Oil coating device and oil coating method

Abstract

To more effectively supply lubricant to a roller chain.SOLUTION: An oil coating device 10 comprises an oil supply unit 12 to which an oil supply pipe 60 is connected, and at least two claw parts 20 inserted between two adjacent outer links 42 of a roller chain 40 from a folding direction of the roller chain 40 so as to contact or be close to inner links 48 connected to both of the outer links 42 and sandwich the inner links 48, and when the at least two claw parts 20 are inserted into the roller chain 40, an oil storage part 30 is formed between the at least two claw parts 20 and the inner links 48. Consequently, it is possible to reliably coat lubricant between inner and outer plates 50, 44 of the roller chain 40 and around the outer periphery of a pin 52, and further, since these oil coating points are actual moving portions of the roller chain 40, it is possible to supply lubricant to the roller chain 40 more effectively.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an oil applicator and an oil application method for supplying lubricating oil to a roller chain. [Background technology]

[0002] Roller chains, formed by alternatingly connecting inner links and outer links, are used in a variety of applications, such as power transmission for machinery. For example, in a multi-story parking system equipped with multiple pallets for accommodating vehicles, the pallets that move up and down are suspended by multiple roller chains. Such roller chains require lubrication to improve lubrication and rust resistance and prevent kinking. Conventionally, roller chains have been lubricated manually by workers. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a lubrication device in which a worker carries an oil tank on his back and sprays oil from a spray nozzle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-024828 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Here, in order to more reliably prevent roller chain kinking due to poor lubrication and the resulting breakdown of the roller chain drive device, the inventor narrowed down the oil application points on the roller chain and as a result discovered more efficient oil application points. The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to more effectively supply lubricating oil to a roller chain. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] (Aspects of the invention) The following embodiments of the present invention are examples of the configuration of the present invention and are described in terms to facilitate understanding of the various configurations of the present invention. Each term does not limit the technical scope of the present invention. Therefore, while taking into consideration the best mode for carrying out the invention, some of the components of each term may be replaced or deleted, or other components may be added, and these may also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0006] (1) A plate-shaped oiler that is installed on the constantly hanging portion of a roller chain formed by alternatingly connecting inner links and outer links, and includes an oil supply section to which an oil supply pipe that supplies lubricating oil is connected, and at least two claw portions extending from the oil supply section that are inserted between two adjacent outer links of the roller chain from a direction in which the roller chain can be bent so as to contact or be close to the inner links connected to both of the two outer links and sandwich the inner links, and when the at least two claw portions are inserted into the roller chain, an oil reservoir is formed between the at least two claw portions and the inner links.

[0007] The lubricator described in this section is a plate-shaped lubricator that is installed on a portion of a roller chain that is constantly hanging down and is intended to lubricate a roller chain formed by alternatingly connecting inner links and outer links. Specifically, it includes an oil supply section to which an oil supply pipe that supplies lubricating oil is connected, and at least two claws extending from the oil supply section. The oil supply section is a section that receives lubricating oil supplied through the oil supply pipe, and the supplied lubricating oil is transmitted from the oil supply section to the at least two claws. The at least two claws are installed so as to be in contact with or in close proximity to the roller chain, and are therefore the section that actually supplies lubricating oil to the roller chain.

[0008] That is, at least two claws are inserted between two adjacent outer links of the roller chain in a direction that allows the roller chain to bend. At this time, since there is an inner link connected to both of the two adjacent outer links between the two outer links, the at least two claws are inserted so as to contact or be close to the inner link and sandwich the inner link. In this inserted state, an oil reservoir for collecting lubricating oil is formed between the at least two claws and the inner link, more specifically, between the at least two claws and the outer surface of the inner plate that constitutes the inner link.

[0009] As a result, the lubricating oil that flows from the oil supply section and accumulates in the oil reservoir flows from the outer surface of the inner plate of the inner link between that outer surface and the inner surface of the outer plate that constitutes the lower outer link connected to that inner link, and then passes through the outer and inner plates below to the outer peripheries of the pins that connect them. Furthermore, because this is a part of the roller chain that is always hanging down, gravity and surface tension allow the lubricating oil to gradually flow downward between the outer surface of the lower inner plate and the inner surface of the outer plate, supplying the lubricating oil to the outer peripheries of all the pins along the way. In this way, lubricating oil is reliably applied between the inner and outer plates of the roller chain and to the outer peripheries of the pins, and because these oil application points are the actual moving parts of the roller chain, lubricating oil is more effectively supplied to the roller chain.

[0010] This more reliably prevents roller chain kinking due to poor lubrication and the resulting breakdown of the roller chain drive device. Furthermore, since the hanging portion of the roller chain is essentially immobile, it is prone to sticking if lubrication is poor. Since lubricating oil is supplied to such portions, more effective oil supply is realized. Furthermore, as described above, the claws are inserted between two adjacent outer links of the roller chain, making installation easy and enabling installation to any hanging portion of the roller chain.

