Cutting device

Abstract

This cutting device provides an optimal distance between two rotating bodies without requiring extensive machining. [Solution] The present disclosure is a cutting device that cuts a sheet-like workpiece W by the meshing of the cutting blade of the upper rotating body 11 and the cutting blade of the lower rotating body 21, comprising an upper rotating body 11 having a cutting blade on its outer surface and a lower rotating body 21 having a cutting blade on its outer surface, wherein the upper rotating body 11 has rotatable upper reference rollers 15 on both outer sides in the direction of the rotation axis, and the lower rotating body has rotatable lower reference rollers 25 on both outer sides in the direction of the rotation axis, and a roller unit 30 is arranged between the upper reference rollers 15 and the lower reference rollers 25, comprising upper roller units 40a, 40b that rotate in contact with the upper reference rollers 15 and lower roller units 50a, 50b that rotate in contact with the lower reference rollers 25.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cutting device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a blanking device in which bearings that are in rolling contact with each other between rolls are provided at both ends of a die roll and a receiving roll, and the bearing provided on at least one roll is rotatable freely with respect to the roll.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In Patent Document 1, in order to optimize the distance between the die roll and the receiving roll (two rotating bodies), it is necessary to polish the outer circumference of the bearing in a concentric shape with the rotating body while the bearing is attached to the rotating body. The present disclosure solves such problems and provides a cutting device that can optimize the distance between two rotating bodies without performing large-scale processing.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] This disclosure relates to a cutting device for cutting a sheet-like workpiece by meshing the cutting blade of the upper rotating body with the cutting blade of the lower rotating body, comprising an upper rotating body having a cutting blade on its outer surface, and a lower rotating body provided below the upper rotating body and having a cutting blade on its outer surface, wherein rotatable upper reference rollers are provided on both outer sides in the direction of the rotation axis of the upper rotating body, and rotatable lower reference rollers are provided on both outer sides in the direction of the rotation axis of the lower rotating body, and a roller unit is arranged between the upper reference roller and the lower reference roller, comprising an upper roller unit that rotates in contact with the upper reference roller and a lower roller unit that rotates in contact with the lower reference roller. This configuration allows for optimizing the spacing between the two rotating bodies without requiring extensive machining.

[0006] The roller unit has a support member that supports the upper roller unit and the lower roller unit, and the support member has an opening formed therein, which is a hole that penetrates in the width direction of the workpiece. With this configuration, it is possible to observe how the cutting blade of the upper rotating body and the cutting blade of the lower rotating body mesh together to cut the workpiece.

[0007] Upper support units are provided on both outer sides in the direction of the rotation axis of the upper rotating body, and lower support units are provided on both outer sides in the direction of the rotation axis of the lower rotating body. A column member extending in the vertical direction is provided on one side of the upper support unit and the lower support unit in the direction of workpiece transport. The column member is provided with an upper tensioning mechanism that pulls the upper support unit in the direction of the column member, and a lower tensioning mechanism that pulls the lower support unit in the direction of the column member. With this configuration, the upper support unit and the lower support unit come into contact with the column member, enabling the upper rotating body and the lower rotating body to be positioned in the direction of workpiece transport. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] This disclosure provides a cutting device that can optimize the distance between two rotating bodies without requiring extensive machining. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view of the cutting device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the cutting device in the II-II direction. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a schematic side view of the upper and lower rotating bodies of the cutting device. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the cutting device in the IV-IV direction. [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of the roller unit of the cutting device shown. [Figure 6] Figure 5 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the roller unit in the VI-VI direction. [Figure 7] Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the area near the upper through-hole of the cutting device. [Figure 8] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the cutting device in the VIII-VIII direction. [Figure 9] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the cutting device in the IX-IX direction. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 9. Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of the cutting device of Embodiment 1. Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the cutting device shown in Figure 1 in the direction of II-II. Figure 3 is a schematic side view of the upper and lower rotating bodies of the cutting device shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the cutting device shown in Figure 1 in the direction of IV-IV. Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view of the roller unit of the cutting device shown in Figure 1. Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the roller unit shown in Figure 5 in the direction of VI-VI. Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the area near the upper through hole of the cutting device shown in Figure 4. Figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the cutting device shown in Figure 1 in the direction of VIII-VIII. Figure 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the cutting device shown in Figure 1 in the direction of IX-IX.

[0011] It should be noted that the right-handed XYZ Cartesian coordinate system shown in Figures 1 to 9 is merely a convenient representation for explaining the positional relationships of the components. In Figures 1 to 9, the positive Z-axis is the upward direction, and the XY plane is the horizontal plane. The X-axis direction is the front-to-back direction of the cutting device, with the positive X-axis direction being the forward direction and the negative X-axis direction being the backward direction. The Y-axis direction is the left-to-right direction of the cutting device, with the positive Y-axis direction being the right direction and the negative Y-axis direction being the left direction.

