Torque measuring device and clamp
The torque measurement device addresses the challenge of holding objects of varying sizes by employing clamps with adjustable contact areas and a detachable system, enabling secure holding of diverse objects with a single clamp type.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024041974
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-03-18
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-01
AI Technical Summary
Conventional torque measurement devices are limited in their ability to hold measurement objects of varying sizes, requiring separate clamps for small and large objects or compromising on holding capability when adjusting clamp size.
A torque measurement device with clamps featuring a first contact portion and a second contact portion of different widths, along with a detachable clamp system using a fixed rail and elastic clamp body, allows for versatile object holding by adjusting the contact area based on object size.
The device can securely hold objects of different sizes using a single type of clamp, enhancing versatility and ease of use without the need for clamp replacement.
Smart Images
Figure 2025142548000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a torque measurement device that measures torque acting on a measurement object, and a clamp used in this torque measurement device. [Background technology]
[0002] Conventionally, torque measuring devices have been used to measure the torque required to open a container cap. In this torque measuring device, in order to hold an object to be measured when measuring torque, four clamps 100 formed in a cylindrical shape and extending in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Fig. 7 are used. Specifically, with the object to be measured (a capped container) Pi sandwiched and held by the four clamps 100, the torque is measured when the container cap attached to the object to be measured Pi is opened. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0003] In conventional torque measurement devices, there is a limit to the size of the measurement object Pi that can be held by the clamp 100 shown in Fig. 7. That is, when four clamps 100 are brought into contact with each other as shown in Fig. 7, for a measurement object Pi that is smaller in size than the space S surrounded by the four clamps 100, at least one clamp 100 cannot be brought into contact with the measurement object Pi, and the measurement object Pi cannot be held by the four clamps 100.
[0004] Here, if the outer diameter of clamp 100 is reduced, it becomes easier to hold a small measurement object Pi, but it becomes more difficult to hold a large measurement object Pi by the same amount as the outer diameter of clamp 100 is reduced. Also, it is conceivable to prepare two types of clamp 100 corresponding to small and large measurement objects Pi, respectively, but in this case, the two types of clamp 100 must be replaced every time the measurement object Pi is changed. [Means for solving the problem]
[0005] The first invention of the present application is a torque measurement device for measuring torque acting on a measurement object, which includes a plurality of clamps arranged around the measurement object to hold the measurement object. The clamps have a first contact portion that can contact the measurement object and is formed along a curved surface having a predetermined circumferential width, and a second contact portion that can contact the measurement object and has a width smaller than the circumferential width.
[0006] The first contact portion may be formed of a plurality of protrusions, the second contact portion may be formed of a concave curved surface, and the clamp may be provided with a tapered portion extending from the first contact portion to the second contact portion.
[0007] The torque measuring device may be provided with a fixed rail to which a clamp is detachably attached. Here, the clamp may be composed of a clamp body and a clamp shaft. The clamp body may include a first contact portion and a second contact portion and may be formed of an elastic material. The clamp shaft is fixed to the clamp body and can be inserted into a fixing hole formed in the fixed rail.
[0008] The clamp shaft may be composed of a first shaft portion and a second shaft portion. Here, the first shaft portion is inserted into a through-hole formed in the clamp body, and a portion of the first shaft portion may protrude from the through-hole. The second shaft portion is fixed to the first shaft portion and may be inserted into a fixing hole. The fixing rail may be provided with a guide portion that contacts the first shaft portion protruding from the through-hole to position the clamp. The first shaft portion may be formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the through-hole of the clamp body may be formed in a shape that follows the outer shape of the first shaft portion.
[0009] The torque measuring device may include a screw shaft extending in a predetermined direction and a pair of sliders. The pair of sliders may be engaged with the screw shaft and may be movable toward and away from each other in response to rotation of the screw shaft. A pair of fixed rails may be fixed to each slider along a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction.