[0011] (2) In the above paragraph (1), the at least two claw portions, when inserted into the roller chain, are roughly bowl-shaped in a side view perpendicular to the bending direction of the roller chain, and the lubricator is installed on the roller chain in such a manner that the vicinity of the tips of the at least two claw portions contacts the upper of the two outer links from diagonally below, and the lower surface of the roughly bowl shape contacts the lower of the two outer links from above. In the lubricator described in this section, when inserted into the roller chain as described in section (1) above, at least two of the claws form a roughly bowl-like shape in a side view perpendicular to the bending direction of the roller chain, and therefore an oil reservoir is formed inside this roughly bowl-like shape.

[0012] The at least two claws are inserted between the two outer links by being wound around the roughly bowl-shaped configuration, so that the vicinity of their tips contacts the upper of the two outer links from below at an angle, and the lower surface of the roughly bowl-shaped configuration contacts the lower of the two outer links from above. As a result, in a side view in which the roller chain extends vertically and the oil supply unit is located to the right, even if a force acts to move the lubricator clockwise, the vicinity of the tips of at least two claws is in contact with the upper outer link, preventing clockwise movement from that state. Furthermore, even if a force acts to move the lubricator counterclockwise, the roller chain would interfere with the oil supply unit and the oil supply pipe connected to it, preventing counterclockwise movement. In this manner, by inserting at least two of the claws so that they are hooked onto the roller chain, gravity acts on the roller chain, and the oiler does not fall off the roller chain as long as the roller chain is in a hanging position, and the oiler is stably installed on the roller chain. Moreover, no attachment structure is required on the device using the roller chain.

[0013] (3) In the above item (2), the oil supply unit includes a vertical portion that extends approximately vertically and to which the oil supply pipe is connected when the at least two claw portions are inserted into the roller chain, and an intermediate portion that extends approximately horizontally from the end of the vertical portion and reaches the at least two claw portions. In the lubricator described in this section, the oil supply section includes a vertical section and an intermediate section. When at least two claws are inserted into the roller chain, the vertical section extends substantially vertically and is connected to the oil supply pipe. In contrast, the intermediate section extends substantially horizontally from the end of the vertical section and reaches at least two claws. As a result, lubricating oil supplied from the oil supply pipe travels downward along the substantially vertically extending vertical section, then spreads horizontally in the substantially horizontally extending portion of the intermediate section, and further reaches the oil reservoirs of at least two claws. As a result, the lubricating oil supplied from the oil supply pipe is received efficiently by the vertical section and stably distributed to each of the at least two claws.

[0014] (4) In the above item (1), the at least two claw portions include three claw portions, and the three claw portions are inserted so as to sandwich two roller chains arranged closely together. The lubricator described in this section includes three claws as the at least two claws, and these three claws are inserted to sandwich two roller chains arranged closely together. That is, of the three claws, one claw and the central claw are inserted between two adjacent outer links of one roller chain, and simultaneously, the central claw and the other claw are inserted between two adjacent outer links of the other roller chain. As a result, the central claw is positioned between the two roller chains so that it contacts or is close to the inner links of both roller chains, and as a result, the three claws are inserted to sandwich the inner links of the two roller chains. This allows lubricating oil to be supplied to the two closely arranged roller chains simultaneously, making the supply of lubricating oil to the roller chains more efficient.

[0015] (5) In the above item (1), a partition plate portion is connected to at least one of the two claw portions located on both outer sides in a lateral direction perpendicular to the bending direction of the roller chain when inserted into the roller chain, so as to laterally block the side on which the claw portion is located, of the lateral sides of the oil reservoir portion of the claw portion. The oiler described in this section has at least two claws, and a partition plate connected to at least one of the two claws located on both outer sides in a lateral direction perpendicular to the bending direction of the roller chain when inserted into the roller chain. This partition plate is connected to at least one of the claws so as to block one of the lateral sides of the oil reservoir from the outside.

[0016] More specifically, when the partition plate is connected to a claw located on one of the two outer lateral sides, the partition plate is connected to block the oil reservoir on the same side as the claw. Similarly, when the partition plate is connected to a claw located on the other outer lateral side, the partition plate is connected to block the oil reservoir on the same side as the claw. In other words, when the claw is inserted into the roller chain, the partition plate is connected to the side of the oil reservoir on the side that does not contact or approach the roller chain. With this configuration, even if an excess of lubricating oil is supplied, for example, the partition plate prevents the lubricating oil from dripping from the oil reservoir. This reduces lubricating oil consumption and prevents the lubricating oil from adhering to devices using the roller chain.

[0017] (6) The oil applicator according to the above item (1), wherein the oil supply portion is formed with a mounting hole used for mounting the oil supply pipe. The lubricator described in this section has a mounting hole formed in the lubricating section to which the lubricating pipe is connected, which allows the lubricating pipe to be attached smoothly and firmly. This allows the lubricating pipe to be fixed to a device that uses a roller chain, for example, depending on the strength of the lubricating pipe, thereby fixing the position of the lubricator relative to the roller chain.