[0012] Embodiment 1 The cutting device 1 according to Embodiment 1 will be explained using Figures 1 to 9. The cutting device 1 is a device that cuts a sheet-like workpiece W with a pair of upper and lower cutting blades. The workpiece W is, for example, an electrode sheet that serves as the base material for a lithium-ion battery. As shown by arrow C in Figure 1, the workpiece W is transported from the front to the rear of the cutting device 1 (negative direction of the X axis in Figure 1) and cut.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the cutting device 1 includes an upper unit 10, a lower unit 20, a roller unit 30, and the like. The upper unit 10 includes an upper rotating body 11, a holder 13, a cutting blade 14, an upper reference roller 15, an upper support unit 16, and a drive motor 17.

[0014] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the upper rotating body 11 is formed in a roughly square rectangular prism shape when viewed from the left to right (viewed along the Y-axis in Figure 1) and extends in the left to right direction (in the Y-axis direction in Figure 1). Shaft portions 16c are attached to both outer sides of the upper rotating body 11 in the left to right direction via upper reference rollers 15 (see Figure 8). The upper rotating body 11 rotates around the axis center C1 of the shaft portion 16c (direction of arrow A in Figure 3).

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, holders 13 are respectively attached to four outer surfaces facing a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis direction of the upper rotating body 11 (the XZ plane direction in FIG. 1) via plates 11a. Note that in FIGS. 1 and 2, the illustration of some of the plates 11a and holders 13 is omitted, and in FIG. 3, the illustration of the plate 11a is omitted. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the holder 13 has a first holder 13a and a second holder 13b. The first holder 13a and the second holder 13b are arranged side by side in the rotation direction of the upper rotating body 11 (the direction of arrow A in FIG. 3) and extend in the left-right direction of the upper rotating body 11 (the Y-axis direction in FIG. 2).

[0016] As shown in FIG. 3, the first holder 13a and the second holder 13b hold a cutting blade 14 sandwiched therebetween. Note that in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the illustration of the cutting blade 14 is omitted. The cutting blade 14 is formed in a substantially triangular shape when viewed in the left-right direction (viewed in the Y-axis direction in FIG. 3) and extends in the longitudinal direction of the holder 13 (the Y-axis direction in FIG. 3).

[0017] As shown in FIG. 3, the first holder 13a and the second holder 13b are such that the distance between the side surfaces facing each other with the cutting blade 14 sandwiched therebetween narrows as it goes from the upper rotating body 11 toward the cutting edge of the cutting blade 14, and it functions as positioning of the cutting blade 14. The cutting blade 14 is provided in each of the four holders 13 and is arranged at 90-degree intervals in the rotation direction of the upper rotating body 11 (the direction of arrow A in FIG. 3).

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 8, upper reference rollers 15 are respectively provided on both outer sides in the rotation axis direction of the upper rotating body 11 (the Y-axis direction in FIG. 2). The upper reference rollers 15 are formed in a columnar shape and rotate together with the upper rotating body 11 about the axis center C1. Note that the upper reference rollers 15 may be rotated independently of the upper rotating body 11. The outer peripheral surface in the radial direction of the upper reference rollers 15 is constituted by an elastic body. The upper reference rollers 15 function as positioning in the up-down direction (the Z-axis direction in FIG. 2) of the upper rotating body 11, as will be described later.

[0019] As shown in Figures 1, 4, and 8, upper support units 16 are provided on both outer sides of the upper rotating body 11 in the direction of rotation axis (Y-axis direction in Figure 1). As shown in Figure 8, the upper support units 16 are positioned further outward in the direction of rotation axis (Y-axis direction in Figure 8) than the upper reference roller 15 relative to the upper rotating body 11. As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the upper support units 16 are formed in the shape of a roughly square rectangular parallelepiped when viewed from the left to right (viewed in the direction of the Y-axis in Figure 1).

[0020] As shown in Figures 4 and 8, the upper support unit 16 has a housing 16a, a bearing portion 16b, and a shaft portion 16c. The housing 16a constitutes the outer frame portion of the upper support unit 16 that extends in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction in Figure 4) and the front-to-back direction (X-axis direction in Figure 4). A through hole is formed in the central part of the housing 16a that penetrates in the left-to-right direction (Y-axis direction in Figure 4), and the bearing portion 16b is fitted into the through hole. The bearing portion 16b is composed of a back-to-back angular contact ball bearing and has an outer ring, an inner ring, a plurality of rolling elements arranged between the outer ring and the inner ring, and a cage that positions each rolling element in the circumferential direction (none of which are shown). As shown in Figure 8, the shaft portion 16c is inserted through the inner circumference of the bearing portion 16b, and the inner ring of the bearing portion 16b is fixed to the shaft portion 16c by tightening the nut 16d, which is located on the opposite side of the bearing portion 16b from the upper reference roller 15 (the positive Y-axis side in Figure 8). In this way, the shaft portion 16c is rotatably supported by the bearing portion 16b, and the upper rotating body 11 rotates.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, a drive motor 17 is provided at the right end (positive Y-axis direction side in Figure 1) of the upper unit 10. The drive motor 17 is connected to the shaft portion 16c on the right side (positive Y-axis direction side in Figure 1), and together with the shaft portion 16c, it rotates the upper rotating body 11 at a predetermined rotational speed in the direction of arrow A in Figure 3.

