Chip conveyor

Abstract

The chip conveyor (1) includes a housing (10) having a receiving opening (11a) for receiving chips and a discharge opening (13f) for discharging the chips downward, and a transport mechanism (20) that is housed in the housing (10) and transports the chips received through the receiving opening (11a) toward the discharge opening (13f), and is configured to discharge the chips into a chip bucket (100) disposed below the discharge opening (13f). A cylindrical body (132) that is open at the top and bottom is engaged with the discharge section (13) of the housing (10) in which the discharge opening (13f) is formed, so that the internal space of the cylindrical body (132) communicates with the discharge opening (13f). The cylindrical body (132) is provided so that the height position of the lower end opening (132e) can be changed.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a chip conveyor. [Background technology]

[0002] Chip conveyors for discharging chips generated in the machining area of ​​a machine tool outside the machine tool have been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This chip conveyor includes a housing having an inlet for receiving chips and an outlet for discharging the chips downward, and a transport mechanism housed within the housing for transporting the chips received from the inlet toward the outlet. A chip bucket is disposed below the outlet of the chip conveyor for collecting the chips discharged from the outlet. The chip bucket opens upward so that chips falling freely from the outlet can be collected. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-083735 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The size of a chip conveyor varies depending on, for example, the size of the machine tool to which it is applied, and therefore the height of the discharge port also varies depending on the size of the chip conveyor. Generally, chip buckets of various sizes are used in factories, and the heights of the chip buckets also vary. For this reason, when the size of the chip bucket assigned to a chip conveyor is small, the upper end position of the chip bucket may be significantly lower than the discharge port of the chip conveyor. In this case, there is a risk that chips discharged from the discharge port of the chip conveyor will not be collected in the chip bucket and will scatter around, and such scattering of chips will cause inconvenience in that the surroundings of the chip bucket will be soiled.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned situation, and its object is to provide a chip conveyor that can reliably collect chips discharged from a discharge outlet into a chip bucket, regardless of the height position of the chip bucket discharge outlet. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides: A chip conveyor comprising: a housing having an inlet for receiving chips and an outlet for discharging the chips downward; and a transport mechanism housed within the housing for transporting the chips received through the inlet toward the outlet, the chip conveyor discharging the chips from the outlet into a chip bucket disposed below the inlet, a cylindrical body having upper and lower openings is engaged with a discharge portion of the housing where the discharge port is formed so that an internal space of the cylindrical body communicates with the discharge port; The cylinder is associated with a chip conveyor whose lower end opening is disposed so as to be capable of changing its height position.

[0007] According to this chip conveyor, chips discharged from the discharge port of the housing pass through the internal space of the cylinder that is connected to the discharge port, are discharged to the outside from the lower end opening of the cylinder, and are collected in a chip bucket arranged below. In this chip conveyor, the cylinder is arranged so that the height position of its lower end opening can be changed, so that the height position of the lower end opening can be adjusted to a position corresponding to the upper end height of the chip bucket. Thus, by appropriately setting the height position of the lower end opening of the cylinder through which chips are discharged to the outside relative to the upper end height of the chip bucket, the chips discharged from the lower end opening of the cylinder can be reliably guided into the chip bucket and collected, thereby preventing the chips from scattering around the chip bucket.

[0008] In the chip conveyor of the above aspect (first aspect), the discharge portion of the housing can be formed in a cylindrical shape and arranged to hang down, and the cylinder and the discharge portion can be fitted into each other, and the cylinder can be arranged to be movable up and down relative to the discharge portion. According to this aspect (second aspect), the cylinder can be moved up and down to adjust the height position of its lower end opening. The fitting of the cylinder and the discharge portion can be either a fitting in which the cylinder is fitted externally to the discharge portion, or a fitting in which the discharge portion is fitted externally to the cylinder.

[0009] In addition, the chip conveyor of the second aspect can be provided with a guide mechanism that engages with the discharge portion of the housing and the cylinder to guide the relative vertical movement of the discharge portion and the cylinder. According to this aspect (third aspect), the cylinder can be smoothly moved up and down, and the height position of the bottom opening of the cylinder can be easily adjusted.

[0010] In addition, the chip conveyor of the second or third aspect may be provided with a biasing mechanism that applies a biasing force to the cylinder against gravity. According to this aspect (fourth aspect), the biasing mechanism applies a biasing force to the cylinder against gravity, so that an operator can move the cylinder up and down with a very small force, and in this sense, the height position of the bottom opening of the cylinder can be easily adjusted.

[0011] In the second, third or fourth aspect, a positioning mechanism may be provided to position the height of the cylinder relative to the discharge site. According to this aspect (fifth aspect), the height of the cylinder relative to the discharge site can be determined by the positioning mechanism, so that the height of the cylinder can be adjusted stably with good reproducibility.

