Rotating table

Abstract

To provide a rotary table that can be easily modified or changed in specifications. [Solution] The top surface 2 is made up of laminated upper, middle, and lower plate materials fixed together with a connecting member J. The top surface is rotatably supported by a thrust bearing on the base 4. Multiple pairs of preforms are fixed with the upper layer in between. The middle layer has an opening to allow the preforms placed on the back side of the upper layer to pass through. The lower layer is provided with a accommodating groove for which the thrust bearing abuts, and the base 4 is provided with a accommodating groove for which the lower surface of the thrust bearing abuts, and multiple ball rollers are fixed to the outer circumference of the accommodating groove.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a rotary table in which a jig for mounting a product is placed on the top surface, and particularly to a rotary table that can easily cope with repairs and specification changes.

Background Art

[0002] In a factory production line, a workbench called a line pallet flows on a conveyor line. The product is placed on the line pallet and the necessary work is performed in the processing area, assembly area, and inspection area installed in the middle of the production line and then shipped.

[0003] Patent Document 1 shows an example of a line pallet. According to this known line pallet, a template is screwed to the upper surface of a square line pallet body. This template is for fixing and positioning the product and can be freely exchanged in response to a change in the shape of the product.

[0004] Non-Patent Document 1 discloses a rotary table type line pallet. By making the top surface of the line pallet rotatable, work can be freely performed from any direction by 360 degrees, thereby improving work efficiency.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Non-Patent Documents

[0006]

Non-Patent Document 1

[0007] In the line pallet disclosed in Patent Document 1, products are fixed and positioned using a flat template. In the case of products that are relatively unstable, there is a risk that they may move over the template or tip over while moving along the production line. In particular, line pallets with a rotatable top surface are prone to movement due to centrifugal force when rotating with products on them. This risk is especially high for products with unstable shapes that may tip over. Therefore, when loading products onto the top surface, a separate, large, three-dimensional jig is attached to the top surface to secure the products. However, currently, rotating tables with jigs attached to the top surface are custom-made to suit the intended use, and a rotating table with a jig to accommodate a wide variety of products must be prepared, resulting in challenges such as the cost burden of purchase and repair, and the pressure on storage space.

[0008] Furthermore, the top surface of the rotating table is made of a single material such as iron, wood, or resin, and users are unable to customize the material to suit their product, forcing them to use existing materials. Therefore, depending on the application, it may be too strong or too heavy. If the weight becomes too heavy, it becomes difficult to rotate. Also, if the top surface is damaged, it is not designed to be partially replaced. The objective of the present invention is to provide a rotary table that can be easily modified or modified in order to solve the above problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The rotary table of the present invention comprises a top surface formed by laminating upper, middle, and lower plate materials and fixing them with a connecting member, a thrust bearing on which the top surface is rotatably mounted, and a base portion supporting the thrust bearing, The aforementioned upper layer has multiple pairs of connecting windows that are opened at equal angular intervals around the center of rotation. Multiple pairs of injection-molded preforms, each having a rectangular flat section in the center and a male connector and a female connector on opposite sides of the flat section, are connected via a pair of connector windows provided in the upper layer, with one male connector facing the other female connector across the upper layer. The intermediate layer has cutouts, one for each preform, to allow clearance for the preforms placed on the back side of the upper layer. The lower layer is provided with a accommodating groove into which the upper surface of the thrust bearing abuts. The base portion is provided with a accommodating groove into which the lower surface of the thrust bearing abuts, and a plurality of ball rollers are fixed to the outer circumference of the accommodating groove. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the rotary table of the present invention, the jig, which has a shape for receiving products on its top surface, utilizes a pillow member and a receiving member, and the top surface is constructed by combining multiple plate materials with detachable connecting members, thereby easily selecting materials and satisfying the requirements for strength and weight reduction. In addition, all components, including the top surface and jig, can be easily replaced without using adhesives or double-sided tape, thereby reducing repair and specification change costs. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a diagram illustrating a rotary table. [Figure 2] This is an exploded view of a rotary table. [Figure 3] This is a diagram illustrating the partition plate for a rotating table. [Figure 4] This diagram illustrates the pillow member and the support member. [Figure 5] This is a diagram illustrating the connecting material. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The following will be described in detail based on the drawings illustrating one embodiment. Figure 1A shows a rotary table 1 to which the present invention is applied to a line pallet used in a production line. The rotary table 1 comprises a circular top surface 2 on which products are mounted and a rectangular base surface 4 that supports the top surface surface 2. A thrust bearing (not shown) is placed between the top surface surface 2 and the base surface 4, and the top surface surface 2 is rotatable about a central axis c passing through its center. As shown in Figure 1B, which illustrates an example of a production line 6, the base surfaces 4 of the rotary tables 1 are arranged in large numbers on the production line 6 and moved automatically or manually.

