Support mechanism

Abstract

To provide a support mechanism which can securely support a workpiece having an arbitrarily sized hole.SOLUTION: A support mechanism 1A includes: a guide member 13; support mediums 12a, 12b, 12c; and a plate spring 11A formed by an elastic body. The support mediums 12a, 12b, 12c are disposed between an inner peripheral surface of a hole part included in an object to be supported and an outer peripheral surface of the guide member 13 and support the object. The plate spring 11A biases the support mediums 12a, 12b, 12c in a direction from the inner peripheral surface of the object to the outer peripheral surface of the guide member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a support mechanism.

Background Art

[0002] As a technique for supporting a workpiece having a hole, for example, a cylindrical workpiece from the inner surface, there is a chuck device that supports the workpiece from the inner surface by compressing an elastic annular body such as an O-ring in the axial direction of the cylinder to deform it flat and expanding the inner diameter while expanding it (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] The inner diameter of the workpiece that can be supported by this chuck device is determined by the shape of the annular member in which the elastic annular body is installed in the workpiece, the elastic force of the elastic annular body, and the magnitude of the force applied in the axial direction of the cylinder to the elastic annular body. Since this annular member is formed of a rigid body in a pre-designed shape, the inner diameter of the workpiece that can be supported by this chuck device can be changed only within the range of deformation due to the elastic force of the elastic annular body when a force is applied in the axial direction of the cylinder.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, there has been a problem that the inner diameter of the workpiece can be changed by only about several millimeters only within the range of change due to the elastic force of this elastic annular body, and the shape of the workpiece that can be supported is greatly limited.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a support mechanism capable of firmly supporting a workpiece having a hole of any size.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The support mechanism according to the present disclosure includes a guide member, at least three supports disposed between the inner peripheral surface of a hole of an object to be supported and the outer peripheral surface of the guide member for supporting the object, and an elastic body for biasing the supports in a direction from the inner peripheral surface toward the outer peripheral surface.

[0008] A part of the outer peripheral surface may be a tapered surface inclined along the central axis of the guide member.

[0009] Further, the supports may be arranged in different directions when viewed from a predetermined position on the central axis of the guide member.

[0010] Further, when the position of the support is projected onto a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the guide member, the support may be arranged such that the position of the central axis is arranged inside a polygon drawn by the projected position of the support.

[0011] Further, the supports may be arranged at different positions in the axial direction of the guide member.

[0012] Further, the elastic body may be constituted by a leaf spring.

[0013] Further, the leaf spring may be arranged along the outer peripheral surface.

[0014] Further, the supports may be fixed to the same leaf spring.

[0015] Further, the support may be constituted by a rigid body.

[0016] Further, at least one of the supports may be constituted by a wheel.

[0017] Further, it may further include a support rod, and the guide member may be slidable along the support rod.

[0018] Also, when supporting the object, the support may be fixed between the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface by the pressing force from the guide member, and the position of the object with respect to the guide member may be fixed.

Advantages of the Invention

[0019] According to the support mechanism of the present disclosure, an object having a hole of any size can be firmly supported.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] A support mechanism for supporting a cylindrical workpiece W, which is an object to be supported, from the inside will be described with reference to the drawings. The cylindrical workpiece W has a hole Wa on the inside.

[0022] 〈First Embodiment〉 FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a support mechanism 1A according to the first embodiment. The support mechanism 1A includes a leaf spring 11A made of an elastic body, three supports 12a, 12b, and 12c installed on the leaf spring 11A, a guide member 13, and a support rod 14. The supports 12a, 12b, and 12c are fixed to the same leaf spring 11A.

[0023] In this embodiment, the three supports 12a, 12b, and 12c have the same shape, for example, an ellipsoidal shape. Hereinafter, when not specifying which of the supports 12a, 12b, and 12c it is, it will be described as the support 12.

[0024] In this embodiment, the leaf spring 11A is formed by curving the two opposite short sides of a long plate so as to approach each other.