[0012] In any of the first to fifth aspects above, it is preferable that the present invention further comprises a chip detection sensor fixed to the cylindrical body, which detects chips accumulated in the chip bucket and outputs distance information relating to the distance from the sensor to the chips, and an alarm unit which determines whether the distance from the chip detection sensor to the chips is equal to or less than a predetermined distance based on the distance information output by the chip detection sensor, and which issues an alarm to the outside when it is determined that the distance is equal to or less than the predetermined distance.

[0013] According to this aspect (sixth aspect), the chip detection sensor fixed to the cylindrical body outputs distance information relating to the distance between the sensor and the chips in the chip bucket, and the output distance information is transmitted to the notification unit. The notification unit determines whether the distance between the sensor and the chips is equal to or less than a predetermined distance based on the distance information received from the chip detection sensor, and issues a notification to the outside if it determines that the distance is equal to or less than the predetermined distance. In response to the notification, the worker can take measures such as smoothing out the chips accumulated in the chip bucket, and such measures can prevent the chips from accumulating further and entering the interior through the lower end opening of the cylindrical body or spilling out of the chip bucket to the outside.

[0014] In addition, because the chip detection sensor is fixed to the cylinder, when the height position of the bottom opening of the cylinder is adjusted to match the height position of the upper end of the chip bucket, the height position of the chip detection sensor can also be set to an appropriate height according to the upper end position of the chip bucket. This allows the chip detection sensor to properly detect the accumulation state of chips in the chip bucket.

[0015] The notification by the notification unit may be, for example, a mode in which a warning is displayed on a display device as appropriate, or a mode in which a warning sound is output from a speaker. In addition, the chip detection sensor may be, for example, an ultrasonic sensor (seventh mode), which can detect distance with high accuracy without contact, but is not limited thereto.

[0016] In the first embodiment, the cylinder can be configured to be expandable in the vertical direction. In this embodiment (the eighth embodiment), the height of the lower opening can be adjusted by expanding and contracting the cylinder. A bellows structure can be used as a specific structure for expanding and contracting the cylinder. Effect of the Invention

[0017] As described above, in the chip conveyor of the present invention, the cylinder, which is open at the top and bottom, is engaged with the discharge portion of the housing so that its internal space communicates with the discharge port of the housing, and the cylinder is arranged so that the height position of its lower end opening can be changed, so that the height position of the lower end opening can be adjusted to a position corresponding to the upper height of the chip bucket. Thus, by appropriately setting the height position of the lower end opening of the cylinder, through which the chips are discharged to the outside, relative to the upper height of the chip bucket, the discharged chips can be reliably guided into the chip bucket and collected regardless of the upper height of the chip bucket, thereby preventing the chips from scattering around the chip bucket. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a chip conveyor according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the chip conveyor according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a front view showing the chip conveyor according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4, showing a state in which the movable housing part is displaced downward. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a chip warning device provided in a chip conveyor according to an embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing how chips accumulate in a chip bucket installed below the discharge port when a chip detection sensor is provided on a conventional chip conveyor that does not have a movable housing portion. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing chips being accumulated in a chip bucket installed below the discharge port in the chip conveyor according to this embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0020] 1 is a side view showing a chip conveyor 1 according to an embodiment. The chip conveyor 1 separates chips K (see FIG. 4) contained in coolant discharged from a machine tool (not shown) and discharges them into a chip bucket 100. In the following description, the front, rear, left and right sides are directions based on the chip conveyor 1 and are as shown on the directional axes of each figure, unless otherwise specified.

[0021] The chip conveyor 1 includes a housing 10, a cylinder 132 attached to the housing 10, a chip transport mechanism 20, a drum-shaped filtering section 30, and an alarm device 40 (see FIG. 6 described later).

[0022] The housing 10 has a flat box-shaped horizontal portion 11 extending in the fore-and-aft direction, an inclined portion 12 extending diagonally upward and forward from the front end of the horizontal portion 11, and a discharge portion 13 serving as a discharge site connected to the upper end of the inclined portion 12.

[0023] The horizontal section 11 is accommodated in a coolant tank T attached to the machine tool. A receiving port 11a is formed at the rear end of the upper surface of the horizontal section 11 to receive coolant containing chips K discharged from the machine tool.

[0024] The space within the horizontal portion 11 and the space within the inclined portion 12 are continuously connected to form a tunnel-shaped space S. In this tunnel-shaped space S, a chip transport mechanism 20, which will be described later, is accommodated.

