Molding machine door device

Abstract

To improve work efficiency during mold installation. [Solution] The door device includes a sliding door, a door case that houses the sliding door when open and guides its horizontal movement, an upper end guide member provided at the upper end of the door case to guide the upper end of the sliding door, and a lower end guide member provided at the lower end of the door case to guide the lower end of the sliding door. The upper end guide member is a floating mechanism that guides the upper end of the sliding door while allowing vertical displacement of the sliding door. The lower end guide member is a linear guide. The door case is provided on the side of the molding machine, behind the mold. When the sliding door is opened, the door device has an opening that opens the mold and the outside of the molding machine.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a door device of a molding machine.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a safety door device provided in a molding machine.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] This disclosure provides a door device of a molding machine useful for improving workability during mold installation.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] [1] A door device of a molding machine having a mold, comprising a sliding door, a door case that accommodates the sliding door when opened and guides the horizontal movement of the sliding door, an upper guide member provided at an upper end portion of the door case for guiding an upper end portion of the sliding door, and a lower guide member provided at a lower end portion of the door case for guiding a lower end portion of the sliding door. The upper guide member is a floating mechanism that guides the upper end portion of the sliding door while allowing vertical displacement of the sliding door. The lower guide member is a linear guide. When the direction in which the sliding door moves to open is taken as the rear, the door case is provided behind the mold on the side of the molding machine. When the sliding door is opened, there is an opening portion for opening the mold and the outside of the molding machine. A door device of a molding machine characterized by this.

[0006] [2] A door device for a molding machine as described in [1] above, characterized in that a clearance is provided between the lower surface of the upper wall of the door case and the upper end surface of the sliding door.

[0007] [3] A door device for a molding machine as described in [1] or [2] above, wherein the upper end guide member comprises a biasing member, a pair of rollers, and a holding portion for holding the biasing member and rollers, the pair of rollers are provided in contact with both sides of the sliding door so as to sandwich the sliding door, the biasing member biases the pair of rollers in opposing directions, the holding portion is connected to the upper end of the door case, and a clearance is provided between the upper end surface of the sliding door and the holding portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, a door device for a molding machine that is useful for improving workability during mold installation is provided. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1(a) is a schematic plan view illustrating a molding system comprising a door device and a molding machine. Figure 2(b) is a schematic side view illustrating a molding machine. [Figure 2] Figures 2(a) and 2(b) are schematic side views illustrating a door device. [Figure 3] Figures 3(a) and 3(b) are schematic diagrams illustrating guide members provided in a door device. [Figure 4] Figure 4(a) is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an upper guide member. Figure 4(b) is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for fixing the upper guide member. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] An embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this description, the same elements or elements having the same function will be denoted by the same reference numeral, and redundant explanations will be omitted. Some of the drawings show a Cartesian coordinate system defined by the X, Y, and Z axes. In the following embodiment, the X and Y axes are horizontal, and the Z axis is vertical.

[0011] Figures 1(a) and 1(b) schematically show a molding system equipped with a door device according to one embodiment. Details of the molding system are omitted in Figure 1(a). The molding system 1 shown in Figure 1(a), also called a die-casting machine, is a system that manufactures castings by filling a mold with molten metal (hereinafter referred to as "molten metal") and shaping it. The molding system 1 comprises a molding machine 2 and a door device 70. As shown in Figure 1(a), in a plan view (viewed from vertically above), the door device 70 is positioned to the side of the molding machine 2.

[0012] The molding machine 2 is the part of the molding system 1 that performs casting. In Figure 1(b), the side view of the molding machine 2 is schematically illustrated, with the door device 70 omitted. The molding machine 2 comprises, for example, an injection device 10, a mold 20, a platen 30, a clamping unit 40, a control unit 50, and a base 60. The molding machine 2 is a device that performs molding by injecting molten metal injected from the injection device 10 into the cavity C of the mold 20.

