Rotary table with leakage detection function

Abstract

Rotary table (10) comprising: a housing (20) with a receiving chamber (22), wherein the receiving chamber (22) has a chamber wall provided with a first groove (24), a second groove (25) and a drainage channel (26), wherein the drainage channel (26) has an opposite front end and an opposite rear end which are connected to the first groove (24) and the second groove (25) respectively; a motor (30) installed in the receiving chamber (22) of the housing (20); a shaft (40) rotatably inserted into the receiving chamber (22) of the housing (20) and connected to the motor (30), wherein the shaft (40) has a first end (41) and a second end (42), wherein the first end (41) of the shaft (40) is provided on its outer circumference with a guide section (43);and a leakage detection strip (70) arranged in the receiving chamber (22) of the housing (20), a part of which is inserted in the second groove (25) of the housing (20); the housing (20) further comprising a shaft bore (21) located at a front end thereof and communicating with the receiving chamber (22); the first groove (24) being closer to the shaft bore (21) than the second groove (25); the first end (41) of the shaft (40) partially protruding from the housing (20) through the shaft bore (21) of the housing (20); and the guide section (43) being arranged in the receiving chamber (22) of the housing (20).

Description

Background of the invention 1. Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to rotary table technology and in particular to a rotary table with a leakage detection function. 2. State of the art

[0002] The leakage detection system disclosed in US 7,692,553 B2 places the sensor between the bearing assembly and the replacement sealing system to determine whether coolant has leaked. When the sensor in the aforementioned patent detects a coolant leak, the leaked coolant has often passed through the bearing assembly, potentially damaging it. Once a problem occurs with the bearing assembly, it also affects the operation of other critical components (e.g., the rotor). Therefore, the design according to the aforementioned patent document is still in need of improvement. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present invention was realized under the given circumstances. The main object of the present invention is to provide a rotary table with a leakage detection function, which has a leakage detection function to prevent important components from being damaged by ingress of liquid.

[0004] To solve the aforementioned main problem, the rotary table of the present invention comprises a housing, a motor, a shaft, and a leakage detection strip. The housing includes a receiving chamber. The chamber wall of the receiving chamber is provided with a first groove, a second groove, and a drainage channel. The front and rear ends of the drainage channel are connected to the first and second grooves, respectively. The motor is located in the receiving chamber of the housing to provide a power source. The shaft is rotatably mounted in the receiving chamber of the housing and connected to the motor so that the shaft can be driven by the motor to rotate. The shaft has a first and a second end, and the outer circumference of the first end of the shaft has a guide section. The leakage detection strip is arranged in the receiving chamber of the housing, and a portion of the leakage detection strip is positioned in the second groove of the housing.

[0005] It is evident from the foregoing that when fluid enters the receiving chamber, the guide section of the shaft directs the fluid into the first groove, and the fluid then follows the drainage channel to the second groove and comes into contact with the leak detection strip. At this point, the leak detection strip can be triggered, sending a detection signal to a controller and instructing the operator to shut down the device to prevent damage to critical components (such as the motor) from the fluid. Preferably, the housing has a shaft bore at its front end. The receiving chamber is axially connected to the shaft bore. The first groove is located closer to the shaft bore than the second groove. The first end of the shaft protrudes partially from the housing through the shaft bore of the housing, and the guide section is located within the receiving chamber of the housing.

[0006] Preferably, the rotary table of the present invention also includes a rotary sealing element. The rotary sealing element is arranged in the shaft bore of the housing and rests against the outer circumferential surface of the first end of the shaft, forming a diversion channel with the guide section of the shaft. The diversion channel is connected to the first groove of the housing. If the rotating sealing element fails and fluid enters the receiving chamber, the guide section of the shaft directs the fluid through the diversion channel into the first groove and reaches the second groove and the leakage detection strip along the drainage channel strip contact.

[0007] Preferably, the rotary table of the present invention further comprises a protected component. The protected component is provided in the shaft and is located on the guide section of the shaft back towards the side of the rotary sealing element. The guide section prevents the liquid from being splashed directly onto the protected component.

[0008] Preferably, the outer diameter of the protected component is smaller than the outer diameter of the guide section of the shaft, and the size difference between the protected component and the guide section prevents fluid from flowing to the protected component.

[0009] Preferably, the distance between the first groove and the receiving chamber is smaller than the distance between the second groove and the receiving chamber, so that the two have a height difference that facilitates the flow of liquid.

