Model trolley

Abstract

To provide a mold truck capable of making an upper mold rotatable to further reliably prevent a problem while making a supported upper mold rotatable.SOLUTION: A mold truck 50 has an upper mold holder 64. The upper mold holder 64 comprises: in a given initial state, an upper rail portion 644 that extends horizontally from a back side to a front side and can support the upper mold in a slidable state; a stopper 646 capable of switching a state between a restricting state of restricting a slide movement of the upper mold from the front side to the back side and a non-restricting state of allowing the slide movement; and the like. The upper mold holder 64 is configured to be rotatable by at least 90° or more, but a maximum rotation angle is 180° or less with a horizontal holder rotation axis as a center, from the initial state in a direction that the front side faces downward, and is configured to restrict a rotation thereof from the initial state in a direction in which the back side faces downward.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a mold carriage capable of transporting a mold that can be attached to and detached from a machine. [Background technology]

[0002] It is widely known that various processes are carried out using upper and lower dies. For example, in a tray sealer for producing sealed packs including a container having a pocket for containing contents such as food and a lid film attached to the container so as to close the pocket, the lid film is attached to the container as a workpiece using the upper and lower dies.

[0003] Furthermore, for replacement or maintenance of the upper or lower dies, a mold cart may be used that can support and transport the upper or lower dies removed from the machine. As such a mold cart, a hand lifter has been proposed that includes a cart section equipped with casters, a mast section erected on the cart section, a lifting section attached to the mast section, and two lifter arms protruding forward from the lifting section (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this hand lifter, the upper and lower dies are connected by connecting struts or bolts, and the lifter arms are inserted into a pair of insertion holes provided in the upper die, thereby lifting and supporting the upper and lower dies.

[0004] Generally, the upper die processes the workpiece using its lower portion, and therefore, maintenance of the upper die is usually performed on the lower portion of the upper die.

[0005] In this regard, the upper mold supported by the hand lifter has its lower portion facing downwards, so when performing maintenance on the upper mold, one may have to reach under the heavy upper mold, which requires careful consideration of safety.

[0006] Therefore, it is conceivable to apply a mechanism to the mold cart that allows the supported object (supported object) to rotate 180 degrees so that work can be performed without reaching under the upper mold. One such mechanism is known, which includes a plate-shaped mounting portion on which the supported object (cylinder cover) can be placed, multiple fixed rods erected on the mounting portion, and a rotation means that rotates the supported object placed on the mounting portion by rotating the mounting portion (see, for example, Patent Document 2). In this mechanism, the supported object needs to be fixed to the mounting portion in order to rotate it. The supported object is fixed to the mounting portion using fixed rods and nuts. Specifically, the supported object is placed on the mounting portion while the fixed rod is inserted through an insertion hole provided in the supported object, and then a nut is attached to the tip of the fixed rod, thereby fixing the supported object to the mounting portion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-1408 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-58453 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, in a mold cart that applies the technology described in Patent Document 2, the upper mold (supported object) must be sufficiently and appropriately fixed to the mounting portion, which requires time-consuming inspections, etc.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a mold cart that allows the supported upper mold to be rotated while more reliably preventing problems caused by the upper mold being rotated. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The following describes each of the means suitable for achieving the above object, with specific effects of the corresponding means added as necessary.

[0011] Means 1. A mold cart capable of transporting at least the upper mold of the upper and lower molds detachable from the machine, an upper die holder for holding the upper die; The upper mold holder is a pair of rails that extend horizontally from a rear side that will be disposed on the machine side when the upper die is transferred between the machine and the machine in a predetermined initial state toward a front side opposite the rear side, and that can support the upper die in a slidable state; an upper surface support portion provided at a position where the upper mold supported by the rail portion is sandwiched between the upper surface support portion and the rail portion in the initial state; a pair of side guide portions provided corresponding to side surfaces of the upper mold and guiding sliding movement of the upper mold on the rail portion; a receiving portion that comes into contact with the upper die when the upper die slides from the rear side to the front side on the rail portion, thereby restricting further sliding movement of the upper die from the rear side to the front side; a stopper that can switch between a restricted state in which the upper die is brought into contact with the stopper to restrict sliding movement of the upper die from the front side to the back side and a restricted release state in which the upper die is allowed to slide from the front side to the back side, The upper mold holder is configured to be rotatable from the initial state by at least 90° in a direction where the front side is downwards around a horizontal holder rotation axis that is perpendicular to the extension direction of the rail portion, while the maximum rotation angle is 180° or less, and the mold cart is configured so that rotation from the initial state in a direction where the back side is downwards is restricted.

[0012] The mold cart in the above-mentioned means 1 can be used as follows. That is, after the rail section is set to an initial horizontal state, the mold cart is moved toward the machine so that the rail section is adjacent to the machine. Then, the upper mold is removed from the machine and moved from the machine to the rail section. At this time, the rail section can support the upper mold in a state where it can slide, so the upper mold can be moved smoothly on the rail section. This improves the workability of transferring the upper mold to and from the machine.

[0013] As the upper die slides from the rear to the front along the rails, it eventually contacts the receiving portion, restricting further sliding of the upper die and positioning it in the correct position. Then, by placing the stopper in the restricting position, the upper die is restricted from moving from the front to the rear (the side corresponding to the upper die's receiving port from the machine). As a result, the upper die is held by the upper die holder, with its sliding movement prevented by the receiving portion and stopper. This prevents the upper die from falling off the upper die holder, further improving safety.

[0014] Subsequently, when performing maintenance on the upper die, for example, the die carriage is moved to the designated maintenance position, and the upper die holder is rotated to rotate the upper die so that the rotated upper die is supported by the upper support portion. Here, the upper die holder is restricted from rotating in a direction that causes the rear side to face downward from its initial position, but can rotate up to 180° in a direction that causes the front side to face downward from its initial position. Therefore, when the upper die holder rotates, the load from the upper die is applied to the receiving portion but not to the stopper. This more reliably prevents damage or malfunction of the stopper, further enhancing safety. Furthermore, there is no need to use a highly durable stopper designed to withstand the load from the upper die, which is advantageous in terms of cost.

[0015] Even if the stopper is in the release state, the upper die holder can only be rotated in the direction where the front side is downwards, so the upper die will not move from the front side to the back side when the upper die holder is rotated. Therefore, even if the upper die is rotated with the stopper in the release state, the upper die will not easily fall off the upper die holder. Furthermore, even if the upper die holder is rotated when it is not positioned in the correct position, the upper die will move toward the receiving part due to its own weight and will eventually be positioned in the correct position.

[0016] By rotating the upper mold, the lower part of the upper mold faces upward (including diagonally upward), and maintenance of this lower part can be easily performed. Also, there is no need to reach under the upper mold during maintenance.

[0017] Means 2. A lower die support part capable of supporting the lower die; The mold cart described in Means 1 is characterized in that it is equipped with a height adjustment unit that can move the upper mold holder and the lower mold support part up and down in unison while maintaining the relative positional relationship between the upper mold holder and the lower mold support part.

[0018] According to the above-mentioned means 2, the height adjustment unit can move the upper die holder and the lower die support unit up and down in conjunction with each other while maintaining their relative positional relationship. Therefore, the relative height positions of the upper die holder and the lower die support unit with respect to the machine can be easily adjusted, and the workability of transferring the upper die and the lower die to and from the machine can be further improved.

[0019] Means 3. The lower mold support part is a pair of lower rail portions that extend horizontally from the rear side to the front side and support the lower mold in a slidable state; The mold cart described in Means 2 is characterized in that it has a lower mold movement regulating section that can switch between a state in which it restricts the sliding movement of the lower mold on the lower rail section by extending and retracting toward the lower mold supported by the lower rail section, and a state in which it allows the sliding movement of the lower mold on the lower rail section.

[0020] According to the above-mentioned means 3, the lower rail portion can support the lower mold in a slidable state, so that the lower mold can be moved smoothly on the lower rail portion, thereby further improving the workability of transferring the lower mold to and from the machine.

[0021] Furthermore, the lower die movement restricting portion can restrict the sliding movement of the lower die on the lower rail portion, thereby further improving safety.

[0022] Furthermore, since the lower mold movement restricting portion switches its state simply by extending and retracting toward the lower mold supported by the lower rail portion, it is possible to simplify the structure and reduce manufacturing costs.

[0023] Means 4: A plurality of front casters arranged on the front side and capable of swiveling and rotating; A plurality of rear casters that are arranged on the rear side and are swivelable and rotatable; a front side swivel locking means capable of locking the swivel of the front side caster; a front side rotation locking means capable of locking the rotation of the front side caster; The mold cart according to Means 1 is characterized in that it is provided with a rear side swivel locking means capable of locking the swivel of the rear side caster.

