam accommodates a portion of the outer periphery of the cam follower in surface contact with a portion of the bottom surface of the concave portion, The contact surface extends to both sides across a straight line connecting the rotation center of the circular cam and the rotation center of the cam follower.

4. The plate conveying device according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the concave portion of the circular cam and a portion of the outer periphery of the cam follower are in contact at two points, namely, the first inlet end and the second inlet end, During maintenance, the rotation of the circular cam is suppressed by causing the dead weight of the swing frame connected to the cam follower to act on these two points.

5. The plate conveying device according to claim 3, characterized in that: When the concave portion of the circular cam accommodates a portion of the outer periphery of the cam follower in surface contact with a portion of the bottom surface of the concave portion, During maintenance, the rotation of the circular cam is suppressed by causing the weight of the swing frame connected to the cam follower to act on the surface contact portion.

6. The plate conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The lift amount of the cam follower in a state where the recessed portion of the circular cam accommodates a portion of the outer periphery of the cam follower in contact at least at two points or in surface contact with a portion of the bottom surface is greater than the lift amount of the cam follower in the released state.

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