End machine

Abstract

To provide a binding machine capable of loading a wire without moving a pair of feeding members in the direction separating them.SOLUTION: The rebar binding machine includes a wire feeding unit 3A that feeds a wire W. The wire feeding unit 3A includes a first feeding gear 30L and a second feeding gear 30R that clamp the wire W and feed the wire W by rotating, and a feeding motor 33 that drives the first feeding gear 30L. When it is determined that the feeding motor 33 is rotating due to an external force while it is not rotating due to energization, the wire feeding unit 3A rotates the feeding motor 33 in the forward direction where the wire W is loaded.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a bundling machine that uses wire to bind objects such as reinforcing bars. [Background technology]

[0002] Steel bars are used in concrete structures to increase their strength, and are tied together with wire to prevent the bars from shifting from their designated positions when the concrete is poured.

[0003] A binding machine known as a rebar binding machine has been proposed that wraps wire around two or more rebars and twists the wire wound around the rebars to bind the two or more rebars with the wire. The binding machine includes a binding wire feeding mechanism that feeds out wire wound on a reel and winds it around the rebars, a gripping mechanism that grips the wire wound around the rebars, and a binding wire twisting mechanism that rotates and drives the gripping mechanism to twist the wire. Operate a trigger to operate the wire feeding mechanism, gripping mechanism, and wire twisting mechanism in sequence to perform one cycle of binding operations.

[0004] When bundling reinforcing bars with wire, if the bundling is loose, the reinforcing bars will slip off from one another, so it is necessary to hold the reinforcing bars firmly together. To address this, a technique has been proposed in which the wire wound around the reinforcing bars is fed in the opposite direction to wind around the reinforcing bars (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Another technique has been proposed in which the wire is fed using a pair of rotationally driven rollers (see, for example, Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-34305 [Patent Document 2] Publication number 7-34110 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In a configuration in which the wire is sandwiched between a pair of rollers and fed, the wire is fed by the frictional force generated between the rollers and the wire.

[0007] To obtain sufficient friction to feed the wire, the spring force that presses the pair of rollers toward each other needs to be strong. However, if the spring force that presses the pair of rollers toward each other is strong, it becomes difficult to manually move the pair of rollers away from each other. In order to load the wire between the pair of rollers, it is necessary to manually move the pair of rollers away from each other, which prevents the wire from being fed with a strong force.

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and aims to provide a binding machine that allows wire to be loaded even when the pressing force that presses a pair of feed members in the direction of moving toward each other is increased. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a wire feeding unit that feeds a wire, a curl forming unit that forms a wire feeding path for winding the wire fed in a first direction by the wire feeding unit around a bundle, and a bundling unit that twists the wire fed in the first direction by the wire feeding unit and wound around the bundle, the wire feeding unit having a pair of feeding members that clamp the wire and feed the wire by a rotational motion, and a feeding motor that drives the feeding members, and further having a control unit that controls the wire feeding unit and a control unit that controls a wire curl forming unit that twists the wire by the behavior of the feeding members. Movement of the feed motor or behavior of the feed member The control unit detects the movement of the feed member. Movement of the feed motor or behavior of the feed member When the detection unit determines that the wire has been detected, the binding machine rotates the feed motor in a rotation direction that feeds the wire in a first direction.

[0010] In the present invention, by controlling the wire feeding unit, the wire can be clamped by the feeding members and the wire clamped by the feeding members can be loaded. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The wire can be loaded without manually moving the pair of feed members in the direction away from each other. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing an example of the overall configuration of a reinforcing bar binding machine. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a wire feeding unit. [Figure 3A] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example of a binding portion. [Figure 3B] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional plan view showing an example of a binding portion. [Figure 3C] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional plan view showing an example of a binding portion. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a control function of the reinforcing bar binding machine. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of loading and unloading a wire in a rebar binding machine. [Figure 6A] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of loading and unloading a wire in a rebar binding machine. [Figure 6B] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of loading and unloading a wire in a rebar binding machine. [Figure 6C] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of loading and unloading a wire in a rebar binding machine. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of a control function of a reinforcing bar binding machine according to another embodiment. [Figure 8A] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation for loading and unloading wire into and from a reinforcing bar binding machine. [Figure 8B] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation for loading and unloading wire into and from a reinforcing bar binding machine. [Figure 9A] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example of the overall configuration of a modified reinforcing bar binding machine. [Figure 9B] FIG. 10 is a rear view showing an example of the overall configuration of a modified reinforcing bar binding machine. [Figure 9C] FIG. 10 is a side view showing an example of the overall configuration of a modified reinforcing bar binding machine. [Figure 10A] FIG. 10 is a rear view showing an example of a main configuration of a modified reinforcing bar binding machine. [Figure 10B] FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 10A. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of a control function of a modified reinforcing bar binding machine. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of loading and unloading a wire in a modified reinforcing bar binding machine. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, an example of a reinforcing bar binding machine as an embodiment of the binding machine of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] <Configuration example of rebar binding machine> 1 is a side view showing an example of the overall configuration of a reinforcing bar binding machine. The reinforcing bar binding machine 1A is designed to be held by an operator and includes a main body 10A and a handle 11A.

[0015] In addition, the rebar binding machine 1A feeds the wire W in the forward direction indicated by the arrow F, winding it around the rebar S to be bound, and then feeds the wire W wound around the rebar S in the reverse direction indicated by the arrow R to wind it around the rebar S, after which the wire W is twisted and the rebar S is bound with the wire W.

[0016] To achieve the above-mentioned functions, the rebar binding machine 1A is equipped with a magazine 2A that stores the wire W and a wire feeding unit 3A that feeds the wire W. The rebar binding machine 1A also has a curl forming unit 5A that forms a path for winding the wire W fed by the wire feeding unit 3A around the rebar S, and a cutting unit 6A that cuts the wire W wound around the rebar S. The rebar binding machine 1A is further equipped with a binding unit 7A that twists the wire W wound around the rebar S, and a drive unit 8A that drives the binding unit 7A.

[0017] The magazine 2A rotatably and detachably stores a reel 20 around which a long wire W is wound so that it can be unwound. The wire W may be a wire made of a plastically deformable metal wire, a wire made of a metal wire coated with resin, or a twisted wire. The reel 20 has one or more wires W wound around a hub portion (not shown) so that one or more wires W can be pulled out from the reel 20 at the same time.

[0018] The wire feeding unit 3A includes a pair of feed gears 30 (a first feed gear 30L and a second feed gear 30R) that rotate to feed the wire W, as a pair of feed members that clamp and feed one wire W or multiple parallel wires W. The wire feeding unit 3A rotates the feed gears 30 when the rotation of a feed motor (described later) is transmitted. As a result, the wire feeding unit 3A feeds the wire W clamped between the pair of feed gears 30 along the extension direction of the wire W. In a configuration in which multiple wires W, for example, two wires W, are fed, the two wires W are fed in a parallel state.

[0019] The curl forming unit 5A includes a curl guide 50, which is an example of a first guide unit that curls the wire W fed by the wire feeding unit 3A, and an induction guide 51, which is an example of a second guide unit that guides the wire W curled by the curl guide 50 to the bundling unit 7A. In the rebar bundling machine 1A, the path of the wire W fed by the wire feeding unit 3A is regulated by the curl forming unit 5A, so that the trajectory of the wire W becomes a loop Ru as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 1, and the wire W is wound around the rebar S.