[0024] According to the above-mentioned means 4, the front-side swivel locking means and the rear-side swivel locking means can lock the swivel of the front-side casters and the rear-side casters. Therefore, when the mold cart is moved with the upper mold loaded, it is possible to more reliably prevent the mold cart from moving in an unintended direction due to the swivel of the casters. This further improves safety and convenience.

[0025] Furthermore, when the mold cart with the upper mold loaded on it is moved in a direction away from the machine (backed up), the front casters and the back casters can be locked from turning, allowing the mold cart to be moved backward without turning these casters. Therefore, the mold cart can be moved backward smoothly without requiring excessive force, further improving workability and convenience.

[0026] In addition, by locking the rotation of the front caster with the front rotation locking means, the mold cart can be kept stationary, which further enhances safety when transferring the upper mold to the machine or when performing maintenance on the upper mold.

[0027] Means 5. The rear caster has a pair of wheel support parts that rotatably support the wheels, The rear side rotation locking means is a lock plate extending from the rear side to the front side and reciprocating along the longitudinal direction; a remote control pedal provided at the front end of the lock plate, The mold cart described in means 4 is characterized in that, by operating the remote control pedal, the state can be switched between a state in which the lock plate is placed between the pair of wheel support parts to lock the rotation of the rear caster, and a state in which the lock plate is removed from between the pair of wheel support parts to unlock the rotation of the rear caster.

[0028] According to the above-mentioned means 5, the rotation of the rear caster can be locked or unlocked by operating (with the foot) the remote control pedal located on the front side. Therefore, the locking or unlocking can be easily switched, further improving safety and workability.

[0029] Furthermore, since the state can be switched depending on the position of the lock plate, it is possible to effectively simplify the structure and reduce manufacturing costs.

[0030] Means 6. The upper die holder is configured to be rotatable 180° from the initial state in a direction in which the front side is downwards, The mold cart described in Means 1 is characterized in that it is provided with an inverted upper mold movement restriction means that is provided separately from the stopper and is capable of restricting the movement of the upper mold held by the upper mold holder from the front side to the back side when the upper mold holder is rotated 180 degrees from the initial state.

[0031] According to the above-mentioned means 6, when the upper die holder is rotated 180° to invert the upper die, the movement of the upper die from the front side to the back side (movement of the upper die from the machine toward the receiving side) can be restricted not only by the stopper but also by the inverted upper die movement restricting means. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent the upper die from falling, thereby further improving safety.

[0032] Means 7: A rotating mechanism for rotating the upper mold holder is provided, The rotation mechanism includes: a gear that is rotatable about a rotation axis parallel to the holder rotation axis, and that is configured to rotate the upper mold holder in accordance with the rotation of the gear; a worm meshed with the gear, The mold carriage according to means 1, characterized in that the gear rotates when the worm rotates.

[0033] According to the above-mentioned means 7, the rotation mechanism is equipped with a gear and a worm (i.e., a worm gear), and the gear and the upper die holder rotate by rotating the worm. Therefore, when rotating the upper die holder, even if force is no longer being applied to the worm from the input side, for example, by releasing the operating handle, the self-locking mechanism can prevent the upper die holder from rotating due to its own weight.

[0034] Furthermore, by utilizing the self-locking mechanism, the upper die holder can be stopped at any rotation angle, which further improves workability during maintenance, etc.

[0035] Means 8. The stopper is an operated portion that protrudes from the upper surface support portion toward an opposite side to the rail portion and is reciprocally movable in a direction intersecting the sliding direction of the upper mold; a stopper body connected to the operated portion and capable of switching between a state where it is positioned on the movement path of the upper die and a state where it is retracted from the movement path as the operated portion reciprocates; The mold cart described in Means 1 is configured so that the restricted state is achieved by moving the operated part to position the stopper body on the movement path, and the restricted state is achieved by moving the operated part to retract the stopper body from the movement path.

[0036] According to the above-mentioned means 8, the stopper can be realized with a simpler configuration, which further reduces the cost increase.

[0037] In addition, the operated part that is operated when moving the stopper body protrudes from the upper surface support part toward the opposite side to the rail part. That is, the operated part protrudes toward the opposite side to the space where the upper mold is placed. Therefore, there is little difficulty in moving the operated part to operate the stopper.

[0038] Means 9: The upper mold is provided with a pin portion protruding from its upper surface, the stopper body has a plunger in which a ball portion provided at a tip thereof is biased so as to protrude from a plunger body that holds the ball portion, When the upper die is in contact with the receiving portion and in the restricted state, the ball portion comes into contact with the pin portion, thereby restricting movement of the stopper, The mold cart described in Means 8 is characterized in that when the operated portion is moved to switch from the restricted state to the unrestricted state while the upper mold is in contact with the receiving portion, the ball portion moves while reducing the amount of protrusion relative to the plunger body as it comes into contact with the pin portion, and finally passes through the pin portion.

[0039] According to the above-mentioned means 9, the movement of the stopper in the restricted state can be restricted by using the plunger, so that the restricted state can be maintained more reliably, and good safety can be maintained more reliably.

[0040] Furthermore, when the operated portion is moved to switch from the restricted state to the unrestricted state, the ball portion moves while reducing the amount of protrusion relative to the plunger body as it comes into contact with the pin portion, and finally passes the pin portion, switching from the restricted state to the unrestricted state. Therefore, while it is possible to restrict the movement of the stopper in the restricted state, it is possible to easily switch from the restricted state to the unrestricted state simply by moving the operated portion without performing any special operation, etc., thereby further improving convenience.

[0041] Means 10. A mold cart as described in Means 1, characterized in that the rail portion has an outer peripheral surface on which the upper mold can be placed, and has a plurality of rollers along the direction in which the rail portion extends that can rotate around a rotation axis perpendicular to the direction in which the rail portion extends.

[0042] According to the above-mentioned means 10, the upper die can be slid more smoothly on the rail portion, thereby reducing the workload involved in transferring the upper die to and from the machine and further improving workability.

[0043] The technical matters relating to the above means may be combined as appropriate. For example, the technical matters relating to the above means 2 may be combined with the technical matters relating to the above means 4. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0044] [Figure 1] FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the sealed pack. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of a tray sealer. [Figure 4] 2 is a perspective schematic view showing a machine-side upper rail portion and a machine-side lower rail portion provided in the sealing device. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the upper rail portion on the machine side. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the machine-side lower rail portion. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective schematic diagram of the mold carriage as viewed from the rear side. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective schematic view of the mold carriage as viewed from the front side. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a recess formation portion and the like. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing a rotation restricting portion and the like. [Figure 14] 10 is a schematic perspective view showing pin grooves, stopper grooves, etc., provided in the upper surface support portion. FIG. [Figure 15] 10 is a partially cutaway perspective schematic view showing communication holes and the like provided in the upper surface support portion. FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. [Figure 17] 10 is a partially cutaway perspective schematic view showing a stopper body and the like disposed in a stopper groove. FIG. [Figure 18] 10 is a partially cutaway schematic front view showing a stopper body and the like disposed in a stopper groove. FIG. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway schematic plan view showing a plunger and other components provided in a stopper body. [Figure 20] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a stopper. [Figure 21] FIG. [Figure 22] FIG. [Figure 23] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing the rear side rotation lock portion and the like. [Figure 24] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing a rear side rotation lock portion and the like. [Figure 25] 10 is a schematic plan view showing slide holes and round holes provided in a lock plate. FIG. [Figure 26] FIG. [Figure 27] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the rotation of the rear caster is locked. [Figure 28] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the swivel lock of the rear caster is released. [Figure 29] FIG. [Figure 30] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a height adjustment unit. [Figure 31] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional schematic view of a height adjustment unit. [Figure 32] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing a mold carriage and the like connected to a sealing device. [Figure 33] 1 is a schematic side view showing a sealing device and the like in a state in which an upper mold is placed on an upper rail portion of the machine side and a lower mold is placed on a lower rail portion of the machine side. FIG. [Figure 34] FIG. 10 is a perspective schematic view showing the upper mold, the lower mold, etc. being transferred from the sealing device to the mold carriage. [Figure 35] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing a mold carriage on which an upper mold and a lower mold are placed. [Figure 36] FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway plan view showing the stopper and other components in a restricted state. [Figure 37] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing the upper die held by the upper die holder rotated by 90°. [Figure 38] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing the upper mold held by the upper mold holder rotated 180°. [Figure 39] FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing a stopper and the like in another embodiment. [Figure 40] FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway schematic plan view showing a stopper and the like in a state in which the pin portion is allowed to move in another embodiment. [Figure 41] FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway schematic plan view showing a stopper and the like in a state in which the movement of a pin portion is restricted in another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0045] An embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, a sealed pack manufactured by the tray sealer of this embodiment will be described.

