Coil material straightening device and coil material conveying method

Abstract

To provide a coil material correction device and a coil material conveyance method that are able to effectively prevent a remaining curl of a coil material by effectively preventing the coil material from bending due to its weight in a buffer unit.SOLUTION: A leveler 40 that is installed between an uncoiler 10 for supplying a coil material 12 and a press device 30 and corrects curling of a coil material 12, includes: a pair of entrance rollers 41 that sandwich the coil material 12, a pair of exit rollers 42 that are disposed downstream of the entrance rollers 41 and sandwich the coil material 12, and a body portion 40a that is disposed between the entrance rollers 41 and the exit rollers 42. The body portion 40a has: a pair of conveyance rollers 43 that convey the coil material 12 along a conveying surface P; and a plurality of correction rollers 44 that correct curling of the coil material 12. A support roller 47 supporting the coil material 12 from below is disposed downstream of the exit rollers 42, and a contact position between the support roller 47 and the coil material 12 is positioned above the conveying surface P.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a coil material straightening device and a coil material conveying method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a machining method has been used in which a long coiled workpiece (hereinafter referred to as coil material) is machined while being continuously or intermittently supplied. According to this method, for example, the coil material supplied from an uncoiler (supply device) has its curl removed by a leveler (coil material straightening device), and then the coil material is transported to a processing device such as a press via a feeder (transport device).

[0003] A buffer section is provided between the leveler and the feeder to absorb the speed difference or the difference in the conveying length per unit time between the supply speed of the coil material supplied from the uncoiler and the conveying speed of the coil material when processed by the processing device. The buffer section is a section that bends the coil material in the path between the uncoiler and the processing device, thereby providing a margin of length for the coil material. Because the buffer section absorbs the oversupply or undersupply of coil material, adverse effects on the machining process, such as the speed difference between the uncoiler and the processing device, are prevented.

[0004] An example of a coil material transport system that utilizes a buffer section is disclosed in Patent Document 1. According to this system, the coil material supplied from an uncoiler passes through a coil material straightening device, is curved, and then transported to a mechanical press. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-142876 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the method disclosed in Patent Document 1, the coil material passes through the air without being supported from below after passing through the coil material supply device, so there is a possibility that the coil material may bend downward due to its own weight after passing through the coil material supply device. Depending on the strength and thickness of the coil material, the bend may remain as a bending mark on the coil material, which may impair the commercial value of the coil material.

[0007] In particular, when the conveying path of the coil material in the coil material supply device is inclined upward toward the downstream, the situation of the coil material bending due to its own weight becomes more serious. When the coil material bends, it takes on a roughly inverted V shape, and there is a high probability that bending marks will remain.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and an exemplary object of the present invention is to provide a coil material straightening device and a coil material transport method that can effectively prevent the coil material from bending due to its own weight in the buffer section and effectively prevent bending marks from occurring on the coil material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a coil material straightening device as an exemplary aspect of the present invention has the following configuration.

[0010] A coil material straightening device that is installed between a supply device that supplies a coil material in which a long processing material is coiled and a processing device that processes the coil material supplied from the supply device, and that straightens the curl of the coil material, a pair of inlet rollers that sandwich the coil material conveyed from the supply device from the front and back sides; a pair of exit rollers disposed downstream of the entrance rollers in the conveying direction of the coil material and sandwiching the coil material from both sides; a main body portion disposed between the entrance roller and the exit roller, The main body portion is a pair of conveying rollers that sandwich the coil material from both sides along a conveying surface that connects a passing surface of the coil material at the inlet rollers and a passing surface of the coil material at the outlet rollers, and convey the coil material toward the processing device; a plurality of straightening rollers that straighten the coiled material by alternately pressing the coiled material from the front and back sides thereof downstream of the conveying roller in the conveying direction, one or more support rollers that support the coil material from below are disposed downstream of the exit rollers in the conveying direction, The coil material straightening device, wherein the contact position between the support roller and the coil material is located above the conveying surface.

[0011] Furthermore, a method for conveying a coil material according to another exemplary aspect of the present invention has the following configuration.

