de-energized brake

Abstract

The application discloses a de-energizing brake, which comprises a coil formed by winding a current-carrying wire on a bobbin; a movable supported armature along the axial direction of the coil; a yoke accommodating the coil and generating an attractive force on the armature in the energized state of the coil; a rotor movably supported and connected with an external rotating shaft, and abutting against the armature in the de-energized state of the coil; a force applying assembly applying a braking force on the armature towards the rotor side, wherein a diaphragm spring is arranged between the yoke and the armature, and the diaphragm spring comprises a ring part in a circular ring shape, and a plurality of claw parts extending radially at a predetermined angle from the ring part and arranged side by side in the circumferential direction through a gap.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of brake technology, and more particularly to a non-excitation actuating brake. Background Technology

[0002] Braking devices are used in the power transmission mechanisms of various industrial equipment to brake or hold rotating parts. For example, robots and agricultural machinery are equipped with such braking devices, which are equipped with a mechanism that generates electromagnetic attraction through coils, and brake or hold the parts when the coils are de-energized, which is called "de-energized braking".

[0003] As the equipment mounted on this braking device gradually becomes smaller, the demand for smaller diameter and thinner profiles of non-excited brakes is increasing. However, in traditional non-excited brakes, such as the non-excited operated brake disclosed in patent document (JP2001-065606A), a coil spring is usually used as a preload component to generate braking force or holding force (friction). Due to factors such as ensuring the installation space of the coil spring, it is difficult to achieve smaller diameter and thinner profiles. Furthermore, simply miniaturizing and thinning the device would reduce the attraction force of the electromagnet in the non-excited operated brake.

[0004] Furthermore, when using helical springs as preload components, the supporting force of the helical springs may vary slightly depending on their circumferential position due to end treatments performed at the beginning and end of winding, such as cutting to form a contact surface or changing the pitch through bending. If multiple helical springs are used, the force may also be affected by individual variations. This can lead to the problem that the unexcited brake cannot generate the necessary braking or holding force. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to propose a non-excitation actuation brake, which aims to solve the problem in the prior art that, in the process of miniaturizing non-excitation brakes, the necessary braking force or holding force cannot be generated.

[0006] To achieve one, some, or all of the above objectives, or other objectives, the present invention provides a non-excitation actuating brake, which includes: A coil is formed by winding a current-carrying wire onto a winding tube; An armature is movably supported along the axial direction of the coil; A yoke that houses the coil and exerts an attractive force on the armature when the coil is energized; A rotor that is movably supported and connected to an external rotating shaft, and abuts against the armature in the unexcited state of the coil; The diaphragm spring, which is disposed between the yoke and the armature and applies a braking force toward the rotor side to the armature, includes an annular ring portion and a plurality of claw portions extending radially from the ring portion at a predetermined angle and arranged circumferentially side by side through a gap.

[0007] As an optional embodiment of the non-excitation actuating brake of the present invention, the diaphragm spring is configured such that the claw portion extends toward the center of the ring portion.

[0008] As an optional embodiment of the non-excitation actuating brake of the present invention, the diaphragm spring is configured such that the claw portion extends in a direction away from the center of the ring portion.

[0009] As an optional embodiment of the non-excitation actuating brake of the present invention, the yoke is provided with stepped portions of different axial dimensions, and the diaphragm spring is fitted with the ring portion in the shorter axial portion of the stepped portion and fixed to the stepped portion.

[0010] As an optional embodiment of the non-excitation actuating brake of the present invention, the diaphragm spring is configured such that the ring portion is riveted and fixed to the stepped portion.

[0011] As an optional embodiment of the non-excitation actuated brake of the present invention, the diaphragm spring is configured such that the ring portion is welded and fixed to the stepped portion.

[0012] As an optional embodiment of the non-excitation actuating brake of the present invention, the diaphragm spring is fixed to the step portion by bolts or rivets with the ring portion fitted into the step portion.