[0046] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the sealed pack 1 has a container 3 with one pocket 2 and a lid film 4 attached to the container 3 so as to close the pocket 2. Note that in Figure 1 and other figures, the container 3 and the lid film 4 are shown thicker than they actually are.

[0047] Contents 5, such as food, are contained in the pocket portion 2. The container 3 and the lid film 4 are substantially non-breathable, and are capable of maintaining the contents 5 in a sealed state.

[0048] The container 3 is made of a thermoplastic resin material such as PP (polypropylene). The container 3 may have a multi-layer structure made of multiple types of thermoplastic resin materials. The container 3 also has a flange 3a formed on it that extends outward from the open end of the pocket 2.

[0049] On the other hand, the lid film 4 is made of a thermoplastic resin compatible with the container 3 and is attached to the flange portion 3a. The lid film 4 may be made of a thin material having a sealant made of a thermoplastic resin compatible with the container 3 applied to its surface.

[0050] Next, we will explain the traysealer 10 for manufacturing the sealed pack 1. As shown in Fig. 3, the traysealer 10 includes a film device 11, a container supply device 12, a sealing device 13, and a carrying-out device 14. In this embodiment, the sealing device 13 corresponds to the "machine."

[0051] The film device 11 is a device for supplying a strip-shaped lid film material 51, which will be the material for the lid film 4, to the sealing device 13, and for winding up scraps 52 of the lid film material 51 that remain after cutting.

[0052] The container supply device 12 is a device for supplying containers 3 each having a content 5 stored in a pocket portion 2 to the sealing device 13. In this embodiment, the container supply device 12 supplies a plurality of containers 3 (for example, four) to the sealing device 13 at one time.

[0053] The sealing device 13 is configured with a detachable upper mold 31 and a lower mold 32, and both molds 31, 32 are used to attach (weld) the lid film 4 to the flange portion 3a of the container 3. The upper mold 31 and the lower mold 32 each weigh approximately 150 kg. The sealing device 13 in this embodiment has the function of cutting the lid film material 51 to obtain the lid film 4 when attaching the lid film 4 to the flange portion 3a. In this embodiment, the upper mold 31 is provided with a pair of pin portions 31a protruding from its upper surface (see Figure 3, etc.). The pin portions 31a are used to position the upper mold 31 relative to the sealing device 13, etc.

[0054] In addition, the sealing device 13 is equipped with a machine-side upper rail portion 131 for easily loading and unloading the upper mold 31, and a machine-side lower rail portion 132 for easily loading and unloading the lower mold 32 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). These rail portions 131 and 132 are provided with a plurality of rollers 131a and 132a (see FIGS. 5 and 6) for easily sliding the upper mold 31 and the lower mold 32 on the rail portions 131 and 132. The upper mold 31 removed from the sealing device 13 is placed on the machine-side upper rail portion 131 (rollers 131a). On the other hand, the lower mold 32 removed from the sealing device 13 is placed on the machine-side lower rail portion 132 (rollers 132a).

[0055] Furthermore, the sealing device 13 is provided with a connection hole 132b (see FIG. 4, etc.) for connecting a mold carriage 50, which will be described later.

[0056] The carrying-out device 14 is a device for removing the sealed pack 1 manufactured by the sealing device 13 from the sealing device 13 and transporting it to a predetermined downstream position.

[0057] Next, with reference to Figs. 7 to 11, etc., a mold carriage 50 used for transferring the upper mold 31 and the lower mold 32 to the sealing device 13 will be described.

[0058] The mold cart 50 is a cart capable of transporting the upper mold 31 and the lower mold 32, and includes a main body unit 60, a base unit 70, and a height adjustment unit 80. In this embodiment, the height adjustment unit 80 constitutes the "height adjustment section."

[0059] First, a description will be given of the main body unit 60. The main body unit 60 has a function of supporting the upper mold 31 and the lower mold 32, a function of rotating the supported upper mold 31, and the like.

[0060] The main body unit 60 includes a main pillar portion 61, a side wall forming portion 62, a cart handle 63, an upper die holder 64, a lower die support unit 65, and a rotation mechanism 66. In the following, the side (the right side in FIG. 9) that will be positioned on the sealing device 13 when the upper die 31 and the lower die 32 are transferred to and from the sealing device 13 will be referred to as the "rear side," and the side opposite the rear side (the left side in FIG. 9) will be referred to as the "front side." The "front side" can be referred to as the side where a worker or the like is positioned when moving the mold cart 50, and the "rear side" can be referred to as the side that is located at the rear as seen from a worker or the like.

[0061] The main pillars 61 have the role of supporting the upper die holder 64, the lower die support unit 65, etc. A pair of main pillars 61 are provided in parallel, and each main pillar 61 extends vertically.

[0062] Furthermore, the portions of each main pillar 61 below the lower mold support unit 65 are connected by a plurality of horizontally extending connecting portions 67a, 67b, 67c. This sufficiently increases the rigidity (strength) of the structure made up of the main pillar 61 and the connecting portions 67a, 67b, 67c, thereby enabling the upper mold 31 and the lower mold 32 to be supported in a stable state.

[0063] The side wall constituent parts 62 are fixed to a portion of the main pillar part 61 located between the upper mold holder 64 and the lower mold support unit 65, and are structures that protrude toward the front side from the main pillar part 61. A pair of side wall constituent parts 62 are provided, and on the front side of each side wall constituent part 62, a recess forming part 62a is provided that forms a recess that opens toward the upper side, the back side, and inward (see Figure 12; the upper mold holder 64 and the like are not shown in Figure 12).

[0064] The recess forming portion 62a (particularly its lower surface) comes into contact with the upper die 31 held by the upper die holder 64 when the upper die holder 64 is rotated 180° from the initial state (inverted state), as described below, thereby restricting further rotation of the upper die 31 and further enhancing the stability of supporting the upper die 31. Furthermore, the recess forming portion 62a (particularly its front surface) restricts movement of the upper die 31 held by the upper die holder 64 from the front side toward the rear side when the upper die holder 64 is rotated 180° from the initial state. In this embodiment, although the movement of the upper die 31 from the front side toward the rear side can also be restricted by a stopper 646, as described below, the recess forming portion 62a is provided separately from the stopper 646 and can restrict movement of the rotated upper die 31 regardless of the state of the stopper 646. In this embodiment, the recess forming portion 62a constitutes an "inverted upper die movement restricting means."

[0065] The cart handles 63 are used as handles for an operator or the like when moving the mold cart 50. A pair of cart handles 63 are provided, and each protrudes from each side wall component 62 toward the front side.

[0066] The upper die holder 64 is an assembly for holding the upper die 31. The upper die holder 64 includes an upper die side guide portion 641, a rotation restricting portion 642, an upper surface support portion 643, an upper rail portion 644, an upper die receiving portion 645, and a stopper 646. In this embodiment, the upper die side guide portion 641 constitutes the "side guide portion," the upper rail portion 644 constitutes the "rail portion," and the upper die receiving portion 645 constitutes the "receiving portion." Note that, as will be described later, the upper die holder 64 is rotatable with respect to the main column portion 61. Hereinafter, a state in which the upper die holder 64 is not rotated and is set when the upper die 31 is transferred to and from the sealing device 13 will be referred to as the "initial state" of the die cart 50.

[0067] The upper mold side surface guide portions 641 are portions corresponding to the side surfaces of the upper mold 31 held by the upper mold holder 64. A pair of upper mold side surface guide portions 641 are provided at positions sandwiching the upper mold 31 held by the upper mold holder 64 on the left and right, and each upper mold side surface guide portion 641 has a flat plate shape that is perpendicular to the horizontal direction. Each upper mold side surface guide portion 641 has a role of guiding the sliding movement of the upper mold 31 on the upper rail portions 644, etc.

[0068] Furthermore, each upper mold side guide portion 641 is rotatably supported on the main pillar portion 61. This allows the upper mold holder 64 to rotate relative to the main pillar portion 61 around a horizontal holder rotation axis CL that is perpendicular to the direction in which the upper rail portion 644 extends.

[0069] The upper die holder 64 can be rotated at least 90° from the initial state in a direction that causes the front side to face downward, but the presence of the recess forming portion 62a (particularly its underside) described above causes the maximum rotation angle to be 180°. In other words, the upper die holder 64 can be rotated up to 180° from the initial state in a direction that causes the front side to face downward. The maximum rotation angle of the upper die holder 64 may be less than 180°.

[0070] The rotation restricting portion 642 restricts the rotation of the upper mold holder 64 in a direction from the initial state in which the back side faces downward. The rotation restricting portion 642 includes an engaged block 642a and a rotation engaging portion 642b (see FIG. 13).