[0025] FIG. 2 is a view of the leaf spring 11A and the support 12 installed on the leaf spring 11A as seen from the side. The support 12 is composed of a rigid body having a predetermined height and is installed so that at least a part of it protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the curved leaf spring 11A. "Composed of a rigid body" means that when the support 12 is fixed by pressing from the guide member 13 between the inner peripheral surface of the hole Wa of the workpiece W and the outer peripheral surface of the guide member 13 as described later, the support 12 is composed of a member that is difficult to deform. More specifically, the support 12 is composed of a member that does not deform within the range of accuracy for positioning the workpiece W with respect to the support mechanism 1A. Let the height of the support 12 in the direction perpendicular to the tangent 11a of the outer peripheral surface of the leaf spring 11A (hereinafter referred to as the "support height") be d1.

[0026] The inner diameter of the curved leaf spring 11A is sufficiently smaller than the inner diameter of the work W, and the leaf spring 11A is configured to be insertable into the hole Wa in alignment with the axial direction of the work W with the supports 12a, 12b, and 12c installed. The leaf spring 11A biases the supports 12a, 12b, and 12c in a direction toward the inside of the curve.

[0027] In this embodiment, the case where three supports are installed on the leaf spring 11A will be described, but the number of supports is not limited to this, and any number may be used as long as it is three or more. The installation positions of the supports 12a, 12b, and 12c on the leaf spring 11A will be described later.

[0028] Also, in this embodiment, the case where the supports 12a, 12b, and 12c have the same shape will be described, but this is not a limitation, and they may have different shapes.

[0029] The guide member 13 has a frustum shape, and a part of the outer peripheral surface is formed by a tapered surface 13b inclined along the central axis 13a of the frustum. By forming a part of the outer peripheral surface in this way as the tapered surface 13b, both ends of the guide member 13 have different diameters. The end with the smaller diameter of the guide member 13 is defined as the first end 13c, and the end with the larger diameter is defined as the second end 13d.

[0030] The guide member 13 is formed such that the diameter of the first end 13c is smaller than the inner diameter of the leaf spring 11A. Also, the guide member 13 is formed such that the diameter of the second end 13d is larger than, equal to, or slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the work W. When the diameter of the second end 13d is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the work W, the guide member 13 is formed such that the difference between the inner diameter of the work W and the diameter of the second end 13d of the guide member 13 is smaller than twice the support height d1.

[0031] The guide member 13 has a through hole 13e penetrating from the first end portion 13c to the second end portion 13d. The through hole 13e may be formed in the same direction as the central axis 13a, or may be formed at a position and in a direction deviated from the central axis 13a. The support rod 14 has a shape that can be inserted into the through hole 13e.

[0032] When supporting the workpiece W using the support mechanism 1A, align the axial direction of the workpiece W and the support rod 14, insert the support rod 14 into the hole portion Wa of the workpiece W, and then move the leaf spring 11A to the support target position within the hole portion Wa while passing the support rod 14 through the inner side of the curvature of the leaf spring 11A. Then, insert the support rod 14 into the through hole 13e of the guide member 13 from the first end portion 13c side, and slide the guide member 13 along the support rod 14 and insert it into the workpiece W.

[0033] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view when the support mechanism 1A is inserted into the workpiece W and axially cut including the support rod 14 and the support body 12c. The X-X cross-sectional view when the guide member 13 is in the position shown by the solid line is shown in FIG. 4(a). At this time, the support body 12c is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the workpiece W, and the support bodies 12a and 12b are separated from the inner peripheral surface of the workpiece W.

[0034] Next, slide the guide member 13 in the direction from the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 3 to the position shown by the two-dot chain line, that is, in the direction in which the inner diameter of the guide member 13 increases with respect to the leaf spring 11A and the support body 12. When the guide member 13 is moved in this way, the distance from a predetermined position on the central axis of the guide member 13 to the predetermined positions of the support bodies 12a, 12b, and 12c respectively becomes longer compared to before the movement. Here, the predetermined position on the central axis of the guide member 13 is an arbitrary point within the central axis of the guide member 13. Also, the predetermined positions of the support bodies 12a, 12b, and 12c respectively are arbitrary points within the support bodies 12a, 12b, and 12c respectively.