[0012] A method for conveying a coil material using a coil material straightening device that is installed between a supply device that supplies a coil material in which a long processing material has been coiled and a processing device that processes the coil material supplied from the supply device and that straightens the coiling curl of the coil material, The orthodontic device is a pair of inlet rollers that sandwich the coil material conveyed from the supply device from the front and back sides; a pair of exit rollers disposed downstream of the entrance rollers in the conveying direction of the coil material and sandwiching the coil material from both sides; a pair of conveying rollers that sandwich the coil material from both sides along a conveying surface that connects a passing surface of the coil material at the inlet rollers and a passing surface of the coil material at the outlet rollers, and convey the coil material toward the processing device; a plurality of straightening rollers that are located downstream of the conveying rollers and upstream of the exit rollers in the conveying direction and that press the coil material alternately from the front and back sides to straighten the curl of the coil material, A method for conveying coil material, in which one or more support rollers are arranged downstream of the exit roller in the conveying direction to support the coil material from below, and the contact position between the support roller and the coil material is located above the conveying surface, so that after passing through the exit roller, the coil material is conveyed by the support roller in a manner that causes it to curve upward above the conveying surface.

[0013] Further objects and other features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, bending of the coil material in the buffer section due to its own weight can be effectively prevented, and bending marks on the coil material can be effectively prevented. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a press system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the press apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of the leveler shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the interconnection of the devices in the press system of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] [Embodiment] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. <Press System S> FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a press system S according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 also shows the conveying direction, upstream, downstream, and up-down directions. In this press system S, an uncoiler 10, a feeder 20, and a press device (processing device) 30 are arranged in this order from upstream to downstream along the direction in which the coil material 12 is supplied (the conveying direction). A leveler (coil material straightening device) 40 is also arranged between the uncoiler 10 and the press device 30. In this embodiment, the leveler 40 is arranged between the uncoiler 10 and the feeder 20. Here, "between" means that one side is the upstream side and the other is the downstream side along the conveying direction of the coil material 12.

[0017] The uncoiler 10, the leveler 40, and the feeder 20 operate in conjunction with the processing operation of the press device 30. In the press system S, if the leveler 40 has the function of the feeder 20, the feeder 20 does not need to be separately arranged. Also, a loop table that controls the deflection (loop) of the coil material 12 may be arranged on the upstream or downstream side of the leveler 40 in the conveying direction, but illustration and description of the loop table will be omitted here.

[0018] <Uncoiler 10> The uncoiler 10, which is a holding device that holds the coil material 12, has a mandrel 11, a control unit 13, and a drive unit 14. The mandrel 11 holds the coil material 12, which is the object of processing by the press device 30. The coil material 12 is a long material that is wound into a coil, and its inner diameter portion is held by the mandrel 11. The control unit 13 rotates the mandrel 11 using the drive unit 14 in conjunction with the processing operation by the press device 30, unwinds the coil material 12, and supplies it.

[0019] <Feeder 20> The feeder 20 is a conveying device that conveys the coil material 12 held by the uncoiler 10 toward the press device 30. The feeder 20 has a lower feed roller 21, an upper feed roller 22, a motor 23, and a control unit 26.

[0020] The lower feed roller 21 is rotatably attached to a fixed frame (not shown) of the feeder 20. The upper feed roller 22 is a roller that nips the coil material 12 together with the lower feed roller 21, and the nipping force is adjustable. The upper feed roller 22 is movable up and down relative to the lower feed roller 21 and is rotatably attached.

[0021] The motor 23 rotates the lower feed roller 21. The rotation of the lower feed roller 21 is transmitted to the upper feed roller 22 by a transmission means such as a gear (not shown). However, the upper feed roller 22 may be driven by the conveying force of the coil material 12 conveyed by the rotational drive of the lower feed roller 21, which is transmitted to the upper feed roller 22 as a frictional force. As a result, the lower feed roller 21 and the upper feed roller 22 feed the coil material 12 to the press device 30 at a predetermined feed length. Here, the feed length is the length of the coil material 12 required for one processing in the press device 30, and is the length of the coil material 12 that the feeder 20 conveys to the press device 30 in one go. The motor 23 is, for example, a servo motor, and is controlled by the control unit 26 using a known control method.

[0022] The feeder 20 may have an input unit, a display unit, and a storage unit, which are not shown. The input unit allows an operator to input settings, parameters, and the like necessary for conveyance control in the feeder 20 through the input unit. The display unit allows the above settings, parameters, and the current operating status of the feeder to be displayed on the display unit. The storage unit allows the settings and parameters input through the input unit to be stored in the storage unit, and a control program for executing operation control of the feeder 20 to be stored in advance in the storage unit. The storage unit can also be used as a call source for using the above settings, parameters, and control program.