[0022] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, a lower unit 20 is provided below the upper unit 10. The lower unit 20 includes a lower rotating body 21 (including a plate 21a), a holder 23 (including a first holder 23a and a second holder 23b), a cutting blade 24, a lower reference roller 25, a lower support unit 26 (including a housing 26a, a bearing portion 26b, and a shaft portion 26c), and a drive motor 27. Since these components of the lower unit 20 are almost identical in shape, configuration, and function to the corresponding components of the upper unit 10, a detailed explanation is omitted. The difference between the lower unit 20 and the upper unit 10 is that the direction of rotation of the rotating bodies is different. As shown in Figure 3, the upper rotating body 11 of the upper unit 10 rotates in the direction of arrow A, while the lower rotating body 21 of the lower unit 20 rotates in the direction of arrow B, which is opposite to the direction of arrow A. The upper rotating body 11 and the lower rotating body 21 then rotate in the same direction as the conveying direction of the workpiece W (direction of arrow C) between them.

[0023] As shown in Figure 3, the upper rotating body 11 and the lower rotating body 21 are rotated at the same speed and their rotation angles are adjusted so that the four cutting blades face the same direction. In other words, the upper rotating body 11 and the lower rotating body 21 rotate so that the four cutting blades are in phase with each other.

[0024] As shown in Figure 3, the workpiece W is transported between the upper rotating body 11 and the lower rotating body 21, and the workpiece W is cut when the cutting blade 14 of the upper rotating body 11 and the cutting blade 24 of the lower rotating body 21 engage. Specifically, the cutting blade 14 of the upper rotating body 11, which faces downward (negative Z-axis direction in Figure 3), cuts into the upper part of the workpiece W in the thickness direction. Also, the cutting blade 24 of the lower rotating body 21, which faces upward (positive Z-axis direction in Figure 3), cuts into the lower part of the workpiece W in the thickness direction. When the upper and lower parts of the workpiece W in the thickness direction are cut by the cutting blades, a crack is formed between the upper and lower cut portions, and the workpiece W is cut.

[0025] As shown in Figure 2, a roller unit 30 is positioned between the upper reference roller 15 of the upper unit 10 and the lower reference roller 25 of the lower unit 20. The roller units 30 are positioned at both ends of the cutting device 1 in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction in Figure 2).

[0026] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the roller unit 30 has a support member 31 that supports the first upper roller unit 40a, etc. The support member 31 has a pair of planar sections 32a, 32b, a first connecting section 36a, 36b, and a second connecting section 37a, 37b. The pair of planar sections 32a, 32b are each formed in a roughly H-shaped flat plate form when viewed in the left-right direction (view in the Y-axis direction of Figure 5). The pair of planar sections 32a, 32b are arranged side by side in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction of Figure 5) with their planar portions facing each other.

[0027] As shown in Figure 5, the pair of planar sections 32a and 32b are provided with a first upper shaft hole 33a, a second upper shaft hole 33b, a first lower shaft hole 34a, and a second lower shaft hole 34b, respectively, which are through holes that penetrate in the thickness direction (Y-axis direction in Figure 5).

[0028] The first upper shaft hole 33a and the second upper shaft hole 33b are provided on the upper part of a pair of planar sections 32a and 32b, respectively. The first upper shaft hole 33a is provided on the front side (positive X-axis direction side in Figure 5) of the pair of planar sections 32a and 32b, and the second upper shaft hole 33b is provided on the rear side (negative X-axis direction side in Figure 5) of the pair of planar sections 32a and 32b. The first upper shaft hole 33a and the second upper shaft hole 33b are provided in positions symmetrical with respect to a reference line L1 connecting the axis center C1 of the shaft section 16c and the axis center C2 of the shaft section 26c when viewed from the left to right (view in the Y-axis direction in Figure 5). The reference shaft 45a of the first upper roller unit 40a is inserted through the first upper shaft hole 33a, and the reference shaft 45b of the second upper roller unit 40b is inserted through the second upper shaft hole 33b.

