Mold truck

Abstract

To provide a mold truck capable of making an upper mold rotatable to further reliably prevent a problem while making a supported upper mold rotatable.SOLUTION: A mold truck 50 has an upper mold holder 64. The upper mold holder 64 comprises: in a given initial state, an upper rail portion 644 that extends horizontally from a back side to a front side and can support the upper mold in a slidable state; a stopper 646 capable of switching a state between a restricting state of restricting a slide movement of the upper mold from the front side to the back side and a non-restricting state of allowing the slide movement; and the like. The upper mold holder 64 is configured to be rotatable by at least 90° or more, but a maximum rotation angle is 180° or less with a horizontal holder rotation axis as a center, from the initial state in a direction that the front side faces downward, and is configured to restrict a rotation thereof from the initial state in a direction in which the back side faces downward.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a mold cart capable of transporting a mold that can be attached to and detached from a machine. [Background technology]

[0002] It is widely known that various processes are carried out using an upper mold and a lower mold. For example, in a tray sealer for manufacturing a sealed pack having a container with a pocket for storing contents such as food and a lid film attached to the container so as to close the pocket, the lid film is attached to the container as a workpiece using an upper mold and a lower mold.

[0003] Also, for replacement or maintenance of the upper and lower dies, a mold cart capable of supporting and transporting the upper and lower dies removed from the machine may be used. As such a mold cart, a hand lifter has been proposed that includes a cart section equipped with casters, a mast section erected on the cart section, a lifting section attached to the mast section, and two lifter arms protruding forward from the lifting section (see, for example, Patent Document 1, etc.). In this hand lifter, the upper and lower dies are connected by connecting struts or bolts, and the lifter arms are inserted into a pair of insertion holes provided in the upper die, thereby lifting and supporting the upper and lower dies.

[0004] Generally, the upper die processes the workpiece using its lower portion, and therefore, maintenance of the upper die is usually performed on the lower portion of the upper die.

[0005] In this regard, the lower part of the upper mold supported by the hand lifter faces downwards, so when performing maintenance on the upper mold, one may have to reach under the upper mold, which is a heavy object, and so safety considerations are required.

[0006] Therefore, it is considered to apply a mechanism that can rotate the supported object (supported object) 180 degrees to the mold cart so that the work can be performed without inserting a hand or the like under the upper mold. As such a mechanism, a mechanism that includes a plate-shaped mounting part on which the supported object (cylinder cover) can be placed, a plurality of fixed rods erected on the mounting part, and a rotating means for rotating the supported object placed on the mounting part by rotating the mounting part is known (see, for example, Patent Document 2, etc.). In this mechanism, the supported object needs to be fixed to the mounting part in order to rotate it, and the supported object is fixed to the mounting part using a fixed rod and a nut. That is, the supported object is placed on the mounting part while the fixed rod is inserted into an insertion hole provided in the supported object, and then a nut is attached to the tip of the fixed rod, so that the supported object is fixed to the mounting part. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-1408 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2011-58453 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, in a mold cart that applies the technology described in Patent Document 2, the upper mold (supported object) needs to be fixed to the mounting portion sufficiently and appropriately, which requires time-consuming inspections, etc.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its object is to provide a mold cart that allows the supported upper mold to be rotated while more reliably preventing malfunctions caused by the upper mold being rotatable. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The following describes each of the means suitable for achieving the above object. Note that, as necessary, the specific effects of the corresponding means will be added.

[0011] Means 1. A mold cart capable of transporting at least the upper mold of the upper and lower molds that are detachable from the machine, an upper die holder for holding the upper die, The upper die holder is a pair of rail sections which, in a predetermined initial state, extend horizontally from a rear side to be disposed on the machine side when the upper die is transferred between the machine and the machine toward a front side opposite the rear side, and which can support the upper die in a slidable state; an upper surface support portion provided at a position where the upper mold supported by the rail portion is sandwiched between the upper surface support portion and the rail portion in the initial state; a pair of side guide portions provided corresponding to side surfaces of the upper mold and configured to guide sliding movement of the upper mold on the rail portion; a receiving portion that can restrict further sliding movement of the upper die from the rear side to the front side by contacting the upper die when the upper die slides on the rail portion from the rear side to the front side; a stopper capable of switching between a restricted state in which the upper die is restricted from sliding from the front side to the back side by contacting the upper die, and a restricted release state in which the upper die is permitted to slide from the front side to the back side; The upper mold holder is configured to be rotatable at least 90° from the initial state in a direction such that the front side is downward, around a horizontal holder rotation axis perpendicular to the extension direction of the rail portion, while the maximum rotation angle is 180° or less, and rotation in a direction such that the rear side is downward from the initial state is restricted.

[0012] The mold cart in the above-mentioned means 1 can be used as follows. That is, after the rail section is set in an initial state where it is horizontal, the mold cart is moved toward the machine side so that the rail section is adjacent to the machine. Then, the upper mold is removed from the machine and moved from the machine to the rail section. At this time, since the rail section can support the upper mold in a state where it can slide, the upper mold can be moved smoothly on the rail section. This can improve the workability in transferring the upper mold to and from the machine.

[0013] Then, as the upper die is slid from the back side to the front side on the rail section, it eventually comes into contact with the receiving section, and as a result, further sliding movement of the upper die is restricted and the upper die is positioned in the correct position. Then, by placing the stopper in the restricting state, the upper die is restricted from moving from the front side to the back side (the side corresponding to the upper die receiving port from the machine). As a result, the upper die is held by the upper die holder in a state where sliding movement is prevented by the receiving section and the stopper. This makes it possible to prevent the upper die from falling off the upper die holder, and further improves safety.

[0014] Thereafter, for example, when performing maintenance on the upper die, the die cart is moved to a predetermined maintenance position, and the upper die holder is rotated to rotate the upper die, so that the rotated upper die is supported by the upper surface support part. Here, the upper die holder is restricted from rotating in a direction in which the back side is downward from the initial state, and can rotate up to 180° in a direction in which the front side is downward from the initial state. Therefore, when the upper die holder rotates, the load from the upper die is applied to the receiving part, but is not applied to the stopper. Therefore, damage or failure of the stopper can be more reliably prevented, and safety can be further improved. In addition, since there is no need to use a highly durable stopper that is designed to be subjected to a load from the upper die, it is also advantageous in terms of cost.

[0015] Even if the stopper is in the release state, the upper die holder can only rotate in the direction where the front side is down, so the upper die will not move from the front side to the back side when the upper die holder is rotated. Therefore, even if the upper die is rotated with the stopper in the release state, the upper die will not easily fall off the upper die holder. Also, even if the upper die holder is rotated when the upper die is not positioned in the correct position, the upper die will move toward the receiving part by its own weight and will finally be positioned in the correct position.

[0016] By rotating the upper die, the lower part of the upper die faces upward (including diagonally upward), and maintenance of this lower part can be easily performed. Also, there is no need to put your hands under the upper die during maintenance.

[0017] Means 2. A lower die support part capable of supporting the lower die; The mold cart described in Means 1 is characterized in that it is equipped with a height adjustment unit that can move the upper mold holder and the lower mold support part up and down in unison while maintaining the relative positional relationship between the upper mold holder and the lower mold support part.

[0018] According to the above-mentioned Means 2, the height adjustment unit can move the upper die holder and the lower die support part up and down in conjunction with each other while maintaining their relative positional relationship. Therefore, the relative height positions of the upper die holder and the lower die support part with respect to the machine can be easily adjusted, and the workability in transferring the upper die and the lower die to and from the machine can be further improved.

[0019] Means 3. The lower mold support part is A pair of lower rail portions extending horizontally from the rear side to the front side and supporting the lower mold in a slidable state; The mold cart described in Means 2 is characterized in that it has a lower mold movement regulating section that can switch between a state in which it regulates the sliding movement of the lower mold on the lower rail section by protruding toward and retracting from the lower mold supported by the lower rail section, and a state in which it allows the sliding movement of the lower mold on the lower rail section.

[0020] According to the above-mentioned Means 3, since the lower rail portion can support the lower die in a slidable state, the lower die can be moved smoothly on the lower rail portion, which can further improve the workability in transferring the lower die to and from the machine.

[0021] In addition, the sliding movement of the lower die on the lower rail portion can be restricted by the lower die movement restricting portion, thereby making it possible to further improve safety.

[0022] Furthermore, since the lower die movement restricting portion switches its state by simply protruding toward and retracting from the lower die supported by the lower rail portion, it is possible to simplify the structure and reduce manufacturing costs.

[0023] Means 4: A plurality of front casters arranged on the front side and capable of swiveling and rotating; A plurality of rear casters arranged on the rear side and capable of swiveling and rotating; a front side swivel locking means capable of locking the swivel of the front side caster; a front side rotation locking means capable of locking the rotation of the front side caster; The mold cart according to Means 1, further comprising a rear side swivel lock means capable of locking the swivel of the rear side caster.