[0023] <Pressing device 30> FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a press apparatus 30 according to an embodiment. The press apparatus 30 may be, for example, an integral straight-side frame type or a C-frame type. The press apparatus 30 may be, for example, a progressive press apparatus (progressive press) that performs multiple processes in multiple stages. FIG. 2 shows the conveyance direction of the coil material 12, as well as the upstream (left), downstream (right), up-down, and back-and-forth directions (front and back) in the conveyance direction. The press apparatus 30 includes a drive motor 304, a transmission mechanism 306, a crankshaft 308, a connecting rod 310, a slide 312, and a bolster 322 inside and outside a housing 302. The press apparatus 30 also includes a controller 314, a memory unit 315, a display unit 316, and an input unit 318. The press apparatus 30 also includes a sensor 324, a rotary encoder 325, and a gibber 326. Progressive forming is also known as transfer stamping, and the transfer press tool that makes it up can be a single press die (upper and lower dies) or multiple press dies arranged in successive stations.

[0024] The drive motor 304 is, for example, a servo-controlled servo motor, and moves the mold 303 (described later) up and down while controlling the amount and direction of rotation via a transmission mechanism 306, a crankshaft 308, and a connecting rod 310. The transmission mechanism 306 is configured to have transmission members such as gears and belts, and transmits the rotation of the motor shaft of the drive motor 304 to the crankshaft 308. A control signal to the drive motor 304 is sent from a controller 314.

[0025] The crankshaft 308 and connecting rod 310 are used to convert the rotational movement of the motor shaft transmitted by the transmission mechanism 306 into reciprocating movement (vertical movement in this embodiment). Rotation of the motor shaft rotates the crankshaft 308, and this rotation is transmitted to connecting rod 310, one end of which is connected to crankshaft 308, causing connecting rod 310 to move up and down (raise and lower).

[0026] The crankshaft 308 is also provided with a rotary cam switch (not shown) that outputs an ON signal or OFF signal in conjunction with the rotation of the crankshaft 308. The rotary cam switch outputs an ON signal or OFF signal, for example, when the rotation of the crankshaft 308 reaches a predetermined angle, in other words, at a predetermined timing during the machining operation. The timing at which the rotary cam switch outputs an ON signal (or an OFF signal) is hereinafter referred to as the output timing. The controller 314 performs the machining operation in conjunction with the uncoiler 10 and the feeder 20 based on the signal output from the rotary cam switch.

[0027] A slide 312 is connected near the other end of connecting rod 310. Slide 312 moves up and down along gibb 326 as connecting rod 310 moves up and down. In press device 300, bolster 322 is arranged opposite slide 312. Upper die 303a, as part of die 303, is attached to the surface of slide 312 facing bolster 322 (the lower surface in this embodiment). Lower die 303b, which pairs with upper die 303a, is attached to the surface of bolster 322 facing slide 312 (the upper surface in this embodiment) as part of die 303.

[0028] Coil material 12, which is the object to be processed, is placed between upper die 303a and lower die 303b, and pressed by upper die 303a and lower die 303b, whereby press processing is performed on coil material 12 by press device 30. Coil material 12 is transported, for example, from the left (upstream) side to the right (downstream) side in FIG. 3, and hereinafter the transport direction of coil material 12 will also be referred to as the left-right direction. In press processing having multiple steps (for example, progressive processing), early processing is performed from upstream in the transport direction of coil material 12, and final processing is performed downstream in the transport direction of coil material 12.

[0029] More specifically, the drive motor 304 rotates under the control of the controller 314. The rotation of the drive motor 304 is transmitted to the connecting rod 310 via the transmission mechanism 306 and the crankshaft 308, causing the slide 312 to move up and down. The downward movement of the slide 312 presses the upper die 303a and the lower die 303b together, thereby performing press processing on the coil material 12. That is, in the press device 300, the drive motor 304, the transmission mechanism 306, the crankshaft 308, the connecting rod 310, and the slide 312 form a press unit. The transmission mechanism 306 is provided with a rotary encoder 325, which is a rotation speed detection means for detecting the rotation speed of the crankshaft 308. The controller 314 can detect the position of the slide 312 by detecting the rotation speed of the crankshaft using the rotary encoder 325.