[0025] The discharge portion 13 is located in front of the upper end of the inclined portion 12. The discharge portion 13 is covered by a decorative cover C. For ease of viewing, the decorative cover C is shown only in Figs. 1, 2, and Fig. 8 described later, and is omitted in the other figures.

[0026] The discharge section 13 is formed in a flat box shape with a thin thickness in the front-rear direction when viewed from the front side. The space inside the discharge section 13 is continuously connected to the space inside the inclined section 12 at its upper end. The discharge section 13 has an opening at its lower end, and the internal space functions as a discharge path for discharging the chips K transported by the chip transport mechanism 20 from the opening 13f to the outside of the housing 10.

[0027] A cylindrical body 132, which is also formed in a box shape and has openings at the top and bottom, is fitted onto the outside of the discharge part 13. The cylindrical body 132 is fitted onto the discharge part 13 so as to surround the side walls 131a to 131d of the discharge part 13 from the outside. The cylindrical body 132 is provided so as to be slidable in the up and down direction relative to the discharge part 13. The lower end opening of the cylindrical body 132 functions as a discharge port 132e for discharging chips K downward. An operator can adjust the up and down position (height) of the discharge port 132e by adjusting the up and down position of the cylindrical body 132.

[0028] A chip bucket 100 for collecting chips K is disposed below the discharge port 132e. As shown in Fig. 2, the chip bucket 100 has a bottomed box-shaped bucket body 101 that opens upward, four wheels 102 attached to the underside of the bucket body 101, and a handle 103 attached to the side of the bucket body 101 facing the worker. The chip bucket 100 is configured so that the worker can put his hands on the handle 103 and push it in any direction.

[0029] The chip transport mechanism 20 is housed in the space S formed by the horizontal section 11 and the inclined section 12. The chip transport mechanism 20 has a pair of endless chains 21 arranged at a distance in the left-right direction, a drive sprocket 22 and a driven sprocket 23 around which the pair of endless chains 21 are wound, and a plurality of scrapers 24 aligned in the rotation direction of the endless chain 21. The drive sprocket 22 is housed in the upper end of the inclined section 12. The multiple scrapers 24 are made of plate-shaped members extending in the left-right direction. The left and right ends of each scraper 24 are connected to the left and right endless chains 21, respectively.

[0030] The drum-shaped filtering section 30 is accommodated near the connection between the horizontal section 11 and the inclined section 12. The drum-shaped filtering section 30 is made of a hollow cylindrical member with a filter 31 disposed on the outer periphery. The drum-shaped filtering section 30 is disposed so that its axis faces the left-right direction (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1). The space inside the drum-shaped filtering section 30 communicates with the coolant tank T via a communication hole 32 penetrating the axial center. The pair of endless chains 21 of the above-mentioned chip transport mechanism 20 are wound around the drum-shaped filtering section 30. As a result, the drum-shaped filtering section 30 rotates together with the pair of endless chains 21.

[0031] Next, a separation and transport operation of chips K performed by the chip conveyor 1 while a machine tool (not shown) is in operation will be described.

[0032] In this separation and transport operation, first, the driving sprocket 22 of the chip conveyor 1 is rotated by a motor (not shown). As a result, the pair of endless chains 21 start to revolve along the side plates of the horizontal section 11 and the inclined section 12, and the multiple scrapers 24 start to revolve together with the pair of endless chains 21. In this state, when coolant containing chips K discharged from the machine tool flows into the housing 10 through the receiving port 11a, the chips K contained in the coolant are captured by the scraper 24 in the revolving motion. The chips K (see FIG. 4) captured by the scraper 24 move along the bottom plate 11b of the horizontal section 11 with the movement of the scraper 24, and then move along the bottom plate 12a of the inclined section 12 connected to the right end of the bottom plate 11b, and drop into the discharge section 13 after reaching the upper end of the bottom plate 12a.

[0033] The chips K that have fallen into the discharge section 13 pass through its inside and are finally discharged downward from the discharge port 132e of the cylindrical body 132. The chips K discharged from the discharge port 132e fall into the chip bucket 100 disposed below and are collected. Meanwhile, the coolant passes through the filtration filter 31 provided on the outer periphery of the drum-shaped filtering section 30 (see FIG. 1) and flows into its inner space. As a result, the coolant is filtered by the filtration filter 31. The filtered coolant passes through the communication hole 32 and is collected in the coolant tank T.

[0034] [Discharge section details] 3 to 5, discharge section 13 has a front side plate 13a, a rear side plate 13b, a left side plate 13c, a right side plate 13d, and a top plate 13e. Discharge section 13 has a horizontal cross section in the shape of a rectangle that is long in the left-right direction.