[0024] According to the above-mentioned means 4, the front side swivel locking means and the rear side swivel locking means can lock the swivel of the front side casters and the rear side casters. Therefore, when the mold cart is moved with the upper mold loaded thereon, the mold cart can be more reliably prevented from moving in an unintended direction due to the swivel of the casters. This can further improve safety and convenience.

[0025] In addition, when the mold cart with the upper mold on it is moved in a direction away from the machine (backed up), the front and back casters can be locked from turning, allowing the mold cart to be backed up without turning these casters. Therefore, the mold cart can be backed up smoothly without requiring excessive force, further improving workability and convenience.

[0026] In addition, by locking the rotation of the front casters with the front rotation locking means, the mold cart can be kept stopped, which further enhances safety when transferring the upper mold to the machine or when performing maintenance on the upper mold.

[0027] Means 5. The rear caster has a pair of wheel support parts that rotatably support the wheels, The rear side rotation lock means is A lock plate extending from the back side to the front side and reciprocating along the longitudinal direction; a remote control pedal provided at a front end of the lock plate, The mold cart described in Means 4 is characterized in that, by operating the remote control pedal, the state can be switched between a state in which the locking plate is placed between the pair of wheel support parts to lock the rotation of the rear caster, and a state in which the locking plate is removed from between the pair of wheel support parts to unlock the rotation of the rear caster.

[0028] According to the above-mentioned means 5, the rotation of the rear caster can be locked or unlocked by operating (with the foot) the remote control pedal located on the front side. Therefore, the locking or unlocking can be easily switched, and safety and operability can be further improved.

[0029] Furthermore, since the state can be switched depending on the position of the lock plate, it is possible to effectively simplify the structure and reduce manufacturing costs.

[0030] Means 6. The upper die holder is configured to be rotatable 180° from the initial state in a direction in which the front side is downward; The mold cart described in Means 1 is characterized in that it is provided with an inverted upper mold movement restricting means which is provided separately from the stopper and is capable of restricting the movement of the upper mold held by the upper mold holder from the front side to the back side when the upper mold holder is rotated 180° from the initial state.

[0031] According to the above-mentioned means 6, when the upper die holder is rotated 180° to invert the upper die, the movement of the upper die from the front side to the back side (movement of the upper die from the machine toward the receiving side) can be restricted not only by the stopper but also by the inverted upper die movement restricting means. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent the upper die from falling, and further enhance safety.

[0032] Means 7: A rotating mechanism for rotating the upper mold holder is provided, The rotation mechanism includes: a gear that is rotatable about a rotation axis parallel to the holder rotation axis and that is configured to rotate the upper mold holder in association with the rotation of the gear; a worm meshed with the gear; The mold cart described in Means 1 is characterized in that the gear is configured to rotate by rotating the worm.

[0033] According to the above-mentioned Means 7, the rotation mechanism includes a gear and a worm (i.e., a worm gear), and the gear and the upper die holder rotate by rotating the worm. Therefore, when rotating the upper die holder, even if force is not applied to the worm from the input side, for example, by releasing the operating handle, the self-lock can prevent the upper die holder from rotating due to its own weight.

[0034] In addition, by utilizing the self-locking mechanism, the upper die holder can be stopped at any rotation angle, which further improves workability during maintenance, etc.

[0035] Means 8. The stopper is an operated portion that protrudes from the upper surface support portion toward an opposite side to the rail portion and is reciprocally movable in a direction intersecting a sliding direction of the upper mold; a stopper body connected to the operated portion and capable of switching between a state in which the stopper body is positioned on the movement path of the upper die and a state in which the stopper body is retracted from the movement path as the operated portion reciprocates; The mold cart described in Means 1 is configured so that the restricted state is achieved by moving the operated part to position the stopper body on the movement path, and the unrestricted state is achieved by moving the operated part to move the stopper body away from the movement path.

[0036] According to the above-mentioned Means 8, the stopper can be realized with a simpler configuration, so that an increase in costs can be further suppressed.

[0037] In addition, the operated part that is operated when moving the stopper body protrudes from the upper support part toward the opposite side to the rail part. In other words, the operated part protrudes toward the opposite side to the space in which the upper die is disposed. Therefore, there is little trouble when moving the operated part to operate the stopper.

[0038] Means 9. The upper mold is provided with a pin portion protruding from its upper surface, The stopper body has a plunger having a ball portion at a tip thereof biased to protrude from a plunger body that holds the ball portion, When the upper die is in contact with the receiving portion and in the restricted state, the ball portion is in contact with the pin portion, thereby restricting the movement of the stopper, The mold cart described in Means 8 is configured such that, when the operated portion is moved to switch from the restricted state to the unrestricted state while the upper mold is in contact with the receiving portion, the ball portion moves while reducing the amount of protrusion relative to the plunger body as it comes into contact with the pin portion, and finally passes through the pin portion.

[0039] According to the above-mentioned means 9, the movement of the stopper in the restricted state can be restricted by using the plunger. Therefore, the restricted state can be more reliably maintained, and good safety can be more reliably maintained.

[0040] Furthermore, when the operated part is moved to switch from the restricted state to the unrestricted state, the ball part moves while reducing the amount of protrusion from the plunger body as it comes into contact with the pin part, and finally passes the pin part, switching from the restricted state to the unrestricted state. Therefore, while it is possible to restrict the movement of the stopper in the restricted state, it is possible to easily switch from the restricted state to the unrestricted state by simply moving the operated part without performing any special operation. This further improves convenience.

[0041] Means 10. A mold cart as described in Means 1, characterized in that the rail portion has an outer peripheral surface on which the upper mold can be placed, and has a plurality of rollers along the extension direction of the rail portion that can rotate around a rotation axis perpendicular to the extension direction of the rail portion.

[0042] According to the above-mentioned means 10, the upper die can be slid more smoothly on the rail portion. This reduces the workload involved in transferring the upper die to and from the machine, and further improves workability.

[0043] The technical matters related to the above means may be combined as appropriate. For example, the technical matters related to the above means 2 may be combined with the technical matters related to the above means 4. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0044] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the sealed pack. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a tray sealer. [Figure 4] 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a machine-side upper rail portion and a machine-side lower rail portion provided in the sealing device. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the machine-side upper rail portion. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the machine-side lower rail portion. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the mold cart as viewed from the rear side. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the mold cart as viewed from the front side. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a recess formation portion and the like. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing a rotation restricting portion and the like. [Figure 14] 13 is a schematic perspective view showing pin grooves and stopper grooves provided in an upper surface support portion. FIG. [Figure 15] 4 is a schematic perspective view, partially broken away, showing communication holes and the like provided in an upper surface support portion. FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. [Figure 17] 4 is a schematic perspective view, partially broken away, showing a stopper body and the like disposed in a stopper groove. FIG. [Figure 18] 4 is a schematic front view, partially cut away, showing a stopper body and the like disposed in a stopper groove. FIG. [Figure 19] 4 is a schematic partially cutaway plan view showing a plunger and the like provided in a stopper body. FIG. [Figure 20] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a stopper. [Figure 21] FIG. [Figure 22] FIG. [Figure 23] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing a rear rotation lock portion and the like. [Figure 24] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a rear side rotation lock portion and the like. [Diagram 25] 4 is a schematic plan view showing a slide hole and a round hole provided in a lock plate. FIG. [Figure 26] FIG. [Figure 27] 13 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the rotation of the rear caster is locked. FIG. [Figure 28] 13 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the swivel lock of the rear caster is released. FIG. [Figure 29] FIG. [Diagram 30] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a height adjustment unit. [Diagram 31] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a height adjustment unit. [Diagram 32] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing a mold cart and the like connected to a sealing device. [Diagram 33] 1 is a schematic side view showing a sealing device and the like in a state in which an upper die is placed on an upper rail portion on the machine side and a lower die is placed on a lower rail portion on the machine side. FIG. [Diagram 34] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an upper mold, a lower mold, etc. being transferred from a sealing device to a mold cart. FIG. [Diagram 35] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing a mold cart on which an upper mold and a lower mold are placed. [Diagram 36] FIG. 11 is a partially cutaway plan view showing the stopper and other components in a restricted state. [Figure 37] 1 is a schematic side view showing an upper die held by an upper die holder rotated by 90°. FIG. [Figure 38] 1 is a schematic side view showing an upper die held by an upper die holder rotated 180 degrees. FIG. [Figure 39] 13 is a schematic perspective view, partially cut away, showing a stopper and the like in another embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 40] FIG. 11 is a schematic partially cutaway plan view showing a stopper and the like in a state in which the movement of a pin portion is permitted in another embodiment. [Diagram 41] FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view, partially cut away, showing a stopper and the like in a state in which the movement of a pin portion is restricted in another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0045] An embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, a sealed pack manufactured by the tray sealer of this embodiment will be described.