[0013] The injection molding device 10 is a device that injects and fills a cavity C formed in a mold 20 with molten metal. The injection molding device 10 includes, for example, an injection sleeve 11, a plunger 12, and an injection cylinder 13. The injection sleeve 11 is a member that guides the molten metal into the cavity C, and is formed in a cylindrical shape so as to extend in one horizontal direction. The injection sleeve 11 is provided with a pouring port 11a, and the molten metal is supplied to the space inside the injection sleeve 11 through the pouring port 11a.

[0014] The injection cylinder 13 is connected to a plunger 12 located inside the injection sleeve 11 and is the component that drives the plunger 12. The injection cylinder 13 may also be a hydraulically driven cylinder. When the injection cylinder 13 advances the plunger 12 toward the mold 20, the molten metal inside the injection cylinder 13 is injected and filled into the cavity C. Although omitted in Figure 1(b), the space inside the injection sleeve 11 and the cavity C are in communication. In the following description, the direction in which the plunger 12 moves in the injection device 10 is referred to as the "X-axis," and the direction horizontal to the X-axis is referred to as the "Y-axis."

[0015] The mold 20 is a component that forms the cavity C, and the mold 20 has a fixed mold 21 and a movable mold 22. The platen 30 is a component that holds the mold 20, and the platen 30 has a fixed platen 31 and a movable platen 32. The fixed mold 21 is fixed to the fixed platen 31, and the movable mold 22 is fixed to the movable platen 32. The fixed platen 31 is fixed to the base 60, and the movable platen 32 is provided so as to be able to move horizontally on the base 60. The base 60 is the part that supports each component included in the molding machine 2. The base 60 is installed, for example, on the floor.

[0016] The fixed platen 31 and the movable platen 32 are spaced apart in the X-axis direction. The molding machine 2 is provided with a plurality of tie bars 33 extending in the X-axis direction between the fixed platen 31 and the movable platen 32. Viewed from the X-axis direction, each of the tie bars 33 is provided so as to penetrate the corners of the fixed platen 31 and the movable platen 32. The movable platen 32 is provided so as to be able to move back and forth relative to the fixed platen 31 using the tie bars 33 as guides.

[0017] The clamping part 40 is a member for clamping the mold 20. The clamping part 40 is, for example, an actuator driven by a hydraulic power source (not shown in the figure), and drives (moves) the movable platen 32 along the X-axis direction. The clamping part 40 includes, for example, a hydraulic cylinder 41 and a toggle mechanism 42. The hydraulic cylinder 41 reciprocates the movable platen 32 in the X-axis direction via the toggle mechanism 42 that functions as a link arm.

[0018] The control unit 50 is a computer that controls at least the clamping part 40. The control unit 50 controls the position of the movable mold 22 via the clamping part 40, and performs mold opening and clamping (mold closing) of the mold 20. Specifically, by controlling the clamping part 40 by the control unit 50, the movable platen 32 to which the movable mold 22 is fixed is brought close to the fixed platen 31 to which the fixed mold 21 is fixed, thereby performing clamping. Also, by controlling the clamping part 40 by the control unit 50, the movable platen 32 is moved away from the fixed platen 31, thereby performing mold opening.

[0019] When the mold 20 is clamped, the movable mold 22 contacts the fixed mold 21, and a cavity C is formed in the mold 20. The cavity C is a space having a shape corresponding to the casting obtained by casting of the molding machine 2. When the direction in which the movable platen 32 (movable mold 22) moves to perform each of mold opening and clamping of the mold 20 is defined as the "clamping·mold opening direction", the X-axis direction corresponds to the clamping·mold opening direction.

[0020] Figs. 2(a) and 2(b) schematically illustrate the door device 70 when viewed from the side. As described above, the door device 70 (door device of the molding machine) is installed on the side of the molding machine 2. In one example, the door device 70 is installed for safety so that workers and the like do not easily approach the mold 20 while casting by the molding machine 2 is repeatedly executed.

