Balancer

Abstract

To provide a balancer with lighter and easily handled.SOLUTION: A balancer 1 comprises a strut 10 extending upward from a base b, a supporting body 20 capable of moving vertically due to a hydrostatic pressure P with respect to the strut 10, an equal ratio expansion / contraction mechanism 40, and a movement restraint member 60. The equal ratio expansion / contraction mechanism is supported by the supporting body 20, the central fulcrum 42 of the equal ratio expansion / contraction mechanism 40 is rotatably supported around the horizontal axis by the supporting body, and the equal ratio expansion / contraction mechanism 40 suspends an object W at one end point 48 among both ends 44, 48 of the equal ratio expansion / contraction mechanism 40; one end 62 of the movement restraint member is connected to the other end point 44 among both ends 44, 48 of the equal ratio expansion / contraction mechanism 40, the other end 64 of the equal ratio expansion / contraction mechanism is constrained in the vertical direction, extends vertically, and does not expand / contract in the axial direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a balancer, and more particularly to a balancer that is lightweight and easy to handle. [Background technology]

[0002] Load balancers (simply referred to as "balancers" in this document) have been known as transport tools for transporting heavy objects with high positioning accuracy. For example, the balancer disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1 has a drive unit that can rotate around a vertical axis on a support, and a load is suspended from the drive unit by an arm using a parallel link mechanism. The length between two opposing supports of the parallel links is adjusted with an air cylinder to support the load.

[0003] In addition, the balancer disclosed in Non-Patent Document 2 has a drive unit that can rotate around a vertical axis on a support, and a load is suspended from the drive unit by an arm that uses a parallel link mechanism. One of the parallel links is pulled diagonally from the drive unit by an air cylinder, adjusting the angle of the parallel link relative to the drive unit to support the load. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0004] [Non-Patent Document 1] URL:https: / / premium.ipros.jp / piotec / product / detail / 2000113824 / [Non-Patent Document 2] URL:https: / / www.toyokoken.co.jp / products / detail_balancer.php?id=27P5MLK Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the balancer disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1 and the balancer disclosed in Non-Patent Document 2, the load supported by the link mechanism is balanced by an air cylinder, and a counterweight is attached to the drive unit on the support pillar. This tends to make the balancer itself large, and it is necessary to use an appropriate counterweight depending on the load to be supported, so there is a demand for further weight reduction and ease of use.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a balancer that is lighter and easier to handle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the balancer 1 according to the first aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, for example, comprises a support 10 extending upward from a base b, a support 20 movable up and down relative to the support 10 by fluid pressure P, and a equal-ratio expansion mechanism 40 supported by the support 20, wherein a central fulcrum 42 of the equal-ratio expansion mechanism 40 is supported by the support 20 so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis, and an object W is suspended from one end point 48 of both ends 44, 48 of the equal-ratio expansion mechanism 40, and a motion restraining member 60 having one end 62 connected to the other end point 44 of the equal-ratio expansion mechanism 40 and the other end 64 restrained in the up and down direction, extending vertically and not expanding or contracting in the axial direction.

[0008] With this configuration, a load is suspended from one end of the equal-ratio expansion mechanism, the other end is restrained in the up-down direction by a motion restraining member, and the load is supported by the support between them so that it can move up and down, so the suspended object can be moved up and down by moving the support up and down. In other words, since all that is required is to move the support up and down, the balancer has a simple structure and is lightweight and easy to handle.

[0009] In the balancer 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Fig. 1, the fluid pressure P is the pressure of the fluid F filled inside the support 10. With this configuration, the fluid filled inside the support can provide the fluid pressure to move the support up and down, so the support functions as a cylinder, resulting in a simple and lightweight structure.

[0010] 1, the movement constraint member is a wire 60 or a link that connects the other end point 44 and a fixed point 64 fixed to the base b or the support 10. With this configuration, the movement constraint member is a wire or a link that connects the other end point and the fixed point, resulting in a simple and lightweight structure.