[0046] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the sealed pack 1 has a container 3 with one pocket portion 2, and a lid film 4 attached to the container 3 so as to cover the pocket portion 2. Note that in Figure 1 etc., the container 3 and the lid film 4 are shown thicker than they actually are.

[0047] Contents 5, such as food, are contained in the pocket portion 2. The container 3 and the cover film 4 are substantially non-breathable, and are capable of maintaining the contents 5 in a sealed state.

[0048] The container 3 is made of a thermoplastic resin material such as PP (polypropylene). The container 3 may have a multi-layer structure made of multiple types of thermoplastic resin materials. The container 3 is also formed with a flange portion 3a extending outward from the opening end of the pocket portion 2.

[0049] On the other hand, the cover film 4 is made of a thermoplastic resin compatible with the container 3 and is attached to the flange portion 3a. The cover film 4 may be made of a thin material having a sealant made of a thermoplastic resin compatible with the container 3 applied to its surface.

[0050] Next, a description will be given of a tray sealer 10 for manufacturing the sealed pack 1. As shown in Fig. 3, the tray sealer 10 includes a film device 11, a container supply device 12, a sealing device 13, and a carrying-out device 14. In this embodiment, the sealing device 13 corresponds to the "machine".

[0051] The film device 11 is a device for supplying a strip-shaped lid film material 51 that is to be used for the lid film 4 to the sealing device 13, and for winding up scraps 52 of the lid film material 51 that remain after cutting.

[0052] The container supplying device 12 is a device for supplying the containers 3 having contents 5 accommodated in the pocket portions 2 to the sealing device 13. In this embodiment, the container supplying device 12 supplies a plurality of (e.g., four) containers 3 to the sealing device 13 at one time.

[0053] The sealing device 13 is configured with a detachable upper die 31 and a lower die 32, and both dies 31, 32 are used to attach (weld) the lid film 4 to the flange portion 3a of the container 3. The upper die 31 and the lower die 32 each weigh approximately 150 kg. The sealing device 13 in this embodiment has a function of cutting the lid film material 51 to obtain the lid film 4 when attaching the lid film 4 to the flange portion 3a. In this embodiment, the upper die 31 is provided with a pair of pin portions 31a protruding from its upper surface (see FIG. 3, etc.). The pin portions 31a are used for positioning the upper die 31 relative to the sealing device 13, etc.

[0054] In addition, the sealing device 13 is provided with a machine-side upper rail section 131 for easily carrying in and out the upper die 31, and a machine-side lower rail section 132 for easily carrying in and out the lower die 32 (see Figs. 3 and 4). These rail sections 131 and 132 are provided with a plurality of rollers 131a and 132a (see Figs. 5 and 6) for easily allowing the upper die 31 and the lower die 32 to slide on the rail sections 131 and 132. The upper die 31 removed from the sealing device 13 is placed on the machine-side upper rail section 131 (rollers 131a). On the other hand, the lower die 32 removed from the sealing device 13 is placed on the machine-side lower rail section 132 (rollers 132a).

[0055] Furthermore, the sealing device 13 is provided with a connection hole 132b (see FIG. 4 and the like) for connecting a mold cart 50 described later.

[0056] The carrying-out device 14 is a device for removing the sealed pack 1 produced by the sealing device 13 from the sealing device 13 and transporting it to a predetermined downstream position.

[0057] Next, with reference to Figs. 7 to 11 etc., a mold cart 50 used for transferring the upper mold 31 and the lower mold 32 to the sealing device 13 will be described.

[0058] The mold cart 50 is a cart capable of transporting the upper mold 31 and the lower mold 32, and includes a main body unit 60, a base unit 70, and a height adjustment unit 80. In this embodiment, the height adjustment unit 80 constitutes a "height adjustment section."

[0059] First, a description will be given of the main body unit 60. The main body unit 60 has a function of supporting the upper die 31 and the lower die 32, a function of rotating the supported upper die 31, and the like.

[0060] The main unit 60 includes a main pillar portion 61, a side wall forming portion 62, a cart handle 63, an upper die holder 64, a lower die support unit 65, and a rotation mechanism 66. In the following, the side (the right side in FIG. 9) that will be disposed on the sealing device 13 side when the upper die 31 and the lower die 32 are transferred between the sealing device 13 and the main unit 60 will be referred to as the "rear side", and the opposite side to the rear side (the left side in FIG. 9) will be referred to as the "front side". The "front side" can be referred to as the side where a worker or the like is positioned when moving the die cart 50, and the "rear side" can be referred to as the side that is positioned at the rear as seen from the worker or the like.

[0061] The main pillars 61 have a role of supporting the upper die holder 64, the lower die support unit 65, etc. A pair of main pillars 61 are provided in parallel, and each main pillar 61 extends in the vertical direction.

[0062] In addition, the portions of each main pillar 61 below the lower mold support unit 65 are connected by a plurality of horizontally extending connecting parts 67a, 67b, 67c. This sufficiently increases the rigidity (strength) of the structure consisting of the main pillar 61 and the connecting parts 67a, 67b, 67c, thereby enabling the upper mold 31 and the lower mold 32 to be supported in a stable state.

[0063] The side wall constituent parts 62 are fixed to a portion of the main pillar part 61 located between the upper mold holder 64 and the lower mold support unit 65, and are structures that protrude toward the front side from the main pillar part 61. A pair of side wall constituent parts 62 are provided, and a recess forming part 62a that forms a recess that opens toward the upper side, the back side, and inward is provided on the front side of each side wall constituent part 62 (see FIG. 12. The upper mold holder 64 and the like are not shown in FIG. 12).

[0064] The recessed portion 62a (particularly its lower surface) comes into contact with the upper die 31 held by the upper die holder 64 in a state where the upper die holder 64 is rotated 180° from an initial state (inverted state) described later, thereby restricting further rotation of the upper die 31 and enhancing the stability of supporting the upper die 31. In addition, the recessed portion 62a (particularly the surface on the front side) has a role of restricting the movement of the upper die 31 held by the upper die holder 64 from the front side toward the back side in a state where the upper die holder 64 is rotated 180° from the initial state. In this embodiment, the movement of the upper die 31 from the front side toward the back side can also be restricted by a stopper 646 described later, but the recessed portion 62a is provided separately from the stopper 646, and can restrict the movement of the rotated upper die 31 regardless of the state of the stopper 646. In this embodiment, the recessed portion 62a constitutes an "inverted upper die movement restricting means."

[0065] The cart handles 63 are used as handles for an operator or the like to hold when moving the mold cart 50. A pair of cart handles 63 are provided, each protruding from each side wall component 62 toward the front side.

[0066] The upper die holder 64 is an assembly for holding the upper die 31. The upper die holder 64 includes an upper die side guide portion 641, a rotation restriction portion 642, an upper surface support portion 643, an upper rail portion 644, an upper die receiving portion 645, and a stopper 646. In this embodiment, the upper die side guide portion 641 constitutes a "side guide portion", the upper rail portion 644 constitutes a "rail portion", and the upper die receiving portion 645 constitutes a "receiving portion". Note that the upper die holder 64 is rotatable with respect to the main column portion 61 as described later. Hereinafter, a state in which the upper die holder 64 is not rotated and is set when the upper die 31 is transferred between the sealing device 13 is referred to as an "initial state" of the die cart 50.

[0067] The upper mold side surface guide parts 641 are parts corresponding to the side surfaces of the upper mold 31 held by the upper mold holder 64. A pair of the upper mold side surface guide parts 641 are provided at positions sandwiching the upper mold 31 held by the upper mold holder 64 on the left and right, and each upper mold side surface guide part 641 has a flat plate shape perpendicular to the horizontal direction. Each upper mold side surface guide part 641 has a role of guiding the sliding movement of the upper mold 31 on the upper rail parts 644, etc.

[0068] In addition, each upper mold side guide portion 641 is rotatably supported by the main pillar portion 61. This allows the upper mold holder 64 to rotate relative to the main pillar portion 61 around a horizontal holder rotation axis CL that is perpendicular to the extension direction of the upper rail portion 644.

[0069] The upper die holder 64 can be rotated at least 90° from the initial state in a direction in which the front side is downwards, but due to the presence of the recess forming portion 62a (particularly its lower surface), the maximum rotation angle is configured to be 180°. In other words, the upper die holder 64 can be rotated up to 180° from the initial state in a direction in which the front side is downwards. The maximum rotation angle of the upper die holder 64 may be less than 180°.