[0013] The top surface 2 is provided with multiple pillow members 40, as shown in Figure 1C, at equal angular intervals around the central axis c, as jigs corresponding to the product. The pillow member 40 is a member having a rectangular molded surface portion 41 and male and female connecting portions 42 and 43 on opposite sides, and the molded surface portion 41 is shaped F to match the shape of the product by vacuum forming. The pillow member 40 is used in conjunction with a receiving member 50. The pillow member 40 and the receiving member 50 will be explained in detail later in Figure 4, but the receiving member 50 is a member having a rectangular surface support portion 51 and male and female connecting portions 52 and 53 on opposite sides.

[0014] Figure 2 shows the rotary table 1 in a disassembled state. The top surface 2 is composed of three plate materials with a circular outer shape. These plate materials are fixed by the first member 60 and the second member 70 (indicated by the symbol J in FIG. 1). The material of the plate material can be selected, and by combining and laminating plate materials with different properties, the required strength and performance can be obtained. In this embodiment, the upper layer 10 and the intermediate layer 20 are plastic corrugated boards, and the lower layer 30 is a foamed molded product. Examples of foamed molded products include Durawood (Registered Trademark No. 922397 of BASF INOAC Polyurethane Co., Ltd.) and Paronia (Registered Trademark No. 3297645 of Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.). Durawood is a foamed molded product mainly made of polyethylene and foamed about twice, and Paronia is a foamed molded product mainly made of polypropylene and polyethylene and foamed about three times. These are lightweight, highly durable, and recyclable materials and are used as substitutes for wood in various industries.

[0015] The roles of each layer will be described. The upper layer 10 is a layer for fixing the pillow member 40. A pair of rectangular mounting windows 11, 11 are formed for one pillow member 40. In this embodiment, since four pillow members 40 are provided, there are also four pairs of mounting windows 11, 11. The intermediate layer 20 is a layer for allowing the thickness of the receiving member 50 for fixing the pillow member 40 to escape, and a relief portion 21 for allowing the receiving member 50 to escape is opened one by one corresponding to the receiving member 50.

[0016] The lower layer 30 is a layer for maintaining the smoothness on the track of the ball roller 5. A circular receiving groove 31 for accommodating the ring-shaped thrust bearing 3 and having the upper surface of the thrust bearing 3 abut against the bottom surface is machined on the lower surface of the lower layer 30.

[0017] Furthermore, multiple connecting holes 12, 22, and 32 are provided in the upper layer 10, the intermediate layer 20, and the lower layer 30, respectively, so that the layers can communicate when stacked. The three layers are connected by a connecting member J consisting of a first member 60 and a second member 70 using the connecting holes 12, 22, and 32. The first member 60 and the second member 70 of the connecting member J can be fitted and detached from each other, and the first member 60 and the second member 70 facilitate the separation and rearrangement of each layer.

[0018] In this embodiment, hollow molded materials such as corrugated plastic are used for the upper layer 10 and intermediate layer 20, where strength is not required, thus avoiding unnecessary increases in weight and strength. Conversely, a relatively high-density foamed solid material is used for the lower layer 30, which requires cutting and processing to achieve strength, thereby adjusting the strength and weight of the top surface 2.

[0019] The thrust bearing 3 has an upper ring 3a, a lower ring 3b, and a ball or roller bearing positioned between them. A circular housing groove 4a, which accommodates the thrust bearing 3 and in which the lower surface of the thrust bearing 3 abuts against the bottom surface, is machined into the upper surface of the base portion 4. In addition, multiple ball rollers 5 are arranged on the outer circumference of the housing groove 4a, on the surface of the base portion 4, at equal angular intervals (90-degree intervals in this embodiment). The distance from the central axis c of each ball roller 5 is not the same, but offset. The distance from the central axis c of each ball roller 5 is set to a distance that falls directly below the position where the cushion member 40 and the receiving member 50 are positioned.

[0020] The rotary table 1 has a structure in which the top surface 2 and base 4 are stacked with a thrust bearing 3 in between. Since these parts are not glued together, they can be separated into upper and lower sections via the thrust bearing 3. This improves workability during repairs and specification changes.