[0021] The door device 70 can be switched between a state in which it covers the side of the mold 20 (hereinafter referred to as the "closed state") and a state in which the space between the mold 20 and the outside of the molding machine 2 is opened (hereinafter referred to as the "open state"). Fig. 2(a) illustrates the state when the door device 70 is in the closed state, and Fig. 2(b) illustrates the state when the door device 70 is in the open state. The door device 70 includes a door case 72, a slide door 74, and a drive unit 79. The drive unit 79 may be connected to the control unit 50.

[0022] The door case 72 is a member that houses the slide door 74 and guides the horizontal movement of the slide door 74. The door case 72 is formed to extend along the X-axis direction. The door case 72 has a space inside and呈 a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape (see also Fig. 3(b)). At one end of the door case 72 in the X-axis direction (the end on the side where the slide door 74 is taken in and out), the space inside the door case 72 is open to the outside space.

[0023] In one example, the length of the door case 72 in the X-axis direction is 2.3 to 3.2 times, or 2.5 to 3.0 times, the length in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). The length of the door case 72 in the vertical direction may be 2.5 m to 3.5 m, or 2.6 m to 3.4 m. In the present disclosure, the direction (orientation) in which the slide door 74 moves to transition from the open state to the closed state is referred to as "forward", and the direction (orientation) in which the slide door 74 moves to transition from the closed state to the open state is referred to as "backward". In Fig. 2 and the like, the positive X-axis direction is forward, and the negative X-axis direction is backward.

[0024] The door case 72 is located on the side of the molding machine 2, behind the mold 20. In other words, the door case 72 is located on the side of the molding machine 2, on the side of the clamping section 40, from the connection point between the mold 20 and the clamping section 40. The positional relationship between the door case 72 and the mold 20, and the positional relationship between the door case 72 and the clamping section 40, is defined in the state where the mold 20 is not clamped by the clamping section 40 (i.e., the state in which the movable mold 22 is in its rearmost position when the mold is opened). As illustrated in Figure 2, in the X-axis direction, one front end of the door case 72 may overlap with the movable platen 32 when it is in its rearmost position. Unlike the example shown in Figure 2, in the X-axis direction, one front end of the door case 72 may overlap with the front end of the clamping section 40.

[0025] When viewed from one direction in the Y-axis direction from which the door device 70 can be seen, in the closed state, the sliding door 74 covers both the fixed mold 21 and the movable mold 22. When viewed from the same direction in the Y-axis direction from which the door device 70 can be seen, in the open state, both the fixed mold 21 and the movable mold 22 are visible. Thus, when the sliding door 74 is open, the door device 70 has an opening OA that opens the mold 20 to the outside of the molding machine 2. The opening OA is not formed in the closed state. In the open state, it can also be said that the mold 20 is exposed by the opening OA.

[0026] The sliding door 74 is a plate-shaped component (door panel, door plate) and is sized to fit within the door case 72. At least a portion of the sliding door 74 may be made of iron. In a side view, the outer edge of the sliding door 74 has a rectangular shape extending laterally. The length of the sliding door 74 in the X-axis direction may be approximately equal to the length of the door case 72 in the X-axis direction. In the closed state, 60% to 80% or 65% to 75% of the total length of the sliding door 74 in the X-axis direction may protrude forward from the door case 72.

[0027] Of the sliding door 74, the portion that protrudes forward from the door case 72 when closed may be a plate without a through portion, and a transparent window may be installed in part of it. Of the sliding door 74, the portion that is housed in the door case 72 even when closed may be composed of a frame and bracing, and unlike the example shown in Figure 2, may be a plate without a through portion.

[0028] The drive unit 79 is the part that switches between a closed state and an open state based on operation instructions from the control unit 50. That is, when transitioning from the closed state to the open state, the drive unit 79 moves the sliding door 74 backward. Conversely, when transitioning from the open state to the closed state, the drive unit 79 moves the sliding door 74 forward. The drive unit 79 includes, for example, a drive source such as a servo motor, a reduction gear, and a rack and pinion that converts rotational force into linear motion.