[0020] The cutting unit 6A includes a fixed blade unit 60, a movable blade unit 61 that cuts the wire W in cooperation with the fixed blade unit 60, and a transmission mechanism 62 that transmits the operation of the binding unit 7A to the movable blade unit 61. The cutting unit 6A cuts the wire W by the rotation of the movable blade unit 61 around the fixed blade unit 60 as a fulcrum axis. The transmission mechanism 62 transmits the operation of the binding unit 7A to the movable blade unit 61 via a moving member 83, and rotates the movable blade unit 61 in conjunction with the operation of the binding unit 7A to cut the wire W.

[0021] The bundling unit 7A includes a wire locking body 70 that locks the wire W. A detailed embodiment of the bundling unit 7A will be described later. The driving unit 8A includes a motor 80 and a reducer 81 that reduces speed and amplifies torque.

[0022] The reinforcing bar binding machine 1A is equipped with a feed restricting unit 90, against which the tip of the wire W abuts, in the feed path of the wire W locked by the wire locking body 70. The reinforcing bar binding machine 1A also has the curl guide 50 and guiding guide 51 of the curl forming unit 5A described above provided at the front end of the main body 10A. Furthermore, the reinforcing bar binding machine 1A has an abutting unit 91, against which the reinforcing bar S abuts, provided between the curl guide 50 and guiding guide 51 at the front end of the main body 10A.

[0023] Furthermore, the rebar binding machine 1A has a handle 11A extending downward from the main body 10A. Furthermore, a battery 15 is detachably attached to the bottom of the handle 11A. The rebar binding machine 1A also has a magazine 2A provided in front of the handle 11A. The rebar binding machine 1A has the above-mentioned wire feeding unit 3A, cutting unit 6A, binding unit 7A, drive unit 8A that drives the binding unit 7A, etc. stored in the main body 10A.

[0024] The rebar binding machine 1A has a trigger 12A provided on the front side of a handle portion 11A, and an operation switch 13A provided inside the handle portion 11A. Also, a board 100 on which a circuit constituting a control unit is mounted is provided in the main body portion 10A.

[0025] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a wire feeding section, and the configuration of the wire feeding section 3A will be described below with reference to each drawing.

[0026] The first feed gear 30L, which is one of the feed members constituting one of the pair of feed gears 30, has teeth 31L that transmit driving force. In this example, the teeth 31L have a shape that forms a spur gear and are formed around the entire outer periphery of the first feed gear 30L. The first feed gear 30L also has a groove 32L into which the wire W is inserted. In this example, the groove 32L is formed as a recess with a substantially V-shaped cross section and is formed along the circumferential direction around the entire outer periphery of the first feed gear 30L.

[0027] The second feed gear 30R, which is the other feed member constituting the other of the pair of feed gears 30, has teeth 31R that transmit driving force. In this example, the teeth 31R have a shape that forms a spur gear and are formed around the entire outer periphery of the second feed gear 30R. The second feed gear 30R also has a groove 32R into which the wire W is inserted. In this example, the groove 32R is formed as a recess with a substantially V-shaped cross section and is formed along the circumferential direction around the entire outer periphery of the second feed gear 30R.

[0028] The wire feeding section 3A is arranged such that the groove 32L of the first feed gear 30L faces the groove 32R of the second feed gear 30R, with the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R sandwiching the feeding path of the wire W therebetween.

[0029] In the wire feed unit 3A, with the wire W sandwiched between the groove 32L of the first feed gear 30L and the groove 32R of the second feed gear 30R, the teeth 31L of the first feed gear 30L mesh with the teeth 31R of the second feed gear 30R, thereby transmitting a rotational driving force between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R.

[0030] The wire feed unit 3A includes a feed motor 33 that drives either the first feed gear 30L or the second feed gear 30R, in this example the first feed gear 30L, and a drive force transmission mechanism 34 that transmits the drive force of the feed motor 33 to the first feed gear 30L.

[0031] The driving force transmission mechanism 34 includes a small gear 33a attached to the shaft of the feed motor 33 and a large gear 33b that meshes with the small gear 33a. The driving force transmission mechanism 34 also includes a feed small gear 34a that receives driving force from the large gear 33b and meshes with the first feed gear 30L. The small gear 33a, the large gear 33b, and the feed small gear 34a are each made up of a spur gear.

[0032] The first feed gear 30L is rotated by the rotational motion of the feed motor 33 transmitted via the driving force transmission mechanism 34. The second feed gear 30R is rotated following the rotation of the first feed gear 30L by the meshing of the toothed portion 31L with the toothed portion 31R.

[0033] As a result, the wire feeding unit 3A feeds the wire W sandwiched between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R along the extending direction of the wire W. In a configuration in which two wires W are fed, the two wires W are fed in a parallel state due to a frictional force generated between the groove 32L of the first feed gear 30L and one wire W, a frictional force generated between the groove 32R of the second feed gear 30R and the other wire W, and a frictional force generated between one wire W and the other wire W.

[0034] In the wire feeding unit 3A, by switching the rotation direction of the feed motor 33 between forward and reverse, the rotation directions of the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R are switched, and the feeding direction of the wire W is switched between forward and reverse.

[0035] The wire feeding unit 3A is configured to sandwich the wire W between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R, so that the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R are pressed toward each other. That is, the wire feeding unit 3A sandwiches the wire W between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R, and is configured so that the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R can be displaced toward and away from each other, so that the wire W can be loaded between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R. In this example, the driving force of the feed motor 33 is received from the first feed gear 30L, and the second feed gear 30R, to which the driving force of the feed motor 33 is not directly transmitted, is displaced relative to the first feed gear 30L.

[0036] Therefore, the wire feeding unit 3A is provided with a first displacement member 36 that displaces the second feed gear 30R in a direction that moves it closer to or away from the first feed gear 30L. It also is provided with a second displacement member 37 that displaces the first displacement member 36. The first displacement member 36 and the second displacement member 37 are examples of displacement units that displace one or both of the pair of feed gears 30 in a direction that moves it closer to or away from the other. In this example, as described above, the second feed gear 30R is displaced in a direction that moves it closer to or away from the first feed gear 30L.

[0037] The first displacement member 36 has a second feed gear 30R rotatably supported by a shaft 300R at one end thereof, and the other end thereof is rotatably supported by a support member 301 of the wire feed unit 3A, with a shaft 36a as a fulcrum.

[0038] The first displacement member 36 has a shaft 36a, which serves as a fulcrum for rotation, oriented parallel to the shaft 300R of the second feed gear 30R. As a result, the first displacement member 36 is displaced by rotation about the shaft 36a, moving the second feed gear 30R toward and away from the first feed gear 30L.

[0039] The first displacement member 36 has a pressed portion 36b at one end thereof that is pressed by the second displacement member 37. The pressed portion 36b is provided on the side of the portion that supports the shaft 300R of the second feed gear 30R.

[0040] The second displacement member 37 is rotatably supported on a support member 301 of the wire feeding unit 3A around a shaft 37a as a fulcrum. The second displacement member 37 also includes a pressing portion 37b on one end side across the shaft 37a, which presses the pressed portion 36b of the first displacement member 36.

[0041] The second displacement member 37 is displaced by rotating about the shaft 37a, and the pressing portion 37b presses the pressed portion 36b of the first displacement member 36, and releases the pressing of the pressed portion 36b by the pressing portion 37b.

[0042] The wire feeding unit 3A includes a spring 38 that presses the second feed gear 30R against the first feed gear 30L. The spring 38 is formed, for example, by a compression coil spring, and presses the other end side of the second displacement member 37 across the shaft 37a.