[0035] The discharge portion 13 is formed so that the distance between the left and right side plates 13c, 13d at the lower end is narrower than that at the portion above it. This allows the width of the lower end opening 13f of the discharge portion 13 in the left-right direction to be reduced (narrowed). Therefore, not only the chip bucket 100 but also, for example, a drum can with a relatively small upper end opening area can be used as the chip collection container.

[0036] In addition, the rear plate 13b of the discharge section 13 forms a slope that slopes downward toward the front side. As a result, as shown by the two-dot chain line arrows in Figures 4 and 5, the chips K transported by the chip transport mechanism 20 to the vicinity of the upper end of the rear plate 13b can be guided to the front inside the discharge section 13 and dropped downward in a collected state.

[0037] The front plate 13a of the discharge section 13 is disposed vertically, and a pair of left and right guide rails 141 and a positioning plate 171, which will be described later, are attached to the front surface of this front plate 13a.

[0038] [Cylindrical body details] 3 to 5, the cylinder 132 has a front side plate 132a, a rear side plate 132b, a left side plate 132c, and a right side plate 132d. These front, rear, left, and right side plates 132a to 132d have shapes corresponding to the front, rear, left, and right side walls 13a to 13d of the discharge portion 13.

[0039] That is, the cylindrical body 132 is formed so that the distance between the left and right side plates 132c, 132d at the lower end is narrower than that at the portion above. Also, the rear side plate 132b forms a slope that slopes downward toward the front side. In this way, by slanting the rear side plate 132b downward, the cylindrical body 132 can be moved further downward, that is, to a position where the upper end of the cylindrical body 132 slightly overlaps with the lower end of the discharge part 13. Even in this way, the opening (upper end opening) of the cylindrical body 132 that receives the chips K can be made wide (see FIG. 5), so that the chips K can be reliably received inside the cylindrical body 132 and the chips K can be prevented from spilling out from the upper end rear side of the cylindrical body 132.

[0040] A handle 160 and a bracket 161 having an L-shaped cross section and holding a chip detection sensor 164 (described later) are attached to the front surface of the front plate 132a of the cylindrical body 132.

[0041] The handle 160 is formed in a U-shape when viewed from above. The handle 160 is attached to the center in the left-right direction of the front plate 132a of the cylindrical body 132. The handle 160 is fastened together with a bracket 161 to the front plate 132a of the cylindrical body 132. The handle 160 is used when the operator slides the cylindrical body 132 up and down.

[0042] The bracket 161 has a vertical plate portion 161a and a horizontal plate portion 161b that protrudes forward from the lower end of the vertical plate portion 161a. A sensor holder 163 is attached to the center in the left-right direction of the horizontal plate portion 161b. The sensor holder 163 has a through hole through which a screw portion formed at the upper end portion of the chip detection sensor 164 passes. The chip detection sensor 164 is fixed to the sensor holder 163 by a nut 165 that screws onto the upper end portion. An operator can adjust the vertical position of the chip detection sensor 164 by loosening the nut 165.

[0043] [Biasing mechanism] The cylinder 132 is suspended while being biased upward by left and right biasing mechanisms 150 fixed to the top plate 13 e of the discharge section 13 .

[0044] Specifically, each of the urging mechanisms 150 includes a horizontal protruding plate 151, a pair of vertical support plates 152, a drum 153, and a constant force spring 154. The horizontal protruding plate 151 is fixed to each end in the left and right direction on the upper surface of the top plate 131e. The horizontal protruding plate 151 protrudes outward from each end in the left and right direction of the top plate 131e. The pair of vertical support plates 152 protrude downward from the lower surface of the protruding portion of the horizontal protruding plate 151. The pair of vertical support plates 152 are disposed with a gap between them in the front-rear direction, sandwiching the drum 153. Both ends of the drum 153 are supported by the pair of vertical support plates 152. The constant force spring 154 is a long leaf spring bent at a constant curvature, and is wound around the drum 153 so as to be able to be pulled out downward. The constant force spring 154 has its lower end (the end on the pull-out side) fixed to the left and right side plates 132c, 132d of the cylinder 132 with bolts 155. Thus, the cylinder 132 is always biased upward by the constant force spring 154 against gravity, regardless of the amount of movement stroke (upper or lower position).

[0045] [Guide mechanism and positioning mechanism] The chip conveyor 1 further includes a guide mechanism 140 that supports the cylindrical body 132 so that the cylindrical body 132 can slide vertically relative to the discharge portion 13 of the housing 10, and a positioning structure 170 for determining the vertical position of the cylindrical body 132.

[0046] 3 and 4, the guide mechanism 140 has left and right guide rails 141 fixed to the discharge section 13, and sliders 142 fixed to the cylindrical body 132 and slidably engaged with the guide rails 141. Note that the arrangement of the guide rails 141 and the sliders 142 is relative, and the guide rails 141 may be provided on the cylindrical body 132, and the sliders 142 may be provided on the discharge section 13.