[0071] The locked block 642a is fixed to the main pillar portion 61 and the side wall forming portion 62 in a state where it cannot move relative to the main pillar portion 61. The rotational locking portion 642b is attached to the outer periphery of the shaft portion of the upper mold holder 64, and by being locked to the locked block 642a, it restricts the rotation of the upper mold holder 64 in a direction where the back side becomes downward from the initial state. Note that when the upper mold holder 64 rotates in a direction where the front side becomes downward from the initial state, the rotational locking portion 642b is not locked to the locked block 642a.

[0072] The upper surface support portion 643 is a plate-like portion that connects the front portions of the upper mold side surface guide portions 641 in the initial state. In the initial state, the upper surface support portion 643 is provided at a position where the upper mold 31 supported by the upper rail portion 644 is sandwiched between the upper surface support portion 643 and the upper rail portion 644 from above and below. When the upper mold holder 64 is rotated by more than 90° from the initial state, the upper surface support portion 643 has a role of supporting the upper mold 31 rotated by more than 90° together with the upper mold holder 64.

[0073] In this embodiment, the upper mold 31 rotated by more than 90° can also be supported by auxiliary support parts 647 that protrude inward from the upper mold side guide parts 641 and are provided at positions opposite to the upper rail parts 644. This makes it possible to support the rotated upper mold 31 in a more stable state.

[0074] Furthermore, on the lower surface (surface facing the upper mold 31) of the upper surface support portion 643, there are formed a pair of pin grooves 643a that extend in the direction in which the upper rail portion 644 extends, i.e., along the sliding direction of the upper mold 31, and a pair of stopper grooves 643b that extend in a direction perpendicular to the pin grooves 643a and communicate with the pin grooves 643a (see FIGS. 14 and 15. The upper rail portion 644 and the like are not shown in FIG. 14 and the like). The pin grooves 643a are grooves in which the pin portions 31a of the upper mold 31 are disposed, and the stopper grooves 643b are grooves in which a stopper main body 646c of the stopper 646, which will be described later, is disposed.

[0075] Furthermore, an oval communication hole 643c that opens to the upper surface of the upper surface support portion 643 and communicates with the stopper groove 643b is formed in the upper surface support portion 643 (see FIG. 15). A stopper connecting portion 646b (to be described later) of the stopper 646 is disposed in the communication hole 643c.

[0076] In the initial state, the upper rail portion 644 extends horizontally from the back side to the front side and serves to support the upper mold 31 in a slidable state. A pair of upper rail portions 644 are provided in parallel, and each upper rail portion 644 is provided with an upper mold roller 644a.

[0077] The upper die rollers 644a are provided at intervals along the direction in which the upper rail portion 644 extends, and are rotatable about a rotation axis perpendicular to the direction in which the upper rail portion 644 extends. The upper die 31 supported by the upper rail portion 644 is placed on the outer circumferential surface of each upper die roller 644a. In this embodiment, the upper die rollers 644a correspond to the "roller."

[0078] The upper die receiving portion 645 is a portion that comes into contact with the upper die 31 when the upper die 31 slides from the rear side to the front side on the upper rail portion 644, thereby restricting further sliding of the upper die 31 from the rear side to the front side. In this embodiment, the upper die receiving portion 645 is formed by a block body that protrudes from the inner surface of the front side of the upper die side guide portion 641 (see Figure 16. In Figure 16, the upper surface support portion 643 and the like are not shown). One upper die receiving portion 645 is provided for each upper die side guide portion 641. Note that the "receiving portion" may also be formed by a portion of the upper surface support portion 643 that the pin portion 31a hits when the upper die 31 slides from the rear side to the front side.

[0079] The stopper 646 comes into contact with the upper mold 31 to restrict the sliding movement of the upper mold 31 from the front side to the back side, i.e., the sliding movement of the upper mold 31 in the direction of removal from the upper mold holder 64. A pair of stoppers 646 are provided corresponding to the stopper grooves 643b and the communication holes 643c described above, and are reciprocally movable along the extending direction of the stopper grooves 643b and the communication holes 643c (i.e., the direction intersecting with the sliding movement direction of the upper mold 31). The stopper 646 includes an operated portion 646a, a stopper connecting portion 646b, and a stopper main body 646c (see FIGS. 17 to 20).

[0080] The operated portion 646a is a portion that is operated when moving the stopper 646. The operated portion 646a protrudes from the upper surface support portion 643 toward the opposite side to the upper rail portion 644.

[0081] The stopper connecting portion 646b is a portion that connects the operated portion 646a and the stopper main body 646c, and is inserted into the communication hole 643c.

[0082] The stopper body 646c is a part that restricts the movement of the upper mold 31 by coming into contact with the upper mold 31 (in this embodiment, the pin portion 31a). The stopper body 646c moves together with the operated portion 646a as an operator or the like operates the operated portion 646a. The stopper body 646c can switch between a state in which it is disposed in the pin groove 643a and a state in which it is retracted from the pin groove 643a as the operated portion 646a moves. This allows the stopper 646 to switch between a restricted state in which it is located on the movement path of the upper mold 31 (pin portion 31a) and a released state in which it is retracted from the movement path as the operated portion 646a moves.

[0083] Here, the restricted state is a state in which the stopper body 646c comes into contact with the upper die 31 (pin portion 31a) to restrict sliding movement of the upper die 31 from the front side to the rear side. In this embodiment, the restricted state is achieved by moving the operated portion 646a to position the stopper body 646c on the movement path in a state in which the upper die 31 comes into contact with the upper die receiving portion 645 and the pin portion 31a is positioned at the innermost position in the pin groove 643a.

[0084] On the other hand, the restriction release state is a state in which the upper mold 31 is allowed to slide from the front side to the back side. In this embodiment, the restriction release state is achieved by moving the operated portion 646a and retracting the stopper body 646c from the movement path.

[0085] Furthermore, a plunger 646d is incorporated into the stopper body 646c to prevent the restricted state from being easily released. The plunger 646d has a ball portion 646d1 at the tip thereof biased by a spring or the like (not shown) so as to protrude from a cylindrical plunger body 646d2 that holds the ball portion 646d1. The plunger 646d applies a pressing force to the ball portion 646d1 against the biasing force applied by the spring or the like, thereby reducing the amount of protrusion of the ball portion 646d1 from the plunger body 646d2. On the other hand, when the application of the pressing force to the ball portion 646d1 is released, the ball portion 646d1 returns to its maximum protruding state.

[0086] In this embodiment, when the upper die 31 contacts the upper die receiving portion 645 and is in a restricted state, the ball portion 646d1 contacts the pin portion 31a, thereby restricting the movement of the stopper 646. This prevents the restricted state from being easily released due to vibrations or the like.

[0087] On the other hand, when the operated portion 646a is moved to switch from the restricted state to the unrestricted state while the upper die 31 is in contact with the upper die receiving portion 645, the ball portion 646d1 moves while reducing the amount of protrusion relative to the plunger body 646d2 as it comes into contact with the pin portion 31a, and finally passes through the pin portion 31a. Therefore, simply by moving the operated portion 646a, it is possible to switch from the restricted state to the unrestricted state relatively easily.

[0088] The lower die support unit 65 is an assembly having a function of supporting the lower die 32 and a function of restricting movement of the supported lower die 32. The lower die support unit 65 has a lower die support portion 651 and a lower die movement restricting portion 652.

[0089] The lower mold support portion 651 is for supporting the lower mold 32, and as shown in Figure 21 (the upper mold holder 64, etc. are omitted from Figure 21), it is equipped with a lower mold side guide portion 6511, guide connecting portions 6512a, 6512b, 6512c, a lower rail portion 6513, a lower mold receiving portion 6514, and a connecting mechanism 6515.

[0090] The lower mold side surface guide portions 6511 are portions corresponding to the side surfaces of the lower mold 32 supported by the lower mold support portions 651. A pair of lower mold side surface guide portions 6511 are provided at positions sandwiching the lower mold 32 supported by the lower mold support portions 651 on the left and right. Each lower mold side surface guide portion 6511 is fixed to the main pillar portion 61, and serves to guide the sliding movement of the lower mold 32 on the lower rail portions 6513.

[0091] The guide connecting portions 6512a, 6512b, and 6512c are each shaped like a horizontally extending plate, and connect the lower mold side surface guide portions 6511. This sufficiently increases the rigidity (strength) of the lower mold support portion 651, making it possible to support the lower mold 32 in a more stable state.

[0092] The lower rail portion 6513 extends horizontally from the back side to the front side and is for supporting the lower mold 32 in a slidable state. A pair of lower rail portions 6513 are provided parallel to each other, and each lower rail portion 6513 is provided with a rotatable lower mold roller 6513a. The lower mold 32 supported by the lower rail portions 6513 is placed on the outer peripheral surface of each lower mold roller 6513a. The rotation of the lower mold rollers 6513a allows the lower mold 32 to slide smoothly on the lower rail portions 6513.