[0043] The second displacement member 37 is displaced by rotating about the shaft 37a due to the pressure of the spring 38, and the pressing portion 37b presses the pressed portion 36b of the first displacement member 36. When the pressing portion 37b of the second displacement member 37 presses the pressed portion 36b of the first displacement member 36, the first displacement member 36 is displaced by rotating about the shaft 36a. As a result, the second feed gear 30R is pressed in the direction of the first feed gear 30L by the force of the spring 38.

[0044] When the wire W is loaded between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R, the wire W is clamped between the groove 32L of the first feed gear 30L and the groove 32R of the second feed gear 30R.

[0045] Furthermore, with the wire W sandwiched between the groove portion 32L of the first feed gear 30L and the groove portion 32R of the second feed gear 30R, the tooth portion 31L of the first feed gear 30L and the tooth portion 31R of the second feed gear 30R mesh with each other.

[0046] FIG. 3A is a perspective view showing an example of a binding part, and FIGS. 3B and 3C are cross-sectional plan views showing an example of a binding part. Next, the configuration of the binding part will be described with reference to these figures.

[0047] The bundling unit 7A includes a wire locking body 70 to which the wire W is locked, and a rotating shaft 72 that operates the wire locking body 70. The bundling unit 7A and the driving unit 8A are configured such that the rotating shaft 72 and a motor 80 are connected via a reducer 81, and the rotating shaft 72 is driven by the motor 80 via the reducer 81.

[0048] The wire locking body 70 comprises a center hook 70C connected to a rotating shaft 72, a first side hook 70R and a second side hook 70L that open and close relative to the center hook 70C, and a sleeve 71 that activates the first side hook 70R and the second side hook 70L and shapes the wire W into a desired shape.

[0049] In the binding portion 7A, the side where the center hook 70C, the first side hook 70R, and the second side hook 70L are provided is the front side, and the side where the rotation shaft 72 is connected to the reducer 81 is the rear side.

[0050] The center hook 70C is connected to the front end, which is one end of the rotary shaft 72, via a structure that allows the center hook 70C to rotate relative to the rotary shaft 72 and move integrally with the rotary shaft 72 in the axial direction.

[0051] The first side hook 70R has a tip end, which is one end along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 72, located on one side of the center hook 70C. The first side hook 70R has a rear end, which is the other end along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 72, rotatably supported by the center hook 70C via a shaft 71b.

[0052] The second side hook 70L has a tip end, which is one end along the axial direction of the rotation shaft 72, located on the other side of the center hook 70C. The second side hook 70L has a rear end, which is the other end along the axial direction of the rotation shaft 72, rotatably supported by the center hook 70C via a shaft 71b.

[0053] As a result, the wire locking body 70 rotates about the shaft 71b, opening and closing the tip of the first side hook 70R in the direction of approaching and separating from the center hook 70C. Also, the tip of the second side hook 70L opens and closes in the direction of approaching and separating from the center hook 70C.

[0054] The rotating shaft 72 is rotatable integrally with the reducer 81 and has a rear end connected to the reducer 81 via a connecting portion 72b configured to be movable in the axial direction relative to the reducer 81. The connecting portion 72b is provided with a spring 72c that biases the rotating shaft 72 rearward, that is, in a direction toward the reducer 81. As a result, the rotating shaft 72 is configured to be movable forward, that is, in a direction away from the reducer 81, while receiving a force pulling it rearward by the spring 72c.

[0055] The sleeve 71 is supported by a support frame 76 so as to be rotatable and axially slidable. The support frame 76 is an annular member, and is attached to the main body 10A so as to be non-rotatable in the circumferential direction and non-movable in the axial direction.

[0056] The sleeve 71 has a convex portion (not shown) that protrudes from the inner circumferential surface of the space into which the rotating shaft 72 is inserted, and this convex portion fits into a groove of a feed screw 72a that is formed along the axial direction on the outer periphery of the rotating shaft 72. When the rotating shaft 72 rotates, the sleeve 71 moves back and forth, which is the direction along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 72, according to the rotation direction of the rotating shaft 72, due to the action of the convex portion (not shown) and the feed screw 72a of the rotating shaft 72. In addition, the sleeve 71 rotates integrally with the rotating shaft 72.

[0057] The sleeve 71 includes an opening / closing pin 71a that opens and closes the first side hook 70R and the second side hook 70L.

[0058] The opening / closing pin 71a is inserted into an opening / closing guide hole 73 provided in the first side hook 70R and the second side hook 70L. The opening / closing guide hole 73 extends along the movement direction of the sleeve 71 and has a shape that converts the linear movement of the opening / closing pin 71a, which moves in conjunction with the sleeve 71, into an opening / closing operation due to rotation of the first side hook 70R and the second side hook 70L about the shaft 71b as a fulcrum.

[0059] As the sleeve 71 of the wire locking body 70 moves in the rearward direction indicated by the arrow A2, the first side hook 70R and the second side hook 70L move in a direction away from the center hook 70C by rotating around the axis 71b, depending on the trajectory of the opening / closing pin 71a and the shape of the opening / closing guide hole 73.

[0060] This causes the first side hook 70R and the second side hook 70L to open relative to the center hook 70C, and a feed path through which the wire W passes is formed between the first side hook 70R and the center hook 70C, and between the second side hook 70L and the center hook 70C.

[0061] When the first side hook 70R and the second side hook 70L are open relative to the center hook 70C, the wire W fed by the wire feeding unit 3A passes between the center hook 70C and the first side hook 70R. The wire W passing between the center hook 70C and the first side hook 70R is guided to the curl forming unit 5A. The wire W is curled by the curl forming unit 5A and guided to the bundling unit 7A, where it passes between the center hook 70C and the second side hook 70L.

[0062] In the wire locking body 70, as the sleeve 71 moves forward as indicated by the arrow A1, the first side hook 70R and the second side hook 70L move in a direction approaching the center hook 70C by rotating about the shaft 71b due to the trajectory of the opening / closing pin 71a and the shape of the opening / closing guide hole 73. As a result, the first side hook 70R and the second side hook 70L close against the center hook 70C.

[0063] When the first side hook 70R closes relative to the center hook 70C, the wire W sandwiched between the first side hook 70R and the center hook 70C is locked in a manner that allows it to move between the first side hook 70R and the center hook 70C. Furthermore, when the second side hook 70L closes relative to the center hook 70C, the wire W sandwiched between the second side hook 70L and the center hook 70C is locked in a manner that prevents it from slipping out from between the second side hook 70L and the center hook 70C.

[0064] The sleeve 71 has a bending portion 71c1 that shapes the wire W into a predetermined shape by pushing and bending the tip side, which is one end of the wire W, in a predetermined direction, and a bending portion 71c2 that shapes the wire W into a predetermined shape by pushing and bending the terminal side, which is the other end of the wire W cut by the cutting portion 6A, in a predetermined direction.

[0065] As the sleeve 71 moves forward as indicated by arrow A1, the bending portion 71c1 pushes the tip end of the wire W, which is held by the center hook 70C and the second side hook 70L, and bends it toward the reinforcing bar S. As the sleeve 71 moves forward as indicated by arrow A1, the bending portion 71c2 pushes the end end of the wire W, which is held by the center hook 70C and the first side hook 70R and cut at the cutting portion 6A, and bends it toward the reinforcing bar S.

[0066] The binding portion 7A includes a rotation restricting portion 74 that restricts the rotation of the wire locking body 70 and the sleeve 71 in conjunction with the rotational movement of the rotary shaft 72. The rotation restricting portion 74 includes a rotation restricting blade 74a provided on the sleeve 71 and a rotation restricting claw 74b provided on the main body 10A.