[0070] The rotation restricting portion 642 is for restricting the rotation of the upper die holder 64 in a direction in which the back side faces downward from the initial state. The rotation restricting portion 642 includes a locked block 642a and a rotation locking portion 642b (see FIG. 13).

[0071] The locked block 642a is fixed to the main pillar portion 61 and the side wall forming portion 62 in a state in which it cannot move relative to the main pillar portion 61. The rotation locking portion 642b is attached to the outer periphery of the shaft portion of the upper mold holder 64, and is locked to the locked block 642a to restrict rotation of the upper mold holder 64 in a direction in which the back side becomes downward from the initial state. Note that when the upper mold holder 64 rotates in a direction in which the front side becomes downward from the initial state, the rotation locking portion 642b is not locked to the locked block 642a.

[0072] The upper surface support portion 643 is a plate-like portion that connects front portions of the upper mold side surface guide portions 641 in the initial state. The upper surface support portion 643 is provided at a position where the upper mold 31 supported by the upper rail portion 644 is sandwiched between the upper surface support portion 643 and the upper rail portion 644 in the initial state. The upper surface support portion 643 has a role of supporting the upper mold 31 rotated by more than 90° together with the upper mold holder 64 in a state where the upper mold holder 64 has rotated by more than 90° from the initial state.

[0073] In this embodiment, the upper die 31 rotated by more than 90° can also be supported by the auxiliary support portion 647 that protrudes inward from the upper die side guide portion 641 and is provided at a position opposite to the upper rail portion 644. This makes it possible to support the rotated upper die 31 in a more stable state.

[0074] Further, on the lower surface (surface facing the upper die 31) of the upper surface support portion 643, there are formed a pair of pin grooves 643a extending in the direction in which the upper rail portion 644 extends, i.e., along the sliding direction of the upper die 31, and a pair of stopper grooves 643b extending in a direction perpendicular to the pin grooves 643a and communicating with the pin grooves 643a (see Figs. 14 and 15. The upper rail portion 644 and the like are omitted in Fig. 14 and the like). The pin grooves 643a are grooves in which the pin portions 31a of the upper die 31 are disposed, and the stopper grooves 643b are grooves in which a stopper main body 646c of the stopper 646, which will be described later, is disposed.

[0075] Furthermore, the upper surface support portion 643 has an oval-shaped communication hole 643c that opens to the upper surface of the upper surface support portion 643 and communicates with the stopper groove 643b (see FIG. 15). A stopper connection portion 646b of the stopper 646, which will be described later, is disposed in the communication hole 643c.

[0076] The upper rail portion 644 extends horizontally from the back side to the front side in an initial state, and serves to support the upper die 31 in a slidable state. A pair of upper rail portions 644 are provided in parallel, and each upper rail portion 644 is provided with an upper die roller 644a.

[0077] The upper die rollers 644a are provided at intervals along the extension direction of the upper rail portion 644 and are rotatable about a rotation axis perpendicular to the extension direction of the upper rail portion 644. The upper die 31 supported by the upper rail portion 644 is placed on the outer circumferential surface of each upper die roller 644a. In this embodiment, the upper die rollers 644a correspond to the "roller".

[0078] The upper die receiving portion 645 is a portion that comes into contact with the upper die 31 when the upper die 31 slides from the back side to the front side on the upper rail portion 644, thereby restricting further sliding movement of the upper die 31 from the back side to the front side. In this embodiment, the upper die receiving portion 645 is formed by a block body protruding from the front side inner surface of the upper die side guide portion 641 (see FIG. 16. In FIG. 16, the upper surface support portion 643 and the like are omitted from illustration). One upper die receiving portion 645 is provided for each upper die side guide portion 641. Note that the "receiving portion" may be formed by a portion of the upper surface support portion 643 against which the pin portion 31a abuts when the upper die 31 slides from the back side to the front side.

[0079] The stopper 646 comes into contact with the upper die 31 to restrict the sliding movement of the upper die 31 from the front side to the back side, that is, the sliding movement of the upper die 31 in the direction of removal from the upper die holder 64. A pair of stoppers 646 are provided corresponding to the above-mentioned stopper groove 643b and communication hole 643c, and are reciprocally movable along the extending direction of the stopper groove 643b and communication hole 643c (that is, the direction intersecting with the sliding movement direction of the upper die 31). The stopper 646 includes an operated portion 646a, a stopper connecting portion 646b, and a stopper main body 646c (see FIGS. 17 to 20).

[0080] The operated portion 646a is a portion that is operated when moving the stopper 646. The operated portion 646a protrudes from the upper surface support portion 643 toward the opposite side to the upper rail portion 644.

[0081] The stopper connecting portion 646b is a portion that connects the operated portion 646a and the stopper main body 646c, and is inserted into the communication hole 643c.

[0082] The stopper body 646c is a part that restricts the movement of the upper die 31 by contacting the upper die 31 (in this embodiment, the pin portion 31a). The stopper body 646c moves together with the operated portion 646a in accordance with the operation of the operated portion 646a by an operator or the like. The stopper body 646c can switch between a state in which it is disposed in the pin groove 643a and a state in which it retreats from the pin groove 643a in accordance with the movement of the operated portion 646a. This allows the stopper 646 to switch between a restricted state in which it is located on the movement path of the upper die 31 (pin portion 31a) and a non-restricted state in which it retreats from the movement path in accordance with the movement of the operated portion 646a.

[0083] Here, the restricted state is a state in which the stopper body 646c comes into contact with the upper die 31 (pin portion 31a) to restrict the sliding movement of the upper die 31 from the front side to the back side. In this embodiment, in a state in which the upper die 31 comes into contact with the upper die receiving portion 645 and the pin portion 31a is disposed at the backmost portion of the pin groove 643a, the operated portion 646a is moved to position the stopper body 646c on the movement path, thereby achieving the restricted state.

[0084] On the other hand, the restriction release state is a state in which the sliding movement of the upper die 31 from the front side to the back side is permitted. In this embodiment, the restriction release state is achieved by moving the operated portion 646a to retract the stopper body 646c from the movement path.

[0085] Furthermore, the stopper body 646c incorporates a plunger 646d for preventing the restricted state from being easily released. The plunger 646d is biased by a spring or the like (not shown) so that a ball portion 646d1 provided at the tip of the plunger 646d protrudes from a cylindrical plunger body 646d2 that holds the ball portion 646d1. In the plunger 646d, a pressing force is applied to the ball portion 646d1 against the biasing force applied by the spring or the like, so that the protruding amount of the ball portion 646d1 relative to the plunger body 646d2 is reduced. On the other hand, when the application of the pressing force to the ball portion 646d1 is released, the ball portion 646d1 returns to a state in which it protrudes to the maximum extent.

[0086] In this embodiment, when the upper die 31 contacts the upper die receiving portion 645 and is in a restricted state, the ball portion 646d1 contacts the pin portion 31a, thereby restricting the movement of the stopper 646. This makes it possible to prevent the restricted state from being easily released due to vibration or the like.

[0087] On the other hand, when the operated portion 646a is moved to switch from the restricted state to the unrestricted state while the upper die 31 is in contact with the upper die receiving portion 645, the ball portion 646d1 moves while reducing the amount of protrusion from the plunger body 646d2 as it comes into contact with the pin portion 31a, and finally passes through the pin portion 31a. Therefore, it is possible to switch from the restricted state to the unrestricted state relatively easily by simply moving the operated portion 646a.

[0088] The lower die support unit 65 is an assembly having a function of supporting the lower die 32 and a function of restricting the movement of the supported lower die 32. The lower die support unit 65 has a lower die support portion 651 and a lower die movement restricting portion 652.

[0089] The lower mold support portion 651 is for supporting the lower mold 32, and as shown in Figure 21 (the upper mold holder 64, etc. are omitted in Figure 21), is provided with a lower mold side guide portion 6511, guide connection portions 6512a, 6512b, 6512c, a lower rail portion 6513, a lower mold receiving portion 6514, and a connection mechanism 6515.

[0090] The lower mold side surface guide portions 6511 are portions corresponding to the side surfaces of the lower mold 32 supported by the lower mold support portions 651. A pair of lower mold side surface guide portions 6511 are provided at positions sandwiching the lower mold 32 supported by the lower mold support portions 651 on the left and right. Each lower mold side surface guide portion 6511 is fixed to the main pillar portion 61, and serves to guide the sliding movement of the lower mold 32 on the lower rail portions 6513.

[0091] The guide connecting portions 6512a, 6512b, and 6512c each have a horizontally extending plate shape and connect the lower mold side surface guide portions 6511. This sufficiently increases the rigidity (strength) of the lower mold support portion 651, making it possible to support the lower mold 32 in a more stable state.