[0029] The first lower shaft hole 34a and the second lower shaft hole 34b are provided at the lower part of a pair of planar sections 32a and 32b, respectively. The first lower shaft hole 34a is provided on the front side (positive X-axis direction side in Figure 5) of the pair of planar sections 32a and 32b, and the second lower shaft hole 34b is provided on the rear side (negative X-axis direction side in Figure 5) of the pair of planar sections 32a and 32b. The first lower shaft hole 34a and the second lower shaft hole 34b are provided at positions symmetrical with respect to the reference line L1 when viewed from the left to right (view in the Y-axis direction in Figure 5). The reference shaft 55a of the first lower roller unit 50a is inserted through the first lower shaft hole 34a, and the reference shaft 55b of the second lower roller unit 50b is inserted through the second lower shaft hole 34b.

[0030] The first upper shaft hole 33a and the first lower shaft hole 34a are located symmetrically across a reference line L2 that extends in the front-to-back direction (X-axis direction in Figure 5) midway through the vertical direction (Z-axis direction in Figure 5) of the roller unit 30. The second upper shaft hole 33b and the second lower shaft hole 34b are located symmetrically across the reference line L2.

[0031] As shown in Figure 5, each of the pair of planar sections 32a and 32b has an opening 35 in the center in the front-to-back direction (X-axis direction in Figure 5), which is a through hole that penetrates in the thickness direction (Y-axis direction in Figure 5). The opening 35 is formed in an elliptical shape, which is longer in the front-to-back direction than in the vertical direction. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the through hole of the opening 35 penetrates in the width direction of the workpiece W (Y-axis direction in Figure 1). By providing the opening 35, it is possible to observe how the cutting blade 14 of the upper rotating body 11 and the cutting blade 24 of the lower rotating body 21 engage to cut the workpiece W.

[0032] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the support member 31 has first connecting portions 36a, 36b and second connecting portions 37a, 37b that connect a pair of planar portions 32a, 32b. The first connecting portion 36a is provided above the opening 35, and the first connecting portion 36b is provided below the opening 35. The second connecting portion 37a is provided between the first upper shaft hole 33a and the first lower shaft hole 34a, and the second connecting portion 37b is provided between the second upper shaft hole 33b and the second lower shaft hole 34b.

[0033] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, a first upper roller unit 40a, a second upper roller unit 40b, a first lower roller unit 50a, and a second lower roller unit 50b are arranged between a pair of flat sections 32a and 32b.

[0034] The first upper roller unit 40a and the second upper roller unit 40b are respectively provided on the upper parts of a pair of flat sections 32a and 32b. The first upper roller unit 40a is provided in front of the second upper roller unit 40b (on the positive X-axis side in Figure 5).

[0035] The first lower roller unit 50a and the second lower roller unit 50b are respectively provided at the bottom of a pair of flat sections 32a and 32b. The first lower roller unit 50a is provided in front of the second lower roller unit 50b (on the positive X-axis side in Figure 5).

[0036] As shown in Figure 6, the first upper roller unit 40a includes a roller 41a, a pair of roller retaining members 42a and 42b, a bearing section 43, a nut 44, a reference shaft 45a, and a ring 46. The bearing section 43 is composed of a back-to-back angular contact ball bearing and includes an outer ring 43a, an inner ring 43b, a plurality of rolling elements (not shown), and a cage 43c.

[0037] The roller 41a is made of an elastic material and is formed in a cylindrical shape. The roller 41a is positioned on the outer circumference of the outer ring 43a, and the roller 41a and the outer ring 43a are sandwiched between a pair of annular roller holding members 42a and 42b. Multiple through holes are formed in the pair of roller holding members 42a and 42b and the roller 41a at intervals in the circumferential direction of the roller 41a, with the holes penetrating in the axial direction of the roller 41a (the Y-axis direction in Figure 6). The shaft portion of a bolt 47 is inserted through the through holes in the roller holding member 42b and the roller 41a, and the head of the bolt 47 is positioned on the side of the roller holding member 42b facing away from the roller 41a. The tip of the shaft portion of the bolt 47 is screwed into the threads formed in the through holes of the roller holding member 42a, thereby fixing the roller 41a to the outer ring 43a.

[0038] Rings 46 are positioned on both outer sides of the inner ring 43b in the thrust direction, and a nut 44 is positioned to the left of the left ring 46 (negative Y-axis direction side in Figure 6). The reference shaft 45a is composed of a bolt consisting of a head and a shaft. The reference shaft 45a has threads formed on the shaft side of the head (positive Y-axis direction side in Figure 6), and the shaft side of the tip (negative Y-axis direction side in Figure 6) is cylindrical. The head of the reference shaft 45a is positioned on the side of the flat portion 32b facing the opposite side of the flat portion 32a, and the shaft on the head side is inserted through the first upper shaft hole 33a of the flat portion 32b, the two rings 46, and the inner ring 43b. The inner ring 43b is fixed to the reference shaft 45a by screwing the shaft on the head side of the reference shaft 45a onto the nut 44. The tip of the shaft portion of the reference shaft 45a is inserted into the first upper shaft hole 33a of the flat portion 32a, thereby supporting the first upper roller unit 40a on the pair of flat portions 32a and 32b, and the roller 41a rotates around the reference shaft 45a.