[0018] (7) In the above items (1) to (6), in a multi-story parking system having a plurality of pallets for accommodating vehicles, an oiler is installed on a roller chain that suspends at least the pallets that move up and down. The lubricator described in this section is applied to roller chains used in multi-story parking systems. In multi-story parking systems with multiple pallets for accommodating vehicles, at least the pallets that move up and down are suspended by multiple roller chains. Therefore, the lubricator described in this section is installed on the portions of the roller chains that are always hanging down. This more effectively supplies lubricating oil to the roller chains in the multi-story parking system, more reliably preventing roller chain kinking due to poor lubrication and resulting failure of the roller chain drive device in the multi-story parking system.

[0019] (8) A method of supplying lubricating oil by installing a plate-shaped oil applicator including an oil supply section and at least two claw sections extending from the oil supply section in a constantly hanging portion of a roller chain formed by alternately connecting inner links and outer links, wherein an oil supply pipe for supplying lubricating oil is connected to the oil supply section, and the at least two claw sections are inserted between two adjacent outer links of the roller chain from a direction in which the roller chain can be bent so as to contact or be close to the inner links connected to both of the two outer links and sandwich the inner links, and an oil reservoir section is formed between the at least two claw sections and the inner links. The oil application method described in item (8) is carried out using the oil applicator described in item (1) above, and thus has the same effect as the oil applicator described in item (1) above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] The present invention is configured in this manner, so that lubricating oil can be supplied to the roller chain more effectively. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1A, 1B, and 1C show an example of the configuration of an oil applicator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a side view, (b) is a rear view, and (c) is a bottom view. [Figure 2] 2A and 2B are schematic diagrams showing the state in which the oiler of FIG. 1 is installed in a multi-story parking system, with (a) being a side view and (b) being a rear view. [Figure 3] The positional relationship between the roller chain and the oiler in Figure 2 is shown schematically, with (a) being a side view and (b) being a rear view. [Figure 4] 1 shows an example of the configuration of a roller chain, where (a) is a front view and (b) is a side view. [Figure 5] 1A to 1D show an example of an oiler according to an embodiment of the present invention, with (a) being a left side view, (b) being a rear view, (c) being a right side view, and (d) being a bottom view. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, identical or corresponding parts will be designated by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings. Furthermore, detailed descriptions of parts that are identical or corresponding to those in the prior art will be omitted. Fig. 1 shows an example of the configuration of an oiler 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is used to supply lubricating oil to a roller chain 40 (see Figs. 2 to 4). As shown in the figure, the oiler 10 is in the shape of a plate that is bent at multiple points and includes an oil supply section 12 and at least two claw sections 20; in this embodiment, the at least two claw sections 20 include three claw sections 20A to 20C.

[0023] The oil supply section 12 is connected to an oil supply pipe 60 (see FIGS. 2(a) and 3(a)) that supplies lubricating oil, and includes a vertical section 14 and an intermediate section 16. The vertical section 14 is a section that extends substantially vertically when the oiler 10 is installed on a portion of the roller chain 40 that is always hanging down (see FIGS. 2 and 3), as will be described later, and in this embodiment, it has a substantially T-shape when viewed from behind, as shown in FIG. 1(b). In addition, the vertical section 14 is provided with three mounting holes 18 in this embodiment, and these mounting holes 18 are used, for example, to pass through cable ties, and the oil supply pipe 60 is fixed to the vertical section 14. The intermediate portion 16 is a portion located between the vertical portion 14 and the claw portion 20, and when the oiler 10 is installed on the roller chain 40 or when viewed from the side as in FIG. 1(a), it extends substantially horizontally from the lower end of the vertical portion 14 and then bends diagonally downward to reach the claw portion 20. Therefore, the end of the intermediate portion 16 on the claw portion 20 side is branched into three branches corresponding to the three claw portions 20A to 20C, and notches 32 are formed at the branching portions.

[0024] The three claws 20A-20C, which will be described in detail later, are inserted into the roller chain 40 when the oiler 10 is installed on the roller chain 40. Each of the three claws 20A-20C in this embodiment is bent at two locations to form a roughly bowl-shaped configuration in side view as shown in FIG. 1(a). Furthermore, as will be described later, an oil reservoir 30 is formed inside the roughly bowl-shaped portion of each claw 20, between it and the roller chain 40 into which it is inserted. Note that reference numeral 22 in FIG. 1 indicates the tip of each claw 20, and reference numeral 24 indicates the underside of each roughly bowl-shaped claw 20. 1 is formed by bending a metal plate such as a steel plate, etc. However, the plate-shaped oiler 10 may be formed from any material that is not easily affected by the lubricating oil and can fulfill the required functions.