[0029] In the closed position, most of the sliding door 74 is located in front of the door case 72, and the weight of the sliding door 74 needs to be supported. For this reason, it is conceivable to provide a lower rail in front of the door case 72, for example, as in the technology described in Patent Document 1 mentioned above. However, if a lower rail is provided, when transporting and installing the mold between the platens (for example, when the mold is transported and installed suspended by a rope), it is necessary to work around the lower rail.

[0030] Therefore, one could consider a configuration in which the upper and lower ends of the sliding door 74 are connected to the door case 72 via linear guides, without installing a lower rail, in order to allow the sliding door 74 to operate smoothly and to withstand the load. However, if linear guides are installed at both the top and bottom, a high degree of precision is required for the dimension h (see Figure 3(a)) between the upper and lower parts of the door case 72. However, in large equipment such as the molding machine 2 (die-casting machine), it is difficult to achieve the required dimensional precision. Therefore, in the door device 70, a linear guide is provided at the bottom as a mechanism to guide the sliding door 74, and a floating mechanism is provided at the top to absorb machining and assembly errors.

[0031] The guide members installed in the door device 70 will be described below with reference to Figures 3 and 4, and the configuration of the door case 72 and the sliding door 74 will also be explained. Figure 3(a) schematically illustrates a part of the door case 72 and the sliding door 74, and Figure 3(b) schematically illustrates a cross-section in the YZ plane. The door case 72 includes, for example, an upper wall 72a, a bottom wall 72b, a side wall 72c, and a side wall 72d.

[0032] Each of the side walls 72c and 72d is provided so as to extend in the XZ plane, and the side walls 72c and 72d face each other in the Y axis direction. Each of the side walls 72c and 72d may be composed of a frame and a plate-like member. The upper wall 72a is provided so as to close the space between the side walls 72c and 72d from above, and the bottom wall 72b is provided so as to close the space between the side walls 72c and 72d from below.

[0033] The sliding door 74 includes a door body 76, an upper rail 77, and a lower rail 78. The door body 76 is the main body portion that makes up most of the sliding door 74. The upper rail 77 is provided at the upper end of the door body 76 and is formed to extend in the X-axis direction. The lower rail 78 is provided at the lower end of the door body 76 and is formed to extend in the X-axis direction. The upper rail 77 constitutes the upper end (upper end and its vicinity) of the sliding door 74, and the lower rail 78 constitutes the lower end (lower end and its vicinity) of the sliding door 74.

[0034] The door device 70 includes an upper end guide member 80. The upper end guide member 80 is provided at the upper end of the door case 72 and is a member that guides the upper end of the sliding door 74. The upper end guide member 80 is fixed to the upper wall 72a of the door case 72. The door device 70 may be provided with two or more upper end guide members 80, in which case the two or more upper end guide members 80 are arranged side by side in the X-axis direction.

[0035] The upper rail 77 of the sliding door 74 is connected to the upper end guide member 80, and the upper end guide member 80 has the function of restricting the position of the upper rail 77 in the Y-axis direction when the sliding door 74 moves in the X-axis direction (forward and backward direction). The upper end guide member 80 is a floating mechanism and guides the upper end of the sliding door 74 while allowing vertical displacement of the sliding door 74. In the door device 70, a clearance is provided between the lower surface of the upper wall 72a of the door case 72 and the upper end surface of the sliding door 74 (the upper end surface of the upper rail 77).

[0036] Figure 4(a) schematically illustrates the details of the upper end guide member 80. Although Figure 4(a) shows a cross-sectional view, the hatching indicating the cross-section is omitted for some members. The upper end guide member 80 includes a holding portion 82, a pair of biasing members 84, and a pair of rollers 85. The holding portion 82 is the base portion that holds (supports) the other members of the upper end guide member 80 and is fixed to the upper wall 72a by a fixing member 88. That is, the holding portion 82 is connected to the upper end of the door case 72. The fixing member 88 is, for example, a bolt.