[0047] The left and right guide rails 141 are fixed at a distance from each other in the left-right direction to the front surface of the front plate 13a of the discharge portion 13. The left and right guide rails 141 are provided along the up-down direction.

[0048] The sliders 142 are fixed to the back surface (rear surface) of the front plate 132a of the cylindrical body 132 via a rib plate 143. The rib plate 143 is provided at a position corresponding to the left and right guide rails 141. Two sliders 142 are fixed to each rib plate 143 with a gap therebetween in the vertical direction. The two sliders 142 fixed to the left rib plate 143 engage with the left guide rail 141, and the two sliders 142 fixed to the right rib plate 143 engage with the right guide rail 141.

[0049] The positioning mechanism 170 has a positioning plate 171 attached to the discharge portion 13 and a positioning pin 172 attached to the cylindrical body 132 .

[0050] The positioning plate 171 is fixed to the front surface of the front plate 13a of the discharge section 13. The positioning plate 171 is provided along the vertical direction at a central position in the left-right direction on the front surface of the front plate 13a. The positioning plate 171 has a plurality of positioning holes 171a (five in this example) formed therein and spaced apart in the vertical direction. The pitch and number of the positioning holes 171a are appropriately set according to the height position of the cylinder 132 to be adjusted.

[0051] The positioning pin 172 is attached to the center in the left-right direction of the front plate 132a of the cylindrical body 132. The positioning pin 172 is disposed above the handle portion 160. The positioning pin 172 penetrates the front plate 132a of the cylindrical body 132 in the front-rear direction. The positioning pin 172 is guided by a guide tube 173 fixed to the front plate 132a of the cylindrical body 132 so as to be able to advance and retreat in the front-rear direction.

[0052] Specifically, the positioning pin 172 has a cylindrical pin body 172a guided by a guide tube 173, a head 172b connected to a base end of the pin body 172a, and a tip engaging portion 172c connected to a tip of the pin body 172a coaxially. The tip engaging portion 172c is configured to be able to engage with each positioning hole 171a of the positioning plate 171. The tip engaging portion 172c engages with the positioning hole 171a formed in the positioning plate 171, whereby the position of the cylinder 132 in the up-down direction relative to the discharge portion 131 is determined via the positioning pin 172.

[0053] Here, the positioning pin 172 is constantly biased rearward (leftward in FIG. 4) by a biasing member (not shown). The head 172b functions as a retaining portion by abutting against the end face of the guide tube 173 against the biasing force of the biasing member. The head 172b also functions as a gripping portion when an operator pulls the positioning pin 172 forward against the biasing force of the biasing member.

[0054] [Alarm device] The notification device 40 issues an alarm to the outside when the accumulation level of chips K in the chip bucket 100 reaches or exceeds a predetermined level. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 6, the notification device 40 has the chip detection sensor 164, a display device 201, and a control unit 200 as a notification unit that executes the notification.

[0055] The chip detection sensor 164 is, for example, an ultrasonic sensor. The chip detection sensor 164 has a cylindrical shape when viewed from the outside, and has a transmission / reception surface 164a at its tip surface. The chip detection sensor 164 outputs ultrasonic waves from the transmission / reception surface 164a, and receives the reflected waves reflected by the chips K, which are the target, at the transmission / reception surface 164a. When the chip detection sensor 164 receives ultrasonic waves at the transmission / reception surface 164a, it transmits a signal indicating this to the control unit 200. This signal is used by the control unit 200 to calculate the distance from the chip detection sensor 164 to the chips K, which are the target, and corresponds to distance information.

[0056] The display device 201 is configured by, for example, a monitor provided on the operation panel of a machine tool. The display device 201 receives commands from the control unit 200 and displays necessary information.

[0057] The control unit 200 is configured with a computer having a CPU, ROM, and RAM. The control unit 200 is connected to the chip detection sensor 164 and the display device 201 so as to be able to send and receive signals. The control unit 200 measures the time from when the ultrasonic wave is transmitted to when it is received based on the signal from the chip detection sensor 164, and calculates the distance between the transmitting / receiving surface 164a of the chip detection sensor 164 and the target chip K based on the measured time.

[0058] Then, the control unit 200 executes a process of determining whether or not this calculated distance is equal to or less than a predetermined distance, and when it is determined that this distance is equal to or less than the predetermined distance, causes the display device 201 to display an alarm. This predetermined distance is set, for example, as the distance between the transmitting / receiving surface 164a of the chip detection sensor 164 and the chips K at the extended position thereof in a state in which the chips K accumulated immediately below the discharge port 132e are located slightly below the discharge port 132e (for example, 10 cm to 15 cm). It is preferable that the operator can set this predetermined distance to an arbitrary value via an operation panel (not shown).