[0039] The second upper roller unit 40b, the first lower roller unit 50a, and the second lower roller unit 50b are almost identical in shape, structure, and function to the first upper roller unit 40a, so their descriptions are omitted.

[0040] As shown in Figure 2, the upper reference roller 15 of the upper unit 10 is positioned above the space between the first upper roller unit 40a and the second upper roller unit 40b. The upper reference roller 15 is in contact with the roller 41a of the first upper roller unit 40a and the roller 41b of the second upper roller unit 40b. Therefore, the two rollers 41a and 41b rotate as the rotational force of the upper reference roller 15 is transmitted to them.

[0041] As shown in Figure 2, the lower reference roller 25 of the lower unit 20 is positioned below the space between the first lower roller unit 50a and the second lower roller unit 50b. The lower reference roller 25 is in contact with the roller 51a of the first lower roller unit 50a and the roller 51b of the second lower roller unit 50b. Therefore, the two rollers 51a and 51b rotate as the rotational force of the lower reference roller 25 is transmitted to them.

[0042] As shown in Figure 2, by positioning the roller unit 30 between the upper reference roller 15 and the lower reference roller 25, the vertical distance (Z-axis direction in Figure 2) between the upper rotating body 11 and the lower rotating body 21 can be adjusted by the following spacing of the roller unit 30. The distance between the first upper roller unit 40a and the first lower roller unit 50a. The distance between the second upper roller unit 40b and the second lower roller unit 50b. The distance between the first upper roller unit 40a and the second upper roller unit 40b. The distance between the first lower roller unit 50a and the second lower roller unit 50b.

[0043] As shown in Figure 5, the positions of the first upper roller unit 40a, the second upper roller unit 40b, the first lower roller unit 50a, and the second lower roller unit 50b are determined by the positions of the first upper shaft hole 33a, the second upper shaft hole 33b, the first lower shaft hole 34a, and the second lower shaft hole 34b, respectively. Therefore, the vertical distance between the upper rotating body 11 and the lower rotating body 21 is adjusted by machining the first upper shaft hole 33a, etc.

[0044] As shown in Figure 2, the third upper roller unit 40c is positioned above the upper reference roller 15 of the upper unit 10, and the third lower roller unit 50c is positioned below the lower reference roller 25 of the lower unit 20. The third upper roller unit 40c and the third lower roller unit 50c are almost identical in shape, structure, and function to the first upper roller unit 40a, so their description is omitted. The reference shaft 45c of the third upper roller unit 40c is pivotally supported by a support member 38. The reference shaft 55c of the third lower roller unit 50c is pivotally supported by a support member 39. The support member 39 is fixed to a base portion 81 provided at the bottom of the cutting device 1.

[0045] The upper reference roller 15 is in contact with the roller 41c of the third upper roller unit 40c. Therefore, the roller 41c rotates due to the rotational force transmitted from the upper reference roller 15. Similarly, the lower reference roller 25 is in contact with the roller 51c of the third lower roller unit 50c. Therefore, the roller 51c rotates due to the rotational force transmitted from the lower reference roller 25.

[0046] As shown in Figures 1 and 8, the cutting device 1 has two front column members 60, two rear column members 70, and a ceiling member 80. The front column members 60 are located at the front of the cutting device 1 (the positive X-axis side in Figure 1) and are positioned at both ends of the cutting device 1 in the left-right direction (the Y-axis direction in Figure 1). The rear column members 70 are located at the rear of the cutting device 1 (the negative X-axis side in Figure 1) and are positioned at both ends of the cutting device 1 in the left-right direction (the Y-axis direction in Figure 1). The front column members 60 and the rear column members 70 are formed in a roughly rectangular prism shape when viewed in the vertical direction (viewed in the Z-axis direction in Figure 1) and extend in the vertical direction.

[0047] As shown in Figures 1 and 8, the upper support unit 16 and the lower support unit 26 are positioned between the front column member 60 and the rear column member 70. In other words, the front column member 60 is provided on the upstream side of the workpiece W transport direction (direction of arrow C in Figure 1) of the upper support unit 16 and the lower support unit 26, and the rear column member 70 is provided on the downstream side.

[0048] The ceiling member 80 is positioned at the top of the cutting device 1. The ceiling member 80 is formed in a roughly H-shaped flat plate form when viewed in the vertical direction (view in the Z-axis direction in Figure 1). The ceiling member 80 is placed on the upper surfaces of the two front column members 60 and the two rear column members 70, and is fixed to each of them by fixing means.