[0013] The embodiments of the present invention have the following beneficial effects: The present invention proposes a non-excitation actuation brake that utilizes a yoke to house a coil formed by winding an energized wire around a winding tube, and generates an attractive force on the armature in an energized state.

[0014] The armature, combined with the ring and claw portions in the force-applying assembly, applies braking force to the armature, causing the rotor to abut against the armature. This design effectively utilizes internal space to achieve a thinner profile while ensuring the generation of the necessary braking or holding force. Consequently, while obtaining the braking or holding force required for the non-excitation brake, it facilitates miniaturization and thinning to a smaller size. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] in: Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of an unexcited brake in one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 Exploded 3D diagram; Figure 3 for Figure 1 A sectional view; Figure 4 for Figure 3 Enlarged view of the middle IV section; Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of an unexcited brake in another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 for Figure 5 Exploded 3D diagram; Figure 7 for Figure 5 A sectional view; Figure 8 for Figure 7 Enlarged view of section VIII.

[0017] The image is labeled with: 1. Non-excitation brake; 1a. Central shaft hole; 11. Screw; 13. Snap ring; 15. Bolt; 2. Yoke; 2a. Inner cylinder; 2b. Outer cylinder; 2c. Bottom part; 2d. Receiving part; 2e. Stepped part; 2f. Longer axial dimension part of the stepped part; 2g. Shorter axial dimension part of the stepped part; 4. Force application component; 4A. Ring part; 4a. Plate surface of the ring part; 4B. Claw part; 4C. Gap; 5. Coil; 5A. Winding tube; 5B. Current-carrying wire; 6. Armature; 6a. Notch; 7. Rotor; 7A. Base plate; 7B. Liner; 7a. Through hole of the plate; 9. Housing. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0019] The non-excitation actuation brake 1 involved in this invention is the main body of a braking device assembled in industrial machinery such as robots and office equipment; it is used to generate electromagnetic attraction and maintain braking force in a non-excitation state. The non-excitation actuation brake 1 is provided with a central shaft hole 1a.

[0020] Reference Figures 1 to 8 The first embodiment of the present invention provides a non-excitation actuating brake 1, which includes: A coil 5 is formed by winding a current-carrying conductor 5B onto a winding tube 5A; an armature 6 is movably supported along the axial direction of the coil 5 (parallel to the central axis C of the winding tube 5A); a yoke 2 houses the coil 5 and exerts an attractive force on the armature 6 when the coil 5 is energized (the current-carrying conductor 5B is energized); a rotor 7 is rotatably supported and connected to an external rotating shaft (not shown), and abuts against the armature 6 when the coil 5 is de-energized (the current-carrying conductor 5B is de-energized); a force-applying assembly 4 applies a braking force toward the rotor 7 to the armature 6, the force-applying assembly having a diaphragm spring between the yoke 2 and the armature 6; furthermore, the de-energized brake 1 also includes a housing 9 that houses and seals the aforementioned components between the yoke 2. In this embodiment, when the coil 5 is de-energized, the rotor 7 (the liner 7B described later) also abuts against the housing 9.

[0021] Next, each component will be described in detail. First, the yoke 2 is a cup-shaped structure with an opening at one end (the side that joins the housing 9). The yoke 2 includes a double-cylinder structure of an inner cylinder 2a and an outer cylinder 2b. The other end of the yoke 2 has a bottom portion 2c that connects the inner cylinder 2a and the outer cylinder 2b. The cross-sectional (half-section) shape of the yoke 2 is U-shaped. The annular space between the inner cylinder 2a and the outer cylinder 2b becomes a housing portion 2d for housing the coil 5, etc. Through this structure, when the annular coil 5 housed in the housing portion 2d is energized (i.e., when the current-carrying wire 5B is energized), the yoke 2 becomes magnetic and attracts the armature 6. In some embodiments, the yoke 2 is formed of a magnetic metal material such as S10C. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the inner cylinder 2a, the outer cylinder 2b, and the bottom portion 2c are integrally formed. In some other embodiments, the inner cylinder 2a, the outer cylinder 2b, and the bottom portion 2c are separately formed and then connected (not shown).