[0037] The holding portion 82 includes a top plate extending in the XY plane and a pair of side walls extending downward from the outer edge of the top plate. Figure 4(b) illustrates a schematic view from above of the portion of the upper wall 72a where the upper end guide member 80 is provided, and the top plate of the holding portion 82 may be rectangular. Figures 4(a) and 4(b) show a hypothetical axis Ax that passes through the center of the top plate of the holding portion 82 and extends in the vertical direction. The holding portion 82 is fixed to the upper wall 72a by a fixing member 88 at the position through which axis Ax passes. In the example shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b), no other members are provided for fixing the holding portion 82 to the upper wall 72a other than the fixing member 88. By fixing the holding portion 82 to the upper wall 72a by the fixing member 88 at the position through which axis Ax passes, distortion of the upper rail 77 caused by processing errors or assembly errors is permitted.

[0038] Each of the pair of biasing members 84 biases the pair of rollers 85 in opposing directions. The pair of rollers 85 are provided in contact with both sides of the sliding door 74, sandwiching the sliding door 74. The pair of rollers 85 are arranged side by side in the Y-axis direction, with one roller 85 in contact with one side of the sliding door 74 (upper rail 77) and the other roller 85 in contact with the other side of the sliding door 74 (upper rail 77).

[0039] Each of the pair of biasing members 84 is connected to the corresponding side wall of the holding portion 82. One of the pair of biasing members 84 biases one corresponding roller 85 toward the other roller 85, and the other biasing member 84 biases the other corresponding roller 85 toward the first roller 85. The biasing members 84 may be compression springs and may be installed with a desired compression force applied in advance (i.e., they may be pre-loaded).

[0040] Each of the pair of rollers 85 rotates itself to allow movement of the sliding door 74 in the X-axis direction, and the biasing member 84 applies a force in the opposite direction to restrict the position of the sliding door 74 in the Y-axis direction. The rollers 85 may also be cam followers. As shown in Figure 4(a), a clearance is provided between the upper end surface of the sliding door 74 (the upper end surface of the upper rail 77) and the retaining portion 82.

[0041] Returning to Figure 3, the door device 70 includes a lower end guide member 90. The lower end guide member 90 is provided at the lower end of the door case 72 and is a member that guides the lower end of the sliding door 74. The lower end guide member 90 is fixed to the bottom wall 72b of the door case 72. The door device 70 may be provided with two or more lower end guide members 90, in which case the two or more lower end guide members 90 are arranged side by side in the X-axis direction.

[0042] The lower rail 78 of the sliding door 74 is connected to the lower end guide member 90, and the lower end guide member 90 has the function of restricting the position of the lower rail 78 in the Y-axis direction when the sliding door 74 moves in the X-axis direction. The lower end guide member 90 is a linear guide. Therefore, the vertical position of the sliding door 74 is defined by the lower end guide member 90. Various known linear guides may be used as the lower end guide member 90. In one example, the lower end guide member 90 is a ball linear guide.

[0043] Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited in any way to the embodiments described above. The upper end guide member 80 may be configured in any way as long as it can guide the movement of the sliding door 74 while allowing displacement of the sliding door 74 in the vertical direction.

[0044] [Summary of Embodiments] The door device (70) described above is a door device for a molding machine (2) equipped with a mold (20). This door device (70) includes a sliding door (74), a door case (72) that houses the sliding door (74) when open and guides the horizontal movement of the sliding door (74), an upper end guide member (80) provided at the upper end (72a) of the door case (72) and guiding the upper end (77) of the sliding door (74), and a lower end guide member (90) provided at the lower end (72b) of the door case (72) and guiding the lower end (78) of the sliding door (74). The upper end guide member (80) is a floating mechanism that guides the upper end (77) of the sliding door (74) while allowing vertical displacement of the sliding door (74). The lower end guide member (90) is a linear guide. When the sliding door (74) moves in the direction of rearward movement to open it, the door case (72) is positioned on the side of the molding machine (2) behind the mold (20). The door device (70) has an opening (OA) that, when the sliding door (74) is opened, opens the mold (20) and the outside of the molding machine (2).