[0011] 2 and 4, the balancer 2 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention further includes a movable base 70 having horizontally extending support legs 72 and equipped with casters 76. With this configuration, the movable base has horizontally extending support legs, making it stable on the foundation, and is equipped with casters, making it movable and easy to use.

[0012] 2, the balancer 2 according to the fifth aspect of the present invention includes an equal-ratio expansion mechanism rotation element 30 that allows the equal-ratio expansion mechanism 40 to rotate about a vertical axis relative to the support 20. With this configuration, the equal-ratio expansion mechanism can be rotated about the vertical axis by the equal-ratio expansion mechanism rotation element, so that the object can be easily moved.

[0013] In addition, in the balancer 3 according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Fig. 6, for example, the motion restraining member is formed of a link 66, and has a stopper 80 that restrains the rotational motion of the link 66 relative to the support 10. With this configuration, the rotation of the equal-ratio telescopic mechanism relative to the support is restrained, so that even an object is prevented from rotating unintentionally, and safety is improved.

[0014] 7, for example, in the balancer 4 according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the support 10 is rotatable about a vertical axis relative to the base 70, and the fixed point 64 to which the motion restraining member 60 is fixed rotates together with the support 10. With this configuration, the equal-ratio expansion and contraction mechanism rotates by rotating the support, making it possible to easily move the object.

[0015] In the balancers 1, 2 (2'), 3, and 4 according to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the equal ratio expansion mechanism is a pantograph mechanism 40, as shown in Fig. 1 for example. With this configuration, the pantograph mechanism is used as the equal ratio expansion mechanism, resulting in a simple and lightweight structure. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, a load is suspended from one end of the equal-ratio expansion mechanism, the other end is restrained in the vertical direction by a motion restraining member, and the load is supported by a support between them so that it can move up and down, so that the suspended load can be moved up and down by moving the support up and down. Therefore, it is possible to provide a lightweight, easy-to-use balancer with a simple structure that only requires moving the support up and down. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a basic configuration of a balancer for explaining the principle of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a balancer according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of a state in which the balancer shown in FIG. 2 is used. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a balancer according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of a state in which the balancer shown in FIG. 4 is used. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a front view showing an example of a balancer having a stopper that restricts the rotational motion of the motion restricting member relative to the support pillar. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a front view showing an example of a balancer in which the fixed point between the support and the motion restraining member rotates. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] First, the basic configuration of a balancer 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The balancer 1 has a support 10 erected on a base b, which is, for example, a floor surface or a flat plate laid on the floor surface. The support 10 is typically formed of a circular tube, but may have other shapes.

[0019] The support 20 is disposed at the upper end of the support 10. The support 20 is disposed inside the support 10 so as to be movable up and down. Typically, the support 20 having a circular cross section is inserted inside the circular tube of the support 10. The outer surface of the support 20 is configured to slide against the inner surface of the support 10, and the support 20 inside the support 10 is filled with a fluid F below the support 20, and the support 20 is pushed up and down like a piston by the fluid pressure of the fluid F. The support 20 protrudes upward from the upper end of the support 10, so that the lower end remains inside the support 10 even when it protrudes, and has a length sufficient to seal the fluid F. For this reason, it is preferable that the support 20 is configured with a closed upper surface and side surface, or may have a columnar structure, but is not limited to these. If the support 10 is configured to function as a cylinder and the support 20 as a piston in this way, there is no need to provide a cylinder and piston in addition to the support 10 and the support 20, and the structure becomes simple and lightweight. In addition, a sealing material such as a piston ring may be provided on the outer surface of the support body 20 to improve the sealing performance with the inner surface of the support 10.

[0020] A pantograph mechanism 40 as a proportional expansion mechanism is placed on the support 20. When it is said to be placed, other objects may be sandwiched between the support 20 and the pantograph mechanism 40. The pantograph mechanism 40 can rotate around a horizontal axis with respect to the support 20 at a fulcrum 42. The pantograph mechanism 40 is composed of a central fulcrum 42 placed on the support 20, a link 52 (left side in FIG. 1) connected to the fulcrum 42, a link 54 connected to the other end of the link 52 at a joint 45 and extending beyond the joint 45 to an end point 44 at the tip, a link 56 connected to the other end of the link 54 at a joint 46 (right side in FIG. 1), and a link 58 connected to a joint 47 between the joint 46 and the end point 48 of the link 56 and having an end point at the fulcrum 42. In the pantograph mechanism 40, an object W is suspended at the end point 48, and the other end point 44 is connected to a motion restraining member 60.