[0067] The rotation restriction blade 74a is configured by providing a plurality of protrusions that protrude radially from the outer periphery of the sleeve 71 at predetermined intervals around the circumference of the sleeve 71. The rotation restriction blade 74a is fixed to the sleeve 71 and moves and rotates integrally with the sleeve 71.

[0068] The rotation restricting claw 74b includes a first claw portion 74b1 and a second claw portion 74b2 as a pair of claw portions facing each other at a distance that allows the rotation restricting blade 74a to pass through. The first claw portion 74b1 and the second claw portion 74b2 are configured to be able to retreat from the trajectory of the rotation restricting blade 74a by being pushed by the rotation restricting blade 74a in accordance with the rotation direction of the rotation restricting blade 74a.

[0069] When the rotation restricting blade 74a is locked with the rotation restricting claw 74b, the rotation of the sleeve 71 linked to the rotation of the rotary shaft 72 is restricted, and the sleeve 71 moves forward and backward with the rotation of the rotary shaft 72. When the rotation restricting blade 74a is released from the lock with the rotation restricting claw 74b, the sleeve 71 rotates linked to the rotation of the rotary shaft 72.

[0070] Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the control function of the reinforcing bar binding machine. In the reinforcing bar binding machine 1A, the control unit 14A controls the motor 80 and the feed motor 33 in accordance with the state of the operation switch 13A pressed by operating the trigger 12A shown in Fig. 1, and executes a series of operations to bind the reinforcing bars S with the wire W. The control unit 14A also switches the power on and off by operating the power switch 15A. Furthermore, the control unit 14A controls the feed motor 33 based on a combination of the operations of the operation switch 13A and the power switch 15A, and loads and unloads the wire W in the wire feed unit 3A.

[0071] <Example of rebar binding machine operation> Next, the operation of binding the reinforcing bars S with the wire W by the reinforcing bar binding machine 1A will be described with reference to the respective drawings.

[0072] The rebar binding machine 1A is in a standby state (standby position) in which the wire W is clamped between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R, and the tip of the wire W is positioned between the clamping position of the pair of feed gears 30 and the fixed blade portion 60 of the cutting unit 6A. In addition, in the standby state, the rebar binding machine 1A is in a state in which the first side hook 70R is open relative to the center hook 70C, and the second side hook 70L is open relative to the center hook 70C, as shown in Figures 3A and 3B.

[0073] When the reinforcing bar S is placed between the curl guide 50 and the guide 51 of the curl forming section 5A and the trigger 12A is operated, the control section 14A drives the feed motor 33 in the forward rotation direction, and the wire feed section 3A feeds the wire W in the first direction, the forward direction indicated by the arrow F.

[0074] In the case of a configuration in which multiple wires W, for example, two wires W, are fed, the two wires W are fed in parallel along the axial direction of the loop Ru formed by the wires W by a wire guide (not shown).

[0075] The wire W fed in the forward direction passes between the center hook 70C and the first side hook 70R and is fed to the curl guide 50 of the curl forming unit 5A. By passing through the curl guide 50, the wire W is given a curl that wraps around the reinforcing bar S.

[0076] The wire W having been curled by the curl guide 50 is guided by the induction guide 51 and further fed in the forward direction by the wire feed unit 3A, whereby the wire W is guided by the induction guide 51 between the center hook 70C and the second side hook 70L. The wire W is then fed until its tip abuts against the feed restricting unit 90. When the tip of the wire W has been fed to a position where it abuts against the feed restricting unit 90, the control unit 14A stops driving the feed motor 33.

[0077] After stopping the forward feed of the wire W, the control unit 14A drives the motor 80 in the forward rotation direction. In the operating range where the wire locking body 70 locks the wire W, the rotation restricting blade 74a is locked by the rotation restricting claw 74b, thereby restricting the rotation of the sleeve 71 linked to the rotation of the rotary shaft 72. As a result, the rotation of the motor 80 is converted into linear movement, and the sleeve 71 moves forward in the direction of arrow A1.

[0078] When the sleeve 71 moves forward, the opening / closing pin 71a passes through the opening / closing guide hole 73. As a result, the first side hook 70R rotates around the shaft 71b as a fulcrum and moves in a direction toward the center hook 70C. When the first side hook 70R closes against the center hook 70C, the wire W sandwiched between the first side hook 70R and the center hook 70C is locked in a manner that allows it to move between the first side hook 70R and the center hook 70C.

[0079] Additionally, the second side hook 70L rotates around the shaft 71b as a fulcrum, moving in a direction toward the center hook 70C. When the second side hook 70L closes against the center hook 70C, the wire W sandwiched between the second side hook 70L and the center hook 70C is locked in a manner that prevents it from slipping out from between the second side hook 70L and the center hook 70C.

[0080] After the sleeve 71 is advanced to a position where the first side hook 70R and the second side hook 70L close and lock the wire W, the control unit 14A temporarily stops the rotation of the motor 80 and drives the feed motor 33 in the reverse rotation direction, thereby causing the pair of feed gears 30 to rotate in the reverse direction.

[0081] Therefore, the wire W held between the pair of feed gears 30 is fed in the second direction, that is, the reverse direction indicated by the arrow R. Because the tip end of the wire W is locked between the second side hook 70L and the center hook 70C in a manner that prevents it from slipping out, the wire W is wound around the reinforcing bar S by the operation of feeding the wire W in the reverse direction.

[0082] The wire W is pulled back to a position where it will be wound around the rebar S, and the control unit 14A stops the reverse rotation of the feed motor 33 and then drives the motor 80 in the forward rotation direction, thereby moving the sleeve 71 forward as indicated by the arrow A1. The forward movement of the sleeve 71 is transmitted to the cutting unit 6A by the transmission mechanism 62, causing the movable blade unit 61 to rotate, and the wire W, which is held by the first side hook 70R and the center hook 70C, is cut by the operation of the fixed blade unit 60 and the movable blade unit 61.

[0083] Almost simultaneously with cutting the wire W, the bending portions 71c1 and 71c2 move in a direction approaching the rebar S. As a result, the tip end of the wire W, which is held by the center hook 70C and the second side hook 70L, is pressed toward the rebar S by the bending portion 71c1, and is bent toward the rebar S using the holding position as a fulcrum. As the sleeve 71 moves further forward, the wire W, which is held between the second side hook 70L and the center hook 70C, is held in a state where it is sandwiched by the bending portion 71c1.

[0084] Furthermore, the end of the wire W that is engaged between the center hook 70C and the first side hook 70R and cut at the cutting portion 6A is pressed toward the rebar S by the bending portion 71c2 and bent toward the rebar S using the engagement position as a fulcrum. As the sleeve 71 moves further forward, the wire W that is engaged between the first side hook 70R and the center hook 70C is held in a state where it is sandwiched by the bending portion 71c2.

[0085] After the leading end and trailing end of the wire W are bent toward the rebar S, the motor 80 is further driven in the forward rotation direction, causing the sleeve 71 to move further forward. When the sleeve 71 moves to a predetermined position and reaches the operating range for twisting the wire W locked by the wire locking body 70, the locking of the rotation restricting blade 74a with the rotation restricting claw 74b is released.

[0086] As a result, the motor 80 is further driven in the forward rotation direction, and the wire locking body 70 rotates in conjunction with the rotary shaft 72, twisting the wire W.

[0087] When the sleeve 71 rotates within the operating range of the binding portion 7A, the reinforcing bar S abuts against the abutment portion 91, restricting the reinforcing bar S from moving backward, in the direction approaching the binding portion 7A. As a result, when the wire W is twisted, a force is applied that pulls the wire retaining body 70 forward along the axial direction of the rotation shaft 72.