[0049] As shown in Figures 4 and 7, each of the two front column members 60 has two upper through holes 61 and two lower through holes 62. Note that the upper through holes 61 and lower through holes 62 of the right-side front column member 60 (positive Y-axis direction in Figure 4) are not shown. The two upper through holes 61 are located in front of the upper support unit 16 (positive X-axis direction in Figure 4), and the two lower through holes 62 are located in front of the lower support unit 26. The two upper through holes 61 and the two lower through holes 62 are composed of holes that penetrate in the front-to-back direction (X-axis direction in Figure 4), and are formed in a circular shape when viewed in the front-to-back direction (X-axis direction view in Figure 4).

[0050] As shown in Figures 4 and 7, the two upper through holes 61 have a large diameter portion 61a and a small diameter portion 61b. The large diameter portion 61a is formed in front of the small diameter portion 61b (in the positive X-axis direction in Figure 4) and has a larger hole diameter than the small diameter portion 61b. The lower through hole 62 also has a large diameter portion 62a and a small diameter portion 62b, similar to the upper through hole 61.

[0051] As shown in Figure 4, upper spring units 63 are positioned in the two upper through holes 61, respectively. As shown in Figure 7, the upper spring unit 63 has a pair of spring receiving parts 66, a coil spring 65, and a bolt 64.

[0052] Each of the pair of spring receiving portions 66 is formed in the shape of a disc, and a through hole is formed in the center of each portion, with a hole that penetrates in the thickness direction. The pair of spring receiving portions 66 are arranged so that their planar portions face each other, and a coil spring 65 is placed between them. The coil spring 65 is positioned so that its axis is aligned with the front-to-back direction (the X-axis direction in Figure 7), and it expands and contracts in the front-to-back direction. The coil spring 65 and the pair of spring receiving portions 66 are located in the large-diameter portion 61a.

[0053] The bolt 64 consists of a head and a shaft, with threads formed on the tip side of the shaft. The bolt 64 is positioned so that its axis is aligned in the front-to-back direction (the X-axis direction in Figure 7). The head of the bolt 64 is positioned on the side of the spring receiving portion 66 opposite to the coil spring 65 on the front side (the positive X-axis direction side in Figure 7). The shaft of the bolt 64 is inserted through the pair of spring receiving portions 66, the coil spring 65, and the small diameter portion 61b.

[0054] When the tip of the bolt 64 is screwed into the threaded hole 16e formed in the housing 16a of the upper support unit 16, the upper support unit 16 is pulled toward the front column member 60 by the biasing force of the coil spring 65 and comes into contact with the front column member 60. In this way, the upper rotating body 11 is positioned in the direction of transport of the workpiece W (X-axis direction in Figure 7) by the upper spring unit 63. The upper spring unit 63 functions as an upper tensioning mechanism that pulls the upper support unit 16 toward the front column member 60.

[0055] As shown in Figure 4, lower spring units 68 are positioned in the two lower through holes 62. The lower spring units 68 are almost identical in shape, structure, and function to the upper spring units 63, so their description is omitted. The lower support unit 26 is also pulled in the direction of the front column member 60 by the lower spring units 68 and comes into contact with the front column member 60, thereby positioning the lower rotating body 21 in the direction of transporting the workpiece W. The lower spring units 68 function as a lower tensioning mechanism that pulls the lower support unit 26 in the direction of the front column member 60. Alternatively, the upper spring units 63 and lower spring units 68 may be provided on the rear column member 70, and the rear column member 70 may be used to position the upper rotating body 11 and the lower rotating body 21 in the direction of transporting the workpiece W.

[0056] As shown in Figure 8, two upper reference pins 67 are positioned on the right front column member 60. The upper reference pins 67 are located in front of the upper support unit 16 (positive X-axis direction in Figure 8) and are arranged side by side in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction in Figure 8). The upper reference pins 67 are formed in a roughly rod shape and extend in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction in Figure 8). A projection 67a is formed at the tip of the upper reference pin 67 on the upper support unit 16 side, projecting rearward from the front column member 60 (negative X-axis direction in Figure 8). The projections 67a formed on each of the two upper reference pins 67 sandwich a convex portion 16f formed on the housing 16a of the upper support unit 16. The convex portion 16f is provided on the side of the housing 16a on the front column member 60 side and is formed by a flat plate-shaped protrusion projecting toward the front column member 60. The convex portion 16f extends in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction in Figure 8). Since the protrusion 16f is sandwiched between the projections 67a of the upper reference pins 67 provided on both outer sides in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction in Figure 8), the upper rotating body 11 is positioned in the width direction (Y-axis direction in Figure 8) of the workpiece W by the upper reference pins 67.

[0057] Although not shown in the diagram, two lower reference pins are also located on the right-side front column member 60 in front of the lower support unit 26. Since the shape, structure, and function of these lower reference pins are almost identical to those of the upper reference pin 67, their explanation is omitted.