[0025] Next, Fig. 2 shows an example of an installation in which the oiler 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig. 1 is mounted on a roller chain 40 used in a multi-story parking system 70. The multi-story parking system 70 has a structure in which a plurality of pallets for accommodating vehicles are movably supported on a substantially rectangular structure formed by a plurality of support columns 80, a plurality of vertical beams 82, and cross beams. Of the plurality of pallets, at least the pallets that move up and down are typically suspended by four roller chains 40. The multi-story parking system 70 shown in Fig. 2 is located between two laterally adjacent pallets that only move up and down, and is located near the rear side of the vertical beam 82 that is the highest of the vertical beams 82 that make up the multi-story parking system 70.

[0026] Regarding the roller chains 40 used in the multi-story parking system 70, as shown in FIG. 2(b), a total of four roller chains 40 are arranged, two on each side of the vertical beam 82, with the vertical beam 82 sandwiched between them. Of these four roller chains 40, the roller chain 40 designated by the symbol 40A suspends the rear portion of one of two adjacent pallets (the left side in FIG. 2(b)) on the other side in the lateral direction (the right side in FIG. 2(b)). The roller chain 40 designated by the symbol 40B suspends the front portion of one of two adjacent pallets (the left side in FIG. 2(b)) on the other side in the lateral direction (the right side in FIG. 2(b)).

[0027] In contrast, the roller chain 40 designated by the reference symbol 40C suspends the front portion of one lateral side (the left side in FIG. 2(b)) of the other of the two adjacent pallets (the right side in FIG. 2(b)). The roller chain 40 designated by the reference symbol 40D suspends the rear portion of one lateral side (the left side in FIG. 2(b)) of the other of the two adjacent pallets (the right side in FIG. 2(b)). In other words, the four roller chains 40A to 40D shown in FIG. 2(b) do not suspend a single pallet, but correspond to two of the four roller chains 40 suspending one pallet and two of the four roller chains 40 suspending the other pallet.

[0028] One end of the roller chain 40A is connected to the rear side of one of the pallets, and extends via a driven sprocket (not shown) installed on the vertical beam 82 to a drive sprocket 74 also installed on the vertical beam 82. The roller chain 40A is guided by a plate-shaped chain guide 76 so as to engage with the drive sprocket 74, and after extending further downward and then folding back upward, the other end is fixed to the lower part of the chain guide 76. Therefore, the other end of the roller chain 40A is always hanging down from the chain guide 76.

[0029] Meanwhile, one end of roller chain 40B is connected to the front side of one of the pallets and extends to drive sprocket 74 via a driven sprocket (not shown). Roller chain 40B is guided by a plate-shaped chain guide 76 so as to engage with drive sprocket 74. It extends downward and then turns back upward, with the other end fixed to the lower part of chain guide 76. Therefore, the other end of roller chain 40B always hangs down from chain guide 76. Note that the drive sprocket 74 engaged with roller chain 40A and the drive sprocket 74 engaged with roller chain 40B rotate in the same direction and at the same speed and are rotated by a motor installed in a position not shown. Furthermore, the plate-shaped chain guide 76 that guides roller chain 40A and the plate-shaped chain guide 76 that guides roller chain 40B are installed close to each other and parallel to each other.

[0030] On the other hand, roller chain 40C is positioned symmetrically with roller chain 40B in the lateral direction across vertical beam 82, extending from one end connected to the front side of the other pallet via a driven sprocket and a drive sprocket 74 (not shown) to the other end fixed to the lower part of chain guide 76. Similarly, roller chain 40D is positioned symmetrically with roller chain 40A in the lateral direction across vertical beam 82, extending from one end connected to the rear side of the other pallet via a driven sprocket and a drive sprocket 74 (not shown) to the other end fixed to the lower part of chain guide 76. The drive sprocket 74, with which roller chains 40C and 40D engage, is rotated by motor 72 (see FIG. 2(a)). Furthermore, the plate-shaped chain guide 76 that guides roller chain 40C and the plate-shaped chain guide 76 that guides roller chain 40D are installed close to each other and parallel to each other.

[0031] For roller chains 40 located in the above-described locations, lubrication work must be performed at high altitudes or near the roller chain's 40 drive mechanism, making manual lubrication particularly difficult. An oiler 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed near the other end of such roller chain 40. In the usage method shown in Figure 2, the oiler 10 is installed permanently and is intended for continuous lubrication. Specifically, Figure 2 illustrates two oilers 10, one installed on roller chains 40A and 40B, and the other installed on roller chains 40C and 40D. One end of an oil supply pipe 60 is connected to each oiler 10 via a mounting hole 18 (see Figure 1), and the other end of the oil supply pipe 60 is connected to, for example, an oil pan (not shown) that stores lubricating oil therein, for continuous supply of lubricating oil. The oil supply pipe 60 is fixed to the multi-story parking device 70 by any means so that the above-mentioned connection is maintained. In Fig. 2(b), in order to clearly show the state of the oiler 10, the other ends of the roller chains 40C and 40D are partially broken away, and the oil supply pipe 60 is not shown.