[0010] The second invention of the present application is used in a torque measurement device for measuring torque acting on a measurement object, and is a clamp that is arranged around the measurement object to hold the measurement object, and has a first contact portion and a second contact portion. The first contact portion is capable of contacting the measurement object and is formed along a curved surface having a predetermined circumferential width. The second contact portion is capable of contacting the measurement object and has a width smaller than the circumferential width. [Effects of the Invention]
[0011] According to the present invention, the measurement object can be held using one type of clamp regardless of the size of the measurement object. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is an external view of a torque measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the clamp. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a clamp and a fixed rail. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the detailed structure of the clamp. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a large measurement object is held by a clamp. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a small measurement object is held by a clamp. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a clamp used in a conventional torque measurement device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] (Configuration of torque measurement device) The configuration of the torque measurement device of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The torque measurement device 1 is used to measure the torque acting on an object to be measured. For example, while holding an object to be measured that has a cap, the torque can be measured when the cap is opened. Note that the principle of torque measurement is well known, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.
[0014] The torque measuring device 1 has a disk-shaped base 11, and a pair of support plates 12 are fixed to the outer edge of the base 11. The pair of support plates 12 support both ends of a screw shaft 13, and a knob 14 that is operated by an operator is attached to one end of the screw shaft 13. Two sliders 15 are engaged with the screw shaft 13. Specifically, each slider 15 has a through hole through which the screw shaft 13 passes, and a threaded portion is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the through hole to engage with a threaded portion formed on the outer peripheral surface of the screw shaft 13.
[0015] Each slider 15 is provided with a pair of fixed rails 16 for detachably fixing a clamp 20 (described later). Specifically, one fixed rail 16 extends from the slider 15 in the upward direction in FIG. 1, and the other fixed rail 16 extends from the slider 15 in the downward direction in FIG. 1.
[0016] The screw shaft 13 defines the movable ranges of the two sliders 15, and has a first screw portion formed in the movable range of one slider 15 and a second screw portion formed in the movable range of the other slider 15. Here, the first screw portion and the second screw portion have threads wound in opposite directions.
[0017] Rotating the knob 14 around the rotation axis AXL1 changes the distance D between the two fixed rails 16 aligned in the longitudinal direction (left-right direction in FIG. 1) of the screw shaft 13. Specifically, rotating the knob 14 in one direction narrows the distance D, and rotating the knob 14 in the other direction widens the distance D.
[0018] Each fixed rail 16 is provided with a plurality of fixing holes 16a, which are aligned along the longitudinal direction of the fixed rail 16. As will be described later, the fixing holes 16a are used to attach clamps 20 to the fixed rails 16, and by attaching a clamp 20 to each of the four fixed rails 16, the object to be measured can be held by the four clamps 20. The total number of fixing holes 16a provided in each fixed rail 16 can be determined as appropriate.
[0019] By determining the positions of the four clamps 20 in the vertical direction in FIG. 1 and the horizontal direction in FIG. 1, the four clamps 20 can be arranged around the object to be measured and the object to be measured can be held by the four clamps 20. Here, by attaching the clamps 20 to each fixed rail 16, the positions of the clamps 20 in the vertical direction in FIG. 1 can be determined. In addition, by rotating the screw shaft 13 to determine the above-mentioned interval D, the positions of the clamps 20 in the horizontal direction in FIG. 1 can be determined.
[0020] A pair of convex guide portions 16b are provided on both side surfaces of each fixed rail 16. Each guide portion 16b extends in the longitudinal direction of the fixed rail 16 (the vertical direction in FIG. 1), and multiple fixing holes 16a are arranged between the pair of guide portions 16b. As will be described later, the pair of guide portions 16b are used to position the clamp 20 in a desired orientation relative to the fixed rail 16.
[0021] The torque measuring device 1 has a display unit 17 that displays various types of information, and an input unit 18 that is operated by an operator to input various types of information. For example, the torque value measured by the torque measuring device 1 can be displayed on the display unit 17. Furthermore, examples of the input unit 18 include a power button for switching the power of the torque measuring device 1 on and off, a measurement start button for starting torque measurement by the torque measuring device 1, and a storage button for storing the torque value measured by the torque measuring device 1 in memory.