[0059] An example of the warning display displayed on the display device 201 is a message such as "The chips K in the tip bucket have exceeded the limit level, so please discard the chips." The content of the warning display is not limited to this, and any display may be used as long as it can warn the operator that the chips K accumulated in the tip bucket 100 have exceeded the limit level (the level at which there is a risk of the chips K entering the discharge port 132e), and is not limited to the message display in this example, and may be, for example, a symbol or a mark.

[0060] Needless to say, if the control unit 200 determines that the distance between the chip detection sensor 164 and the chips K on its extension exceeds the predetermined distance, the display device 201 will not display an alarm.

[0061] [Adjusting the height of the discharge outlet] An adjustment operation for adjusting the height position of the discharge port 132e in the chip conveyor 1 configured as above will be described. For example, as shown in Fig. 4, if the distance between the discharge port 132e and the upper end position of the chip bucket 100 is large, there is a risk that the chips K discharged from the discharge port 132e will scatter without being collected in the chip bucket 100. In such a case, the worker can narrow the distance between the discharge port 132e and the upper end position of the chip bucket 100 by adjusting the position of the discharge port 132e using the following procedure (see Fig. 5).

[0062] That is, in the state shown in Fig. 4, the operator holds the cylindrical body 132 by grasping the handle portion 160 with one hand, while pulling out the positioning pin 172 to the front side (the right side in Fig. 4) with the other hand. This releases the engagement between the tip engagement portion 172c of the positioning pin 172 and the positioning hole 171a located at the top of the positioning plate 171, and the cylindrical body 132 becomes movable in the vertical direction.

[0063] In this state, the operator slides the cylindrical body 132 downward while gripping the handle 160. At this time, the cylindrical body 132 is constantly biased upward against gravity by the biasing mechanism 150, so the weight that the operator bears is lighter than the actual weight of the cylindrical body 132, and the operator can easily move the cylindrical body 132 up and down with a slight force (light load).

[0064] 5, the worker stops the movement of the cylindrical body 132 when the discharge port 132e reaches the vicinity of the upper end of the tip bucket 100, and in the example shown in Fig. 5, engages the tip engagement portion 172c of the positioning pin 172 with the positioning hole 171a located at the lowest stage of the positioning plate 171. Naturally, the positioning hole 171a with which the positioning pin 172 engages corresponds to the height position of the cylindrical body 132.

[0065] By the above operation, the height position of the discharge port 132e can be adjusted to a position corresponding to the height of the upper end of the tip bucket 100. This allows the chips K discharged from the discharge port 132e to be reliably guided into the tip bucket 100 and collected, and as a result, the chips K can be prevented from scattering around the tip bucket 100.

[0066] [Effects of this embodiment] As described above, the chip conveyor 1 of this embodiment is configured such that the discharge outlet for discharging chips K is defined by the discharge outlet 132e of the cylindrical body 132, the height position of which is displaceable (adjustable), and the height position of the discharge outlet 132e can be adjusted by adjusting the vertical position of the cylindrical body 132.

[0067] Thus, by adjusting the height position of the discharge outlet 132e through which the chips K are discharged to a position corresponding to the upper end height of the chip bucket 100, the chips K discharged from the discharge outlet 132e of the chip conveyor 1 can be reliably collected in the chip bucket 100 regardless of the upper end height of the chip bucket 100.

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the vertical movement of the cylindrical body 132 relative to the discharge section 13 is guided by the guide mechanism 140, so that the cylindrical body 132 can be moved easily and smoothly when moved in the vertical direction.

[0069] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cylindrical body 132 is moved vertically via the guide mechanism 140 to adjust its height position, and then the height position of the cylindrical body 132 is positioned (fixed) by the positioning mechanism 170. This makes it possible to easily adjust the height of the discharge outlet 132e of the cylindrical body 132, and also makes it possible to adjust the height position of the cylindrical body 132 in a stable and reproducible manner.

[0070] In addition, in this embodiment, the cylinder 132 is constantly biased upward against gravity by the biasing mechanism 150, so that the operator can easily move the cylinder 132 up and down with a slight force.

[0071] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an alarm device 40 is provided, and when it is determined that the distance between the chips K accumulated in the tip bucket 100 and the chip detection sensor 164 is equal to or less than a predetermined distance, an alarm message is displayed on the display device 201. In response to this alarm message, the worker can take measures such as leveling the chips K accumulated in the tip bucket 100 or replacing the chip bucket 100 with an empty new tip bucket 100. Thus, by taking such measures, it is possible to prevent further accumulation of chips K in the tip bucket 100 and the chips K from entering the inside through the discharge port 132e of the cylindrical body 132 or spilling out of the tip bucket 100 to the outside.