[0022] In addition, the yoke 2 is provided with stepped portions 2e with different axial dimensions (i.e., the stepped portion 2e is divided into a longer axial portion 2f and a shorter axial portion 2g). The force-applying component 4 is fixed to the stepped portion 2e.

[0023] Next, the coil 5 is a structure formed by winding a current-carrying wire 5B around a winding tube 5A. Specifically, the winding tube 5A is formed of an electrically insulating resin material, and its cross-section (half-section) is U-shaped with ear-like portions extending radially from both ends of the cylindrical portion. A current-carrying wire 5B made of a conductive metallic material such as copper is wound around the outer circumference of the cylindrical portion of the winding tube 5A, thereby forming the coil 5. Through this structure, when the coil 5 is in an energized state (the current-carrying wire 5B is energized), a magnetic force is generated, and the surrounding yoke 2 acts as an electromagnet, thereby attracting the armature 6. As a result, the armature 6 moves towards the yoke 2 against the force applied by the force-applying component 4. On the other hand, when the coil 5 is in an unenergized state (the current-carrying wire 5B is not energized), the magnetic force disappears, the surrounding yoke 2 does not act as an electromagnet, and therefore the attraction to the armature 6 disappears. As a result, the armature 6 moves away from the yoke 2 under the force applied by the force-applying component 4.

[0024] Next, in the armature 6, multiple (e.g., three) screws 11 for fixing the housing 9 to the yoke 2 are inserted into the retaining ring 13 through the notch 6a at the periphery of the armature 6. Thus, the armature 6 can only move axially. Therefore, when the coil 5 is energized and generates an attractive force on the yoke 2, the armature 6 resists the applied force and moves towards the yoke 2, adhering to the end face (one-sided end face) 2e of the inner cylinder 2a and the outer cylinder 2b. On the other hand, when the coil 5 is de-energized and the attractive force on the yoke 2 disappears, the armature 6 moves away from the yoke 2 under the applied force, abutting against the rotor 7 (described later) (i.e., generating the braking or holding effect described later). In some embodiments, the armature 6 is formed of a magnetic metal material.

[0025] Next, the rotor 7 has a structure in which a circular plate-shaped base disk 7A has liner 7B attached to its disk surface. In this embodiment, liner 7B is attached to both the side of the base disk 7A opposite to the armature 6 side and the side opposite to the housing 9 side, and braking or holding force (friction) is obtained through the two liner 7Bs, which is a "double-plate" structure. In some other embodiments, the rotor 7 adopts a "single-plate" structure (not shown) in which liner 7B is attached only to the side of the armature 6. Furthermore, this embodiment adopts a "double-plate" rotor 7 structure, which can obtain a greater braking or holding force (friction) compared to a "single-plate" rotor 7. In some embodiments, the base disk 7A is formed of a non-magnetic metal material such as stainless steel. Furthermore, the liner 7B is formed of a material mainly composed of resin or metal.

[0026] With this structure, when coil 5 is in an unexcited state and yoke 2 does not function as an electromagnet, the attraction force of yoke 2 on armature 6 disappears, and armature 6 moves away from yoke 2 under the force applied by force application component 4. At this time, one side of armature 6 (the side opposite to the housing 9 side) abuts against one side of liner 7B of rotor 7 (the side opposite to yoke 2 side). Furthermore, since this embodiment is a "double-plate" rotor 7, the abutment (push) of armature 6 causes the other side of liner 7B of rotor 7 (the side opposite to housing 9 side) to abut against one side of housing 9 (the side opposite to yoke 2 side).