[0092] The lower rail portion 6513 extends horizontally from the back side to the front side and supports the lower mold 32 in a slidable state. A pair of lower rail portions 6513 are provided in parallel, and each lower rail portion 6513 is provided with a rotatable lower mold roller 6513a. The lower mold 32 supported by the lower rail portions 6513 is placed on the outer circumferential surface of each lower mold roller 6513a. The lower mold roller 6513a rotates, allowing the lower mold 32 to slide smoothly on the lower rail portions 6513.

[0093] The lower die receiving portion 6514 comes into contact with the lower die 32 when the lower die 32 slides from the rear side to the front side on the lower rail portion 6513, thereby restricting further sliding movement of the lower die 32 from the rear side to the front side. One lower die receiving portion 6514 is provided for each lower die side guide portion 6511, and is constituted by a block body protruding from the front side inner surface of the lower die side guide portion 6511.

[0094] The coupling mechanism 6515 is for coupling the mold cart 50 to the sealing device 13. The coupling mechanism 6515 includes a coupling claw portion 6515a and a coupling release portion 6515b.

[0095] A pair of connecting claws 6515a are provided, and each connecting claw 6515a is rotatably supported on a rear portion of the lower mold side guide portion 6511. The connecting claw 6515a has a hook-shaped tip, and this tip is placed in the connecting hole 132b and engaged with the sealing device 13, whereby the mold cart 50 is connected to the sealing device 13.

[0096] The disconnecting portion 6515b is for enabling the mold cart 50 to be disconnected from the sealing device 13 from the front side. The disconnecting portion 6515b is in the shape of a long plate extending from the front side to the back side on the lower mold side guide portion 6511, and the back end is attached to the connecting claw portion 6515a. By pulling the front end of the disconnecting portion 6515b toward the front side by hand or the like, the tip portion (hook-shaped portion) of the connecting claw portion 6515a is lifted. By lifting the tip portion (hook-shaped portion) of the connecting claw portion 6515a, the engagement of the connecting claw portion 6515a with the sealing device 13 is released, and the connection of the mold cart 50 with the sealing device 13 can be released.

[0097] The lower die movement restricting portion 652 is for restricting the sliding movement of the lower die 32 supported by the lower rail portion 6513. The lower die movement restricting portion 652 is generally rod-shaped extending from the front side to the back side, and is supported in a rotatable state by the guide connecting portion 6512c. The lower die movement restricting portion 652 has a retractable operation portion 652a at the front end, and a locking claw portion 652b at the back end.

[0098] The retractable operation part 652a is a part that is operated when rotating the lower die movement restricting part 652. By rotating the retractable operation part 652a, the locking claw part 652b can be retracted toward the lower die 32 supported by the lower rail part 6513. In this embodiment, the retractable operation part 652a is incorporated with a plunger (not shown) and can be rotated only when a pressing force is applied from the front side to the back side. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent the sliding movement of the lower die 32 from being unintentionally released.

[0099] The locking claw portion 652b protrudes toward the lower mold 32 and is disposed in a notch (gap) (not shown) provided in the lower mold 32, thereby restricting the sliding movement of the lower mold 32 on the lower rail portion 6513. Therefore, the lower mold movement restricting portion 652 protrudes toward the lower mold 32 supported by the lower rail portion 6513, thereby being capable of switching between a state in which the sliding movement of the lower mold 32 on the lower rail portion 6513 is restricted and a state in which the sliding movement of the lower mold 32 on the lower rail portion 6513 is permitted (see FIG. 21).

[0100] The rotating mechanism 66 is a mechanism for rotating the upper die holder 64 , and includes a gear 661 , a worm 662 , and a rotating handle 663 .

[0101] The gear 661 is fixed to the shaft of the upper die holder 64 and is rotatable about a rotation axis parallel to the holder rotation axis CL (about the holder rotation axis CL in this embodiment). When the gear 661 is rotated, the upper die holder 64 rotates.

[0102] The worm 662 has helical (screw-like) teeth on its outer periphery and is rotatable about a rotation axis perpendicular to the rotation axis of the gear 661 when viewed in a plan view. The worm 662 is supported by a case fixed to the main post portion 61 and is meshed with the gear 661.

[0103] The rotating handle 663 is a part that is operated when rotating the upper die holder 64. The rotating handle 663 is connected to a worm 662, and the worm 662 rotates when the rotating handle 663 is rotated, and as a result, the gear 661 meshed with the worm 662 rotates. Then, when the gear 661 rotates, the upper die holder 64 rotates.

[0104] Next, the base unit 70 will be described. The base unit 70 has a function related to the movement of the mold cart 50 and a function of maintaining the main column portion 61 in a state extended in the vertical direction. The base unit 70 includes a central base portion 71, a side base portion 72, a protruding leg portion 73, a parallel link 74, a rear caster 75, a rear swivel lock portion 76, a front caster 77, a front swivel lock portion 78, and a front rotation lock portion 79. In this embodiment, the rear swivel lock portion 76 constitutes the "rear swivel lock means", the front swivel lock portion 78 constitutes the "front swivel lock means", and the front rotation lock portion 79 constitutes the "front rotation lock means".

[0105] The central base portion 71 is located vertically below the main pillar portion 61 and is a long plate-shaped portion extending in a direction perpendicular to the upper rail portion 644.

[0106] The side base portions 72 are a pair of plate-like portions provided so as to protrude toward the front from both ends of the central base portion 71. Each side base portion 72 has a side portion extending horizontally toward the front from the central base portion 71, an upright portion extending upward from the front end of the side portion, and a bottom portion connected to these portions and constituting the lower surface of the side base portion 72.

[0107] The protruding legs 73 are portions to which the rear casters 75 and the rear swivel lock portion 76 are attached. A pair of protruding legs 73 are provided, and each protruding leg 73 protrudes from a position near the end of the central base portion 71 toward the rear side.

[0108] The parallel link 74 is provided for maintaining the upper rail portion 644 and the lower rail portion 6513 in a horizontally extending state in the initial state, and one parallel link 74 is provided for each side base portion 72. Each parallel link 74 is composed of two links of the same length, and one end of each link is rotatably attached to the upright portion of the side base portion 72, and the other end is rotatably attached to the main pillar portion 61. An imaginary plane passing through the rotation axes on one end side of each link and an imaginary plane passing through the rotation axes on the other end side of each link are configured to be perpendicular to the horizontal plane. By providing such parallel link 74, even if the relative height position of the main unit 60 with respect to the base unit 70 changes, it is possible to maintain the main pillar portion 61 in a vertically extending state. As a result, even if the height position of the main unit 60 is adjusted, it is possible to maintain the upper rail portion 644 and the lower rail portion 6513 in a horizontally extending state in the initial state.

[0109] The rear casters 75 are swivelable and rotatable casters, and are attached one by one to the rear underside of the protruding leg portions 73. The rear casters 75 include wheels 751, a rear wheel support portion 752, and a rear swivel portion 753 (see FIG. 22). In this embodiment, the rear wheel support portion 752 constitutes the "wheel support portion."

[0110] The far side wheel support portion 752 is a pair of plate-shaped portions that rotatably support the wheels 751 in the direction of the thick arrow in Fig. 22 around a horizontal rotation axis. The far side swivel portion 753 is interposed between the protruding leg portion 73 and the far side wheel support portion 752, and supports the far side wheel support portion 752 so that the wheels 751 can swivel in the direction of the white arrow in Fig. 22. As the far side wheel support portion 752 swivels, the wheels 751 swivel.

[0111] The rear swivel lock portion 76 is for locking the rotation of the rear caster 75 (wheel 751). One rear swivel lock portion 76 is provided for each rear caster 75, and includes a lock plate 761, a return spring 762, a holding protrusion 763, and a remote control pedal 764 (see FIGS. 23 and 24).

[0112] The lock plate 761 is located below the protruding leg 73 and is provided in a state in which it can move back and forth along the longitudinal direction. The lock plate 761 is configured so that it can tilt and flexibly deform to such an extent that the portion located on the front side can be displaced up and down.

[0113] In addition, the lock plate 761 has a relatively narrow slide hole 761a and a round hole 761b located at the front end of the slide hole 761a and having a diameter larger than the width of the slide hole 761a, which are formed through the lock plate 761 in a communicating state (see Figure 25).

[0114] The return spring 762 is for applying a biasing force to the lock plate 761 from the rear side to the front side, that is, a biasing force in a direction to release the rotation lock of the rear caster 75.

[0115] The holding protrusion 763 has a role of holding the lock plate 761 at a position where the rotation of the rear caster 75 can be locked, guiding the movement of the lock plate 761, etc. The holding protrusion 763 is a protrusion protruding from the lower surface of the protruding leg portion 73, and has a shape in which disk portions with different outer diameters are stacked in the vertical direction. The disk portions with different outer diameters include a small diameter portion 763a having an outer diameter that can be inserted into the slide hole 761a, and a lock plate engaging portion 763b having an outer diameter that cannot be inserted into the slide hole 761a but can be inserted into the round hole 761b (see FIG. 26).