[0093] The lower die receiving portion 6514 comes into contact with the lower die 32 when the lower die 32 slides from the rear side to the front side on the lower rail portion 6513, thereby restricting further sliding movement of the lower die 32 from the rear side to the front side. One lower die receiving portion 6514 is provided for each lower die side surface guide portion 6511, and is configured by a block body protruding from the inner surface on the front side of the lower die side surface guide portion 6511.

[0094] The coupling mechanism 6515 is for coupling the mold carriage 50 to the sealing device 13. The coupling mechanism 6515 includes a coupling claw portion 6515a and a coupling release portion 6515b.

[0095] A pair of connecting claws 6515a are provided, and each connecting claw 6515a is rotatably supported on a rear portion of the lower mold side guide portion 6511. The connecting claws 6515a have hook-shaped tips, and when these tips are placed in the connecting holes 132b and engaged with the sealing device 13, the mold cart 50 is connected to the sealing device 13.

[0096] The decoupling portion 6515b is intended to enable the die carriage 50 to be decoupled from the sealing device 13 from the front side. The decoupling portion 6515b is shaped like a long plate extending from the front side to the rear side on the lower die side guide portion 6511, and its rear end is attached to the coupling claw portion 6515a. By pulling the front end of the decoupling portion 6515b toward the front side by hand or the like, the tip end (hook-shaped portion) of the coupling claw portion 6515a is lifted. By lifting the tip end (hook-shaped portion) of the coupling claw portion 6515a, the engagement of the coupling claw portion 6515a with the sealing device 13 is released, and the die carriage 50 can be decoupled from the sealing device 13.

[0097] The lower mold movement restricting portion 652 restricts the sliding movement of the lower mold 32 supported by the lower rail portion 6513. The lower mold movement restricting portion 652 is rod-shaped extending from the front side to the back side as a whole, and is supported in a rotatable state by a guide connecting portion 6512c. The lower mold movement restricting portion 652 has a retractable operating portion 652a at the front end and a locking claw portion 652b at the back end.

[0098] The protruding / retracting operation part 652a is a part that is operated when rotating the lower mold movement restricting part 652. By pivoting the protruding / retracting operation part 652a, the locking claw part 652b can be protruded and retracted toward the lower mold 32 supported by the lower rail part 6513. In this embodiment, the protruding / retracting operation part 652a is incorporated with a plunger or the like (not shown), so that it can be pivoted only when a pressing force is applied from the front side to the back side. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent the sliding movement of the lower mold 32 from being unintentionally released.

[0099] The locking claw portion 652b protrudes toward the lower mold 32 and is disposed in a notch (gap) (not shown) provided in the lower mold 32, thereby restricting the sliding movement of the lower mold 32 on the lower rail portion 6513. Therefore, the lower mold movement restricting portion 652 protrudes toward the lower mold 32 supported by the lower rail portion 6513, thereby being able to switch between a state in which the sliding movement of the lower mold 32 on the lower rail portion 6513 is restricted and a state in which the sliding movement of the lower mold 32 on the lower rail portion 6513 is permitted (see FIG. 21 ).

[0100] The rotation mechanism 66 is a mechanism for rotating the upper die holder 64 , and includes a gear 661 , a worm 662 and a rotation handle 663 .

[0101] The gear 661 is fixed to the shaft portion of the upper mold holder 64 and is rotatable about a rotation axis parallel to the holder rotation axis CL (about the holder rotation axis CL in this embodiment). When the gear 661 is rotated, the upper mold holder 64 rotates.

[0102] The worm 662 has helical (screw-like) teeth on its outer periphery and is rotatable about a rotation axis that is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the gear 661 when viewed from above. The worm 662 is supported by a case fixed to the main post portion 61 and is meshed with the gear 661.

[0103] The turning handle 663 is a part that is operated when turning the upper die holder 64. The turning handle 663 is connected to a worm 662, and turning the turning handle 663 turns the worm 662, which in turn turns the gear 661 that is meshed with the worm 662. Then, the turning of the gear 661 causes the upper die holder 64 to turn.

[0104] Next, the base unit 70 will be described. The base unit 70 has functions related to the movement of the mold cart 50 and functions to maintain the main column 61 in a state in which it extends vertically. The base unit 70 includes a central base portion 71, side base portions 72, protruding legs 73, parallel links 74, rear casters 75, rear swivel lock portions 76, front casters 77, front swivel lock portions 78, and front rotation lock portions 79. In this embodiment, the rear swivel lock portions 76 constitute the "rear swivel lock means," the front swivel lock portions 78 constitute the "front swivel lock means," and the front rotation lock portions 79 constitute the "front rotation lock means."

[0105] The central base portion 71 is located vertically below the main pillar portion 61 and is a long plate-shaped portion that extends in a direction perpendicular to the upper rail portion 644.

[0106] The side base portions 72 are a pair of plate-like portions provided so as to protrude toward the front from both ends of the central base portion 71. Each side base portion 72 has a side portion extending horizontally toward the front from the central base portion 71, an upright portion extending upward from the front end of the side portion, and a bottom portion connected to these portions and constituting the underside of the side base portion 72.

[0107] The protruding legs 73 are portions to which the rear casters 75 and the rear swivel locking portion 76 are attached. A pair of protruding legs 73 are provided, and each protruding leg 73 protrudes toward the rear side from a position near the end of the central base portion 71.

[0108] The parallel links 74 are provided for maintaining the upper rail portion 644 and the lower rail portion 6513 in a horizontally extending state in the initial state, and one parallel link 74 is provided for each side base portion 72. Each parallel link 74 is composed of two links of the same length, one end of which is rotatably attached to the upright portion of the side base portion 72 and the other end of which is rotatably attached to the main pillar portion 61. An imaginary plane passing through the rotation axes at one end of each link and an imaginary plane passing through the rotation axes at the other end of each link are configured to be perpendicular to the horizontal plane. By providing such parallel links 74, it is possible to maintain the main pillar portion 61 in a vertically extending state even if the relative height position of the main unit 60 with respect to the base unit 70 changes. As a result, it is possible to maintain the upper rail portion 644 and the lower rail portion 6513 in a horizontally extending state in the initial state even if the height position of the main unit 60 is adjusted.

[0109] The rear casters 75 are swivelable and rotatable casters, and are attached one by one to the rear underside of the protruding leg portions 73. The rear casters 75 include wheels 751, rear wheel support portions 752, and rear swivel portions 753 (see FIG. 22). In this embodiment, the rear wheel support portions 752 constitute the "wheel support portions."

[0110] The rear wheel support portion 752 is a pair of plate-shaped portions that support the wheels 751 rotatably in the direction of the thick arrow in Fig. 22 around a horizontal rotation axis. The rear swivel portion 753 is interposed between the protruding leg portion 73 and the rear wheel support portion 752, and supports the rear wheel support portion 752 rotatably in the direction of the white arrow in Fig. 22. As the rear wheel support portion 752 swivels, the wheels 751 swivel.

[0111] The rear swivel locking portion 76 is for locking the rotation of the rear caster 75 (wheel 751). One rear swivel locking portion 76 is provided for each rear caster 75, and includes a lock plate 761, a return spring 762, a holding protrusion 763, and a remote control pedal 764 (see FIGS. 23 and 24).

[0112] The lock plate 761 is located below the protruding leg 73 and is provided so as to be able to move back and forth along the longitudinal direction. The lock plate 761 is configured so as to be able to tilt and flex to such an extent that the portion located on the front side can be displaced up and down.

[0113] In addition, the lock plate 761 is formed with a relatively narrow slide hole 761a and a round hole 761b located at the front end of the slide hole 761a and having a diameter larger than the width of the slide hole 761a, which are connected to each other and extend through the lock plate 761 (see Figure 25).

[0114] The return spring 762 is for applying a biasing force to the lock plate 761 from the rear side to the front side, that is, a biasing force in a direction to release the rotation lock of the rear caster 75.

[0115] The holding protrusion 763 serves to hold the lock plate 761 at a position where it can lock the rotation of the rear caster 75, and to guide the movement of the lock plate 761. The holding protrusion 763 is a protrusion that protrudes from the underside of the protruding leg portion 73, and is shaped like circular plate portions of different outer diameters stacked vertically. The circular plate portions of different outer diameters include a small diameter portion 763a having an outer diameter that can be inserted into the slide hole 761a, and a lock plate engaging portion 763b having an outer diameter that cannot be inserted into the slide hole 761a but can be inserted into the round hole 761b (see FIG. 26).