[0010] Preferably, the direction of extension of the first groove and the direction of extension of the second groove are both perpendicular to the axial direction of the shaft, and the direction of extension of the drainage channel is parallel to the axial direction of the shaft. The aforementioned machining can be achieved by drilling the housing.

[0011] Preferably, the distance between the drainage channel and the receiving chamber increases gradually from the first groove to the second groove, so that the drainage channel has a slope to facilitate the flow of liquid.

[0012] Preferably, the guide section can be designed differently depending on the properties of the fluid. For fluids with higher viscosity, the guide section projects with an angled corner section on a side opposite the rotary sealing element, or it projects with a hook section at one end towards the rotary sealing element. The angled corner section or the hook section ensures a diversion effect for fluids with higher viscosity. For fluids with lower viscosity, the guide section projects with an annular flange from a side surface opposite the rotating sealing element or is recessed with an annular groove. The labyrinthine shape formed by the annular flange and the annular groove, with its corresponding concave-convex structure, protects the protected component and simultaneously ensures a diversion effect for the fluid with lower viscosity.

[0013] The detailed design, features, assembly, and use of the rotary table with leakage detection function provided by the present invention are described in detail in the following embodiment. However, those skilled in the art will understand that these detailed descriptions and specific embodiments included in the embodiment of the present invention serve only to illustrate the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the patent application for the present invention. List of characters Fig. Figure 1 is a top view of the rotary table with leakage detection function of the present invention. Fig. Figure 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the rotary table of the present invention, mainly showing the location of the first groove, the second groove and the drainage channel. Fig. Figure 3 is a side view of the rotary table of the present invention, mainly showing the location of the first groove, the second groove and the drainage channel. Fig. Figure 4 is a sectional view of the rotary table of the present invention. Fig. Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the shaft and the protected component provided by the rotary table of the present invention, and mainly shows a different embodiment of the guide section of the shaft. Fig. Figure 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the shaft and the protected component provided by the rotary table of the present invention, and mainly shows another different embodiment of the guide section of the shaft. Fig. Figure 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of the shaft and the protected component provided by the rotary table of the present invention, and mainly shows another different embodiment of the guide section of the shaft. Fig. Figure 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of the shaft and the protected component provided by the rotary table of the present invention, and mainly shows another different embodiment of the guide section of the shaft. Detailed description of the invention

[0014] The applicant hereby declares, firstly, that throughout the entire description, including the embodiments described below and the claims within the scope of the patent application, the designations relating to directions refer to the directions in the drawings. Secondly, in the embodiments and drawings presented below, the same reference numerals are used for identical or similar components or their structural features. As can be seen from Fig. 1 and Fig. As can be seen from Figure 4, the rotary table 10 of the present invention in this embodiment is a single-axis horizontal work table comprising a housing 20, a motor 30, a shaft 40, a rotary sealing element 50, a protected component 60 and a leakage detection strip 70.

[0015] The front end of the housing 20 has a shaft bore 21, the interior of the housing 20 has a receiving chamber 22 which is axially connected to the shaft bore 21, and the rear end of the housing 20 has an annular positioning groove 23 on the chamber wall of the receiving chamber 22. By drilling the housing 20, as shown in the Fig. 2 and Fig. As shown in Figure 3, a first groove 24, a second groove 25, and a drainage channel 26 are formed in the chamber wall of the receiving chamber 22 within the housing 20. The direction of extension of the first groove 24 is perpendicular to the axial direction of the shaft bore 21, the direction of extension of the second groove 25 is perpendicular to the axial direction of the shaft bore 21, and the direction of extension of the drainage channel 26 is parallel to the axial direction of the shaft bore 21. The first groove 24 is located closer to the shaft bore 21 than the second groove 25; that is, the first groove 24 is located near the front end of the housing 20, and the second groove 25 is located near the rear end of the housing 20. The second groove 25 and the annular positioning groove 23 are tangential and connected to each other. The front and rear ends of the drainage channel 26 are connected to the first groove 24 and the second groove 25, respectively. As shown in Figure 3, the first groove 24 is located near the front end of the housing 20, and the second groove 25 is connected to the second groove 25. Fig. As shown in Figure 4, in this embodiment the distance between the first groove 24 and the receiving chamber 22 is smaller than the distance between the second groove 25 and the receiving chamber 22, creating a height difference to facilitate fluid flow from the first groove 24 to the second groove 25 along the drainage channel 26. It should be noted that the first groove 24 and the second groove 25 can also be arranged at the same height, if required. Furthermore, the drainage channel 26 is provided with a slope. This gradually increases the distance between the drainage channel 26 and the receiving chamber 22 from the first groove 24 to the second groove 25, allowing the fluid to flow from the first groove 24 along the drainage channel 26 to the second groove 25. The motor 30 is installed in the receiving chamber 22 of the housing 20 to provide a power source.