[0022] (Structure of clamp 20) Next, the structure of the clamp 20 will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0023] As shown in Figure 2, clamp 20 has clamp body 21 and clamp shaft 22. By rotating clamp 20 around rotation axis AXL2, the orientation of clamp 20 when attached to fixed rail 16 (in other words, the orientation of clamp 20 when holding an object to be measured) can be determined. Clamp body 21 can be made of an elastic material such as rubber. As will be described later, clamp body 21 comes into contact with and holds an object to be measured, so making clamp body 21 out of an elastic material makes it easier to hold the object to be measured.
[0024] In this embodiment, the clamp body 21 and the clamp shaft 22 are configured as separate parts, but the clamp body 21 and the clamp shaft 22 may also be configured as an integrated unit.
[0025] The clamp body 21 has a through hole 21a into which a clamp shaft 22 is inserted. The clamp shaft 22 is composed of a first shaft portion 22a and a second shaft portion 22b, which are arranged side by side in the direction of the rotation axis AXL2 of the clamp 20. The second shaft portion 22b is fixed to the base end of the first shaft portion 22a.
[0026] The first shank 22a is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the second shank 22b is formed in a cylindrical shape. The through-hole 21a of the clamp body 21 is formed in a shape that follows the outer shape of the first shank 22a, so that only the first shank 22a is inserted into the through-hole 21a, and the second shank 22b is located outside the clamp body 21. As shown in FIG. 3 , the first shank 22a is inserted into the through-hole 21a so that the base end of the first shank 22a protrudes from the bottom surface of the clamp body 21. For example, the lengths of the through-hole 21a and the first shank 22a can be determined so that the base end of the first shank 22a protrudes from the bottom surface of the clamp body 21 when the tip surface of the first shank 22a is aligned with the upper end surface of the clamp body 21.
[0027] By engaging the rectangular parallelepiped-shaped first shaft portion 22a with the through-hole 21a that conforms to the outer shape of the first shaft portion 22a, the clamp body 21 and the clamp shaft 22 can be prevented from rotating relative to each other around the rotation axis AXL2. In this embodiment, the first shaft portion 22a is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, but this is not limiting. Any shape can be used as long as the engagement between the first shaft portion 22a and the through-hole 21a can prevent the clamp body 21 and the clamp shaft 22 from rotating relative to each other. For example, the first shaft portion 22a can be formed in a polygonal prism shape such as a triangular prism, and the through-hole 21a can be formed in a shape that conforms to the outer shape of the first shaft portion 22a. Alternatively, the first shaft portion 22a and the through-hole 21a can be fixed together using an adhesive.
[0028] When attaching clamp 20 to fixed rail 16, second shaft portion 22b of clamp 20 is inserted into fixing hole 16a provided in fixed rail 16. Here, fixing hole 16a is formed in a shape that follows the outer circumferential surface of second shaft portion 22b. As described above, multiple fixing holes 16a are provided in fixed rail 16, and the fixing hole 16a to which clamp 20 is attached can be selected depending on the size of the object to be measured.
[0029] After inserting second shaft portion 22b into fixing hole 16a, first shaft portion 22a protruding from clamp body 21 is brought into contact with a pair of guide portions 16b, thereby positioning clamp 20 relative to fixed rail 16. First shaft portion 22a is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape and has four side surfaces, of which two opposing side surfaces come into contact with a pair of guide portions 16b.
[0030] In this embodiment, the first and second shaft portions 22a and 22b are formed in different shapes, but they may also be formed in the same shape. For example, the entire clamp shaft 22, including the first and second shaft portions 22a and 22b, can be formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape. In this case, the fixing hole 16a can be formed in a shape (rectangular) that follows the outer shape of the clamp shaft 22. This makes it possible to determine the position and attitude of the clamp 20 relative to the fixed rail 16 simply by inserting the clamp shaft 22 into the fixing hole 16a. In this case, the guide portion 16b of the fixed rail 16 can be omitted.
[0031] Next, the detailed structure of the clamp body 21 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the clamp body 21 as seen from the direction of the rotation axis AXL2 of the clamp 20 (see Fig. 2).