[0088] When a force moving the rotating shaft 72 forward in the axial direction is applied to the wire locking body 70, the rotating shaft 72 is configured to be able to move forward while being pushed backward by the spring 72c. As a result, in the binding part 7A, in the operating range in which the sleeve 71 rotates, the wire locking body 70 and the rotating shaft 72 move forward, twisting the wire W.

[0089] 5, 6A, 6B and 6C are flowcharts showing an example of the operation of loading and unloading wire in a reinforcing bar binding machine. Next, the operation of loading and unloading wire W in the reinforcing bar binding machine 1A will be described.

[0090] In this example, the rebar binding machine 1A is configured such that a combination of a predetermined operation of the trigger 12A and a predetermined operation of the power switch 15A is assigned to execute automatic loading and automatic unloading of the wire W. In the following example, the setting is such that when the power switch 15A is operated while the trigger 12A is being operated, automatic loading and automatic unloading are started.

[0091] First, the automatic loading operation shown in Fig. 5 will be described. In step SA1 of Fig. 5, control unit 14A determines whether the predetermined automatic loading start operation described above has been performed in conjunction with the operation of power switch 15A. If control unit 14A determines that the predetermined automatic loading start operation has been performed, control unit 14A drives feed motor 33 in the forward rotation direction at a duty ratio (low duty) such that the rotation speed of feed motor 33 becomes a first speed in step SA2. Note that if control unit 14A determines in step SA1 that a normal power-on operation has been performed, it executes normal initialization processing.

[0092] A user of the rebar tying machine 1A places the reel 20 in the magazine 2A and guides the tip of the wire W unwound from the reel 20 between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R of the wire feed unit 3A. When the tip of the wire W unwound from the reel 20 is clamped between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R, the wire W is fed in the forward direction, the load on the feed motor 33 increases, and the current flowing through the feed motor 33 increases.

[0093] 5, the control unit 14A compares the value of the current flowing through the feed motor 33 with a predetermined set threshold for detecting the presence of the wire W, and determines whether the wire W is clamped between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R. If the control unit 14A determines that the wire W is clamped between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R, then in step SA4, the control unit 14A switches the duty ratio to a high duty ratio such that the rotational speed of the feed motor 33 becomes a second speed that is higher than the first speed, and drives the feed motor 33 further in the forward rotation direction.

[0094] 5, the control unit 14A determines whether the feed amount of the wire W has reached a predetermined amount, for example, to the standby position, based on the rotation amount of the feed motor 33. If the control unit 14A determines that the feed amount of the wire W has reached the predetermined amount, the control unit 14A stops driving the feed motor 33 in step SA6.

[0095] After stopping the drive of the feed motor 33 and stopping the forward feed of the wire W, a so-called initialization operation may be performed to position the tip of the wire W at a predetermined position.

[0096] 5, the control unit 14A determines whether the tip of the wire W being fed in the forward direction has passed through the cutting unit 6A and has been fed to a position where the wire W can be cut by the movable blade unit 61, based on the amount of rotation of the feed motor 33, etc. When the control unit 14A determines that the amount of feed of the wire W has reached a predetermined amount and that the tip of the wire W has been fed to a position where the wire W can be cut by the movable blade unit 61, the control unit 14A stops driving the feed motor 33 in step SA6.

[0097] Next, the control unit 14A drives the motor 80 in the forward rotation direction, thereby moving the sleeve 71 forward as indicated by the arrow A1, rotating the movable blade unit 61, and cutting the wire W. Then, the control unit 14A drives the motor 80 in the reverse rotation direction, thereby moving the sleeve 71 backward as indicated by the arrow A2, and placing the binding unit 7A in the standby state described above. As a result, the wire W is clamped between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R, and the tip of the wire W is in a standby position located between the clamping position of the pair of feed gears 30 and the fixed blade unit 60 of the cutting unit 6A.

[0098] Next, the automatic discharge operation shown in FIG. 6A will be described. In step SB1 of FIG. 6A, the control unit 14A determines whether the predetermined automatic discharge start operation described above has been performed in conjunction with the operation of the power switch 15A. If the control unit 14A determines that the predetermined automatic discharge start operation has been performed, in step SB2, the control unit 14A drives the motor 80 in the forward rotation direction to move the sleeve 71 forward as indicated by arrow A1, thereby rotating the movable blade unit 61 and executing a wire cutting operation. If the wire W is in a position where it can be cut by the movable blade unit 61, the wire W is cut, and the wire W located closer to the bundling unit 7A than the cutting unit 6A is separated from the wire W located closer to the wire feed unit 3A than the cutting unit 6A. After driving the motor 80 in the forward rotation direction by a predetermined amount, the control unit 14A drives the motor 80 in the reverse rotation direction in step SB3 to move the sleeve 71 backward as indicated by arrow A2, thereby returning the bundling unit 7A to the standby state described above. After performing the above-described operation of rotating movable blade unit 61 and the operation of returning binding unit 7A to the standby state, control unit 14A drives feed motor 33 in the reverse rotation direction in step SB4. Note that, in the automatic discharge operation, the above-described operation of rotating movable blade unit 61 in step SB2 and the operation of returning binding unit 7A to the standby state in step SB3 do not have to be performed.

[0099] By driving the feed motor 33 in the reverse rotation direction, the wire W is sent in the reverse direction, and when the tip of the wire W clamped between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R passes through the gap between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R, the load on the feed motor 33 decreases and the current value flowing through the feed motor 33 decreases.

[0100] 6A, the control unit 14A compares the value of the current flowing through the feed motor 33 with a predetermined set threshold value for detecting the absence of the wire W between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R, and determines whether the wire W has come out from between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R. If the control unit 14A determines that the wire W has come out from between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R, the control unit 14A stops driving the feed motor 33 in step SB6.

[0101] The automatic discharge operation in FIG. 6A described above is executed by a predetermined automatic discharge start operation, but it may also be determined whether to start automatic discharge based on the state of the wire W wound around the reel 20, i.e., the remaining amount of wire W.

[0102] For example, when the wire W is fed in the forward direction to wind the wire W around the reinforcing bar S, if the wire W wound on the reel 20 runs out, the wire W may no longer be able to be pulled out from the reel 20. In such a case, the load on the feed motor 33 increases, and the current value flowing through the feed motor 33 increases.

[0103] Therefore, in step SC1 of Fig. 6B, the control unit 14A performs a normal bundling operation, etc., and while driving the feed motor 33 in the forward rotation direction, the control unit 14A compares the value of the current flowing through the feed motor 33 with a predetermined set threshold for detecting that the wire W has run out. Then, the control unit 14A detects whether the feed motor 33 is in a predetermined overload state and determines whether the wire W has run out from the reel 20. If the control unit 14A determines that the wire W has run out from the reel 20, the control unit 14A stops the bundling operation, such as driving the feed motor 33 in the forward rotation direction, and executes the automatic discharge operation described above.

[0104] That is, in step SC3, the control unit 14A drives the motor 80 in the forward rotation direction, thereby moving the sleeve 71 forward as indicated by arrow A1 and rotating the movable blade unit 61. If the wire W is in a position where it can be cut by the movable blade unit 61, the wire W is cut. After driving the motor 80 in the forward rotation direction by a predetermined amount, the control unit 14A drives the motor 80 in the reverse rotation direction in step SC4, thereby moving the sleeve 71 backward as indicated by arrow A2 and placing the bundling unit 7A in the standby state described above. After performing the above-described operations of rotating the movable blade unit 61 and returning the bundling unit 7A to the standby state, the control unit 14A drives the feed motor 33 in the reverse rotation direction in step SC5. Note that even in this automatic discharge operation, the above-described operations of rotating the movable blade unit 61 in step SC3 and returning the bundling unit 7A to the standby state in step SC4 may not be performed.