[0032] One oiler 10 is installed so that roller chains 40A and 40B are located between the three claws 20A to 20C shown in FIG. 1. That is, roller chain 40A is located between claw 20A and claw 20B, and roller chain 40B is located between claw 20B and claw 20C. Similarly, the other oiler 10 is installed so that roller chain 40C is located between claw 20A and claw 20B, and roller chain 40D is located between claw 20B and claw 20C. Here, FIG. 3 shows in detail the state in which the oiler 10 is installed on roller chain 40, simply illustrating only one roller chain 40, and FIG. 4 shows the detailed configuration of roller chain 40.

[0033] First, referring to FIG. 4 , the roller chain 40 is formed by alternatingly connecting inner links 48 and outer links 42. Each inner link 48 has two cylindrical rollers 56 sandwiched between two roughly figure-8-shaped inner plates 50 with their holes aligned. Furthermore, cylindrical bushings 54 are press-fitted into the two inner plates 50 through the insides of the rollers 56. The rollers 56 are rotatable around the bushings 54. Each outer link 42 has two roughly figure-8-shaped outer plates 44 straddling the two inner links 48 and sandwiching them with their holes aligned. Furthermore, pins 52 are press-fitted into the two outer plates 44 through the insides of the bushings 54. The pins 52 are rotatable within the bushings 54. In this manner, the outer links 42 and the inner links 48 are connected. Note that FIG. 4( a ) shows only the interior of the pin designated by the reference numeral 52A, with a partial cutaway view.

[0034] When the lubricator 10 is installed on the roller chain 40 configured as described above, as shown in FIG. 3, the claws 20 of the lubricator 10 are inserted between two vertically adjacent outer links 42 of the roller chain 40, which are always hanging down, from the direction in which the roller chain 40 can be bent (to the right in FIG. 3(a)), wrapping around the roughly bowl-shaped shape. At this time, the two claws 20 (20A, 20B) are inserted so as to contact or be close to the outer surfaces of the inner plates 50 of the inner links 48 connected to both of the two adjacent outer links 42, sandwiching the inner links 48. In this inserted state, as can be seen in FIG. 3(a), the vicinity of the tips 22 of the two claws 20 of the lubricator 10 contact the vicinity of the lower end of the outer plate 44 of the upper outer link 42 from diagonally below (diagonally below left in the figure). At the same time, the roughly cup-shaped lower surface 24 of each claw portion 20 comes into contact with the vicinity of the upper end of the outer plate 44 of the lower outer link 42 from above.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 3, an oil reservoir 30 is formed between each claw 20 and the outer surface of the inner plate 50 of the inner link 48, roughly inside the bowl shape of each claw 20. The distance between the two claws 20 that sandwich the roller chain 40 is slightly larger than the width of the inner link 48 of the roller chain 40 (the distance between the outer surfaces of the two inner plates 50). However, it is preferable to minimize the gap between the inner plate 50 and the claw 20. For the roller chain 40 to be positioned between claw 20B and claw 20C, claws 20B and 20C are inserted in the same manner as for claws 20A and 20B described above. This results in the installation of the oiler 10 with three claws 20 inserted, sandwiching two roller chains 40 that are positioned closely together.

[0036] Next, FIG. 5 shows an oiler 10' according to an embodiment of the present invention, which has a different configuration from the oiler 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. In FIG. 5, parts that are the same as or equivalent to those of the oiler 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 are designated by the same reference numerals. Here, the differences between the oiler 10 and the oiler 10 will be mainly described, and descriptions of the parts that are the same as those of the oiler 10 will be simplified or omitted. As shown in the figure, the oiler 10', like the oiler 10, is a plate-like structure bent at multiple locations and includes an oil supply portion 12 and at least two claws 20. However, unlike the oiler 10, the oiler 10' includes two claws 20D and 20E as the at least two claws 20, and further includes a partition plate 32.

[0037] The oil supply unit 12 has a width (width in the left-right direction in FIG. 5(b)) from the upper end of the vertical portion 14 to the intermediate portion 16 that is approximately the same as the dimension from one end of one claw 20D (the left end in FIG. 5(b)) to the other end of the other claw 20E (the right end in FIG. 5(b)). The end of the intermediate portion 16 on the claw 20 side is bifurcated to correspond to the two claws 20D and 20E, and a notch 32 is formed at the bifurcated portion. In addition, five mounting holes 18 are formed in the vertical portion 14. When the oiler 10' is installed on a roller chain 40, the two claws 20D and 20E are inserted into the roller chain 40, and an oil reservoir 30 is formed between the roller chain 40 and each of the two claws 20D and 20E.