[0045] From the perspective of workability when installing molds in conjunction with mold replacement, etc., a configuration is conceivable in the door device provided on the side of the molding machine (2) that does not have a lower rail to support the sliding door in the part where the mold is located. When adopting such a configuration, it is desirable to install a high-strength linear guide in order to support the sliding door without a rail when the door device is closed. On the other hand, molding machines (2) tend to become larger, and the door device also becomes larger accordingly. When installing a linear guide, dimensional accuracy is required, but as the size increases, it becomes difficult to ensure the dimensional accuracy of each component of the door device. In response to this, the above door device (70) is configured to support the sliding door (74) by using a linear guide only on the lower side of the sliding door (74) as a guide member, and a floating mechanism is used on the upper side of the sliding door (74) to allow for dimensional errors. As a result, it is possible to install a door device (70) that forms an open section (OA) when the door is opened without providing a lower rail that protrudes forward from the door case (72). Therefore, the above-mentioned door device (70) is useful for improving workability when installing molds.

[0046] In the door device (70) described above, a clearance is provided between the lower surface of the upper wall (72a) of the door case (72) and the upper end surface of the sliding door (74). In this case, the sliding door (74) can be guided while tolerating a certain degree of machining or assembly error in the door device (70).

[0047] In the door device (70) described above, the upper end guide member (80) comprises a biasing member (84), a pair of rollers (85), and a holding part (82) that holds the biasing member (84) and rollers (85). The pair of rollers (85) are provided in contact with both sides of the sliding door (74) so ​​as to sandwich the sliding door (74). The biasing member (84) biases the pair of rollers (85) in opposing directions. The holding part (82) is connected to the upper end (72a) of the door case (72). A clearance is provided between the upper end surface of the sliding door (74) and the holding part (82). In this case, the sliding door (74) can be guided while tolerating a certain degree of machining or assembly error in the door device (70). In particular, by providing a clearance on the upper side of the sliding door (74), vertical displacement and errors of the sliding door (74) can be easily tolerated, and a linear guide requiring dimensional accuracy can be installed on the lower side. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 2... Molding machine, 20... Mold, 40... Clamping section, 70... Door device, 72... Door case, 74... Sliding door, 80... Upper end guide member, 82... Holding section, 84... Biasing member, 85... Roller, 90... Lower end guide member, OA... Opening section.

Claims

1. A door device for a molding machine equipped with a mold, Sliding doors, When open, the sliding door is housed in a door case that guides the horizontal movement of the sliding door, An upper end guide member provided at the upper end of the door case and guiding the upper end of the sliding door, A lower end guide member is provided at the lower end of the door case and guides the lower end of the sliding door. It has, The upper end guide member is a floating mechanism that guides the upper end of the sliding door while allowing vertical displacement of the sliding door. The lower end guide member is a linear guide, When the direction in which the sliding door moves to open it is set to the rear, the door case is provided on the side of the molding machine, behind the mold, When the sliding door is opened, it has an opening that allows the mold and the outside of the molding machine to be opened. A door device for a molding machine characterized by the following.

2. In the door device of the molding machine according to claim 1, A clearance is provided between the lower surface of the upper wall of the door case and the upper end surface of the sliding door. A door device for a molding machine characterized by the following.

3. In the door device of the molding machine according to claim 1 or claim 2, The upper end guide member comprises a biasing member, a pair of rollers, and a holding portion that holds the biasing member and rollers. The pair of rollers are provided in contact with both sides of the sliding door so as to sandwich the sliding door, The biasing member biases the pair of rollers in opposing directions, The retaining part is connected to the upper end of the door case, A clearance is provided between the upper end surface of the sliding door and the retaining portion. A door device for a molding machine characterized by the following.

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