[0021] In the pantograph mechanism 40, the length ratio as shown in FIG. 1(a) is assumed, that is, in the link 54, (length between the joints 45-46): (length between the end point 44 and the joint 45) is a:1, and in the link 56, (length between the end point 48 and the joint 47): (length between the joints 46-47) is a:1. Then, the ratio of the distance between the end point 48 and the fulcrum 42 and the distance between the end point 44 and the fulcrum 42 is also a:1. That is, a force a times the load of the object W acts upward on the end point 44, and a force (1+a) times the load of the object W acts on the support 20, thereby maintaining balance. Here, it is assumed that the weight of the pantograph mechanism 40 and the like is small and can be ignored. However, if the weight of the pantograph mechanism 40 cannot be ignored, a spring may be provided in a part of the pantograph mechanism, for example, between the central fulcrum 42 and the end point 44 at the tip. In this way, the potential energy dissipated when the center of gravity of the pantograph mechanism is lowered can be stored as strain energy of the spring, forming an energy conservation system, and the effect of the vertical movement of the pantograph mechanism 40 due to its own weight can be ignored. In addition, for example, a weight may be provided that moves up and down according to the distance between the central fulcrum 42 and the tip end point 44. When the pantograph mechanism is contracted and its center of gravity moves up, this weight moves down by the distance between the central fulcrum 42 and the tip end point 44, thereby reducing the effect of the overall fluctuation of the center of gravity. Furthermore, the pulling direction of the wire 60 that pulls the pantograph mechanism 62 downward may be tilted toward the support 10 from the vertical downward direction. Specifically, a wire locking part can be provided so that the wire 60 is pulled toward the support from an appropriate position of the support 10, support 20, or rotating support 30 in FIG. 1, and the wire 60 is made to be approximately L-shaped. In this way, the horizontal component force of the wire 60 has the effect of pulling the center of gravity of the pantograph mechanism 40 upward.

[0022] Instead of the pantograph mechanism 40, a geometric expansion mechanism can be used that can change the length while keeping the length ratio between the supports constant. As the geometric expansion mechanism, any known mechanism can be used, such as a mechanism that uses a rack and pinion to slide the axial displacement of two shafts sliding in a guide geometrically, or a mechanism that uses a pulley and wire instead of a rack and pinion to slide geometrically.

[0023] A motion restraining member 60 is connected to the end point 44 of the pantograph mechanism 40. The motion restraining member 60 is a member that has an end point 62 connected to the end point 44 and the other end point fixed in the vertical direction as a fixed point 64, and does not substantially expand or contract in the axial direction. The motion restraining member may be a wire or a link formed of a steel bar or the like, and the material is not particularly limited. The end point 62 of the motion restraining member 60, i.e., the end point 44 of the pantograph mechanism 40, is not strictly restrained from moving in the vertical direction, but moves on a spherical shell centered on the fixed point 64. However, if the length of the motion restraining member 60 is sufficiently long compared to the amount of movement in the horizontal direction, the movement in the vertical direction is substantially restrained.

[0024] In the balancer 1 of the present invention, by moving the support 20 upward, the end point 48 of the pantograph mechanism 40 is moved upward, and the object W is lifted. That is, the support 20 is lowered to position the end point 48 downward, and the object W is suspended, for example, via a hook (not shown) or the like. Then, the support 20 is moved upward to lift the object W, and the object W is transported at a height that makes it easy to move.

[0025] 1(a) and 1(b) show the same balancer 1 in which the angle of the pantograph mechanism 40, which serves as a proportional expansion and contraction mechanism, is changed by changing the vertical position of the support 20. In either case, the ratio of the distance between the end point 48 and the fulcrum 42 to the distance between the end point 44 and the fulcrum 42 is a:1, so that a force a times the load of the object W acts upward on the end point 44, and the force acting on the support 20 is (1+a) times the load of the object W.