[0038] The partition plate 32 is connected to the other claw 20E so as to laterally block the other side (the right side in FIG. 5(b)) of the oil reservoir 30. In this embodiment, as can be seen in FIG. 5(c), the partition plate 32 laterally blocks the area from the claw 20E through the intermediate portion 16 to a portion of the vertical portion 14. Therefore, the partition plate 32 has a shape corresponding to the side shape of the area from the claw 20E to a portion of the vertical portion 14. The partition plate 32 may be formed from the same material as the fuel supply portion 12 and the claw 20, and is connected to the claw 20, etc., by a method appropriate for that material. The partition plate 32 may additionally or alternatively be connected to one claw 20D. In this case, the partition plate 32 is connected to the one claw 20D so as to laterally block one side (the left side in FIG. 5(b)).

[0039] The lubricator 10, 10' according to the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the configuration shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and 5 and can take various forms depending on the configuration and conditions of the roller chain 40 where it is to be installed. For example, the claws 20 are not limited to being roughly bowl-shaped in side view and may have other shapes as long as they form an oil reservoir 30 between the inner links 48 when inserted into the roller chain 40. Even if the claws 20 are roughly bowl-shaped in side view, they are not limited to being bent in two places, and may be bent in one place, three or more places, or curved to form a rounded shape. Furthermore, the number of claws 20 is not limited to two or three, and may be four or more. In other words, the size, shape, and number of the claws 20 may be designed to accommodate various roller chains 40 of various configurations, depending on the size of the inner and outer links 48, 42 that form the roller chain 40 where it is to be installed, the width between adjacent roller chains 40, the number of adjacent roller chains 40, and other factors. Accordingly, the shape and size of fuel supply unit 12 may be changed in various ways.

[0040] Furthermore, the partition plate 32 is not limited to application to an oiler 10' having two claws 20, but may also be applied to an oiler 10 having three claws 20 or an oiler having four or more claws 20. In either case, the partition plate 32 is connected to the side of the oil reservoir 30 of one or both of the two claws 20 located on the outer sides of the roller chain 40, on the side where the claw 20 does not contact or approach the roller chain 40. Furthermore, the other end of the oil supply pipe 60 opposite the one end connected to the oiler 10, 10' is not limited to being connected to an oil pan, and the oiler 10, 10' may be used in a manner other than a permanent installation. For example, when oiling the roller chain 40 in a spot, the oiler 10, 10' may be temporarily installed at a hanging portion of the roller chain 40, and lubricating oil may be manually poured from the other end of the open oil supply pipe 60. In addition, the installation location of the oilers 10, 10' is not limited to the roller chains 40 used in the multi-story parking system 70, but may be the roller chains 40 used in any other device.

[0041] The above-described embodiment of the present invention can achieve the following advantageous effects. Specifically, the lubricator 10, 10' according to the embodiment of the present invention is a plate-like device installed on a portion of the roller chain 40 that is constantly hanging down, and is intended to lubricate the roller chain 40, which is formed by alternatingly connecting inner links 48 and outer links 42, as shown in FIG. 4. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the lubricator 10 includes an oil supply unit 12 connected to an oil supply pipe 60 (see FIGS. 2(a) and 3(a)) that supplies lubricating oil, and at least two claws 20 extending from the oil supply unit 12. The oil supply unit 12 receives the lubricating oil supplied through the oil supply pipe 60, and the supplied lubricating oil is transmitted from the oil supply unit 12 to the at least two claws 20. The at least two claws 20 are installed in contact with or adjacent to the roller chain 40, thereby essentially supplying the lubricating oil to the roller chain 40.

[0042] That is, as shown in Figure 3, at least two claws 20 are inserted between two adjacent outer links 42 of the roller chain 40 in a direction in which the roller chain 40 can be bent. At this time, an inner link 48 connected to both of the two adjacent outer links 42 is present between the two outer links 42, and therefore the at least two claws 20 are inserted so as to come into contact with or be close to the inner link 48 and sandwich the inner link 48. In this inserted state, an oil reservoir 30 in which lubricating oil can be collected is formed between the at least two claws 20 and the inner link 48, more specifically, between the at least two claws 20 and the outer surface of the inner plate 50 that constitutes the inner link 48.

[0043] 4, lubricating oil flowing from the oil supply section 12 and collecting in the oil reservoir 30 flows from the outer surface of the inner plate 50 of the inner link 48 between that outer surface and the inner surface of the outer plate 44 constituting the lower outer link 42 connected to that inner link 48, and then passes through the outer plate 44 and the inner plate 50 below to the outer periphery of the pin 52 connecting them. Furthermore, because the roller chain 40 is a constantly hanging portion, gravity and surface tension allow the lubricating oil to gradually flow downward between the outer surface of the lower inner plate 50 and the inner surface of the outer plate 44, supplying the lubricating oil to the outer periphery of all pins 52 along the way. In this way, lubricating oil can be reliably applied between the inner and outer plates 50 and 44 of the roller chain 40 and to the outer periphery of the pin 52. Furthermore, because these oil application points are the actual moving parts of the roller chain 40, lubricating oil can be more effectively supplied to the roller chain 40.