[0027] In this embodiment, the through hole 7a (rectangular with rounded corners) formed at the radial center of the rotor 7 (base disk 7A) is connected to an external rotating shaft (not shown). At this time, the base disk 7A of the rotor 7 is not completely fixed to the external rotating shaft; rather, the rotor 7 is in a state where it can move axially. Therefore, when the rotating shaft is rotating (i.e., the rotor 7 is rotating), if the coil 5 is not energized (the yoke 2 does not function as an electromagnet), braking or holding force (friction) is generated through the aforementioned contact (in this embodiment, the two sides of the liner 7B contact), thereby achieving a braking effect (i.e., decelerating or stopping the rotor 7 and thus stopping the rotating shaft). On the other hand, when the coil 5 is energized (the yoke 2 functions as an electromagnet), the yoke 2 attracts the armature 6, and the armature 6 moves towards the yoke 2 against the force applied by the force-applying component 4. At this time, the aforementioned contact does not occur, and therefore a braking effect cannot be obtained.

[0028] Next, the housing 9 is formed in a plate-like or annular shape (with a through hole in the center), and the space between the housing 9 and the yoke 2 is used to accommodate and seal the aforementioned components. Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, when the coil 5 is not energized, the inner surface of the housing 9 (the surface opposite to the yoke 2 side) abuts against the surface of the opposite rotor 7's liner 7B (the surface opposite to the housing 9 side), generating a braking or retaining force (friction). In some embodiments, the housing 9 is formed of the same metal material as the armature 6.

[0029] Next, the structure of the force-applying component 4 in this embodiment will be described in detail. Specifically, the force-applying component 4 is disposed between the yoke 2 and the armature 6.

[0030] Here, the force-applying component 4 is formed from a thin sheet of metal material (e.g., stainless steel, spring steel, etc.) with a thickness of approximately 0.2 mm to 1.0 mm. The diaphragm spring includes a ring-shaped portion 4A and a claw portion 4B extending radially from the ring portion 4A at a predetermined angle (i.e., at a predetermined angle relative to the plate surface 4a of the ring portion 4A). Multiple claw portions 4B are arranged side by side at equal intervals along the circumference of the ring portion 4A via slots 4C. With this structure, when the claw portion 4B is pushed (compressed in the direction where the predetermined angle decreases), the claw portion 4B generates a restoring force (elastic force) to return to its original shape, which can be used as the force applied. Furthermore, the shape, size (length, width, thickness, etc.), number, and other conditions of the claw portion 4B are appropriately set according to the attractive force generated by the yoke 2 and the amount of movement (distance) of the armature 6.

[0031] Specifically, in existing non-excitation actuated brakes, coil springs are generally used as the force-applying component to generate braking or holding force (friction). However, due to the need to ensure sufficient installation space for the coil spring, it is difficult to achieve a smaller diameter and thinner profile. To address this problem, the non-excitation actuated brake 1 of this invention proposes to use a diaphragm spring as the force-applying component 4 instead of a coil spring, thereby achieving a smaller diameter and thinner profile for the overall structure. Furthermore, simply reducing the diameter and thinning the profile would decrease the attractive force, and coupled with the constraint of installation space, it would be difficult to use a force-applying component with strong force, resulting in the inability to generate the required braking or holding force (friction). To address this problem, the non-excitation actuated brake 1 of this invention confirms the model of the force-applying component 4 through simulation to ensure that the required braking or holding force is sufficiently obtained. This allows the non-excitation actuated brake 1 to be miniaturized and thinned to a size that was previously difficult to achieve while ensuring the required braking or holding force is obtained.

[0032] As a specific embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, the diaphragm spring is configured such that the claw portion 4B extends toward the center (position of the central axis C) of the ring portion 4A. This structure, because the claw portion 4B is positioned inside the ring portion 4A (radially inside), is particularly advantageous for reducing the outer diameter of the force-applying component 4. That is, this structure facilitates the miniaturization of the non-excitation actuating brake 1.