[0105] 6B, the control unit 14A compares the value of the current flowing through the feed motor 33 with a predetermined set threshold value for detecting the absence of the wire W between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R, and determines whether the wire W has come out from between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R. If the control unit 14A determines that the wire W has come out from between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R, the control unit 14A stops driving the feed motor 33 in step SC7. Note that in the process of detecting that the wire W has come out from the reel 20 and performing an automatic discharge operation, a notification that the wire W has come out may be sent before the automatic discharge operation is started.

[0106] As shown in FIG. 6C, in order to prevent the wire W from being clamped between a pair of feed gears 30 before the above-described automatic loading operation is performed, the automatic loading operation may be started after the automatic discharging operation is performed.

[0107] 6C, the control unit 14A determines whether a predetermined automatic loading start operation has been performed. If the control unit 14A determines that a predetermined automatic loading start operation has been performed, the control unit 14A drives the feed motor 33 in the reverse rotation direction in step SD2. Note that in the automatic discharging operation performed before the automatic loading operation, an operation to rotate the movable blade unit 61 and an operation to return the binding unit 7A to the standby state may be performed before driving the feed motor 33 in the reverse rotation direction.

[0108] After the automatic discharge operation is started, the control unit 14A determines whether the wire W is present between the pair of feed gears 30 in step SD3 of Fig. 6C. For example, if the load on the feed motor 33 does not change for a predetermined time and the value of the current flowing through the feed motor 33 does not change, it is determined that the wire W is not sandwiched between the pair of feed gears 30, and in step SD4, it stops driving the feed motor 33 in the reverse rotation direction and starts the automatic loading operation. Furthermore, if the load on the feed motor 33 decreases and the value of the current flowing through the feed motor 33 decreases after the automatic discharge operation is started, it is determined that the wire W has come out from between the pair of feed gears 30, and in step SD4, it stops driving the feed motor 33 in the reverse rotation direction and starts the automatic loading operation.

[0109] The automatic loading operation after the automatic ejection operation is the same as the automatic loading operation described above in Figure 5, and in step SD5, the control unit 14A drives the feed motor 33 in the forward rotation direction at a duty ratio (low duty) such that the rotation speed of the feed motor 33 becomes the first speed.

[0110] A user of the rebar tying machine 1A places the reel 20 in the magazine 2A and guides the tip of the wire W unwound from the reel 20 between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R of the wire feed unit 3A. When the tip of the wire W unwound from the reel 20 is clamped between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R, the wire W is fed in the forward direction, the load on the feed motor 33 increases, and the current flowing through the feed motor 33 increases.

[0111] 6C, the control unit 14A compares the value of the current flowing through the feed motor 33 with a predetermined set threshold for detecting the presence of the wire W, and determines whether the wire W is clamped between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R. If the control unit 14A determines that the wire W is clamped between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R, then in step SD7, the control unit 14A switches the duty ratio (high duty) so that the rotation speed of the feed motor 33 becomes a second speed that is higher than the first speed, and drives the feed motor 33 further in the forward rotation direction.

[0112] 6C, the control unit 14A determines whether the feed amount of the wire W has reached a predetermined amount required to feed the wire W to a predetermined standby position, based on the rotation amount of the feed motor 33, etc. If the control unit 14A determines that the feed amount of the wire W has reached the predetermined amount, the control unit 14A stops driving the feed motor 33 in step SD9.

[0113] After stopping the drive of the feed motor 33 and stopping the forward feed of the wire W, a so-called initialization operation may be performed to position the tip of the wire W at a predetermined position.

[0114] Furthermore, in the above-described automatic loading and unloading, automatic loading and unloading are possible without providing a sensor for detecting the wire W, but a configuration in which a sensor for detecting the wire W is provided may also be adopted.

[0115] For example, when the wire W is fed in the forward direction to wind the wire W around the reinforcing bar S, if the wire W wound on the reel 20 runs out, the rear end of the wire W may come off the reel 20. In such a case, the rear end of the wire W can be detected by providing a sensor for detecting the wire W in the feeding path of the wire W between the wire feed unit 3A and the magazine 2A.

[0116] Therefore, when a sensor (not shown) detects the rear end of the wire W while driving the feed motor 33 in the forward direction during a normal bundling operation or the like, the control unit 14A determines that the wire W has disappeared from the reel 20, and executes the above-mentioned automatic discharge operation from step SC2.

[0117] In addition, by detecting the tip of the wire W with a sensor (not shown) provided in the feed path of the wire W between the wire feed section 3A and the magazine 2A, the above-mentioned automatic loading start operation can be replaced with detection of the wire W by the sensor, thereby performing the automatic loading operation.

[0118] Furthermore, by detecting the tip of the wire W with a sensor (not shown) provided in the feed path of the wire W between the wire feed unit 3A and the magazine 2A, or with a sensor (not shown) provided in the feed path of the wire W between the wire feed unit 3A and the cutting unit 6A, it is possible to detect that the wire W has been fed to a predetermined position in the above-mentioned automatic loading operation and terminate the automatic loading operation.

[0119] Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the control function of a reinforcing bar binding machine according to another embodiment. The reinforcing bar binding machine 1B includes a drive unit 39 that displaces the second displacement member 37 described in Fig. 2. The drive unit 39 is composed of a motor, a solenoid, a driving force transmission mechanism, etc., and displaces one or both of the pair of feed gears 30 in a direction in which they move toward or away from each other. In this example, the second feed gear 30R is displaced in a direction in which it moves toward or away from the first feed gear 30L. Note that the drive unit 39 may also be configured to directly displace the first displacement member 36.

[0120] The control unit 14B controls the motor 80 and the feed motor 33 in accordance with the state of the operation switch 13A pressed by operating the trigger 12A shown in Fig. 1, and executes a series of operations to bind the reinforcing bars S with the wire W. The control unit 14B also switches the power on and off by operating the power switch 15A. Furthermore, the control unit 14B controls the drive unit 39 based on a combination of the operations of the operation switch 13A and the power switch 15A, and sets the drive unit 39 in a state where the wire W can be loaded and unloaded.

[0121] 8A and 8B are flowcharts showing an example of the operation of loading and unloading wire into and from a reinforcing bar binding machine. Next, the operation of loading and unloading wire W into and from the reinforcing bar binding machine 1B will be described.

[0122] First, regarding the automatic loading operation shown in FIG. 8A, when the control unit 14B determines in step SE1 of FIG. 8A that a predetermined automatic loading start operation has been performed, in step SE2, it drives the drive unit 39 to displace the second feed gear 30R in a direction away from the first feed gear 30L.

[0123] A user of the rebar binding machine 1A places the reel 20 in the magazine 2A and guides the tip of the wire W unwound from the reel 20 between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R of the wire feed unit 3A. In step SE3, the control unit 14B loads the wire W between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R and performs a predetermined operation to clamp the wire W. In step SE4, the control unit 14B drives the drive unit 39 to displace the second feed gear 30R in a direction approaching the first feed gear 30L, thereby clamping the wire W between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R. In addition, a sensor may be provided to detect that the wire W has been inserted between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R, and when it detects that the wire W has been inserted between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R, the drive unit 39 may be driven to perform control to displace the second feed gear 30R in a direction approaching the first feed gear 30L.

[0124] When the control unit 14B displaces the second feed gear 30R in a direction approaching the first feed gear 30L, in step SE5 of Figure 8A, it drives the feed motor 33 and the motor 80 and performs an initialization operation to position the tip of the wire W at a predetermined position.