[0035] When the distances from a predetermined position on the central axis of the guide member 13 to the predetermined positions of the supports 12a, 12b, and 12c are changed and all of the supports 12a, 12b, and 12c come into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the work W, the outer peripheral surface of the guide member 13 presses the leaf spring 11A from the inside toward the outside. Then, the leaf spring 11A expands and the leaf spring 11A and the supports 12a, 12b, and 12c move, and the supports 12a, 12b, and 12c are fixed between the inner peripheral surface of the hole Wa of the work W and the outer peripheral surface of the guide member 13.

[0036] When the supports 12a, 12b, and 12c are fixed in this way, the supports 12a, 12b, and 12c press the inner peripheral surface of the work W, and the work W is supported. The X-X cross-sectional view when the guide member 13 is in the position indicated by the two-dot chain line is shown in FIG. 4(b). At this time, the leaf spring 11A biases the supports 12a, 12b, and 12c in the inner direction from the inner peripheral surface of the work W toward the outer peripheral surface of the guide member 13.

[0037] When removing the support mechanism 1A from the work W, it is removed from the work W in the reverse order, that is, in the order of the guide member 13, the leaf spring 11A, and the support rod 14. At this time, since the leaf spring 11A biases in the inner direction, the leaf spring 11A can be smoothly removed after removing the guide member 13.

[0038] The arrangement positions of the supports 12a, 12b, and 12c in the leaf spring 11A will be described with reference to FIG. 4(b). The outlines of the respective members in FIG. 4(b) are equal to the figure drawn when projecting the positions of the supports 12a, 12b, and 12c onto a plane perpendicular to the central axis Q of the guide member 13 when the work W is supported by the support mechanism 1A. The supports 12a, 12b, and 12c are arranged so that the contact points P1, P2, and P3 where the respective supports 12a, 12b, and 12c in the figure projected in this way contact the inner peripheral surface of the work W are in different directions when viewed from the central axis Q of the guide member 13.

[0039] More preferably, the support members 12a, 12b, and 12c are arranged such that the central axis Q of the guide member 13 is disposed inside the triangle R drawn by the contact points P1, P2, and P3. By arranging the support members 12a, 12b, and 12c in this manner, the support mechanism 1A can stably and firmly support the workpiece W.

[0040] Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the guide member 13 may have grooves 13f, 13g, and 13h that support and guide the movement of the support members 12a, 12b, and 12c when inserted inside the leaf spring 11A.

[0041] By having these grooves 13f, 13g, and 13h, when the guide member 13 is inserted into the leaf spring 11A, the support members 12a, 12b, and 12c can be stably slid while being supported.

[0042] Also, by forming all of the plurality of support members 12 in the same shape as described in the present embodiment, the central axis of the guide member 13 when the support mechanism 1A supports the workpiece W can be fixed at the position of the central axis of the workpiece W. On the other hand, by making the shapes of the plurality of support members 12 different, it is also possible to intentionally shift the position of the central axis of the guide member 13 when the support mechanism 1A supports the workpiece W from the position of the central axis of the workpiece W.

[0043] Further, at least any one of the support members 12a, 12b, or 12c in the support mechanism 1A according to the present embodiment may be configured as a wheel that rotates in the axial direction of the leaf spring 11A. With this configuration, by inserting the leaf spring 11A into the hole Wa of the workpiece W and bringing the wheel into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the workpiece W and rotating it, the leaf spring 11A can be easily moved into the workpiece W. The support members 12a, 12b, and 12c including the wheels press the inner peripheral surface of the workpiece W to support the workpiece W.

[0044] <Second Embodiment> FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the support mechanism 1B according to the second embodiment. The support mechanism 1B includes a leaf spring 11B made of an elastic body, four supports 12d, 12e, 12f, and 12g installed on the leaf spring 11B, a guide member 13, and a support rod 14.

[0045] In this embodiment, the leaf spring 11B is made of a pipe-shaped elastic body. The leaf spring 11B has a gap in the major axis direction of the pipe shape.

[0046] The supports 12d and 12e are made of rigid bodies having a predetermined height and are arranged along the outer peripheral surface of the curved leaf spring 11B. The support 12d and the support 12e may be installed on the same cross section perpendicular to the axial direction of the leaf spring 11B, or may be arranged at positions not on this same cross section, that is, at different positions in the axial direction of the leaf spring 11B. The shape of the support 12d and the shape of the support 12e may be the same or different.