[0030] The sensor 324, which is a load detection means for detecting the load during processing, is a sensor, such as a load cell, for detecting the load acting on the connecting rod 310 when the press device 30 performs press processing on the coil material 12. The sensor 324 may be, for example, a strain gauge installed in the housing 302. The sensor 324 may be installed at any position on the connecting rod 310 (for example, a position near the center). Furthermore, multiple sensors 324 may be installed, and for example, the strain on the left and right sides of the housing 302 may be detected separately, and the detected results may be added up to determine the total load. Note that in FIG. 2, the side on which the display unit 316 is located is the front side of the press device 300.

[0031] The controller 314 controls the press device 30 in accordance with various programs stored in the memory unit 315. The display unit 316 displays data indicating the status of the press device 30. The input unit 318 is used to input data necessary to operate the press device 30. The controller 314 controls the uncoiler 10, leveler 40, feeder 20, and press device 30 so that they work together to perform processing (see FIG. 4). In a press device 30 that performs progressive processing, the controller 314 controls the feeder 20 to transport the coil material 12 to the next processing stage at a predetermined feed speed and by a predetermined feed length when processing at one processing stage is completed.

[0032] <Leveler 40> FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a leveler 40 according to an embodiment. In FIG. 3, the leveler 40 is viewed from the front, i.e., the upstream side in the conveying direction of the coil material 12 is on the left and the downstream side is on the right. The leveler 40 is disposed between the uncoiler 10 and the press device 30 for use. The leveler 30 is a device for straightening the curl of the coil material 12 supplied from the uncoiler 10. The leveler 40 is generally configured with a pair of entrance rollers 41, a pair of exit rollers 42, a main body 40a, and a base 40b. The main body 40a has a pair of conveying rollers 43, multiple straightening rollers 44, a drive motor 45, and a control unit 46. One or multiple support rollers 47 are disposed downstream of the exit rollers.

[0033] The entrance rollers 41 are a pair of rollers that first pinch the supplied coil material 12 from both sides in the leveler 40, and are arranged upstream of the conveying rollers 43 (i.e., upstream of the main body 40a). The entrance rollers 41 pinch the coil material 12 from above and below with a predetermined pinching force (nipping force), and rotate as the coil material 12 is conveyed. The entrance rollers 41 are not rollers driven by a drive source, but are driven rollers that rotate along with the conveyance of the coil material 12. Note that the height position of the upper roller of the entrance rollers 41 relative to the lower roller may be adjusted so as to exert a predetermined pinching force (nipping force) suited to the material of the coil material 12, and the height position of the upper roller may then be fixed with a fixing member such as a bolt.

[0034] The exit rollers 42 are a pair of rollers located downstream of the conveying rollers 43 and the straightening rollers 44 (described later) (i.e., downstream of the main body 40a). Similar to the inlet rollers 41, the exit rollers 42 clamp the coil material 12 from both sides with a predetermined clamping force (nipping force) from above and below, and rotate as the coil material 12 is conveyed. The exit rollers 42 are not driven by a drive source, but are driven rollers that rotate along with the conveyance of the coil material 12. As with the inlet rollers 41, the height position of the upper roller of the exit rollers 42 relative to the lower roller may be adjusted and then fixed with a fixing member such as a bolt so as to exert a predetermined clamping force (nipping force) suited to the material of the coil material 12. The plane connecting the plane of passage of the coil material 12 passing through the inlet rollers 41 and the plane of passage of the coil material 12 passing through the exit rollers 42 is defined as the conveying plane P of the coil material 12.

[0035] In addition, when the thickness of the coil material 12 is taken into consideration, the passing plane through which the coil material 12 passes through the entrance rollers 41 and the exit rollers 42 can be conceptualized as a plane including the upper side surface Pt (see FIG. 3) of the coil material 12 and a plane including the lower side surface Pb (see FIG. 3) of the coil material 12. The conveying plane P here means the passing plane through which the lower side surface Pb of the coil material 12 passes through the entrance rollers 41 and the exit rollers 42 and its extended plane.

[0036] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the main body 40a can be rotated and fixed in the direction of arrow α around a rotation axis Q relative to the base 40b. Therefore, the conveying surface P of the coil material 12 can be parallel to a substantially horizontal plane as shown in Figure 3, or can be inclined as shown in Figure 1. By inclining the conveying surface P, it is possible to arrange the coil material 12 so that its height differs from that of its upstream side in the conveying direction. For example, in Figure 1, the coil material 12 is arranged so that its upstream side is lower and its downstream side is higher in the conveying direction. The base 40b is a pedestal that rotatably fixes the main body 40a and is installed on a floor surface.