[0125] Next, the automatic discharge operation shown in Fig. 8B will be described. When the control unit 14B determines in step SF1 of Fig. 8B that a predetermined automatic discharge start operation has been performed, the control unit 14B drives the drive unit 39 in step SF2 to displace the second feed gear 30R in a direction away from the first feed gear 30L. This makes it possible to remove the wire W from between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R.

[0126] When the wire W is discharged from between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R and a predetermined operation is performed to move the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R closer to each other, the control unit 14B drives the drive unit 39 to move the second feed gear 30R closer to the first feed gear 30L in step SF3. Note that a sensor may be provided to detect when the wire W has come out from between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R, and when it detects that the wire W has come out from between the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R, the control unit 14B may drive the drive unit 39 to move the second feed gear 30R closer to the first feed gear 30L.

[0127] <Examples of the effects of rebar tying machines> In conventional rebar tying machines, a pair of feed gears 30 are manually operated to separate them from each other, thereby loading and unloading the wire W. Now, when winding the wire W around the rebar S by feeding the wire W in the opposite direction after winding the wire W around the rebar S, the force for feeding the wire W can be increased to ensure that the wire W is wound around the rebar S.

[0128] In the wire feeding section 3A, in a configuration in which two wires W are fed, the two wires W are fed in a parallel state due to the frictional force generated between the groove portion 32L of the first feed gear 30L and one of the wires W, the frictional force generated between the groove portion 32R of the second feed gear 30R and the other wire W, and the frictional force generated between one of the wires W and the other wire W.

[0129] A strong spring force is required to urge the pair of feed gears 30 toward each other in order to obtain sufficient frictional force for feeding the wire W. However, if the spring force urging the pair of feed gears 30 toward each other is made strong, it becomes difficult to manually move the pair of feed gears 30 in directions separating them.

[0130] Therefore, the rebar binding machine 1A is designed to perform the automatic loading and unloading operations described above. This makes it possible to load and unload the wire W without manually moving the pair of feed gears 30 apart. Therefore, by increasing the force of the spring 38 that presses the pair of feed gears 30 toward each other and increasing the force that feeds the wire W, it becomes possible to reliably wind the wire W around the rebar S.

[0131] Furthermore, in the automatic loading operation, the feed motor 33 is rotated at a first speed until the wire W is clamped between the pair of feed gears 30, and once the wire W is clamped between the pair of feed gears 30, the feed motor 33 is rotated at a second speed faster than the first speed to feed the wire W clamped between the pair of feed gears 30 in the forward direction to a predetermined position. This allows the wire W to be reliably clamped between the pair of feed gears 30 that are not spaced apart, and after the wire W is clamped between the pair of feed gears 30, the time required to feed the wire W to the predetermined position can be shortened, thereby shortening the time required for the automatic loading operation.

[0132] Furthermore, in order to prevent the wire W from being clamped between a pair of feed gears 30 before the automatic loading operation is performed, the automatic loading operation may be started after the automatic discharging operation is performed.

[0133] Furthermore, the wire W may be loaded or unloaded by a drive unit 39 such as a motor, which may perform the operation of clamping the wire W between the pair of feed gears 30 by displacing one or both of the pair of feed gears 30 in a direction toward each other, or the operation of removing the wire W from between the pair of feed gears 30 by displacing one or both of the pair of feed gears 30 in a direction away from each other. In this case, it is not necessary to manually displace one or both of the pair of feed gears 30.

[0134] <Modification of rebar binding machine> Fig. 9A is a perspective view showing an example of the overall configuration of a modified reinforcing bar binding machine, Fig. 9B is a rear view showing an example of the overall configuration of a modified reinforcing bar binding machine, Fig. 9C is a side view showing an example of the overall configuration of a modified reinforcing bar binding machine, Fig. 10A is a rear view showing an example of the main configuration of a modified reinforcing bar binding machine, and Fig. 10B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 10A.

[0135] The modified rebar binding machine 1C includes an operation unit 16 that receives operations such as turning the power on and off, setting the binding strength using the wire W, and automatically loading and unloading the wire W. The operation unit 16 is provided on the rear surface of the main body 10A and includes a binding force setting unit that can set the binding strength using the wire W, and the power switch 15A described above. One example of a binding force setting unit is a torque dial 16a that can select the binding strength using the wire W. The operation unit 16 also includes an automatic loading and unloading switch 16b that executes automatic loading and unloading, and an alarm unit 16c that indicates the status of the rebar binding machine 1C.

[0136] The operation unit 16 includes protrusions 16d that protrude rearward from the main body 10A around the torque dial 16a, power switch 15A, automatic loading / ejecting switch 16b, and notification unit 16c, so that the positions where the torque dial 16a, power switch 15A, automatic loading / ejecting switch 16b, and notification unit 16c are provided are recessed. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9C , the torque dial 16a, power switch 15A, and automatic loading / ejecting switch 16b do not protrude rearward from the main body 10A, thereby suppressing malfunction. Furthermore, because the wire W is loaded and unloaded after the power is turned off and on, providing the automatic loading / ejecting switch 16b near the power switch 15A, in this example, on the same operation unit 16, improves operability.

[0137] In this example, automatic loading / ejecting switch 16b is a push button type switch that activates microswitch 17a when pressed, as shown in Fig. 10B. Automatic loading / ejecting switch 16b is biased by spring 17b in a direction away from microswitch 17a, thereby switching between operation and non-operation.

[0138] Fig. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the control function of a modified rebar binding machine 1C. In the rebar binding machine 1C, a control unit 14C controls a motor 80 and a feed motor 33 in accordance with the state of an operation switch 13A pressed by operating a trigger 12A shown in Fig. 9C etc., to execute a series of operations for binding rebars S with wire W. The control unit 14C also switches the power on and off by operating a power switch 15A. Furthermore, the control unit 14C controls the feed motor 33 based on the output of a microswitch 17a resulting from the operation of an automatic loading / unloading switch 16b, and loads and unloads wire W in the wire feed unit 3A.

[0139] In this example, the feed motor 33 is a brushless motor and includes a rotation detector 18, such as a Hall IC, that detects the rotational position of the rotor. The wire feed unit 3A includes a driving force transmission mechanism 34, which is configured with a spur gear and transmits the driving force of the feed motor 33 to the first feed gear 30L. When the tip of the wire W is inserted between the groove 32L of the first feed gear 30L and the groove 32R of the second feed gear 30R and the wire W is pushed, the behavior (rotation) of the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R can rotate the feed motor 33 by external force, even when the feed motor 33 is not rotating due to energization. In other words, the rotation detector 18 serves as a detector that detects the movement of the first feed gear 30L and the second feed gear 30R.

[0140] When the power switch 15A is operated to turn on the power, the control unit 14C switches the notification unit 16c from off to on, thereby notifying that the power is on (power ON) and that the device is in a bundling standby state. When the microswitch 17a is pressed by operating the automatic loading / ejecting switch 16b, the control unit 14C executes an automatic ejection mode in which the wire W is ejected and an automatic loading mode in which the wire W is loaded. When the automatic ejection mode is executed, the control unit 14C switches the notification unit 16c from on to flashing, thereby notifying that the automatic ejection mode is being executed. Furthermore, when the automatic loading mode is executed, the control unit 14C switches the notification unit 16c from on to flashing, thereby notifying that the automatic loading mode is being executed. Furthermore, when the automatic ejection mode and the automatic loading mode are executed consecutively, the control unit 14C switches the notification unit 16c from on to flashing, thereby notifying that the automatic loading / ejecting mode is being executed. The notification unit 16c is configured with a lamp such as an LED, but may also be a display unit such as a display. The notification unit 16c may also be a buzzer that outputs sound, and may output a buzzer sound while the automatic ejection mode, automatic loading mode, or automatic loading and ejection mode is being executed.