[0047] The supports 12f and 12g are composed of wheels and are installed so as to rotate in the axial direction of the leaf spring 11B. The support 12f and the support 12g may be installed at different positions on the same straight line in the same direction as the axis of the leaf spring 11B, or may be installed at different positions on the leaf spring 11B not on this straight line. In this embodiment, the case where the support 12f and the support 12g are installed at different positions on the same straight line in the same direction as the axis of the leaf spring 11B will be described. The shape of the support 12f and the shape of the support 12g may be the same or different.

[0048] The inner diameter of the curved leaf spring 11B is smaller than the inner diameter of the workpiece W, and the leaf spring 11B is configured to be insertable into the hole portion Wa with the axial direction aligned with the workpiece W in a state where the supports 12d, 12e, 12f, and 12g are installed. The leaf spring 11B biases the supports 12d, 12e, 12f, and 12g in the direction toward the inside of the curve.

[0049] Since the guide member 13 and the support rod 14 have the same configuration as in the case of the first embodiment, detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0050] When supporting the work W using the support mechanism 1B, align the axial direction of the work W and the support rod 14, insert the support rod 14 into the hole Wa of the work W, and then move the leaf spring 11B to the support target position within the hole Wa while passing the support rod 14 through the inside of the curvature of the leaf spring 11B.

[0051] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view when the support mechanism 1B is inserted into the work W and cut axially of the work W including the support rod 14 and the supports 12f and 12g. When moving the leaf spring 11B into the hole Wa of the work W, as shown in FIG. 7, by bringing the wheels of the supports 12f and 12g into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the work W and rotating them, the leaf spring 11B can be easily moved into the hole Wa of the work W.

[0052] Then, insert the support rod 14 into the through-hole 13e of the guide member 13 from the first end portion 13c side, slide the guide member 13 along the support rod 14, and insert it into the hole Wa of the work W. When the guide member 13 and the leaf spring 11B are integrally formed, after inserting the guide member 13 into the hole Wa of the work W, the positions of the leaf spring 11B and the guide member 13 may be adjusted by rotating the wheels of the supports 12f and 12g. In the present embodiment, the length of the support rod 14 may be formed in accordance with the stroke length of the guide member 13.

[0053] When the guide member 13 is slid and inserted into the hole Wa of the work W, the outer peripheral surface of the guide member 13 presses the leaf spring 11B from the inside to the outside, and the leaf spring 11B expands. When the leaf spring 11B expands, the supports 12d and 12e also come into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the work W, and the supports 12d, 12e, 12f, and 12g press the inner peripheral surface of the work W, and the work W is supported.

[0054] In this embodiment, the supports 12d, 12e, and 12f (12g) are arranged in different directions when viewed from a predetermined position on the central axis Q of the guide member 13. For example, when the supports 12d, 12e, and 12f (12g) support the work W by the support mechanism 1B, similar to the supports 12a, 12b, and 12c in FIG. 4(b), in a view drawn by projecting onto a plane perpendicular to the central axis Q, the contact points where each support 12 contacts the inner peripheral surface of the work W are arranged in different directions when viewed from the central axis Q of the guide member 13.

[0055] Also, the supports 12d, 12e, and 12f (12g) are arranged such that the central axis Q of the guide member 13 is disposed inside the triangle formed by each contact point. By arranging the supports 12d, 12e, and 12f (12g) in this manner, the support mechanism 1B can stably and firmly support the work W.

[0056] <Third Embodiment> FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a support mechanism 1C according to the third embodiment. The support mechanism 1C includes a plurality of leaf springs 11C, 11D, and 11E made of an elastic body, a support 12h installed on the leaf spring 11C, a support 12i installed on the leaf spring 11D, a support 12j installed on the leaf spring 11E, a guide member 13, and a support rod 14.

[0057] In this embodiment, the leaf springs 11C, 11D, and 11E are formed by curving a long plate so as to bring two opposite short sides closer to each other, and are interconnected by a connecting member 11F in a state of being arranged in the axial direction.