[0116] The remote control pedal 764 is a part that is operated by an operator or the like when switching between a state in which the rotation of the rear casters 75 (wheels 751) is locked and a state in which the rotation of the rear casters 75 is unlocked. The remote control pedal 764 is provided at the front end of the lock plate 761. The operator or the like can move the lock plate 761 to the rear side by pressing the remote control pedal 764 with a foot or the like.

[0117] In the rear swivel lock section 76, the rear caster 75 can be switched between a swivel locked state and an unlocked state as follows. That is, when switching from the unlocked state to the swivel locked state, the remote control pedal 764 is pushed in to position the lock plate 761 between the pair of rear wheel support sections 752, thereby achieving the swivel locked state (see FIG. 27). At this time, the remote control pedal 764 is moved downward to position the lock plate engaging section 763b in the round hole 761b, thereby engaging the lock plate 761 with the lock plate engaging section 763b, and as a result, it is possible to maintain the swivel locked state against the biasing force of the return spring 762.

[0118] On the other hand, when switching from the swing locked state to the unlocked state, the remote control pedal 764 is slightly pressed and moved upward so that the small diameter portion 763a is placed in the round hole 761b. This causes the lock plate 761 to move toward the front side while the small diameter portion 763a moves in the slide hole 761a due to the biasing force of the return spring 762. As a result, the lock plate 761 comes out from between the pair of rear wheel support parts 752, and the unlocked state can be achieved (see FIG. 28).

[0119] In this embodiment, by operating the remote control pedal 764, the state can be switched between a state in which the lock plate 761 is positioned between the pair of rear wheel support parts 752 to lock the rotation of the rear casters 75, and a state in which the lock plate 761 is removed from between the pair of rear wheel support parts 752 to unlock the rotation of the rear casters 75.

[0120] In this embodiment, the outer diameter of the plate-shaped portion located between the small diameter portion 763a and the lock plate engaging portion 763b is larger than the outer diameter of the lock plate engaging portion 763b. This prevents the lock plate 761 from easily moving from the lock plate engaging portion 763b side to the small diameter portion 763a side, and as a result, the rotation locked state can be more reliably maintained.

[0121] The front casters 77 are swivelable and rotatable casters, and are attached one by one to the underside of the lateral base portions 72. The front casters 77 include wheels 771, a pair of front wheel support portions 772 that rotatably support the wheels 771, and a front swivel portion 773 that rotatably supports the front wheel support portions 772 (see FIG. 29).

[0122] The front wheel support part 772 supports the wheel 771 so that it can rotate around a horizontal rotation axis in the direction of the thick arrow in Fig. 29. The front side swivel part 773 is attached to the lower surface of the side base part 72, and supports the front side wheel support part 772 so that it can swivel in the direction of the white arrow in Fig. 29. The rotation of the front side wheel support part 772 causes the wheel 771 to rotate.

[0123] The front-side swivel lock section 78 is for locking the swivel of the front-side caster 77 (wheel 771), and has a swivel lock pedal 781 (see FIG. 29). In this embodiment, the swivel lock pedal 781 is operated by the foot or the like to place a protrusion (not shown) that can swivel together with the front-side wheel support section 772 in a recess (not shown) of a component attached to the side base section 72, thereby making it possible to lock the swivel of the front-side caster 77 (wheel 771). Note that switching from a swivel locked state to an unlocked state can be performed by operating the front-side swivel lock pedal 781 to remove the protrusion from the recess.

[0124] In this embodiment, when the rotation of the front caster 77 is locked, the mold cart 50 can only move from the front side to the back side (forward) and from the back side to the front side (backward). The front side rotation locking section 78 may have a function of locking the rotation of the front side caster 77 so that the mold cart 50 can only move forward and backward, and a function of locking the rotation of the front side caster 77 so that the mold cart 50 can only move along a direction perpendicular to the forward and backward directions.

[0125] The front rotation lock section 79 is for locking the rotation of the front caster 77 (wheel 771) and has a rotation lock pedal 791 (see FIG. 29). In this embodiment, the rotation lock pedal 791 is operated with the foot or the like to press a brake shoe (not shown) against the wheel 771, thereby locking the rotation of the front caster 77. Note that switching from the rotation locked state to the unlocked state can be performed by operating the rotation lock pedal 791 to move the brake shoe away from the wheel 771.

[0126] Next, the height adjustment unit 80 will be described. The height adjustment unit 80 is a unit for moving the upper die holder 64 and the lower die support unit 65 (lower die support portion 651) up and down in conjunction with each other while maintaining the relative positional relationship between them. As shown in Figures 30 and 31, the height adjustment unit 80 includes a first cylindrical portion 81, a second cylindrical portion 82, a threaded rod portion 83, and a height adjustment handle 84.

[0127] The first cylindrical portion 81 and the second cylindrical portion 82 are cylindrical parts having female threads formed on their inner circumferences. The central axes of the two cylindrical portions 81, 82 are aligned, and the first cylindrical portion 81 is fixed to the main unit 60 (the connecting portion 67c), and the second cylindrical portion 82 is fixed to the base unit 70 (the central base portion 71).

[0128] The threaded rod portion 83 is a rod having male threads formed at both ends. The male thread at one end of the threaded rod portion 83 is screwed into the female thread of the first tubular portion 81, and the male thread at the other end of the threaded rod portion 83 is screwed into the female thread of the second tubular portion 82. This connects the first tubular portion 81, the threaded rod portion 83, and the second tubular portion 82 in series. The male threads formed at both ends of the threaded rod portion 83 have different thread directions. That is, one male thread is a right-handed thread, and the other male thread is a left-handed thread.

[0129] The height adjustment handle 84 is a part to be operated when adjusting the height of the upper mold holder 64 and the like. The height adjustment handle 84 protrudes from the center of the threaded rod portion 83 in the longitudinal direction, and the threaded rod portion 83 is rotated by rotating the height adjustment handle 84. The first tube portion 81, the threaded rod portion 83, and the second tube portion 82, which are connected in series, expand and contract by rotating the threaded rod portion 83. As a result, the relative height of the main unit 60 with respect to the base unit 70 increases and decreases, and the upper mold holder 64 and the lower mold support unit 65 (lower mold support portion 651) move up and down integrally. As described above, regardless of the height positions of the upper mold holder 64 and the lower mold support portion 651, the parallel link 74 always maintains the upper rail portion 644 and the lower rail portion 6513 in the initial state in a horizontal state. In this embodiment, the height adjustment unit 80 can adjust the height by about ±15 mm.

[0130] Next, a method for transferring the upper die 31 and the lower die 32 from the sealing device 13 to the die carriage 50 when replacing or maintaining the dies 31 and 32 will be described.

[0131] First, the mold cart 50 is placed along the sealing device 13. Then, by operating the height adjustment handle 84, the height of the upper rail portion 644 is adjusted to the height of the machine-side upper rail portion 131, and the height of the lower rail portion 6513 is adjusted to the height of the machine-side lower rail portion 132. Next, the mold cart 50 is advanced toward the sealing device 13, with the far side at the front. Then, the connecting claw portion 6515a is placed in the connecting hole 132b, thereby connecting the mold cart 50 to the sealing device 13 (see FIG. 32).

[0132] Thereafter, the rotation and swivel of the front casters 77 are locked, and the swivel of the rear casters 75 is locked. Next, the upper die 31 and the lower die 32 are removed, and the upper die 31 is placed on the machine-side upper rail portion 131, and the lower die 32 is placed on the machine-side lower rail portion 132 (see FIG. 33).

[0133] Then, the upper die 31 and the lower die 32 are slid from the sealing device 13 side toward the die carriage 50 side (see FIG. 34). The sliding of both dies 31, 32 can be performed manually without using any special tools. Then, the upper die 31 is placed at an appropriate position on the upper rail portion 644, and the lower die 32 is placed at an appropriate position on the lower rail portion 6513 (see FIG. 35). The sliding of the upper die 31 and the lower die 32 is performed after the stopper body 646c is retracted from the movement path (pin groove 643a) of the pin portion 31a and the locking claw portion 652b is retracted from the movement path of the lower die 32.

[0134] Then, the operated portion 646a is operated to position the stopper body 646c on the movement path (pin groove 643a) of the pin portion 31a, thereby bringing about a restricted state in which the movement of the upper mold 31 from the rear side to the front side can be restricted (see FIG. 36). Also, the retractable operating portion 652a is operated to project the locking claw portion 652b toward the lower mold 32, thereby bringing about a state in which the sliding movement of the lower mold 32 is restricted.