[0037] The conveying rollers 43 are a pair of rollers that nip the coil material 12 from both sides along the conveying surface P. One of the conveying rollers 43 is connected to a drive motor 45 and is driven to rotate by the drive motor 45, thereby conveying the coil material 12 contacting its circumferential surface along the conveying direction toward the press device 30. The other of the conveying rollers 43 receives driving power from the driving side via a transmission means such as a gear and nip the coil material 12 with a predetermined nipping force against the conveying roller. However, the other of the conveying rollers 43 may be a driven roller that rotates along with the conveyance of the coil material. The nipping force (nipping force) of the driven conveying roller 43 against the driven conveying roller 43 may be adjustable so that the coil material 12 can be conveyed appropriately without slippage even if the thickness or material of the coil material 12 changes, for example.

[0038] The conveying surfaces of the conveying rollers 43, i.e., the surfaces of the conveying rollers 43 through which the coil material 12 passes, are preferably flush with the conveying plane P, and in this embodiment, these are flush with each other. The driving of the conveying rollers 43 by the drive motor 45 is controlled by a control unit 46. As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 46 is connected to a controller 314, and coordinates the processing of the coil material 12 by the press device 30, the supply of the coil material 12 by the uncoiler 10, and the conveyance of the coil material 12 by the feeder 20.

[0039] The straightening rollers 44 are disposed within the main body 40a together with the conveying rollers 43. The straightening rollers 44 are disposed downstream of the conveying rollers 43 in the conveying direction and are a plurality of rollers that straighten the coil material 12 by alternately pressing the coil material 12 from the front and back. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, four straightening rollers 44 are disposed above the conveying surface P and four below the conveying surface P. However, there is no particular limitation on the number of straightening rollers 44 as long as there is more than one. The straightening rollers 44 are disposed such that the upper rollers and the lower rollers are alternately disposed, i.e., nested. The bottom surface of the upper straightening rollers 44 extends downward beyond the upper surface Pt of the coil material 12, and the top surface of the lower straightening rollers 44 extends upward beyond the lower surface Pb of the coil material 12, i.e., the conveying surface P. This allows the straightening rollers 44 to apply an appropriate stress to the coil material 12. This stress induces plastic deformation in the coil material 12, thereby removing the coiling of the coil material 12 after it has passed through the straightening rollers 44.

[0040] The support rollers 47 are one or more rollers arranged downstream of the exit rollers 42, and have the function of supporting the coil material 12 from below after it has passed through the exit rollers 42. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, two support rollers 47a, 47b are arranged. The contact positions of the support rollers 47a, 47b with the coil material 12, i.e., the positions at which the support rollers 47a, 47b support the lower side surface Pb of the coil material 12, are located above the conveying plane P. In particular, as shown in FIG. 3, by arranging the support rollers 47b downstream in the conveying direction so that the contact position with the coil material 12 is higher than the support roller 47a upstream in the conveying direction, the coil material 12 can be conveyed so that it is warped upward after it has passed through the leveler 40.

[0041] This allows the formation of a buffer section B of the coil material 12 that is curved so as to be convex upward between the leveler 40 and the press device 30. Furthermore, since the coil material 12 advances obliquely upward after passing through the support rollers 47, it is possible to prevent the coil material 12 from bending under its own weight and sagging downward, or to prevent the coil material 12 from having bending marks due to bending.

[0042] This effect is more pronounced when the conveying surface P is inclined as shown in Fig. 1. If the conveying surface P is inclined so that it rises from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction as shown in Fig. 1, the coil material 12 advances obliquely upward along the conveying surface P. If the coil material 12 is further bent upward from the conveying surface P by the support rollers 47 (upward here means upward in a direction perpendicular to the conveying surface P), the coil material 12 after passing the support rollers 47 advances obliquely upward at an even steeper angle.

[0043] 1, when the conveying surface P is tilted so that it rises from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction, the contact position between the support rollers 47 and the coil material 12 is also located above the conveying surface P. Here, "above the conveying surface P" means the direction toward the side where the support rollers 47 are not located, as viewed from the conveying surface P.

[0044] In this way, a large upwardly convex buffer portion (curved portion) B can be formed before reaching the press device 30. This makes it possible to prevent the coil material 12 from bending or developing creases due to its own weight. By advancing the coil material 12 obliquely upward at a steep angle, it is possible to effectively prevent the coil material 12 from bending or developing creases even when the coil material 12 is made of a material with low rigidity or a thin thickness. However, since the inclination of the conveying surface P is set at a steep angle, FIG. 1 illustrates a case in which the support rollers 47 only slightly protrude from the conveying surface P.