[0032] The clamp body 21 has, on its outer surface, a first contact portion 21b, a second contact portion 21c, and a tapered portion 21d extending from the first contact portion 21b to the second contact portion 21c. The first contact portion 21b is formed along an imaginary circle centered on the rotation axis AXL2, and the radius of the imaginary circle can be set appropriately. The first contact portion 21b has a width W1 in the circumferential direction of the imaginary circle (circumferential width).
[0033] The first contact portion 21b is composed of a plurality of protrusions 21b1, and each protrusion 21b1 extends in the direction of the rotation axis AXL2. By configuring the first contact portion 21b with a plurality of protrusions 21b1, the contact resistance in the contact area between the first contact portion 21b and the object to be measured can be increased, making it easier to hold the object to be measured. Here, in this embodiment, the protrusions 21b1 extend in the direction of the rotation axis AXL2, but in order to ensure the above-mentioned contact resistance, it is sufficient that a plurality of protrusions are formed, and the protrusions do not have to extend in the direction of the rotation axis AXL2.
[0034] The second contact portion 21c extends in the direction of the rotation axis AXL2 and is configured with a curved surface that is convex toward the rotation axis AXL2 in a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis AXL2 (in other words, a curved surface that is concave toward the inside of the clamp body 21). Here, the radius of curvature (or curvature) of the second contact portion 21c can be determined appropriately. The second contact portion 21c has a width W2 along the curved surface that configures the second contact portion 21c, and the width W2 is smaller than the circumferential width W1 of the first contact portion 21b. Configuring the second contact portion 21c with the above-described curved surface makes it easier to ensure a contact area between the second contact portion 21c and the measurement object, and makes it easier to hold the measurement object using the second contact portion 21c.
[0035] In this embodiment, the second contact portion 21c is configured with the curved surface described above, but it may also be configured with a flat surface or a curved surface that convexes in the direction away from the rotation axis AXL2. When the second contact portion 21c is configured with a flat surface, the width W2 of the second contact portion 21c along this flat surface is smaller than the circumferential width W1 of the first contact portion 21b. When the second contact portion 21c is configured with a convex curved surface, the width W2 of the second contact portion 21c along this curved surface is smaller than the circumferential width W1 of the first contact portion 21b.
[0036] Similar to the protrusion 21b1 of the first contact portion 21b, the second contact portion 21c can be configured with a plurality of protrusions. These protrusions have a shape that protrudes outward from the clamp body 21, and can be shaped to extend in the direction of the rotation axis AXL2, for example.
[0037] As shown by arrow R in Fig. 4, the portion of clamp body 21 that comes into contact with the measurement object can be changed by rotating clamp 20 around rotation axis AXL2. Below, a method for holding two measurement objects P1 and P2 with different outer diameters by clamp 20 will be described with reference to Figs. 5 and 6.
[0038] FIG. 5 shows an example of holding a large measurement object P1, and FIG. 6 shows an example of holding a small measurement object P2. Here, the measurement objects P1 and P2 are shown as circles, and the diameter of the measurement object P2 is smaller than the diameter of the measurement object P1. In this embodiment, four clamps 20 are used to hold the measurement objects P1 and P2. Note that the outer shape of the measurement object may be various, and the cross-sectional shape of the measurement object (the shape in a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis AXL2 of the clamp 20) may be circular, rectangular, polygonal, etc.
[0039] 5, when holding the object to be measured P1, the first contact portion 21b of the clamp body 21 is brought into contact with the outer surface of the object to be measured P1. Here, the posture of each clamp 20 is determined so that the first contact portion 21b of each clamp body 21 is brought into contact with the object to be measured P1. Then, by disposing the first shaft portion 22a of the clamp shaft 22 between the pair of guide portions 16b of the fixed rail 16, each clamp 20 can be positioned in the posture shown in FIG.
[0040] As shown in Fig. 6, when holding the measurement object P2, the second contact portion 21c of the clamp body 21 is brought into contact with the outer surface of the measurement object P2. Here, the posture of each clamp 20 is determined so that the second contact portion 21c of each clamp body 21 is brought into contact with the measurement object P2. Then, by disposing the first shaft portion 22a of the clamp shaft 22 between the pair of guide portions 16b of the fixed rail 16, each clamp 20 can be positioned in the posture shown in Fig. 6.