[0116] The remote control pedal 764 is a part that is operated by an operator or the like when switching between a state in which the rotation of the rear casters 75 (wheels 751) is locked and a state in which the rotation of the rear casters 75 is unlocked. The remote control pedal 764 is provided at the front end of the lock plate 761. The operator or the like can move the lock plate 761 to the rear side by pressing the remote control pedal 764 with their foot or the like.

[0117] In the rear swivel lock portion 76, the rear caster 75 can be switched between a swivel locked state and an unlocked state as follows. That is, when switching from the unlocked state to the swivel locked state, the remote control pedal 764 is pressed to position the lock plate 761 between the pair of rear wheel support portions 752, thereby establishing the swivel locked state (see FIG. 27). At this time, by moving the remote control pedal 764 downward and positioning the lock plate engaging portion 763b in the round hole 761b, the lock plate 761 is engaged with the lock plate engaging portion 763b, and as a result, the swivel locked state can be maintained against the biasing force of the return spring 762.

[0118] On the other hand, when switching from the swing locked state to the unlocked state, the remote control pedal 764 is slightly pressed and moved upward so that the small diameter portion 763a is positioned in the round hole 761b. As a result, the lock plate 761 moves toward the front side while the small diameter portion 763a moves in the slide hole 761a due to the biasing force of the return spring 762. As a result, the lock plate 761 comes out from between the pair of rear wheel support portions 752, and the unlocked state can be achieved (see FIG. 28).

[0119] In this embodiment, by operating the remote control pedal 764, the state can be switched between a state in which the lock plate 761 is placed between the pair of rear wheel support parts 752 to lock the rotation of the rear casters 75, and a state in which the lock plate 761 is removed from between the pair of rear wheel support parts 752 to unlock the rotation of the rear casters 75.

[0120] In this embodiment, the outer diameter of the plate-shaped portion located between the small diameter portion 763a and the lock plate engaging portion 763b is larger than the outer diameter of the lock plate engaging portion 763b. This prevents the lock plate 761 from easily moving from the lock plate engaging portion 763b side to the small diameter portion 763a side, making it possible to more reliably maintain the rotation locked state.

[0121] The front casters 77 are swivelable and rotatable casters, and are attached one by one to the underside of the side base portions 72. The front casters 77 include wheels 771, a pair of front wheel support portions 772 that rotatably support the wheels 771, and a front swivel portion 773 that rotatably supports the front wheel support portions 772 (see FIG. 29).

[0122] The front wheel support portion 772 supports the wheel 771 so that it can rotate around a horizontal rotation axis in the direction of the thick arrow in Fig. 29. The front swivel portion 773 is attached to the underside of the side base portion 72, and supports the front wheel support portion 772 so that it can rotate in the direction of the white arrow in Fig. 29. The rotation of the front wheel support portion 772 causes the wheel 771 to rotate.

[0123] The front swivel lock unit 78 is used to lock the swivel of the front caster 77 (wheel 771), and has a swivel lock pedal 781 (see FIG. 29). In this embodiment, the swivel lock pedal 781 is operated with the foot or the like, and a protrusion (not shown) that can swivel together with the front wheel support unit 772 is placed in a recess (not shown) of a component attached to the side base unit 72, thereby locking the swivel of the front caster 77 (wheel 771). Note that switching from a swivel locked state to an unlocked state can be performed by operating the front swivel lock pedal 781 to remove the protrusion from the recess.

[0124] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the rotation of the front casters 77 is locked, the mold cart 50 can only move from the front side to the rear side (forward) and from the rear side to the front side (reverse). The front rotation locking unit 78 may have a function to lock the rotation of the front casters 77 so that the mold cart 50 can only move forward and backward, and a function to lock the rotation of the front casters 77 so that the mold cart 50 can only move in a direction perpendicular to the forward and reverse directions.

[0125] The front rotation lock unit 79 is used to lock the rotation of the front caster 77 (wheel 771) and has a rotation lock pedal 791 (see FIG. 29 ). In this embodiment, the rotation of the front caster 77 can be locked by operating the rotation lock pedal 791 with a foot or the like to press a brake shoe (not shown) against the wheel 771. Note that switching from the rotation locked state to the unlocked state can be performed by operating the rotation lock pedal 791 to move the brake shoe away from the wheel 771.

[0126] Next, the height adjustment unit 80 will be described. The height adjustment unit 80 is a unit for moving the upper die holder 64 and the lower die support unit 65 (lower die support portion 651) up and down in conjunction with each other while maintaining the relative positional relationship between them. As shown in Figures 30 and 31, the height adjustment unit 80 includes a first cylindrical portion 81, a second cylindrical portion 82, a threaded rod portion 83, and a height adjustment handle 84.

[0127] The first cylindrical portion 81 and the second cylindrical portion 82 are cylindrical components with female threads formed on their inner peripheries. The central axes of the first cylindrical portion 81 and the second cylindrical portion 82 are aligned, and the first cylindrical portion 81 is fixed to the main unit 60 (connecting portion 67c), and the second cylindrical portion 82 is fixed to the base unit 70 (central base portion 71).

[0128] The threaded rod portion 83 is a rod having male threads formed on both ends. The male thread on one end of the threaded rod portion 83 is threaded into the female thread on the first tubular portion 81, and the male thread on the other end of the threaded rod portion 83 is threaded into the female thread on the second tubular portion 82. This connects the first tubular portion 81, the threaded rod portion 83, and the second tubular portion 82 in series. The male threads formed on both ends of the threaded rod portion 83 have different thread directions. That is, one male thread is a right-handed thread, and the other male thread is a left-handed thread.

[0129] The height adjustment handle 84 is a component that is manipulated to adjust the height of the upper mold holder 64 and other components. The height adjustment handle 84 protrudes from the longitudinal center of the threaded rod portion 83, and rotating the height adjustment handle 84 rotates the threaded rod portion 83. Rotating the threaded rod portion 83 expands and contracts the serially connected first tubular portion 81, threaded rod portion 83, and second tubular portion 82. As a result, the relative height of the main unit 60 with respect to the base unit 70 increases or decreases, causing the upper mold holder 64 and the lower mold support unit 65 (lower mold support portion 651) to move up and down together. As described above, regardless of the height positions of the upper mold holder 64 and the lower mold support portion 651, the parallel link 74 always maintains the upper rail portion 644 and the lower rail portion 6513 in a horizontal position in the initial state. In this embodiment, the height adjustment unit 80 allows height adjustment of approximately ±15 mm.

[0130] Next, a method for transferring the upper mold 31 and the lower mold 32 from the sealing device 13 to the mold carriage 50 when replacing or maintaining the molds 31 and 32 will be described.

[0131] First, the mold cart 50 is placed alongside the sealing device 13. Then, by operating the height adjustment handle 84, the height of the upper rail portion 644 is adjusted to the height of the machine-side upper rail portion 131, and the height of the lower rail portion 6513 is adjusted to the height of the machine-side lower rail portion 132. Next, the mold cart 50 is advanced toward the sealing device 13, with the far side leading. Then, by placing the connecting claw portion 6515a in the connecting hole 132b, the mold cart 50 is connected to the sealing device 13 (see FIG. 32).

[0132] Thereafter, the rotation and swivel of the front caster 77 is locked, and the swivel of the rear caster 75 is locked. Next, the upper mold 31 and the lower mold 32 are removed, and the upper mold 31 is placed on the machine-side upper rail portion 131, and the lower mold 32 is placed on the machine-side lower rail portion 132 (see Figure 33).

[0133] Then, the upper mold 31 and the lower mold 32 are slid from the sealing device 13 side toward the mold cart 50 side (see FIG. 34). The sliding of both molds 31, 32 can be performed manually without using any special tools. Then, the upper mold 31 is placed in an appropriate position on the upper rail portion 644, and the lower mold 32 is placed in an appropriate position on the lower rail portion 6513 (see FIG. 35). The sliding of the upper mold 31 and the lower mold 32 is performed after the stopper body 646c is retracted from the movement path of the pin portion 31a (pin groove 643a) and the locking claw portion 652b is retracted from the movement path of the lower mold 32.

[0134] Then, by operating the operated portion 646a and positioning the stopper body 646c on the movement path of the pin portion 31a (pin groove 643a), a restricted state is established in which movement of the upper mold 31 from the rear side to the front side can be restricted (see FIG. 36). Also, by operating the retractable operating portion 652a and causing the locking claw portion 652b to protrude toward the lower mold 32, a state is established in which the sliding movement of the lower mold 32 is restricted.

[0135] Thereafter, the rotation of the front caster 77 is unlocked, and the mold cart 50 is moved backward, thereby drawing the mold cart 50 out from the sealing device 13. At this time, the rotation of the rear caster 75 and the front caster 77 remains locked, so the casters 75, 77 do not rotate, and the mold cart 50 moves backward smoothly.