[0045] The multiple support rollers 47a, 47b are attached to the vertical plates 2a, 2b, respectively, and the vertical plates 2a, 2b are attached to the horizontal plate 3 so as to be able to slide up and down. This allows the positions of the support rollers 47a, 47b to be adjusted independently in the vertical direction (direction of arrow Y), and the amount of protrusion from the conveying surface P to be adjusted. However, it is preferable that the adjustment range of the vertical positions of the support rollers 47a, 47b be limited to a range in which the uppermost surfaces of the rollers 47a, 47b are positioned above the conveying surface P. If the uppermost surfaces of the support rollers 47a, 47b are positioned above the conveying surface P, the contact positions of the support rollers 47a, 47b and the coil material 12 will be above the conveying surface P.

[0046] 3, the horizontal plate 3 may be composed of two horizontal plates 3a and 3b. In this case, the horizontal plate 3a may be slidable relative to the mounting plate 4 of the exit roller 42 in the direction of conveyance (the direction of arrow X), and the horizontal plate 3b may be slidable relative to the horizontal plate 3a in the direction of conveyance (the direction of arrow X). If the vertical plate 2a is attached to the horizontal plate 3a, the distance (first distance) between the exit roller 42 and the support roller 47a in the direction of arrow Y becomes adjustable. If the vertical plate 2b is attached to the horizontal plate 3b, the distance (second distance) between the support roller 47a and the support roller 47b in the direction of arrow Y becomes adjustable.

[0047] If the position of the support roller 47 is adjustable in the direction of the arrow Y and the amount of protrusion thereof from the conveying surface P is adjustable, it is possible to form an appropriate buffer section B while preventing the occurrence of bending or flex marks for various coil materials 12. Furthermore, if the first distance between the support roller 47 and the exit roller 42 in the direction of the arrow X, or the second distance between the support rollers 47 in the direction of the arrow X when there are multiple support rollers 47 (47a, 47b), is adjustable, it is possible to form an appropriate buffer section B even more effectively while preventing the occurrence of bending or flex marks for various coil materials 12.

[0048] Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the interconnection of the devices in this press system S. As shown in Fig. 4, the uncoiler 10, leveler 40, feeder 20, and press device 30 are interconnected. Each of the control units 13, 46, and 26 is connected to a controller 314, and the devices 10, 40, 20, and 30 are controlled cooperatively based on instructions from the controller 314.

[0049] The coil material 12 supplied from the uncoiler 10 passes through the leveler 40 and reaches the buffer section B. The coil material 12 is then transported to the press device 30 via the feeder 20. When the coil material 12 is processed in the press device 30, the feeder 20 intermittently transports the coil material 12 by the feed length required for processing. A sensor (not shown), for example, is disposed in the buffer section B, and detects the excess length of the coil material in the buffer section B. When the excess length falls below a certain lower limit length, the uncoiler 10 and the leveler 40 are driven (or the transport speed is reduced) and the coil material 12 is replenished in the buffer section B. When the excess length in the buffer section B exceeds a certain upper limit length, the drive of the uncoiler 10 and the leveler 40 is stopped (or the transport speed is reduced), and the replenishment of the coil material 12 to the buffer section B is stopped.

[0050] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0051] The present invention includes the following objects.

[0052] [Objective 1] A coil material straightening device that is installed between a supply device that supplies a coil material in which a long processing material is coiled and a processing device that processes the coil material supplied from the supply device, and that straightens the curl of the coil material, a pair of inlet rollers that sandwich the coil material conveyed from the supply device from the front and back sides; a pair of exit rollers disposed downstream of the entrance rollers in the conveying direction of the coil material and sandwiching the coil material from both sides; a main body portion disposed between the entrance roller and the exit roller, The main body portion is a pair of conveying rollers that sandwich the coil material from both sides along a conveying surface that connects a passing surface of the coil material at the inlet rollers and a passing surface of the coil material at the outlet rollers, and convey the coil material toward the processing device; a plurality of straightening rollers that straighten the coiled material by alternately pressing the coiled material from the front and back sides thereof downstream of the conveying roller in the conveying direction, one or more support rollers that support the coil material from below are disposed downstream of the exit rollers in the conveying direction, The coil material straightening device, wherein the contact position between the support roller and the coil material is located above the conveying surface.