[0135] Thereafter, the rotation of the front caster 77 is unlocked, and the mold cart 50 is moved backwards to pull out the mold cart 50 from the sealing device 13. At this time, the rotation of the rear caster 75 and the front caster 77 remains locked, so the casters 75, 77 do not rotate, and the mold cart 50 moves backwards smoothly.

[0136] Thereafter, as necessary, the swivel and rotation of each caster 75, 77 is appropriately locked or unlocked while the mold cart 50 is moved, so that the molds 31, 32 are transported to a designated storage location when the molds 31, 32 are to be replaced, or are transported to a designated maintenance location when maintenance of the molds 31, 32 is to be performed.

[0137] When performing maintenance on the upper die 31, etc., the rotation and turning of the front casters 77 is locked, and the rotation of the rear casters 75 is locked. During maintenance, the upper die 31 can be rotated up to 180° so that the front side is downward by operating the rotation handle 663 and rotating the upper die holder 64 (see Figures 37 and 38).

[0138] Incidentally, the dies 31, 32 can be transferred from the die carriage 50 to the sealing device 13 basically by reversing the above procedure.

[0139] As described above in detail, according to this embodiment, the upper rail portion 644 can support the upper die 31 in a slidable state, so that the upper die 31 can be moved smoothly on the upper rail portion 644. This can improve the workability in transferring the upper die 31 to and from the sealing device 13.

[0140] Moreover, the upper die 31 is held by the upper die holder 64 in a state where sliding movement is prevented by the upper die receiving portion 645 and the stopper 646. This makes it possible to prevent the upper die 31 from falling off the upper die holder 64, and thus makes it possible to further improve safety.

[0141] Furthermore, the upper die holder 64 is restricted from turning in a direction in which the back side is downward from the initial state, and can turn in a direction in which the front side is downward from the initial state up to a limit of 180°, so that when the upper die holder 64 turns, the load from the upper die 31 is applied to the upper die receiving portion 645, but is not applied to the stopper 646. Therefore, damage or failure of the stopper 646 can be more reliably prevented, and safety can be further improved. Also, since there is no need to use a highly durable stopper that assumes the load from the upper die 31, it is advantageous in terms of cost.

[0142] In addition, even if the stopper 646 is in the deregulation state, the upper die holder 64 can only be rotated in a direction in which the front side is downwards, so that the upper die 31 does not move from the front side to the back side when the upper die holder 64 is rotated. Therefore, even if the upper die 31 is rotated with the stopper 646 in the deregulation state, the upper die 31 does not easily fall off the upper die holder 64. In addition, even if the upper die holder 64 is rotated in a state in which the upper die 31 is not disposed in the proper position, the upper die 31 moves toward the upper die receiving portion 645 by its own weight, and is finally disposed in the proper position.

[0143] In addition, by rotating the upper die 31, the lower part of the upper die 31 can be easily maintained in a state where the lower part of the upper die 31 faces upward (including diagonally upward). Also, there is no need to insert a hand or the like under the upper die 31 during maintenance.

[0144] In addition, the height adjustment unit 80 allows the upper die holder 64 and the lower die support part 651 to be moved up and down in conjunction with each other while maintaining their relative positional relationship. Therefore, the relative height positions of the upper die holder 64 and the lower die support part 651 with respect to the sealing device 13 can be easily adjusted, and the workability involved in the transfer of the upper die 31 and the lower die 32 to and from the sealing device 13 can be further improved.

[0145] Furthermore, since the lower rail portion 6513 can support the lower die 32 in a slidable state, the lower die 32 can be smoothly moved toward the front side on the lower rail portion 6513. This can further improve the workability involved in the delivery of the lower die 32 to and from the sealing device 13.

[0146] In addition, the sliding movement of the lower die 32 on the lower rail portion 6513 can be restricted by the lower die movement restricting portion 652, thereby making it possible to further improve safety.

[0147] In addition, since the lower mold movement restricting portion 652 can be switched in state by simply extending or retracting toward the lower mold 32 supported by the lower rail portion 6513, it is possible to simplify the structure and reduce manufacturing costs.

[0148] In addition, the front side swivel lock part 78 and the rear side swivel lock part 76 can lock the swivel of the front side caster 77 and the rear side caster 75. Therefore, when the mold cart 50 is moved with the upper mold 31 and the like loaded thereon, the mold cart 50 can be more reliably prevented from moving in an unintended direction due to the swivel of the casters 75, 77. This can further improve safety and convenience.

[0149] Furthermore, when the mold cart 50 carrying the upper mold 31 and the like is moved (backed) in a direction away from the sealing device 13, by locking the rotation of the front caster 77 and the rear caster 75, the mold cart 50 can be moved backward without rotating the casters 75, 77. Therefore, the mold cart 50 can be moved backward smoothly without requiring an excessively large force, further improving workability and convenience.

[0150] In addition, by locking the rotation of the front caster 77 with the front rotation lock part 79, the mold cart 50 can be kept stopped. Therefore, safety can be further improved when the upper mold 31, etc. is delivered to the sealing device 13 or when the upper mold 31, etc. is maintained.

[0151] In addition, by operating the remote control pedal 764 located on the front side with the foot or the like, the rotation of the rear caster 75 can be locked or unlocked. Therefore, locking or unlocking can be easily switched, further improving safety and operability.

[0152] Furthermore, since the state can be switched depending on the position of the lock plate 761, it is possible to effectively simplify the configuration and reduce manufacturing costs.

[0153] In this embodiment, when the upper die holder 64 is rotated 180° to invert the upper die 31, the movement of the upper die 31 from the front side to the back side (movement from the right side to the left side in FIG. 38) can be restricted not only by the stopper 646 but also by the recess forming portion 62a. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent the upper die 31 from falling, thereby further improving safety.

[0154] In addition, the rotating mechanism 66 includes a gear 661 and a worm 662 (i.e., a worm gear), and the gear 661 and the upper die holder 64 rotate by rotating the worm 662. Therefore, when rotating the upper die holder 64, even if force is no longer applied to the worm 662 from the input side by, for example, releasing the rotating handle 663, the self-lock can prevent the upper die holder 64 from rotating due to its own weight.

[0155] Furthermore, by utilizing the self-locking mechanism, the upper die holder 64 can be stopped at any rotation angle, which can further improve the ease of operation during maintenance and the like.

[0156] Furthermore, the operated portion 646a, which is operated when moving the stopper body 646c, protrudes toward the opposite side to the space in which the upper die 31 is disposed. Therefore, there is little trouble when operating the stopper 646 by moving the operated portion 646a.

[0157] Furthermore, the movement of the stopper 646 in the restricted state can be restricted by the plunger 646d. Therefore, the restricted state can be more reliably maintained, and good safety can be more reliably maintained.

[0158] In addition, by using the plunger 646d, it is possible to restrict the movement of the stopper 646 in the restricted state, while easily switching from the restricted state to the unrestricted state by simply moving the operated portion 646a without performing any special operation, etc. This makes it possible to further improve convenience.

[0159] Furthermore, since the upper rail portion 644 has the upper die rollers 644a, the upper die can slide more smoothly on the upper rail portion 644. This reduces the workload involved in transferring the upper die 31 to and from the sealing device 13, and further improves workability.

[0160] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be implemented as follows: Of course, other applications and modifications not exemplified below are also possible.

[0161] (a) In the above embodiment, in order to set the upper mold 31 in the restricted state after moving it from the sealing device 13 to the mold cart 50, it is necessary to operate the operated part 646a, but the configuration may be such that the restricted state is automatically set without operating the operated part 646a.

[0162] For example, as shown in Fig. 39, the stopper 646 may be configured such that a slanted surface 646c1 is provided on the stopper body 646c, and a spring 646e applies a biasing force to the stopper body 646c toward the movement path (pin groove 643a) of the pin portion 31a. In this configuration, the pin portion 31a moves toward the back side of the pin groove 643a while contacting the slanted surface 646c1, so that the stopper body 646c retracts from the movement path (pin groove 643a) of the pin portion 31a while compressing the spring 646e. Then, when the pin portion 31a passes through the stopper body 646c, the stopper body 646c protrudes into the movement path (pin groove 643a) due to the biasing force from the spring 646e, and the stopper body 646c is automatically restricted.

[0163] Also, as shown in Figures 40 and 41, a stopper 646 may be used that includes a stopper body 646c, a spring 646f (not shown in Figure 40), a rod portion 646g, a rod biasing portion 646h, a pin receiving portion 646j, a first magnet 646k, and a second magnet 646m.