[0072] Here, it is also possible to provide the chip detection sensor 164 on the chip bucket 100 side, but in that case, there is the problem that the sensor cable gets in the way when moving the chip bucket 100, and there is also the problem that costs increase because it is necessary to provide a chip detection sensor 164 on every chip bucket 100. In contrast, in this embodiment, the chip detection sensor 164 is provided on the chip conveyor 1 side, thereby avoiding these problems.

[0073] Moreover, because the chip detection sensor 164 is fixed to the cylinder 132 of the chip conveyor 1, when the height position of the cylinder 132 is adjusted, the height position of the chip detection sensor 164 can be adjusted in conjunction with this to a position corresponding to the height of the chip bucket 100, thereby eliminating the need for the cumbersome task of adjusting the height position of the chip detection sensor 164 each time.

[0074] This point will be explained based on a comparison with a conventional chip conveyor 1001 shown in Fig. 7. In Fig. 7, the same components as those in this embodiment are indicated by adding 1000 to the reference numerals used in this embodiment.

[0075] In the conventional chip conveyor 1001 shown in Fig. 7, the upper housing portion 1013 does not have the cylinder body 132 as in this embodiment. Therefore, there is no means for adjusting the distance between the chip detection sensor 1164 attached to the discharge portion 1013 and the chip bucket 100, and for example, as shown in Fig. 7, when a chip bucket 100 with a low upper end height is used, the distance between the chip detection sensor 1164 and the chip bucket 100 is left large. As a result, a problem occurs in that the chips K pile up in a heap in the chip bucket 100 and overflow to the outside before the chip detection sensor 1164 detects the chips K (more precisely, before the distance between the chip detection sensor 1164 and the chips K becomes equal to or less than a predetermined distance).

[0076] In contrast, according to the chip conveyor 1 of this embodiment, the chip detection sensor 164 is fixed to the cylindrical body 132, so that the height position of the chip detection sensor 164 is adjusted to near the upper end position of the chip bucket 100 when the height position of the cylindrical body 132 is adjusted, as shown in Fig. 8. Therefore, the chips K are detected by the chip detection sensor 164 before they pile up in a heap above the upper end position of the chip bucket 100.

[0077] Other Embodiments In the above embodiment, in order to adjust (displace) the height position of the discharge port 132e, a configuration is adopted in which the cylindrical body 132 is fitted onto the discharge portion 13 and the cylindrical body 132 is moved in the vertical direction, but this is not limited to the above embodiment, and for example, a configuration in which the cylindrical body 132 is made of a member having a bellows structure and its upper end portion is connected to the lower end of the discharge portion 13 can be adopted. In this case, the lower end of the cylindrical body 132 having the bellows structure can be expanded and contracted in the vertical direction to adjust the height position of the discharge port 132e, which is the lower end opening.

[0078] In the above embodiment, the cylindrical body 132 is fitted onto the discharge portion 13, but the cylindrical body 132 may be inserted into the discharge portion 13, in other words, the discharge portion 13 may be fitted onto the cylindrical body 132. In this case, the biasing mechanism 150, the guide mechanism 140, and the positioning structure 170 can be provided according to the fitting relationship between the cylindrical body 132 and the discharge portion 13.

[0079] In addition, in the above embodiment, the biasing force in the biasing mechanism 150 is exerted by the constant load spring 154, but this is not limited to this, and the biasing force can be generated by a balancer consisting of a cylinder using fluid, or a biasing force can be applied to the cylindrical body 132 by using a counter cone.

[0080] In the above embodiment, the cylindrical body 132 is configured to be moved up and down by the manual power of an operator, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may be raised and lowered by a drive actuator such as a motor or a cylinder. In this case, for example, a configuration can be adopted in which when an operator presses an up button, the drive actuator raises the cylindrical body 132, and when an operator presses a down button, the drive actuator lowers the movable housing part 132.

[0081] In addition, in the above embodiment, the chip detection sensor 164 is arranged so that its chip detection direction (i.e., the axis of the chip detection sensor 164) faces vertically downward, but this is not limited to this, and for example, the chip detection sensor 164 may be arranged at an angle so that the chip detection direction faces downward from the discharge port 132e.

[0082] Further, in the above embodiment, the chip detection sensor 164 is configured as an ultrasonic sensor, but this is not limited thereto, and it may be configured as, for example, an optical sensor or the like.