[0044] This more reliably prevents kinking of the roller chain 40 due to insufficient lubrication and the resulting breakdown of the roller chain 40's drive device. Furthermore, since the hanging portion of the roller chain 40 is essentially immobile, it is prone to sticking due to insufficient lubrication. Supplying lubricating oil to such portions allows for more effective oil supply. Furthermore, as described above, the claws 20 are inserted between two adjacent outer links 42 of the roller chain 40, making installation easy and enabling installation to any hanging portion of the roller chain 40.

[0045] In addition, as shown in Fig. 3, in the lubricator 10, 10' according to the embodiment of the present invention, the at least two claws 20 inserted into the roller chain 40 as described above form a generally bowl-shaped configuration in side view as shown in Fig. 3(a), perpendicular to the bending direction of the roller chain 40. Therefore, an oil reservoir 30 is formed inside this generally bowl-shaped configuration. The at least two claws 20 are inserted between the two outer links 42 by being wound around the generally bowl-shaped configuration, so that the vicinity of the tip 22 of each claw 20 contacts the upper of the two outer links 42 from diagonally below, and the generally bowl-shaped lower surface 24 contacts the lower of the two outer links 42 from above.

[0046] As a result, in a side view as shown in FIG. 3( a), in which the roller chain 40 extends vertically and the oil supply unit 12 is located to the right of it, even if a force acts to move the oiler 10, 10′ clockwise, the vicinity of the tips 22 of at least two of the claws 20 is in contact with the upper outer link 42, preventing clockwise movement from that state. Furthermore, even if a force acts to move the oiler 10, 10′ counterclockwise, the roller chain 40 interferes with the oil supply unit 12 and the oil supply pipe 60 connected thereto, preventing counterclockwise movement. In this manner, by inserting at least two claws 20 so that they are hooked onto the roller chain 40, the oiler 10, 10′ will not fall off the roller chain 40 when gravity acts and the roller chain 40 is in a hanging position, allowing the oiler 10, 10′ to be stably installed on the roller chain 40. Furthermore, this eliminates the need for an attachment structure on the device using the roller chain 40.

[0047] As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 5, the lubricating unit 12 of the oil applicator 10, 10' according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a vertical portion 14 and an intermediate portion 16. When at least two claws 20 are inserted into the roller chain 40, the vertical portion 14 extends substantially vertically and is connected to an oil supply pipe 60. In contrast, the intermediate portion 16 extends substantially horizontally from the end of the vertical portion 14 and reaches at least two claws 20. As a result, the lubricating oil supplied from the oil supply pipe 60 travels downward along the substantially vertically extending vertical portion 14, then spreads horizontally in the substantially horizontally extending portion of the intermediate portion 16, and further reaches the oil reservoirs 30 of at least two claws 20. This allows the vertical portion 14 to efficiently receive the lubricating oil supplied from the oil supply pipe 60 and distribute it stably to each of the at least two claws 20.

[0048] Furthermore, in the oil applicators 10, 10' according to the embodiments of the present invention, the oil supply unit 12 to which the oil supply pipe 60 is connected is formed with a mounting hole 18 used to mount the oil supply pipe 60, which makes it possible to smoothly mount the oil supply pipe 60 to the oil supply unit 12 and to firmly mount the oil supply pipe 60. As a result, for example, by fixing the oil supply pipe 60 to a device that uses the roller chain 40 depending on the strength of the oil supply pipe 60, the position of the oil applicators 10, 10' relative to the roller chain 40 can be fixed.

[0049] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, oilers 10, 10' according to the embodiments of the present invention are applied to roller chains 40 used in a multi-story parking system 70. In multi-story parking system 70 equipped with a plurality of pallets for accommodating vehicles, at least the pallets that move up and down are suspended by a plurality of roller chains 40. For this reason, oilers 10, 10' are installed on the portions of the roller chains 40 that are always hanging down. This allows lubricating oil to be more effectively supplied to the roller chains 40 of multi-story parking system 70, and more reliably prevents kinking of the roller chains 40 due to insufficient lubrication and resulting failure of the drive device of the roller chains 40 in multi-story parking system 70.

[0050] Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 1, the oiler 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes three claws 20A to 20C as at least two claws 20, and these three claws 20A to 20C are inserted so as to sandwich two roller chains 40 arranged closely together, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. That is, of the three claws 20A to 20C, the claw 20A on one side and the central claw 20B are inserted between two adjacent outer links 42 of one roller chain 40 (40A, 40C), and at the same time, the central claw 20B and the claw 20C on the other side are inserted between two adjacent outer links 42 of the other roller chain 40 (40B, 40D). Therefore, the central claw 20B is positioned between the two roller chains 40 so as to contact or be in close proximity to the inner links 48 of both roller chains 40. As a result, the three claws 20A to 20C are inserted so as to sandwich the inner links 48 of the two roller chains 40. This allows lubricating oil to be supplied simultaneously to the two roller chains 40 that are positioned close to each other, making it possible to more efficiently supply lubricating oil to the roller chains 40. Furthermore, even in roller chains 40 that are aged and have dirt on their surfaces, it is possible to effectively supply lubricating oil to the interior of the roller chain 40, such as between the inner and outer plates 50, 44 and around the outer periphery of the pin 52, without being blocked by the layer of dirt on the surface.