[0026] Thus, the balancer 1 of the present invention is a lightweight, easy-to-handle balancer with a simple structure in which the support 20 only moves up and down.

[0027] Next, an embodiment of the balancer 2 will be described with reference to Figs. 2 to 5. The balancer 2 is different from the balancer 1 in that the base 70 has casters 76 between it and the floor surface and is movable, and further, a pair of support legs 72 extend horizontally from the base 70. That is, the balancer 2 is installed on the floor surface by the base 70 and the support legs 72, and maintains stability as the balancer 2. The tip of the support leg 72 (at a position separated from the base 70) may have an adjuster 78 to adjust the distance between the support leg 72 and the floor surface, thereby increasing stability and preventing unintended movement. Note that the adjuster 78 may be provided in addition to the casters 76 of the base 70. Then, a counterweight CW may be placed on the base 70 expanded by the pair of support legs 72. As shown in the figure, by extending the support leg 72 on the opposite side of the support column 10 from which the object W is suspended and placing a counterweight CW on the support leg 72, it is possible to prevent the balancer 2 from tilting due to the load of the object W and even from falling over. Note that the direction in which the support legs 72 extend is not limited to the above, and the support legs 72 may be extended so as to sandwich the support column 10 from which the object W is suspended (FIG. 4). These may be changed as appropriate depending on the application. Also, the number of support legs 20 is not limited to two, and any number of support legs 20 may be provided.

[0028] Furthermore, a rotating support 30 may be provided between the support 20 and the fulcrum 42 of the pantograph mechanism 40 as a rotating element of the equal-ratio expansion and contraction mechanism that rotates about a vertical axis. Even if the inner cross section of the support 20 is circular and the outer cross section of the support 20 is circular, there is resistance to the rotation of the support 20 about its vertical axis in order to maintain sealing properties. The rotating support 30 significantly reduces the resistance of the support 20 about its vertical axis. The rotating support 30 makes it easier for the pantograph mechanism 40 to rotate relative to the support 10, facilitating the movement of the object W. Note that a known structure may be used for the rotating support 30, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 3, the object W is suspended by the balancer 2, and the support 20 is moved upward to raise the object W to a height that is easy for the worker to handle. At that time, the support leg 72 extends on the opposite side of the support 10 from the object W, that is, on the opposite side from the worker's position, so that the support leg 72 and the counterweight CW do not hinder the work. The worker can move the object W in a state of almost weightlessness or perform work on the object W. Also, as shown in FIG. 5, a remote control device e for adjusting the internal pressure of the support 20 may be provided separately. A configuration in which this is operated by the worker is shown as one embodiment of the present invention. If the worker increases the internal pressure by operating the device by hand, the object W can be suspended and moved. Then, the worker moves the object W to a desired position in this state, and then, if the worker decreases the internal pressure by operating the device by hand, the object W can be removed.

[0030] In the balancer 3 shown in FIG. 6, the motion restraining member is composed of a link 66, and a stopper 80 is provided to restrain the rotation of the link 66 relative to the support 10. The stopper 80 is fixed to the support 10, and has a structure surrounding the link 66 as shown in detailed view A in FIG. 6. The stopper 80 and the link 66 may not be connected, and may have a gap. That is, even if the link 66 is surrounded by the stopper 80, it can move in the vertical direction, and movement in the horizontal direction, particularly in the direction of rotation around the support 10, is restrained. The stopper 80 is generally disposed in the upper part of the support 10, but is not limited thereto, and a plurality of stoppers 80 may be provided, shifted in the vertical direction.