[0083] Also, in the above embodiment, the sensor holder 163 is configured to be able to adjust only the vertical position of the chip detection sensor 164, but this is not limited thereto, and for example, the sensor holder 163 may be configured to be able to adjust the three-dimensional inclination of the chip detection sensor 164. As one example, it is considered that the sensor holder 163 is provided with a rotating hinge mechanism that rotates about an axis extending in the front-rear direction, and a rotating hinge mechanism that rotates about an axis extending in the left-right direction.

[0084] In the above embodiment, the control unit 200 may be a dedicated control unit for the chip detection sensor 164 and the display device 201, or may also be used as an overall control unit for controlling the overall operation of the machine tool, for example.

[0085] In the above embodiment, the display device 201 is configured by a monitor provided on the operation panel of the machine tool, but this is not limited thereto and may be a dedicated monitor provided on the chip conveyor 1. The dedicated monitor may be provided, for example, on the front surface of the fixed housing part 131.

[0086] In the above embodiment, the chip conveyor 1 is not limited to the scraper type described above, and may be, for example, a hinge type or a magnet type.

[0087] The above-described embodiment is illustrative in all respects and is not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make appropriate modifications and changes. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not the above-described embodiment. Furthermore, the scope of the present invention includes modifications from the embodiment within the scope of the claims and the equivalent scope. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 1 Chip conveyor 10. Housing 11a Inlet 13 Discharge section 40 Notification device 100 Chip Bucket 132 Cylinder 132e Outlet 140 Guiding mechanism 141 Guide rail 142 Slider 143 Rib Board 150 Biasing mechanism 164 Chip detection sensor 170 Positioning mechanism 171 Positioning plate 171a Positioning hole 172 Locating pin 200 Control unit (notification unit) 201 Display equipment

Claims

1. A chip conveyor comprising: a housing having an inlet for receiving chips and an outlet for discharging the chips downward; and a transport mechanism housed within the housing for transporting the chips received through the inlet toward the outlet, the chip conveyor discharging the chips from the outlet into a chip bucket disposed below the inlet, a cylindrical body having upper and lower openings is engaged with a discharge portion of the housing where the discharge port is formed so that an internal space of the cylindrical body communicates with the discharge port; The cylindrical body is provided so that the height position of its lower end opening can be displaced, The discharge portion of the housing is formed in a cylindrical shape having a rectangular horizontal cross section and is provided so as to hang down downward, the cylindrical body has a rectangular horizontal cross-sectional shape corresponding to the discharge portion, covers an outer peripheral surface of the discharge portion, and is provided so as to be movable in a vertical direction relative to the discharge portion; A chip conveyor characterized in that a front outer peripheral surface of the outer peripheral surface of the discharge portion is provided at the front in the fore-and-aft direction of the chip conveyor, and a front inner peripheral surface of the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical body is provided at the front in the fore-and-aft direction corresponding to the front outer peripheral surface, separated from each other, forming a space between them, and at least a part of a positioning mechanism for positioning the height position of the cylindrical body relative to the discharge portion is provided in the space.

2. a guide mechanism that engages with the discharge portion of the housing and the cylindrical body to guide the relative vertical movement of the discharge portion and the cylindrical body, 2. The chip conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the guide mechanism is provided in the space defined by the front outer peripheral surface of the discharge portion and the front inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical body.

3. 3. The chip conveyor according to claim 2, wherein the guide mechanism is provided above the discharge opening of the discharge portion so as to extend in the vertical direction.

4. a rear outer peripheral surface provided on a rear side in the front-to-rear direction of an outer peripheral surface of the discharge portion and a rear inner peripheral surface provided on a rear side in the front-to-rear direction of an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical body corresponding to the rear outer peripheral surface are in contact with each other to form sliding surfaces that slide in a vertical direction, 3. The chip conveyor according to claim 2, wherein the space is provided on the opposite side of the sliding surface with respect to the discharge portion.

5. the discharge portion includes an inclined portion that is inclined obliquely downward from an end portion on the transport mechanism side, 2. The chip conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical body has an upper end portion on the transport mechanism side formed to match an outer surface of the inclined portion.

6. 2. The chip conveyor according to claim 1, further comprising a biasing mechanism for applying a biasing force to said cylindrical body against the gravity of said cylindrical body.

7. a chip detection sensor fixed to the cylindrical body, the chip detection sensor detecting chips accumulated in the tip bucket and outputting distance information relating to a distance from the sensor to the chips; 7. The chip conveyor according to claim 1, further comprising an alarm unit which determines whether the distance from the chip detection sensor to the chip is equal to or less than a predetermined distance based on the distance information output from the chip detection sensor, and notifies an outside source when it is determined that the distance is equal to or less than the predetermined distance.

8. 8. The chip conveyor according to claim 7, wherein the chip detection sensor is an ultrasonic sensor.

9. 2. The chip conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical body is extendable and contractable in the vertical direction.

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