[0033] Alternatively, as another embodiment, such as Figure 6 As shown, the diaphragm spring is configured such that the claw portion 4B extends in a direction away from the center of the ring portion 4A (the position of the central axis C). This structure, because the claw portion 4B is positioned on the outer side (radially outer side) of the ring portion 4A, is particularly advantageous for increasing the inner diameter of the force-applying component 4. That is, this structure facilitates increasing the diameter of the central shaft hole 1a located at the radial center of the non-excitation brake 1.

[0034] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the diaphragm spring is fitted with the shorter axial portion 2g of the stepped portion 2e of the yoke 2 via a ring portion 4A, and is fixed to the stepped portion. This structure further enables the thinning of the non-excitation actuating brake 1.

[0035] As a specific embodiment, such as Figure 7 , Figure 8 As shown, the diaphragm spring is configured such that the ring portion 4A is fixed to the step portion 2e by riveting. With this structure, compared to fixing by welding (spot welding) or by screws (or rivets), it is possible to fix the ring portion 4A with almost no circumferential deformation (i.e., welding may cause deformation due to welding deformation, and screws (rivets) may cause deformation due to tightening). Therefore, a force of the same (almost the same) as the design value can be uniformly generated throughout the entire circumference of the force-applying component 4. This ensures the stable generation of the braking or holding force (frictional force) of the demagnetized brake 1. In some embodiments, the diaphragm spring is configured such that the ring portion 4A is fixed to the step portion 2e by welding. In this case, a fixed state that does not loosen can be maintained for a long period.

[0036] Alternatively, as another embodiment, such as Figure 3 , Figure 4 As shown, the diaphragm spring is configured such that the ring portion 4A is engaged with the step portion 2e and fixed to the step portion 2e by bolts 15. This structure enables a detachable fixing structure of the force-applying component 4 (ring portion 4A) relative to the yoke 2. Therefore, when the claw portion 4B wears down, the force-applying component 4 can be replaced with a new one. This improves the ease of maintenance or replacement and extends the service life of the non-excitation actuation brake 1.

[0037] Based on the above detailed description, the present invention provides a non-excitation actuating brake 1, which can effectively utilize the internal space to achieve a thin profile while ensuring the necessary braking force or holding force.

[0038] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0039] The above description discloses only preferred embodiments of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. Therefore, equivalent variations made in accordance with the claims of the present invention are still within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A non-excitation actuating brake, characterized in that, The non-excitation actuating brake includes: A coil is formed by winding a current-carrying wire onto a winding tube; An armature is movably supported along the axial direction of the coil; A yoke that houses the coil and exerts an attractive force on the armature when the coil is energized; A rotor that is movably supported and connected to an external rotating shaft, and abuts against the armature in the unexcited state of the coil; A force-applying assembly applies a braking force toward the rotor side to the armature. The force-applying assembly has a diaphragm spring between the yoke and the armature. The diaphragm spring includes an annular ring portion and a plurality of claw portions extending radially from the ring portion at a predetermined angle and arranged circumferentially in parallel through a gap.

2. The non-excitation actuating brake according to claim 1, characterized in that, The diaphragm spring is configured such that the claw portion extends toward the center of the ring portion.

3. The non-excitation actuating brake according to claim 1, characterized in that, The diaphragm spring is configured such that the claw portion extends away from the center of the ring portion.

4. The non-excitation actuated brake according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The yoke has stepped portions with different axial dimensions. The diaphragm spring is fitted with the ring portion in the shorter axial portion of the stepped portion and fixed to the stepped portion.

5. The non-excitation actuating brake according to claim 4, characterized in that, The diaphragm spring is configured such that the ring portion is riveted and fixed to the stepped portion.

6. The non-excitation actuating brake according to claim 4, characterized in that, The diaphragm spring is configured such that the ring portion is welded and fixed to the stepped portion.

7. The non-excitation actuating brake according to claim 4, characterized in that, The diaphragm spring is fixed to the step portion by bolts or rivets with the ring portion fitted into the step portion.

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