[0058] As shown in Figures 2 and 9, a pressing unit 90 is provided on the upper part of the cutting device 1. The pressing unit 90 is provided above the third upper roller units 40c, which are provided at both the left and right ends of the cutting device 1. As shown in Figure 9, the pressing unit 90 includes a horizontal bar member 91, a load cell 92, a pressing structure 93, an adjustment screw 94, a guide part 95, a vertical bar member 96, and a thrust bearing 97.

[0059] The horizontal bar member 91 is formed by a rectangular cross-section bar member extending in the front-to-back direction (the X-axis direction in Figure 9). The horizontal bar member 91 is fixed to a support member 38 located on its lower surface by fixing means 91a. A compression-type load cell 92 is attached to the upper surface of the horizontal bar member 91. Screw holes 91b that open upward are provided at both ends of the horizontal bar member 91 in the front-to-back direction. Vertical bar members 96 that extend in the vertical direction are screwed into the two screw holes 91b, respectively.

[0060] A through-hole is provided in the guide portion 95 of the ceiling member 80, which extends vertically (in the Z-axis direction in Figure 9), and an adjustment screw 94 is inserted through this through-hole. The adjustment screw 94 extends vertically (in the Z-axis direction in Figure 9), with a thrust bearing receiving portion 94a formed on the shaft portion in the vertical center and a screw thread formed on the shaft portion at the lower end. The thrust bearing receiving portion 94a extends radially outward from the shaft portion, then is bent at approximately a right angle and extends toward the ceiling member 80. A ring-shaped thrust bearing 97 is positioned between the thrust bearing receiving portion 94a and the ceiling member 80.

[0061] A pressing structure 93 is positioned between the ceiling member 80 and the load cell 92. The pressing structure 93 includes a first connecting member 93a, a second connecting member 93b, and a pressing member 93c. The first connecting member 93a is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a through hole 93d, consisting of a hole that penetrates vertically, is formed in the center of the front-to-back direction (X-axis direction in Figure 9).

[0062] The through hole 93d has a first through hole 93d1 and a second through hole 93d2. The first through hole 93d1 is located above the second through hole 93d2 and has a circular cross-section. Threads are formed on the wall surface of the first through hole 93d1, and the first through hole 93d1 is screwed into the adjustment screw 94. The second through hole 93d2 has a rectangular cross-section, and its size in the front-to-back direction (X-axis direction in Figure 9) is larger than that of the first through hole 93d1. The second connecting member 93b and the pressing member 93c are positioned in the second through hole 93d2.

[0063] The second connecting member 93b, which is formed in a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape, has through holes at both ends in the front-rear direction, and the second connecting member 93b is fixed to the first connecting member 93a by bolts 93e inserted through the through holes. The second connecting member 93b has a through hole in the center in the front-rear direction, and a pressing member 93c is fitted into the through hole. The pressing member 93c is formed by a rod-shaped member extending in the vertical direction, and the pressing member 93c is placed on the upper surface of the load cell 92.

[0064] Holes 80a are provided at both ends of the ceiling member 80 in the front-rear direction. Cylindrical cylinders 80b are fitted into the two holes 80a, and a vertical rod member 96 is inserted through the cylinders 80b. Holes 93f are provided at both ends of the first connecting member 93a in the front-rear direction. The two holes 93f are provided below the two holes 80a of the ceiling member 80. Cylindrical cylinders 93g are fitted into the two holes 93f, and a vertical rod member 96 is inserted through the cylinders 93g.

[0065] The pressing unit 90 can move the pressing structure 93 downward by rotating the adjustment screw 94. Specifically, when the adjustment screw 94 is rotated, the thrust bearing 97 restricts the upward movement of the adjustment screw 94, causing the pressing structure 93 to move downward. When the pressing structure 93 moves downward, the third upper roller unit 40c is pressed downward via the load cell 92, the horizontal bar member 91, and the support member 38. As the third upper roller unit 40c is pressed downward, pressure is applied to the upper reference roller 15 and the lower reference roller 25 from both the upper and lower directions. This pressure application allows the vertical distance between the upper rotating body 11 and the lower rotating body 21 to be kept constant. The magnitude of the applied pressure can be checked and adjusted using the load cell 92.