[0058] The supports 12h, 12i, and 12j are made of rigid bodies having a predetermined height and are arranged such that at least a part of each of them protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the curved leaf springs 11C, 11D, and 11E.

[0059] The inner diameters of the curved leaf springs 11C, 11D, and 11E are smaller than the inner diameter of the workpiece W, and the leaf springs 11C, 11D, and 11E are configured to be insertable into the hole Wa of the workpiece W in the axial direction with the supports 12h, 12i, and 12j installed. The leaf springs 11C, 11D, and 11E bias the supports 12h, 12i, and 12j in the direction toward the inside of the curvature, respectively.

[0060] Since the guide member 13 and the support bar 14 have the same configuration as in the first embodiment, detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0061] When supporting the workpiece W using the support mechanism 1C, after aligning the axial directions of the workpiece W and the support bar 14 and inserting the support bar 14 into the hole Wa of the workpiece W, the leaf springs 11C, 11D, and 11E are moved to the support target positions within the hole Wa while passing the support bar 14 through the inside of the curvature of the leaf springs 11C, 11D, and 11E.

[0062] When the guide member 13 is slid and inserted into the hole Wa of the workpiece W, the outer peripheral surface of the guide member 13 presses the leaf springs 11C, 11D, and 11E from the inside to the outside, and the leaf springs 11C, 11D, and 11E expand. When the leaf springs 11C, 11D, and 11E expand, the supports 12h, 12i, and 12j contact the inner peripheral surface of the workpiece W and press the inner peripheral surface of the workpiece W, and the workpiece W is supported.

[0063] The supports 12h, 12i, and 12j are installed in different directions when viewed from the central axis Q of the guide member 13 when the workpiece W is supported by the support mechanism 1C, similar to the supports 12a, 12b, and 12c in FIG. 4(b). That is, when the workpiece W is supported by the support mechanism 1C, in the figure drawn by projecting onto the plane perpendicular to the central axis Q, the contact points where each support 12 contacts the inner peripheral surface of the workpiece W are arranged in different directions when viewed from the central axis Q of the guide member 13.

[0064] Further, the supports 12h, 12i, and 12j are arranged such that the central axis Q of the guide member 13 is disposed inside the triangle drawn by each contact point. By arranging the supports 12h, 12i, and 12j in this manner, the support mechanism 1C can stably and firmly support the workpiece W.

[0065] Further, at least one of the supports 12h, 12i, or 12j in the support mechanism 1C according to the present embodiment may be configured as a wheel that rotates in the axial direction of the leaf spring 11C. With this configuration, by inserting the leaf spring 11C into the hole Wa of the workpiece W and rotating the wheel while bringing it into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the workpiece W, the leaf spring 11C can be easily moved into the workpiece W. The supports 12h, 12i, and 12j including the wheels support the workpiece W by pressing the inner peripheral surface of the workpiece W.

[0066] [Advantages of the Embodiment] As described in detail above, the support mechanism according to the present disclosure includes a guide member, at least three supports, and an elastic body. The supports are disposed between the inner peripheral surface of the hole of the object to be supported and the outer peripheral surface of the guide member. The elastic body biases the support in a direction from the inner peripheral surface of the hole of the object toward the outer peripheral surface of the guide member.

[0067] Thereby, an object having a hole of any size can be firmly supported. The at least three supports provided in the support mechanism support the object to be supported at at least three points, and can firmly support the object while positioning it. Further, since the elastic body has an elastic force that pulls the support back in a direction perpendicular to the central axis of the guide member, the attachment and detachment of the workpiece in the central axis direction can be performed smoothly.

[0068] In addition, in the present disclosure, a part of the outer peripheral surface of the guide member may be formed as a tapered surface inclined along the central axis of the guide member. By forming the guide member in this way, when the guide member is slid along the central axis into the elastic body installed in the hole of the object, the relative position of the support with respect to the guide member, that is, the distance from the central axis of the guide member to the support can be changed. Since the distance from the central axis of the guide member to the support can be changed, the support mechanism can easily support an object having a hole with an arbitrary inner diameter. The guide member having a tapered surface applies a force from the inside to the outside of the curved elastic body, so the degree of its deformation is large, and it can be supported using the same support mechanism even for workpieces with an inner diameter difference of several tens of millimeters.