[0053] [Objective 2] The support roller may be vertically position adjustable within a range in which the contact position is located above the conveying surface.

[0054] [Objective 3] A first distance, which is the distance between the support roller and the exit roller in the direction along the conveying surface, may be adjustable, and further, if there are multiple support rollers, a second distance, which is the distance between the multiple support rollers in the direction along the conveying surface, may be adjustable.

[0055] [Objective 4] The conveying surface may be inclined so that the height of the coil material on the upstream side in the conveying direction is different from the height of the coil material on the downstream side.

[0056] [Objective 5] A method for conveying a coil material using a coil material straightening device that is installed between a supply device that supplies a coil material in which a long processing material has been coiled and a processing device that processes the coil material supplied from the supply device and that straightens the coiling curl of the coil material, The coil material straightening device is a pair of inlet rollers that sandwich the coil material conveyed from the supply device from the front and back sides; a pair of exit rollers disposed downstream of the entrance rollers in the conveying direction of the coil material and sandwiching the coil material from both sides; a pair of conveying rollers that sandwich the coil material from both sides along a conveying surface that connects a passing surface of the coil material at the inlet rollers and a passing surface of the coil material at the outlet rollers, and convey the coil material toward the processing device; a plurality of straightening rollers that are located downstream of the conveying rollers and upstream of the exit rollers in the conveying direction and that press the coil material alternately from the front and back sides to straighten the curl of the coil material, A method for conveying coil material, in which one or more support rollers are arranged downstream of the exit roller in the conveying direction to support the coil material from below, and the contact position between the support roller and the coil material is located above the conveying surface, so that after passing through the exit roller, the coil material is conveyed by the support roller in a manner that causes it to curve upward above the conveying surface. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] B: Buffer section P: Conveying surface Pt: Top side Pb: Bottom side Q: Rotating axis S: Press system 2a, 2b: Vertical plates 3, 3a, 3b: Horizontal plates 4: Mounting plate 10: Uncoiler 11: Mandrel 12: Coil material 13: Control unit 14: Drive unit 20: Feeder 21: Lower feed roller 22: Upper feed roller 23: Motor 26: Control unit 30: Press device (processing device) 40: Leveller (coil material straightening device) 41: Inlet roller 42: Exit roller 40a: Main body 40b: base portion 43: conveying roller 44: Correction roller 45: Drive motor 46: Control unit 47: Support roller 302: Housing 303: Mold 303a: Upper mold 303b: Lower mold 304: Drive motor 306: Transmission mechanism 308: Crankshaft 310: Connecting rod 312: Slide 314: Controller 315: Storage section 316: Display section 318: Input section 322: Bolster 324: Sensor 325: Rotary encoder 326: Give

Claims

1. A coil material straightening device that is installed between a supply device that supplies a coil material in which a long processing material is coiled and a processing device that processes the coil material supplied from the supply device, and that straightens the curl of the coil material, a pair of inlet rollers that sandwich the coil material conveyed from the supply device from the front and back sides; a pair of exit rollers disposed downstream of the entrance rollers in the conveying direction of the coil material and sandwiching the coil material from both sides; a main body portion disposed between the entrance roller and the exit roller, The main body portion is a pair of conveying rollers that sandwich the coil material from both sides along a conveying surface that connects a passing surface of the coil material at the inlet rollers and a passing surface of the coil material at the outlet rollers, and convey the coil material to the processing device side that is located on the opposite side of the coil material straightening device from the supply device; a plurality of straightening rollers that straighten the coiled material by alternately pressing the coiled material from the front and back sides thereof downstream of the conveying roller in the conveying direction, the conveying surface is substantially horizontal so that the height of the entrance roller and the height of the exit roller are substantially the same, or the conveying surface is inclined so that the height of the entrance roller is lower than the height of the exit roller; one or more support rollers that support the coil material from below are disposed downstream of the exit rollers in the conveying direction, The coil material straightening device, wherein the contact position between the support roller and the coil material is located above the conveying surface.