[0016] The shaft 40 passes through the receiving chamber 22 of the housing 20 and is connected to the motor 30, so that the shaft 40 can be driven by the motor 30 to rotate. As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 4, the shaft 40 has a first end 41 and a second end 42. The first end 41 and the second end 42 of the shaft 40 are supported in a first bearing 44 and a second bearing 45, respectively. Furthermore, the first end 41 of the shaft 40 extends partially from the housing 20 through the shaft bore 21 of the housing 20 and is connected to a rotary table 46, enabling the shaft 40 to drive the rotary table 46 for synchronous operation. The second end 42 of the shaft 40 is connected to a brake 47 located behind the motor 30, allowing the shaft 40 to be controlled by the brake 47 for deceleration or stopping in an emergency. The outer circumference of the first end 41 of the shaft 40 has an annular guide section 43, the guide section 43 being located in the receiving chamber 22 of the housing 20.

[0017] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 4, the rotary sealing element 50 is inserted into the shaft bore 21 of the housing 20 and rests against the outer circumferential surface of the first end 41 of the shaft 40 to prevent fluid from entering the receiving chamber 22 through the shaft bore 21, and a diversion channel 52 is formed between the rotary sealing element 50 and the guide section 43 of the shaft 40, which is connected to the first groove 24 of the housing 20.

[0018] In this embodiment, the protected component 60 is an encoder, although it is not limited to an encoder. As in Fig. As shown in Figure 4, the protected component 60 is installed on the shaft 40 and located behind the guide section 43 of the shaft 40 (i.e., on the side of the guide section 43 opposite the rotary sealing element 50). The outer diameter of the protected component 60 is smaller than the outer diameter of the guide section 43 of the shaft 40.

[0019] The leak detection tape 70 used in this version is the OMRON model F03-16SF / 16SFC. As in the Fig. As shown in Figures 2-4, the leakage detection strip 70 surrounds the second end 42 of the shaft 40 and is embedded in the annular positioning groove 23 of the housing 20, such that the loop length of the leakage detection strip 70 is greater than the circumference of the motor 30. In addition, part of the leakage detection strip 70 is inserted into the second groove 25 of the housing 20 to detect whether fluid is entering the second groove 25.

[0020] It is evident from the above that, as in Fig. Figure 4 shows that if the rotary sealing element 50 fails and fluid enters the receiving chamber 22 from the shaft bore 21, the guide section 43 of the shaft 40 prevents the fluid from splashing directly onto the protected component 60 and directs the fluid through the diversion channel 52 into the first groove 24. The fluid then travels along the drainage channel 26 to the second groove 25 and comes into contact with the leakage detection strip 70. At this point, the leakage detection strip 70 can be triggered to change color and send a detection signal to a control unit (not shown in the drawing) to alert the operator that a fluid leak has occurred and that the system must be shut down immediately to prevent damage to critical components (such as the motor 30, the brake 47, or the protected component 60).

[0021] Since the leakage detection strip 70 is located near the rear end of the housing 20, only a few parts at the rear end of the housing 20 need to be removed for replacement. Other components such as the turntable 46, the protected component 60, or the motor 30 are not affected.

[0022] This eliminates the need for recalibration steps, thus improving work efficiency. Regarding the position of the first groove 24, an additional leak detection strip 70 can be installed as required. The detection accuracy can be further improved by using two leak detection strips 70, allowing the operator to more precisely assess the leakage situation. It is worth noting that the leak detection strip 70 can also be designed not to encircle the shaft 40, but rather as a segment that fits directly into the second groove 25 of the housing 20.