[0066] Next, the assembly method of the cutting device 1 will be explained. Before assembly, the upper unit 10, the lower unit 20, the roller unit 30, and the ceiling member 80 have been removed from the cutting device 1. First, the lower support unit 26 of the lower unit 20 is inserted from above the cutting device 1 between the front column member 60 and the rear column member 70. Then, the lower reference roller 25 is placed on the roller 51c of the third lower roller unit 50c. Next, the lower spring unit 68 brings the lower support unit 26 into contact with the front column member 60, thereby positioning the lower rotating body 21 in the front-rear direction. Next, the roller 51a of the first lower roller unit 50a and the roller 51b of the second lower roller unit 50b of the roller unit 30 are placed on top of the lower reference roller 25. Next, the upper support unit 16 of the upper unit 10 is inserted from above the cutting device 1 between the front column member 60 and the rear column member 70. Then, the upper reference roller 15 is placed on top of the roller 41a of the first upper roller unit 40a and the roller 41b of the second upper roller unit 40b. Next, the upper spring unit 63 brings the upper support unit 16 into contact with the front column member 60, thereby positioning the upper rotating body 11 in the front-rear direction. Next, the ceiling member 80 with the pressing unit 90 attached is placed on top of the cutting device 1, and the roller 41c of the third upper roller unit 40c is placed on top of the upper reference roller 15. Finally, the pressing unit 90 applies a predetermined pressure from above to the upper reference roller 15 and the lower reference roller 25 to adjust the vertical distance between the upper rotating body 11 and the lower rotating body 21.

[0067] In this embodiment, a roller unit 30 is positioned between the upper reference roller 15 and the lower reference roller 25. The roller unit 30 has a first upper roller unit 40a and a second upper roller unit 40b that rotate in contact with the upper reference roller 15. The roller unit 30 also has a first lower roller unit 50a and a second lower roller unit 50b that rotate in contact with the lower reference roller 25. With this configuration, the vertical distance (Z-axis direction in Figure 2) between the upper rotating body 11 and the lower rotating body 21 can be adjusted by the distance of the roller unit 30 as shown below. The distance between the first upper roller unit 40a and the first lower roller unit 50a. The distance between the second upper roller unit 40b and the second lower roller unit 50b. The distance between the first upper roller unit 40a and the second upper roller unit 40b. The distance between the first lower roller unit 50a and the second lower roller unit 50b. These spacings can be adjusted without attaching the roller unit 30 to the cutting device 1, so the vertical spacing between the upper rotating body 11 and the lower rotating body 21 can be optimized without extensive processing.

[0068] In this embodiment, the support member 31 of the roller unit 30 has an opening 35 formed in the form of a hole that penetrates in the width direction of the workpiece W. By providing the opening 35, it is possible to observe how the cutting blade 14 of the upper rotating body 11 and the cutting blade 24 of the lower rotating body 21 engage to cut the workpiece W.

[0069] In this embodiment, a front column member 60 extending in the vertical direction is provided on the upstream side of the upper support unit 16 and the lower support unit 26 in the workpiece W transport direction. The front column member 60 is provided with an upper spring unit 63 that pulls the upper support unit 16 toward the front column member 60, and a lower spring unit 68 that pulls the lower support unit 26 toward the front column member 60. By providing the upper spring unit 63 and the lower spring unit 68, the upper support unit 16 and the lower support unit 26 come into contact with the front column member 60, enabling the upper rotating body 11 and the lower rotating body 21 to be positioned in the workpiece W transport direction.

[0070] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and may be modified as appropriate without departing from its spirit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1...cutting device 11. Upper rotating body 14...cutting blade 15. Upper reference roller 16. Upper support unit 21. Lower rotating body 24...cutting blade 25...Lower reference roller 26. Lower support unit 30... Roller Unit 31. Support member 35...Opening 40a ··First upper roller unit 40b ··Second upper roller unit 50a ··First lower roller unit 50b...Second lower roller unit 60... Front column member 63. Upper spring unit 68. Lower spring unit 70...Rear column member W...work

Claims

1. An upper rotating body with a cutting blade on its outer surface, The system comprises a lower rotating body provided below the upper rotating body and having a cutting blade on its outer surface, A cutting device for cutting a sheet-like workpiece by the meshing of the cutting blade of the upper rotating body and the cutting blade of the lower rotating body, Rotatable upper reference rollers are provided on both outer sides in the direction of the rotation axis of the upper rotating body. Rotatable lower reference rollers are provided on both outer sides in the direction of the rotation axis of the lower rotating body. Between the upper reference roller and the lower reference roller, a roller unit is arranged which comprises an upper roller unit that rotates in contact with the upper reference roller and a lower roller unit that rotates in contact with the lower reference roller. Cutting device.

2. The roller unit has a support member that supports the upper roller unit and the lower roller unit. The support member has an opening formed therein, which is a hole that penetrates in the width direction of the workpiece. The cutting device according to claim 1.

3. Upper support units are provided on both outer sides in the direction of the rotation axis of the upper rotating body. Lower support units are provided on both outer sides in the direction of the rotation axis of the lower rotating body. A columnar member extending in the vertical direction is provided on one side of the upper support unit and the lower support unit in the workpiece transport direction. The column member is provided with an upper tensioning mechanism that pulls the upper support unit in the direction of the column member, and a lower tensioning mechanism that pulls the lower support unit in the direction of the column member. The cutting device according to claim 1.

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