[0021] The base section 4 may be a single sheet of material, or it may be constructed by stacking multiple sheets of material and fixing them together with connecting members J.

[0022] In this embodiment, four pillow members 40 are attached to the top surface 2, but the load capacity can be increased by adding five or six of these.

[0023] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating in more detail the configuration when corrugated plastic is used as the material for the upper layer 10. When four pillow members 40 are provided on the top surface 2 at 90-degree angles, each pair of mounting windows 11, 11 that open in the upper layer 10 have an angle that intersects with the grain direction m of the corrugated plastic. By setting this angle to 45 degrees, the four pillow members 40 can have equal strength.

[0024] Figure 4 illustrates the pillow member 40 and the support member 50. In this embodiment, a common member called a preform P is used for both the pillow member 40 and the support member 50. The preform P is a member formed by injection molding of a thermoplastic resin such as polyester, polyolefin, polyamide, or polycarbonate, and consists of a plate material that is substantially rectangular in plan view. It is called a preform because its shape is created in advance by injection molding. In Figure 4A, the preform has a central rectangular flat plate portion P1. The flat plate portion P1 is a part where the desired shape can be easily formed by vacuum forming. In the pillow member 40, the flat plate portion P1 corresponds to the molded surface portion 41, and in the support member 50, it corresponds to the surface support portion 51. Opposite sides of the flat plate portion P1 are provided with male connecting portions P2 and female connecting portions P3. These correspond to male connecting portions 42, 52 and female connecting portions 43, 53.

[0025] The male connector P2 and the female connector P3 are connectable and separable from each other. Specifically, in Figure 4B, two preforms PA and PB are placed back to back, with their respective male connectors P2 and female connectors P3 facing each other. Preform PA is the pillow member 40, and preform PB is the receiving member 50. In Figure 4B, the upper layer 10 is located between the two preforms PA and PB.

[0026] As the engaging claw P4 of the male connector P2 enters the opening P6 of the female connector P3, the engaging claw P4 is elastically deformed by the stepped portion P7 of the opening P6. When the shoulder P5 of the engaging claw P4 passes the stepped portion P7, the elastic deformation is released and the shoulder P5 rides up onto the locking surface P8 of the stepped portion P7 and engages. The two preforms PA and PB become inseparable from each other when the male connector P2 of one engages with the female connector P3 of the other.

[0027] Figure 4C shows the state with the intermediate layer 20 and the lower layer 30 stacked on top. The preform PB fixed to the upper layer 10 protrudes into the cutout 21 of the intermediate layer 20, and the thickness of the intermediate layer 20 is selected to be equal to the thickness of this protrusion. By selecting the thickness of the intermediate layer 20 in this way, the preform PB (receiving member 50) comes into direct contact with the lower layer 30. Furthermore, if the lower layer 30 is made of a resin molded material with a higher density than plastic corrugated cardboard, such as Durawood, it becomes easier to ensure the strength of the top surface 2 even if plastic corrugated cardboard is used in combination for the upper layer 10 and the intermediate layer 20. Furthermore, by making the upper preform PA of the upper layer 10 into a vacuum-formed pillow member 40 and the lower part into a receiving member 50 made of the preform PB as is, it is possible to combine the function of a pillow with the function of reinforcing the strength of the top surface 2.

[0028] The support member 40 and the receiving member 50 are positioned directly above the circumferential track on which the ball roller 5 is placed. Therefore, the load of the product mounted on the support member 40 can be directly transmitted from the surface support portion 51 of the receiving member 50 to the lower layer 30.

[0029] Furthermore, the distance of each ball roller 5 from the central axis c is not the same, but is offset. By arranging the ball rollers 5 in this way, the trajectory of each ball roller 5 is made different, distributing the load and reducing wear on the surface support portion 51.

[0030] Furthermore, the material shown in Patent Document 2 can be used as the preform P.

[0031] Figure 5 is a drawing showing the connecting member J. The female connecting member 60 has a first base plate 61 provided with a jig insertion opening 62 whose inner circumferential contour line is circular, a pair of guide plates 63, 63 erected on the inner surface of the first base plate 61 so as to be parallel to each other and symmetrical with respect to the jig insertion opening 62, and a plurality of engaging portions 64a to 64c provided in pairs on the opposing surfaces of the pair of guide plates 63, 63 so as to protrude in a direction parallel to the first base plate 61.