[0023] It should be added here that the guide section 43 is designed differently depending on the properties of the liquid. For liquids with higher viscosity, the guide section 43 projects laterally from the rotary sealing element 50 with an angled corner section 432 (as shown in Fig. 5 shown), or protrudes at one end with a hook section 434 towards the protected component 60 (as shown in Fig. 6 shown). The angled corner section 432 or the hook section 434 provides a diversion effect for liquids with higher viscosity. For liquids with lower viscosity, the guide section 43 projects with an annular flange 436 on the side opposite the rotating sealing element 50 (as shown in Fig. 7 shown) or is recessed with an annular groove 438 (as in Fig.8 shown). The labyrinth shape formed by the ring flange 436 and the ring groove 438 in conjunction with the corresponding concave-convex structure protects the protected component 60 on the one hand, and on the other hand provides a diversion effect for liquids with lower viscosity.

[0024] In summary, the rotary table 10 of the present invention utilizes the flow channel design of the height difference to direct the liquid entering the receiving chamber 22 to the leakage detection strip 70, thereby avoiding contact with the key components. The leakage detection strip 70 is used to immediately detect whether a liquid leak is present, thus achieving the protective effect of the key components. This is particularly suitable for applications where liquid flushing or flooding is required (such as, but not limited to, electrical discharge machining machines). Furthermore, the technical features of the present invention (i.e.,the flow channel construction with height difference and the real-time detection of the leakage detection belt 70) are not limited to single-axis horizontal worktables, but can also be applied to a single-axis vertical worktable or a two-axis vertical and horizontal worktable according to the actual requirements, and thus the function of leakage detection can also be realized. QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] US 7692553 B2

[0002]

Claims

[1] Turntable (10) which includes: a housing (20) with a receiving chamber (22), wherein the receiving chamber (22) has a chamber wall which is provided with a first groove (24), a second groove (25) and a drainage channel (26), wherein the drainage channel (26) has an opposite front end and an opposite rear end which are connected to the first groove (24) and the second groove (25), respectively; a motor (30) which is installed in the receiving chamber (22) of the housing (20); a shaft (40) rotatably inserted into the receiving chamber (22) of the housing (20) and connected to the motor (30), the shaft (40) having a first end (41) and a second end (42), the first end (41) of the shaft (40) being provided with a guide section (43) on its outer circumference; and a leak detection strip (70) arranged in the receiving chamber (22) of the housing (20), a part of which is inserted in the second groove (25) of the housing (20). [2] Rotary table (10) according to claim 1, which further comprises a protected component (60), wherein the outer diameter of the protected component (60) is smaller than the outer diameter of the guide section (43) of the shaft (40). [3] Rotary table (10) according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the first groove (24) and the receiving chamber (22) is smaller than the distance between the second groove (25) and the receiving chamber (22). [4] Rotary table (10) according to claim 3, wherein the housing (20) further comprises a shaft bore (21), the extension direction of the first groove (24) and the extension direction of the second groove (25) both extend perpendicular to the axis of the shaft bore (21) and the extension direction of the drainage channel (26) extends parallel to the axis of the shaft bore (21). [5] Rotary table (10) according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the drainage channel (26) and the receiving chamber (22) gradually increases from the first groove (24) to the second groove (25). [6] Rotary table (10) according to claim 1, wherein the housing (20) further comprises a shaft bore (21) provided at a front end thereof and connected to the receiving chamber (22); the first groove (24) being closer to the shaft bore (21) than the second groove (25); the first end (41) of the shaft (40) partially protruding from the housing (20) through the shaft bore (21) of the housing (20); and the guide section (43) being arranged in the receiving chamber (22) of the housing (20). [7] Rotary table (10) according to claim 6, which further comprises a rotary sealing element (50) arranged in the shaft bore (21) of the housing (20) and bearing against the outer circumferential surface of the first end (41) of the shaft (40), wherein the rotary sealing element (50) forms a diversion channel (52) with the guide section (43) of the shaft (40) and the diversion channel (52) is connected to the first groove (24) of the housing (20). [8] Rotary table (10) according to claim 7, which further comprises a protected component (60), wherein the protected component (60) is inserted into the shaft (40) and is located on the side of the guide section (43) of the shaft (40) that faces away from the rotary sealing element (50). [9] Rotary table (10) according to claim 7, wherein a side of the guide section (43) facing the rotary sealing element (50) is provided with an inclined corner section (432), an annular flange (436) or an annular groove (438). [10] Rotary table (10) according to claim 7, wherein an end of the guide section (43) protrudes with a hook section (434) in the direction of the rotary sealing element (50).

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