[0051] In contrast, in an oiler 10' according to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 5, a partition plate 32 is connected to at least one of the at least two claws 20 (claw 20E in FIG. 5) that are located on both outer sides in a lateral direction perpendicular to the bending direction of the roller chain 40 when the oiler 10' is inserted into the roller chain 40. This partition plate 32 is connected to at least one of the claws 20 so as to block one of the lateral sides of the oil reservoir 30 from the outside. More specifically, when the partition plate 32 is connected to a claw 20D located on one of the lateral sides, the partition plate 32 is connected to the claw 20D so as to block the side of the oil reservoir 30 (the left side in FIG. 5(b)) that is the same as the position of the claw 20D from the outside.

[0052] Similarly, when the partition plate 32 is connected to the claw 20E located on the other of the two outer lateral sides, as shown in FIG. 5, the partition plate 32 is connected so as to block from the outside the other side of the oil reservoir 30 where the claw 20E is located (the right side in FIG. 5(b)). In other words, when the claw 20 is inserted into the roller chain 40, the partition plate 32 is connected to the side of the oil reservoir 30 where the claw 20 is not in contact with or close to the roller chain 40. With this configuration, for example, even if an excess amount of lubricating oil is supplied, the partition plate 32 can prevent the lubricating oil from dripping from the oil reservoir 30. This reduces the amount of lubricating oil consumed and prevents the lubricating oil from adhering to devices using the roller chain 40.

[0053] On the other hand, the oiling method according to the embodiment of the present invention can be carried out using the oil applicators 10, 10' according to the embodiment of the present invention, thereby achieving the same effects as the various effects of the oil applicators 10, 10' described above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 10, 10': oiler, 12: oil supply section, 14: vertical section, 16: middle section, 18: mounting hole, 20 (20A to 20E): claw section, 22: tip, 24: underside, 30: oil reservoir section, 32: partition plate section, 40 (40A to 40D): roller chain, 42: outer link, 48: inner link, 60: oil supply pipe, 70: multi-story parking device

Claims

1. A plate-shaped oiler is installed on a part of a roller chain that is always hanging down, and is formed by alternately connecting inner links and outer links. an oil supply section to which an oil supply pipe for supplying lubricating oil is connected; and at least two claw portions extending from the oil supply portion are inserted between two adjacent outer links of the roller chain in a direction in which the roller chain can be bent so as to contact or be close to an inner link connected to both of the two outer links and sandwich the inner link, An oil applicator characterized in that, when the at least two claw portions are inserted into the roller chain, an oil reservoir is formed between the at least two claw portions and the inner link.

2. 2. The lubricator according to claim 1, wherein the at least two claw portions, when inserted into the roller chain, are roughly bowl-shaped in a side view perpendicular to the bending direction of the roller chain, and are installed on the roller chain in such a manner that the vicinity of the tips of the at least two claw portions contact the upper of the two outer links from diagonally below, and the lower surface of the roughly bowl shape contacts the lower of the two outer links from above.

3. 3. The oil applicator according to claim 2, wherein the oil supply portion includes a vertical portion that extends substantially vertically and to which the oil supply pipe is connected when the at least two claw portions are inserted into the roller chain, and an intermediate portion that extends substantially horizontally from an end of the vertical portion and reaches the at least two claw portions.

4. The oiler according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least two claw portions include three claw portions, and the three claw portions are inserted so as to sandwich two roller chains arranged closely together.

5. An oiler as described in claim 1, characterized in that a partition plate portion is connected to at least one of the at least two claw portions, which are located on both outer sides in a lateral direction perpendicular to the direction in which the roller chain can be bent when inserted into the roller chain, so as to laterally block the side on which the claw portion is located, of the lateral sides of the oil reservoir portion of the claw portion.

6. 2. The oil applicator according to claim 1, wherein the oil supply portion is formed with a mounting hole for use in mounting the oil supply pipe.

7. An oiler according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it is installed on a roller chain that suspends at least one of the pallets that moves up and down in a multi-story parking system having a plurality of pallets for accommodating vehicles.

8. A lubrication method for supplying lubricating oil to a constantly hanging portion of a roller chain formed by alternately connecting inner links and outer links, by installing a plate-shaped oil applicator including an oil supply portion and at least two claw portions extending from the oil supply portion, an oil supply pipe for supplying lubricating oil is connected to the oil supply unit; the at least two claw portions are inserted between two adjacent outer links of the roller chain from a direction in which the roller chain can be bent so as to contact or be close to an inner link connected to both of the two outer links and sandwich the inner link; and forming an oil reservoir between the at least two claw portions and the inner link.

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