[0136] Thereafter, by moving the mold cart 50 while appropriately locking or unlocking the swivel and rotation of each caster 75, 77 as needed, the molds 31, 32 are transported to a designated storage location when the molds 31, 32 are to be replaced, or to a designated maintenance location when maintenance of the molds 31, 32 is to be performed.

[0137] When performing maintenance on the upper mold 31, etc., the rotation and turning of the front caster 77 is locked, and the rotation of the rear caster 75 is locked. During maintenance, the upper mold 31 can be rotated up to 180° so that the front side is facing downwards by operating the rotation handle 663 and rotating the upper mold holder 64 (see Figures 37 and 38).

[0138] The molds 31 and 32 can be transferred from the mold carriage 50 to the sealing device 13 basically by reversing the above procedure.

[0139] As described above in detail, according to this embodiment, the upper rail portion 644 can support the upper mold 31 in a slidable state, and therefore the upper mold 31 can be moved smoothly on the upper rail portion 644. This improves the workability involved in transferring the upper mold 31 to and from the sealing device 13.

[0140] Furthermore, the upper die 31 is held by the upper die holder 64 in a state where sliding movement is prevented by the upper die receiving portion 645 and the stopper 646. This makes it possible to prevent the upper die 31 from falling off the upper die holder 64, and thus makes it possible to further improve safety.

[0141] Furthermore, the upper die holder 64 is restricted from rotating in a direction in which the rear side is downward from the initial state, and can rotate in a direction in which the front side is downward from the initial state up to 180°. Therefore, when the upper die holder 64 rotates, the load from the upper die 31 is applied to the upper die receiving portion 645, but is not applied to the stopper 646. Therefore, damage or malfunction of the stopper 646 can be more reliably prevented, and safety can be further improved. Also, there is no need to use a highly durable stopper that is designed to withstand the load from the upper die 31, which is advantageous in terms of cost.

[0142] In addition, even if the stopper 646 is in the release state, the upper die holder 64 can only be rotated in a direction where the front side is downwards, and therefore the upper die 31 will not move from the front side to the back side when the upper die holder 64 is rotated. Therefore, even if the upper die 31 is rotated with the stopper 646 in the release state, the upper die 31 will not easily fall off the upper die holder 64. Furthermore, even if the upper die holder 64 is rotated when the upper die 31 is not positioned in the appropriate position, the upper die 31 will move toward the upper die receiving portion 645 due to its own weight and will eventually be positioned in the appropriate position.

[0143] In addition, by rotating the upper mold 31, the lower part of the upper mold 31 faces upward (including diagonally upward), and maintenance of the lower part of the upper mold 31 can be easily performed. Also, there is no need to put your hand under the upper mold 31 during maintenance.

[0144] In addition, the height adjustment unit 80 allows the upper die holder 64 and the lower die support part 651 to be moved up and down in unison while maintaining their relative positional relationship. Therefore, the relative height positions of the upper die holder 64 and the lower die support part 651 with respect to the sealing device 13 can be easily adjusted, further improving the workability involved in transferring the upper die 31 and the lower die 32 to and from the sealing device 13.

[0145] Furthermore, since the lower rail portion 6513 can support the lower mold 32 in a slidable state, the lower mold 32 can be smoothly moved toward the front side on the lower rail portion 6513. This further improves the workability involved in transferring the lower mold 32 to and from the sealing device 13.

[0146] In addition, the sliding movement of the lower mold 32 on the lower rail portion 6513 can be restricted by the lower mold movement restricting portion 652, thereby further improving safety.

[0147] In addition, since the lower mold movement regulating portion 652 can be switched between states by simply extending and retracting toward the lower mold 32 supported by the lower rail portion 6513, it is possible to simplify the structure and reduce manufacturing costs.

[0148] Furthermore, the front-side swivel lock portion 78 and the rear-side swivel lock portion 76 can lock the swivel of the front-side caster 77 and the rear-side caster 75. Therefore, when the mold cart 50 is moved with the upper mold 31 and the like loaded thereon, it is possible to more reliably prevent the mold cart 50 from moving in an unintended direction due to the swivel of the casters 75, 77. This further improves safety and convenience.

[0149] Furthermore, when the mold cart 50 carrying the upper mold 31 and the like is moved (backed) in a direction away from the sealing device 13, by locking the rotation of the front caster 77 and the rear caster 75, the mold cart 50 can be moved backward without rotating these casters 75, 77. Therefore, the mold cart 50 can be moved backward smoothly without requiring an excessively large force, further improving workability and convenience.

[0150] In addition, by locking the rotation of the front caster 77 with the front rotation lock part 79, the mold cart 50 can be kept stopped. This further improves safety when transferring the upper mold 31 etc. to the sealing device 13 or when performing maintenance on the upper mold 31 etc.

[0151] Additionally, by operating the remote control pedal 764 located on the front side with the foot or the like, the rotation of the rear caster 75 can be locked or unlocked. Therefore, locking or unlocking can be easily switched, further improving safety and workability.

[0152] Furthermore, since the state can be switched depending on the position of the lock plate 761, the structure can be simplified and manufacturing costs can be effectively reduced.

[0153] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the upper die holder 64 is rotated 180° to invert the upper die 31, movement of the upper die 31 from the front side to the back side (movement from the right side to the left side in FIG. 38) can be restricted not only by the stopper 646 but also by the recess forming portion 62a. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent the upper die 31 from falling, thereby further improving safety.

[0154] In addition, the rotation mechanism 66 includes a gear 661 and a worm 662 (i.e., a worm gear), and rotating the worm 662 rotates the gear 661 and the upper die holder 64. Therefore, when rotating the upper die holder 64, even if force is no longer being applied to the worm 662 from the input side by, for example, releasing the rotating handle 663, the self-lock prevents the upper die holder 64 from rotating due to its own weight.

[0155] Furthermore, by utilizing the self-locking mechanism, the upper die holder 64 can be stopped at any rotation angle, which further improves workability during maintenance and the like.

[0156] Furthermore, the operated portion 646a, which is operated when moving the stopper main body 646c, protrudes toward the opposite side to the space in which the upper die 31 is disposed. Therefore, problems are unlikely to occur when operating the stopper 646 by moving the operated portion 646a.

[0157] Furthermore, the plunger 646d can restrict the movement of the stopper 646 in the restricted state, so that the restricted state can be maintained more reliably, and good safety can be maintained more reliably.

[0158] In addition, by using plunger 646d, it is possible to restrict the movement of stopper 646 in the restricted state, and by simply moving operated portion 646a without performing any special operation, it is possible to easily switch from the restricted state to the unrestricted state, thereby further improving convenience.

[0159] Furthermore, since the upper rail portion 644 has upper die rollers 644a, the upper die can slide more smoothly on the upper rail portion 644. This reduces the workload involved in transferring the upper die 31 to and from the sealing device 13, and further improves workability.

[0160] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be implemented as follows: Of course, other applications and modifications not exemplified below are also possible.

[0161] (a) In the above embodiment, it is necessary to operate the operated part 646a in order to place the upper mold 31 in the restricted state after moving it from the sealing device 13 to the mold cart 50, but the configuration may also be such that the restricted state is automatically placed without operating the operated part 646a.

[0162] 39, the stopper 646 may be configured such that a sloping surface 646c1 is provided on the stopper body 646c, and a spring 646e applies a biasing force to the stopper body 646c toward the movement path (pin groove 643a) of the pin portion 31a. In this configuration, the pin portion 31a moves toward the back of the pin groove 643a while contacting the sloping surface 646c1, causing the stopper body 646c to compress the spring 646e and retreat from the movement path (pin groove 643a) of the pin portion 31a. When the pin portion 31a passes through the stopper body 646c, the biasing force from the spring 646e causes the stopper body 646c to protrude into the movement path (pin groove 643a), automatically establishing a restricted state.

[0163] Also, as shown in Figures 40 and 41, a stopper 646 may be used that includes a stopper body 646c, a spring 646f (not shown in Figure 40), a rod portion 646g, a rod biasing portion 646h, a pin receiving portion 646j, a first magnet 646k, and a second magnet 646m.

[0164] The spring 646f applies a biasing force to the stopper main body 646c toward the movement path (pin groove 643a) of the pin portion 31a. The rod portion 646g is configured to be able to move back and forth along the movement path of the upper mold 31 (pin portion 31a). The rod biasing portion 646h applies a biasing force to the rod portion 646g in a direction approaching the stopper main body 646c. When a force is applied to the pin receiving portion 646j from the upper mold 31 (pin portion 31a) moving from the front side to the back side, the pin receiving portion 646j moves the rod portion 646g in a direction away from the stopper main body 646c against the biasing force applied by the rod biasing portion 646h. The first magnet 646k is provided on a side surface of the stopper main body 646c facing the rod portion 646g, and the second magnet 646m is provided on an end of the rod portion 646g facing the stopper main body 646c.