[0031] By providing the balancer 3 with the stopper 80, when the object W is to be moved significantly, the pantograph mechanism 40 and the object W are prevented from rotating significantly, and for example, the center of gravity of the balancer 3 and the object W is prevented from moving out of the plane formed by the base 70 and the support legs 72, causing the balance to be lost and the balancer 3 to fall over. Furthermore, when the balancer 3 is moved by the casters 76 while the object W is suspended, the rotation of the link 66 can be restricted by the stopper 80 so that the pantograph mechanism 40 and the object W are located at, for example, the center position of a pair of support legs 72. Furthermore, by restricting the distance from the support 10 to the link 66, for example, the distance between the object W and the support 10 can be limited, thereby increasing stability. For this purpose, it is preferable that the stopper 80 is configured to be fixed to the support 10 by tightening a thumbscrew 82, for example, and to be movable by loosening the thumbscrew 82.

[0032] FIG. 7 shows a balancer 4 as a further modified example. In the balancer 4, the support 10 can rotate around a vertical axis relative to the base 70. Therefore, the rotating support 30 is not provided. In the balancer 4, the fixed point 64 is fixed from the support 10. That is, a fixed member 86 is fixed to the support 10, and the fixed point 64 of the motion restraining member 60 is fixed to the fixed member 86. The motion restraining member 60 may be fixed directly to the support 10, but by configuring it to be fixed via the fixed member 86, the inclination of the motion restraining member 60 with respect to the vertical direction can be reduced, and the error caused by the end point 62 of the motion restraining member 60 or the end point 44 of the pantograph mechanism 40 moving on a spherical shell centered on the fixed point 64 and the vertical movement being restrained can be reduced.

[0033] With the balancer 4, the load of the object W is balanced by the pantograph mechanism 40 and the movement restraining member 60, and the support 10 rotates together with the pantograph mechanism 40, allowing an operator to move the object W in a substantially weightless state or perform work on the object W. Note that in the balancer 4, the movement restraining member 60 may be a wire or a link.

[0034] In the above description, a pantograph mechanism is used as the equal-ratio expansion mechanism, but other equal-ratio expansion mechanisms can be used in the same manner. [Industrial Applicability]

[0035] According to the balancer of the present invention, it is possible to provide a lightweight, easy-to-use balancer with a simple structure that only requires moving the support 20 up and down, thereby reducing the burden on the worker and improving work efficiency and safety. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 1, 2, 3, 4 Balancer 10 pillars 20 Support 30 Rotating support (rotating element of equal ratio expansion mechanism) 40 Pantograph mechanism (equal ratio expansion mechanism) 42 Fulcrum 44, 48 end points 45, 46, 47 Joints 52, 54, 56, 58 Links 60 Motion restraint member (wire) 62 (of a motion restraint member) End point 64 (of a motion-restraining member) fixed point 66 Motion restraint members (link) 70 (Movable) Base 72 Support leg 76 Caster 78 Adjuster 80 Stopper 82 Thumb screw 86 Fixing member b. Base CW Counterweight F fluid P Fluid pressure

Claims

1. A support column extending upward from the base; a support that is movable up and down relative to the support column by fluid pressure; a uniform expansion mechanism supported by the support, the uniform expansion mechanism having a central fulcrum supported by the support so as to be rotatable around a horizontal axis, and an object being suspended from one of both ends of the uniform expansion mechanism; a motion restraining member having one end connected to the other end point of the equal-ratio expansion and contraction mechanism and having the other end restrained in the up-down direction, extending in the vertical direction and not expanding or contracting in the axial direction; Balancer.

2. the fluid pressure being the pressure of a fluid filled inside the strut; The balancer according to claim 1 .

3. The motion restraining member is a wire or link connecting the other end point to a fixed point fixed to the base or the support; The balancer according to claim 1 .

4. The apparatus further includes a movable base having support legs extending horizontally and equipped with casters; 4. The balancer according to claim 3.

5. a constant-ratio expansion mechanism rotation element that allows the constant-ratio expansion mechanism to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the support; A balancer according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The motion restraining member is formed of a link, a stopper for restricting rotational movement of the link relative to the support; A balancer according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. The support is rotatable about a vertical axis relative to the base, a fixed point for fixing the motion restraining member rotates with the support post; A balancer according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

8. The equal ratio expansion mechanism is a pantograph mechanism; A balancer according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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