2. A coil material straightening device that is installed between a supply device that supplies a coil material in which a long processing material is coiled and a processing device that processes the coil material supplied from the supply device, and that straightens the curl of the coil material, a pair of inlet rollers that sandwich the coil material conveyed from the supply device from the front and back sides; a pair of exit rollers disposed downstream of the entrance rollers in the conveying direction of the coil material and sandwiching the coil material from both sides; a main body portion disposed between the entrance roller and the exit roller, The main body portion is a pair of conveying rollers that sandwich the coil material from both sides along a conveying surface that connects a passing surface of the coil material at the inlet rollers and a passing surface of the coil material at the outlet rollers, and convey the coil material to the processing device side that is located on the opposite side of the coil material straightening device from the supply device; a plurality of straightening rollers that straighten the coiled material by alternately pressing the coiled material from the front and back sides thereof downstream of the conveying roller in the conveying direction, one or more support rollers that support the coil material from below are disposed downstream of the exit rollers in the conveying direction and upstream of a buffer section that is formed by the coil material being bent downstream of the exit rollers, The coil material straightening device, wherein the contact position between the support roller and the coil material is located above the conveying surface.

3. 3. The coil material straightening device according to claim 1, wherein the support rollers are vertically position adjustable within a range in which the contact positions are located above the conveying surface.

4. The support rollers include a first support roller and a second support roller, a mounting plate attached to the main body; a first horizontal plate attached to the mounting plate so as to be able to adjust a first gap between the outlet roller and the first support roller in the direction of the conveying surface; a second horizontal plate attached to the first horizontal plate so as to be able to adjust a second gap between the first support roller and the second support roller in the direction of the conveying surface; a first vertical plate attached to the second horizontal plate so as to be adjustable in a direction perpendicular to the conveying surface, the first vertical plate having the first support roller attached thereto, and a second vertical plate having the second support roller attached thereto; and 3. The coil material straightening device according to claim 1, wherein the first vertical plate and the second vertical plate are adjustable within a range in which the contact positions are located above the conveying surface.

5. The main body has a base attached thereto so as to be rotatable and fixable; The coil material straightening device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the angle of the conveying surface can be set by rotating the main body with respect to the base.

6. A coil material conveying method using a coil material straightening device that is installed between a supply device that supplies a coil material in which a long processed material has been coiled and a processing device that processes the coil material supplied from the supply device and that straightens the coiling curl of the coil material, The coil material straightening device is a pair of inlet rollers that sandwich the coil material conveyed from the supply device from the front and back sides; a pair of exit rollers disposed downstream of the entrance rollers in the conveying direction of the coil material and sandwiching the coil material from both sides; a pair of conveying rollers that sandwich the coil material from both sides along a conveying surface that connects a passing surface of the coil material at the inlet rollers and a passing surface of the coil material at the outlet rollers, and convey the coil material to the processing device side that is located on the opposite side of the coil material straightening device from the supply device; a plurality of straightening rollers that are located downstream of the conveying rollers and upstream of the exit rollers in the conveying direction and that press the coil material alternately from the front and back sides to straighten the curl of the coil material, the conveying surface is substantially horizontal so that the height of the entrance roller and the height of the exit roller are substantially the same, or the conveying surface is inclined so that the height of the entrance roller is lower than the height of the exit roller; A method for conveying coil material, in which one or more support rollers are arranged downstream of the exit roller in the conveying direction to support the coil material from below, and the contact position between the support roller and the coil material is located above the conveying surface, so that after passing through the exit roller, the coil material is conveyed by the support roller in a manner that causes it to curve upward above the conveying surface.

7. A coil material conveying method using a coil material straightening device that is installed between a supply device that supplies a coil material in which a long processed material has been coiled and a processing device that processes the coil material supplied from the supply device and that straightens the coiling curl of the coil material, The coil material straightening device is a pair of inlet rollers that sandwich the coil material conveyed from the supply device from the front and back sides; a pair of exit rollers disposed downstream of the entrance rollers in the conveying direction of the coil material and sandwiching the coil material from both sides; a pair of conveying rollers that sandwich the coil material from both sides along a conveying surface that connects a passing surface of the coil material at the inlet rollers and a passing surface of the coil material at the outlet rollers, and convey the coil material to the processing device side that is located on the opposite side of the coil material straightening device from the supply device; a plurality of straightening rollers that are located downstream of the conveying rollers and upstream of the exit rollers in the conveying direction and that press the coil material alternately from the front and back sides to straighten the curl of the coil material, A method for transporting coil material, in which one or more support rollers are arranged downstream of the exit rollers in the transport direction and upstream of a buffer section formed by the coil material bending downstream of the exit rollers to support the coil material from below, and the contact position between the support rollers and the coil material is located above the transport surface, so that after passing through the exit rollers, the coil material is transported by the support rollers in a manner that causes it to bend upward above the transport surface.

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