[0165] In this stopper 646, the first magnet 646k is attached to the second magnet 646m of the rod portion 646g, which is in a state where it is close to the stopper body 646c due to the biasing force from the rod biasing portion 646h, and the stopper body 646c is held in a state where it is retracted from the movement path (pin groove 643a) of the pin portion 31a (see FIG. 40). When the upper mold 31 is transferred to the mold cart 50, the upper mold 31 (pin portion 31a) moves to the back of the pin groove 643a, and a force is applied from the pin portion 31a to the pin receiving portion 646j, and the rod portion 646g moves in a direction away from the stopper body 646c. As a result, the first magnet 646k is separated from the second magnet 646m, and the stopper body 646c is positioned in the movement path (pin groove 643a) of the pin portion 31a due to the biasing force from the spring 646f. As a result, the restriction state is automatically established (see FIG. 41).

[0166] By using the stopper 646 that can automatically set the restricted state as described above, the work required to set the restricted state is no longer necessary, which can further improve workability. In addition, since the restricted state can be set more reliably, safety can be further improved.

[0167] (b) In the above embodiment, the mold cart 50 is configured to be able to transport the upper mold 31 and the lower mold 32, but it is sufficient if it is able to transport at least the upper mold 31. Therefore, for example, the lower mold support unit 65 may be omitted.

[0168] (c) In the above embodiment, the rear caster 75 is configured to be only swivel-lockable, but it may also be configured to be rotation-lockable.

[0169] (d) In the above embodiment, the upper rail portion 644 and the lower rail portion 6513 are provided with upper die rollers 644a and lower die rollers 6513a, but these rollers 644a, 6513a may not be provided and the upper die 31 and the lower die 32 may be configured to be slidable on the upper rail portion 644 and the lower rail portion 6513. For example, the surfaces of the rail portions 644, 6513 that come into contact with the dies 31, 32 may be made of a resin material with excellent sliding properties, thereby allowing the dies 31, 32 to be slidable.

[0170] (e) In the above embodiment, the stopper 646 is configured to restrict the sliding movement of the upper mold 31 by contacting the pin portion 31a, but it may also be configured to restrict the sliding movement of the upper mold 31 by contacting a portion of the upper mold 31 other than the pin portion 31a.

[0171] (f) In this embodiment, the mold carriage 50 is used for the sealing device 13, but the use of the mold carriage 50 is not limited to the sealing device 13. The mold carriage 50 can be used for general machines that perform various processing steps using an upper mold and a lower mold. [Explanation of symbols]

[0172] 13...Sealing device (machine), 31...Upper mold, 31a...Pin portion, 32...Lower mold, 62a...Recess forming portion (inverted upper mold movement restricting means), 64...Upper mold holder, 66...Rotation mechanism, 75...Rear caster, 76...Rear side swivel lock portion (rear side swivel lock means), 77...Front caster, 78...Front side swivel lock portion (front side swivel lock means), 79...Front side rotation lock portion (front side rotation lock means), 80...Height adjustment unit (height adjustment portion), 641...Upper mold side guide portion (side guide portion), 643...Upper surface support portion , 644...upper rail portion (rail portion), 644a...upper mold roller (roller), 645...upper mold receiving portion (receiving portion), 646...stopper, 646a...operated portion, 646c...stopper main body, 646d...plunger, 646d1...ball portion, 646d2...plunger main body, 651...lower mold support portion, 652...lower mold movement regulating portion, 661...gear, 662...worm, 752...rear wheel support portion (wheel support portion), 761...lock plate, 764...remote control pedal, 6513...lower rail portion, CL...holder rotation axis.

Claims

1. A mold cart capable of transporting at least the upper mold out of an upper mold and a lower mold detachable from a machine, an upper die holder for holding the upper die; The upper mold holder is a pair of rails that extend horizontally from a rear side that will be disposed on the machine side when the upper die is transferred between the machine and the machine in a predetermined initial state toward a front side opposite the rear side, and that can support the upper die in a slidable state; an upper surface support portion provided at a position where the upper mold supported by the rail portion is sandwiched between the upper surface support portion and the rail portion in the initial state; a pair of side guide portions provided corresponding to side surfaces of the upper mold and guiding sliding movement of the upper mold on the rail portion; a receiving portion that comes into contact with the upper die when the upper die slides from the rear side to the front side on the rail portion, thereby restricting further sliding movement of the upper die from the rear side to the front side; a stopper that can switch between a restricted state in which the upper die is brought into contact with the stopper to restrict sliding movement of the upper die from the front side to the back side and a restricted release state in which the upper die is allowed to slide from the front side to the back side, The upper mold holder is configured to be rotatable from the initial state by at least 90° in a direction where the front side is downwards around a horizontal holder rotation axis that is perpendicular to the extension direction of the rail portion, while the maximum rotation angle is 180° or less, and rotation from the initial state in a direction where the back side is downwards is restricted.

2. a lower die support portion capable of supporting the lower die; The mold cart described in claim 1, characterized in that it is equipped with a height adjustment unit that can move the upper mold holder and the lower mold support part up and down in unison while maintaining the relative positional relationship between the upper mold holder and the lower mold support part.

3. The lower mold support portion is a pair of lower rail portions that extend horizontally from the rear side to the front side and support the lower mold in a slidable state; The mold cart described in claim 2, characterized in that it has a lower mold movement regulating section that can switch between a state in which it restricts the sliding movement of the lower mold on the lower rail section by extending and retracting toward the lower mold supported by the lower rail section, and a state in which it allows the sliding movement of the lower mold on the lower rail section.

4. a plurality of front casters disposed on the front side and capable of swiveling and rotating; A plurality of rear casters that are arranged on the rear side and are swivelable and rotatable; a front side swivel locking means capable of locking the swivel of the front side caster; a front side rotation locking means capable of locking the rotation of the front side caster; 2. The mold cart according to claim 1, further comprising a rear-side swivel locking means capable of locking the swivel of the rear-side caster.

5. The rear caster has a pair of wheel support portions that rotatably support the wheels, The rear side rotation locking means is a lock plate extending from the rear side to the front side and reciprocating along the longitudinal direction; a remote control pedal provided at the front end of the lock plate, The mold cart according to claim 4, characterized in that, by operating the remote control pedal, it is possible to switch between a state in which the lock plate is positioned between the pair of wheel support parts to lock the rotation of the rear caster, and a state in which the lock plate is removed from between the pair of wheel support parts to unlock the rotation of the rear caster.

6. The upper die holder is configured to be rotatable by 180° from the initial state in a direction in which the front side is downward, The mold cart according to claim 1, characterized in that it is provided with an inverted upper mold movement restricting means that is provided separately from the stopper and that is capable of restricting movement of the upper mold held by the upper mold holder from the front side toward the back side when the upper mold holder is rotated 180 degrees from the initial state.

7. a rotating mechanism for rotating the upper mold holder, The rotation mechanism includes: a gear that is rotatable about a rotation axis parallel to the holder rotation axis, and that is configured to rotate the upper mold holder in accordance with the rotation of the gear; a worm meshed with the gear, 2. The mold carriage according to claim 1, wherein the gear rotates when the worm rotates.

8. The stopper is an operated portion that protrudes from the upper surface support portion toward an opposite side to the rail portion and is reciprocally movable in a direction intersecting the sliding direction of the upper mold; a stopper body connected to the operated portion and capable of switching between a state where it is positioned on the movement path of the upper die and a state where it is retracted from the movement path as the operated portion reciprocates; The mold cart according to claim 1, characterized in that the restricted state is achieved by moving the operated part to position the stopper body on the movement path, and the restricted state is achieved by moving the operated part to retract the stopper body from the movement path.

9. The upper die is provided with a pin portion protruding from its upper surface, the stopper body has a plunger in which a ball portion provided at a tip thereof is biased so as to protrude from a plunger body that holds the ball portion, When the upper die is in contact with the receiving portion and in the restricted state, the ball portion comes into contact with the pin portion, thereby restricting movement of the stopper, The mold cart according to claim 8, characterized in that when the operated portion is moved to switch from the restricted state to the released state while the upper mold is in contact with the receiving portion, the ball portion moves while reducing the amount of protrusion relative to the plunger body as it comes into contact with the pin portion, and finally passes through the pin portion.

10. The mold cart according to claim 1, characterized in that the rail portion has an outer peripheral surface on which the upper mold can be placed, and has a plurality of rollers along the extension direction of the rail portion that can rotate around a rotation axis perpendicular to the extension direction of the rail portion.

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