[0041] 5, first contact portion 21b of clamp body 21 is in contact with measurement object P1, and in Fig. 6, second contact portion 21c of clamp body 21 is in contact with measurement object P2, but this is not limiting. Specifically, the posture of clamp 20 can be determined so that tapered portion 21d of clamp body 21 is in contact with the measurement object.
[0042] 5, first contact portion 21b of all clamps 20 contacts measurement object P1, and in FIG. 6, second contact portion 21c of all clamps 20 contacts measurement object P2, but this is not limited to this. That is, the portion that contacts the measurement object can be different depending on the clamp 20. For example, of four clamps 20, first contact portion 21b of at least one clamp 20 can contact the measurement object, and second contact portion 21c of the remaining clamps 20 can contact the measurement object.
[0043] According to this embodiment, clamp 20 can be rotated around rotation axis AXL2, and the portion of clamp body 21 that comes into contact with the object can be changed depending on the size of the object. This allows one type of clamp 20 to be used to appropriately hold objects of various sizes.
[0044] In this embodiment, four clamps 20 are used to hold the measurement object, but this is not limited to this. In other words, as long as the measurement object can be held, the total number of clamps 20 can be determined appropriately as long as this purpose is achieved. Here, depending on the shape of the measurement object, the measurement object can be held using two clamps 20, or the measurement object can be held from three directions using three clamps 20. If the total number of clamps 20 is four or more, it becomes easier to hold the measurement object regardless of the shape of the measurement object. [Explanation of symbols]
[0045] 1: torque measuring device, 11: base, 12: support plate, 13: screw shaft, 14: knob, 15: slider, 16: fixed rail, 16a: fixing hole, 16b: guide portion, 17: display unit, 18: input unit, 20: clamp, 21: clamp body, 21a: through hole, 21b: first contact portion, 21b1: convex portion, 21c: second contact portion, 21d: tapered portion, 22: Clamp axis, AXL1, AXL2: Rotation axis, D: Spacing, P1, P2: Measurement object
Claims
1. A torque measurement device that measures a torque acting on a measurement object, a plurality of clamps arranged around the object to be measured and holding the object to be measured; The clamp is a first contact portion that is capable of coming into contact with the object to be measured and that is formed along a curved surface having a predetermined circumferential width; a second contact portion that is capable of contacting the object to be measured and has a width smaller than the circumferential width.
2. 2. The torque measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the first contact portion is formed of a plurality of protrusions.
3. 2. The torque measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the second contact portion is formed by a concave curved surface.
4. 2. The torque measuring device of claim 1, wherein the clamp has a tapered portion extending from the first contact portion to the second contact portion.
5. a fixed rail to which the clamp is removably attached; The clamp is a clamp body including the first contact portion and the second contact portion and formed of an elastic material; 2. The torque measuring device according to claim 1, further comprising: a clamp shaft fixed to the clamp body and inserted into a fixing hole formed in the fixing rail.
6. The clamp shaft is a first shaft portion that is inserted into a through hole formed in the clamp body and that partially protrudes from the through hole; a second shaft portion fixed to the first shaft portion and inserted into the fixing hole, 6. The torque measuring device according to claim 5, wherein the fixed rail has a guide portion that contacts the first shaft portion protruding from the through hole to position the clamp.
7. The first shaft portion is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, The torque measuring device according to claim 6, wherein the through hole is formed in a shape that follows the outer shape of the first shaft portion.
8. a screw shaft extending in a predetermined direction; a pair of sliders that mesh with the screw shaft and are movable toward and away from each other in response to rotation of the screw shaft; 6. The torque measuring device according to claim 5, wherein a pair of the fixed rails are fixed to each of the sliders along a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction.
9. A clamp used in a torque measurement device that measures a torque acting on a measurement object, the clamp being disposed around the measurement object to hold the measurement object, a first contact portion that is capable of coming into contact with the object to be measured and that is formed along a curved surface having a predetermined circumferential width; a second contact portion that is capable of contacting the object to be measured and has a width smaller than the circumferential width.