[0032] The male connecting member 70 has a second base plate 71 and a pair of flat engaging claws 72, 72 that are positioned parallel to each other and erected on the second base plate 71. The engaging claws 72, 72 have protrusions 73, 73 that are formed to engage with the engaging portions 64a to 64c of the female connecting member 60.

[0033] Furthermore, as the detachable connecting member J, for example, a member as shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 7007767 can be used. In addition, members as shown in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-083936, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-206417, etc., can also be used.

[0034] In this embodiment of the rotary table 1, a pillow member 40 with a shape for receiving products is placed on the top surface 2, and the combination of plate materials in each layer 10, 20, and 30 satisfies the requirements for strength and weight reduction, while all components can be easily replaced by connecting members J, thereby reducing repair and specification change costs and shortening manufacturing time.

[0035] The pillow member 40 can be easily modified to create the desired shape F by vacuum forming on a preform P formed by injection molding. By replacing this pillow member 40, it is easy to switch to other products, and by changing the top surface 2, the number and placement of the pillow members 40 can be optimized to suit the product. By using a general-purpose mold (Patent No. 7333682) to mold the preform P, further reductions in manufacturing time can be expected.

[0036] Furthermore, the pillow member 40 can be used in its preform P state (without vacuum forming), and by adding other members to the molded surface 41, functions such as anti-slip and cushioning can be added.

[0037] In usage scenarios requiring frequent specification changes and partial repairs, this allows for cheaper and faster responses compared to conventional products.

[0038] In this embodiment, the required strength and performance can be obtained by laminating each layer using a combination of plate materials with different properties. Specifically, by using solid wood for the lower layer 30 which requires cutting, and hollow molded members for the upper layer 10 and intermediate layer 20 where strength is not required, it is possible to construct the structure without unnecessarily increasing weight or strength. Furthermore, the plate materials of each layer are interchangeable, so when damage is repaired or the function is changed, only the relevant layer can be replaced, resulting in cost reduction.

[0039] The materials of the upper layer 10, middle layer 20, and lower layer 30 are arbitrary. Materials other than corrugated plastic and foamed molded products can be used in combination, such as iron, resin, paper, and wood. Furthermore, even if the thickness of the plates is changed by using these materials, in this embodiment, a connecting member J with a height adjustment function is used by multiple engaging parts 64a to 64c, which can accommodate plates of various thicknesses. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0040] J Connecting material P Preform P1 flat plate part P2 connection part P3 connection part P4 engaging claw P5 Shoulder P6 opening P7 Stepped section P8 Locking surface PA, PB Preform 1 Rotating Table 2 Top section 3. Thrust bearings 3a Upper ring 3b Lower ring 4. Base section 4a Retaining groove 5 Ball Roller 6 Production Line 10 upper layer 11. Mounting window 12, 22, 32 connection hole 20 Middle Class 21 Extraction part 30 Lower layer 31 Retaining groove 40 Pillow parts 41 Surface to be molded 42, 43 Connection part 50 Receiving member 51 plane support part 52, 53 Connection part 60 Connecting material 61 First base plate 62 Jig insertion opening 63 Guide Plate 64a~64c Engagement part 70 Connecting material 71 Second base plate 72 Engaging claws 73 Convex part

Claims

1. A rotary table having a top surface formed by laminating upper, middle, and lower plate materials and fixing them with connecting members, a thrust bearing on which the top surface is rotatably mounted, and a base portion that supports the thrust bearing, The aforementioned upper layer has multiple pairs of connecting windows that are opened at equal angular intervals around the center of rotation. Multiple pairs of injection-molded preforms, each having a rectangular flat section in the center and a male connector and a female connector on opposite sides of the flat section, are connected via a pair of connector windows provided in the upper layer, with one male connector facing the other female connector across the upper layer. The intermediate layer has cutouts, one for each preform, to allow the preforms to be placed on the back side of the upper layer to pass through. The lower layer is provided with a accommodating groove into which the upper surface of the thrust bearing abuts. A rotary table characterized in that the base portion is provided with a accommodating groove into which the lower surface of the thrust bearing abuts, and a plurality of ball rollers are fixed to the outer circumference of the accommodating groove.

2. In the rotary table according to claim 1, the upper layer is made of corrugated plastic, The rotating table is characterized in that the connecting window is opened in a direction that intersects the weave of the plastic corrugated cardboard.

3. In the rotary table of claim 1, the plurality of ball rollers are arranged at equal angular intervals with respect to the center of rotation and at different distances from each other. A rotary table characterized in that the plurality of pairs of preforms are positioned directly above the trajectories through which the plurality of ball rollers pass.

Images