[0069] In addition, in the present disclosure, the supports may be arranged in different directions when viewed from the central axis of the guide member. By arranging the supports in this way, the object to be supported can be stably and firmly supported.

[0070] In addition, in the present disclosure, when the position of the support is projected onto a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the guide member, the support may be arranged such that the position of the central axis is arranged inside the polygon drawn by the position of the projected support. By arranging the supports in this way, the object to be supported can be further stably and firmly supported.

[0071] In addition, in the present disclosure, the supports may be arranged at different positions in the central axis direction of the guide member. By arranging the supports in this way, the support mechanism can be stably installed inside the hole of the object to be supported.

[0072] In addition, in the present disclosure, the elastic body may be composed of a leaf spring. As a result, there is no need to provide a linear spring or an air cylinder for pulling the support back inward, and while forming the support mechanism in a small size, a force for pulling the support back inward can be stably provided.

[0073] In addition, in the present disclosure, the leaf spring may be arranged along the outer peripheral surface of the guide member. Thereby, the support body can be pressed against the object to be supported according to the shape of the guide member.

[0074] In addition, in the present disclosure, the support body may be fixed to the same leaf spring. Thereby, a support mechanism can be formed with a simple structure.

[0075] In addition, in the present disclosure, the support body may be composed of a rigid body. Thereby, the support body can firmly support the object to be supported.

[0076] In addition, in the present disclosure, at least one of the support bodies may be constituted by a wheel. Thereby, the elastic body provided with the support body can be easily slid within the hole portion of the object to be supported.

[0077] In addition, in the present disclosure, the support mechanism may further include a support rod, and the guide member may be configured to be slidable along the support rod. Thereby, the guide member can be easily and accurately slid within the hole portion of the object to be supported.

[0078] In addition, in the present disclosure, when the support mechanism supports an object, the support body may be fixed between the outer peripheral surface of the guide member and the inner peripheral surface of the hole portion of the object by the pressing force from the guide member, and the position of the object with respect to the guide member may be fixed. Thereby, an object having a hole portion of an arbitrary shape can be firmly supported.

[0079] Although some embodiments have been described, it is possible to modify or deform the embodiments based on the above disclosure. All the components of the above embodiments and all the features described in the claims may be individually extracted and combined as long as they do not conflict with each other.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0080] 1A, 1B, 1C Support mechanism 11A, 11B, 11C, 11D, 11E Leaf spring 11F connecting member 12, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, 12e, 12f, 12g, 12h, 12i, 12j support 13 guide member 13a central axis 13b tapered surface 13c first end 13d second end 13e through hole 13f, 13g, 13h groove 14 support rod

Claims

1. A guide member, At least three supports disposed between the inner peripheral surface of a hole of an object to be supported and the outer peripheral surface of the guide member, for supporting the object, An elastic body that biases the support in a direction from the inner peripheral surface toward the outer peripheral surface, A support mechanism comprising the above.

2. A part of the outer peripheral surface is a tapered surface inclined along the central axis of the guide member, The support mechanism according to Claim 1.

3. The support is disposed in different directions when viewed from a predetermined position on the central axis of the guide member, the support mechanism according to Claim 1.

4. When the position of the support is projected onto a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the guide member, the support is arranged such that the position of the central axis is disposed inside a polygon drawn by the projected positions of the supports, the support mechanism according to Claim 1.

5. The support is disposed at different positions in the central axis direction of the guide member, the support mechanism according to Claim 1.

6. The elastic body is a leaf spring, the support mechanism according to Claim 1.

7. The leaf spring is disposed along the outer peripheral surface, the support mechanism according to Claim 6.

8. The support is fixed to the same leaf spring, the support mechanism according to Claim 7.

9. The support is composed of a rigid body, the support mechanism according to Claim 1.

10. At least one of the supports is constituted by a wheel, the support mechanism according to Claim 1.

11. Further comprising a support rod, The guide member is slidable along the support rod, the support mechanism according to Claim 1.

12. When supporting the object, the support is fixed between the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface by pressing from the guide member, and the position of the object with respect to the guide member is fixed, the support mechanism according to any one of Claims 1 to 11.

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