[0164] The spring 646f applies a biasing force to the stopper body 646c toward the movement path (pin groove 643a) of the pin portion 31a. The rod portion 646g is configured to be reciprocatingly movable along the movement path of the upper die 31 (pin portion 31a). The rod biasing portion 646h applies a biasing force to the rod portion 646g in a direction approaching the stopper body 646c. When a force is applied from the upper die 31 (pin portion 31a) moving from the front side to the back side, the pin receiving portion 646j moves the rod portion 646g in a direction away from the stopper body 646c against the biasing force applied by the rod biasing portion 646h. The first magnet 646k is provided on a side surface of the stopper body 646c on the rod portion 646g side, and the second magnet 646m is provided on an end portion of the rod portion 646g on the stopper body 646c side.

[0165] In this stopper 646, the first magnet 646k is attached to the second magnet 646m of the rod portion 646g in a state where the rod portion 646g is in a state where the rod portion 646g is in a state where the rod portion 646g is in a state where the rod portion 646g is in a state where the rod portion 646c is in a state where the first magnet 646k is attached to the second magnet 646m of the rod portion 646g in a state where the rod portion 646c is in a state where the first magnet 646k is attached to the second magnet 646m of the rod portion 646g in a state where the rod portion 646g is ... As a result, the system will automatically enter a restricted state (see Figure 41).

[0166] By using the stopper 646 that can automatically set the restricted state as described above, the operation for setting the restricted state is not required, and the workability can be improved. In addition, since the restricted state can be set more reliably, the safety can be improved.

[0167] (b) In the above embodiment, the mold cart 50 is configured to be capable of transporting the upper mold 31 and the lower mold 32, but it is sufficient if it is capable of transporting at least the upper mold 31. Therefore, for example, the lower mold support unit 65 may be omitted.

[0168] (c) In the above embodiment, the rear caster 75 is configured to be only swivel-lockable, but it may be configured to be rotation-lockable.

[0169] (d) In the above embodiment, the upper rail portion 644 and the lower rail portion 6513 are provided with the upper die rollers 644a and the lower die rollers 6513a, but the upper die 31 and the lower die 32 may be configured to be slidable on the upper rail portion 644 and the lower rail portion 6513 without providing these rollers 644a, 6513a. For example, the dies 31, 32 may be made slidable by forming the surfaces of the rail portions 644, 6513 that come into contact with the dies 31, 32 from a resin material with excellent sliding properties.

[0170] (e) In the above embodiment, the stopper 646 is configured to restrict the sliding movement of the upper mold 31 by contacting the pin portion 31a, but it may also be configured to restrict the sliding movement of the upper mold 31 by contacting a portion of the upper mold 31 other than the pin portion 31a.

[0171] (f) In this embodiment, the mold cart 50 is used for the sealing device 13, but the use of the mold cart 50 is not limited to the sealing device 13. The mold cart 50 can be used for general machines that perform various processing steps using an upper and lower molds. [Explanation of symbols]

[0172] 13...sealing device (machine), 31...upper die, 31a...pin portion, 32...lower die, 62a...recess forming portion (inverted upper die movement restricting means), 64...upper die holder, 66...rotating mechanism, 75...rear caster, 76...rear swivel lock portion (rear swivel lock means), 77...front caster, 78...front swivel lock portion (front swivel lock means), 79...front rotation lock portion (front rotation lock means), 80...height adjustment unit (height adjustment portion), 641...upper die side guide portion (side guide portion), 643...upper surface support portion , 644...upper rail portion (rail portion), 644a...upper die roller (roller), 645...upper die receiving portion (receiving portion), 646...stopper, 646a...operated portion, 646c...stopper main body, 646d...plunger, 646d1...ball portion, 646d2...plunger main body, 651...lower die support portion, 652...lower die movement regulating portion, 661...gear, 662...worm, 752...rear wheel support portion (wheel support portion), 761...lock plate, 764...remote control pedal, 6513...lower rail portion, CL...holder rotation axis.

Claims

1. A mold cart capable of transporting at least the upper mold among an upper mold and a lower mold that are detachable from a machine, an upper die holder for holding the upper die, The upper die holder is a pair of rail sections which, in a predetermined initial state, extend horizontally from a rear side to be disposed on the machine side when the upper die is transferred between the machine and the machine toward a front side opposite the rear side, and which can support the upper die in a slidable state; an upper surface support portion provided at a position where the upper mold supported by the rail portion is sandwiched between the upper surface support portion and the rail portion in the initial state; a pair of side guide portions provided corresponding to side surfaces of the upper mold and configured to guide sliding movement of the upper mold on the rail portion; a receiving portion that can restrict further sliding movement of the upper die from the rear side to the front side by contacting the upper die when the upper die slides on the rail portion from the rear side to the front side; a stopper capable of switching between a restricted state in which the upper die is restricted from sliding from the front side to the back side by contacting the upper die, and a restricted release state in which the upper die is permitted to slide from the front side to the back side; The upper mold holder is configured to be rotatable at least 90° from the initial state in a direction such that the front side is downward, around a horizontal holder rotation axis perpendicular to the extension direction of the rail portion, while the maximum rotation angle is 180° or less, and rotation in a direction such that the rear side is downward from the initial state is restricted.

2. A lower die support portion capable of supporting the lower die; The mold cart described in claim 1, characterized in that it is equipped with a height adjustment unit that can move the upper mold holder and the lower mold support part up and down in unison while maintaining the relative positional relationship between the upper mold holder and the lower mold support part.

3. The lower die support portion is A pair of lower rail portions extending horizontally from the rear side to the front side and supporting the lower mold in a slidable state; The mold cart described in claim 2, characterized in that it has a lower mold movement regulating section that can switch between a state in which it regulates the sliding movement of the lower mold on the lower rail portion and a state in which it allows the sliding movement of the lower mold on the lower rail portion by emerging and retracting toward the lower mold supported by the lower rail portion.

4. A plurality of front casters disposed on the front side and capable of swiveling and rotating; A plurality of rear casters arranged on the rear side and capable of swiveling and rotating; a front side swivel locking means capable of locking the swivel of the front side caster; a front side rotation locking means capable of locking the rotation of the front side caster; 2. The mold cart according to claim 1, further comprising a rear side swivel locking means capable of locking the swivel of the rear side casters.

5. The rear caster has a pair of wheel support parts that rotatably support the wheels, The rear side rotation lock means is A lock plate extending from the back side to the front side and reciprocating along the longitudinal direction; a remote control pedal provided at a front end of the lock plate, The mold cart according to claim 4, characterized in that, by operating the remote control pedal, the state can be switched between a state in which the locking plate is positioned between the pair of wheel support parts to lock the rotation of the rear caster, and a state in which the locking plate is removed from between the pair of wheel support parts to unlock the rotation of the rear caster.

6. The upper die holder is configured to be rotatable 180° from the initial state in a direction in which the front side is downward, The mold cart according to claim 1, further comprising an inverted upper mold movement restricting means provided separately from the stopper and capable of restricting movement of the upper mold held by the upper mold holder from the front side to the rear side when the upper mold holder is rotated 180 degrees from the initial state.

7. A rotating mechanism for rotating the upper holder is provided, The rotation mechanism includes: a gear that is rotatable about a rotation axis parallel to the holder rotation axis and that is configured to rotate the upper mold holder in association with the rotation of the gear; a worm meshed with the gear; 2. The mold carriage according to claim 1, wherein the gear is adapted to rotate by rotating the worm.

8. The stopper is an operated portion that protrudes from the upper surface support portion toward an opposite side to the rail portion and is reciprocally movable in a direction intersecting a sliding direction of the upper mold; a stopper body connected to the operated portion and capable of switching between a state in which the stopper body is positioned on the movement path of the upper die and a state in which the stopper body is retracted from the movement path as the operated portion reciprocates; The mold cart according to claim 1, characterized in that the restricted state is achieved by moving the operated part to position the stopper body on the movement path, and the unrestricted state is achieved by moving the operated part to move the stopper body away from the movement path.

9. The upper die is provided with a pin portion protruding from an upper surface thereof, The stopper body has a plunger having a ball portion at a tip thereof biased to protrude from a plunger body that holds the ball portion, When the upper die is in contact with the receiving portion and in the restricted state, the ball portion is in contact with the pin portion, thereby restricting the movement of the stopper, The mold cart described in claim 8, characterized in that when the operated portion is moved to switch from the restricted state to the unrestricted state while the upper mold is in contact with the receiving portion, the ball portion moves while reducing the amount of protrusion relative to the plunger body as it comes into contact with the pin portion, and finally passes through the pin portion.

10. The mold cart described in claim 1, characterized in that the rail portion has an outer peripheral surface on which the upper mold can be placed, and has a plurality of rollers along the extension direction of the rail portion that can rotate around a rotation axis perpendicular to the extension direction of the rail portion.

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