[0141] When the automatic ejection mode or the automatic ejection mode in the automatic loading and ejection mode is executed, the control unit 14C rotates the feed motor 33 in the reverse direction, and when the feed motor 33 is rotated in the reverse direction by a specified amount so that the wire W comes out of the feed gear 30, the control unit 14C stops the feed motor 33.

[0142] In addition, when the automatic loading mode in the automatic loading / unloading mode is executed, if the rotation detection unit 18 detects that the feed motor 33 has rotated while the feed motor 33 is not rotating due to power being applied, the control unit 14C rotates the feed motor 33 in the forward direction, and stops the feed motor 33 after rotating the feed motor 33 in the forward direction by a specified amount so that the wire W is fed a predetermined amount beyond the feed gear 30.

[0143] When microswitch 17a is pressed by operating automatic loading / ejecting switch 16b and the automatic loading mode or automatic loading / ejecting mode is executed, control unit 14C starts timing and notifies that the automatic loading mode or automatic loading / ejecting mode is being executed by flashing notification unit 16c until a specified time has elapsed, which is the timeout period for the automatic loading mode or automatic loading / ejecting mode.

[0144] When the rotation detector 18 detects that the feed motor 33 has rotated while the feed motor 33 is not being energized until the specified time that marks the timeout of the automatic loading / unloading mode has elapsed, the control unit 14C executes the loading operation described above. In contrast, when the specified time that marks the timeout of the automatic loading / unloading mode has elapsed, the control unit 14C switches the notification unit 16c from off to on, and does not execute the loading operation described above even when the rotation detector 18 detects that the feed motor 33 has rotated while the feed motor 33 is not being energized.

[0145] Furthermore, when the automatic loading / ejecting switch 16b is pressed (first operation) after the automatic loading / ejecting mode is started and before the specified time that times out for the automatic loading / ejecting mode has elapsed (second operation), the control unit 14C switches the notification unit 16c from flashing to lit and puts the unit into a bundling standby state. Note that in a configuration in which the notification unit 16c is configured to notify the execution of the automatic loading / ejecting mode or the like by lighting, flashing, turning off, etc., the combination of lighting, flashing, and turning off is not limited to the above example. The flashing pattern may also be changed.

[0146] Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of loading and unloading a wire in the modified rebar binding machine. When power switch 15A is operated to turn on the power, control unit 14C determines whether trigger 12A is operated in step SG1 of Fig. 11. When trigger 12A is operated, the above-mentioned binding operation is performed in step SG2.

[0147] If the trigger 12A is not operated, the control unit 14C determines in step SG3 whether the automatic loading / ejecting switch 16b has been operated. If the automatic loading / ejecting switch 16b has been operated (loading / ejecting switch operation), the control unit 14C executes the automatic loading / ejecting mode, and while the automatic loading / ejecting mode is being executed, the control unit 14C changes the notification unit 16c from lit to flashing to notify that the automatic loading / ejecting mode is being executed. Furthermore, once the automatic loading / ejecting mode has been executed, the control unit 14C rotates the feed motor 33 in the reverse direction so that the wire W is ejected in step SG4.

[0148] In step SG5, the control unit 14C rotates the feed motor 33 in the reverse direction by a specified amount of rotation that causes the wire W to come off the feed gear 30, and then stops the feed motor 33 in step SG6.

[0149] In step SG7, if the automatic loading / ejecting switch 16b is operated again while the automatic loading / ejecting mode is being executed (loading / ejecting SW operation present), the control unit 14C ends the automatic loading / ejecting mode and switches the notification unit 16c from flashing to lit. If the control unit 14C determines in step SG7 that the automatic loading / ejecting switch 16b is not operated again while the automatic loading / ejecting mode is being executed (loading / ejecting SW not operation) and in step SG8 that the specified time for the automatic loading / ejecting mode to time out has not elapsed, then in step SG9, it determines whether the feed motor 33 is rotating.

[0150] When the rotation detection unit 18 detects that the feed motor 33 has rotated while the feed motor 33 is not rotating due to power being applied, the control unit 14C determines that the feed motor 33 has rotated due to an external force, and in step SG10, rotates the feed motor 33 in the forward direction so that the wire W is loaded.

[0151] In step SG11, the control unit 14C rotates the feed motor 33 in the forward direction by a specified rotation amount that feeds the wire W a predetermined amount ahead of the feed gear 30, and then stops the feed motor 33 in step SG12.

[0152] After stopping the drive of the feed motor 33 and stopping the forward feed of the wire W, a so-called initialization operation may be performed to position the tip of the wire W at a predetermined position.

[0153] In this modified example, the rotation detection unit 18 is configured to detect movement due to the behavior of the feed member by detecting the rotation of the feed motor 33 and causing the feed motor 33 to rotate in the forward direction. However, the rotation detection unit 18 may also be configured to detect the rotation of at least one of the pair of feed gears 30 and cause the feed motor 33 to rotate in the forward direction when it detects the rotation of the feed gear 30.

[0154] Furthermore, although the automatic loading / ejecting switch 16b is configured to be independent of the other switches in the operation unit 16, it may also be used in combination with other switches in the operation unit 16. For example, the torque dial 16a may be configured to output a signal when rotated and when pressed, and the automatic loading / ejecting mode may be executed by pressing the torque dial 16a. Furthermore, a switch for executing the automatic ejection mode and a switch for executing the automatic loading mode may be provided independently. [Explanation of symbols]

[0155] 1A, 1B, 1C... rebar binding machine, 10A... main body, 13A... operation switch, 14A, 14B, 14C... control section, 15A... power switch, 16... operation section, 16a... torque dial, 16b... automatic loading / unloading switch, 16c... notification section, 16d... protrusion, 17a... microswitch, 17b... spring, 18... rotation detection section (detection section), 2A... magazine, 20... reel, 3A... wire feeding section, 30... feeding gear A (feed member), 30L... first feed gear (feed member), 30R... second feed gear (feed member), 33... feed motor, 36... first displacement member (displacement portion), 37... second displacement member (displacement portion), 38... spring, 39... drive portion, 5A... curl forming portion, 50... curl guide, 51... induction guide, 6A... cutting portion, 7A... binding portion, 8A... drive portion, 80... motor, 81... reducer, 91... abutment portion, W... wire

Claims

1. a wire feeding unit that feeds the wire; a curl forming section that forms a wire feeding path for winding the wire fed in the first direction by the wire feeding section around a bundle; a bundling unit that twists the wire that has been fed in the first direction by the wire feeding unit and wound around the object to be bound, The wire feeding unit includes a pair of feeding members that clamp the wire and feed the wire by a rotational motion, and a feeding motor that drives the feeding members. Further, a control unit that controls the wire feeding unit; a detection unit that detects the movement of the feed motor due to the behavior of the feed member or the behavior of the feed member; When the control unit determines that the movement of the feed motor is caused by the behavior of the feed member or that the detection unit has detected the behavior of the feed member, the control unit rotates the feed motor in a rotation direction that feeds the wire in a first direction. Binding machine.

2. The detection unit is a rotation detection unit that detects the rotation of the feed motor. The binding machine according to claim 1 .

3. When the rotation detector detects that the feed motor has rotated while the feed motor is not being rotated by being energized, the control unit rotates the feed motor in a rotation direction that feeds the wire in a first direction. The binding machine according to claim 2 .

4. The control unit controls the feed motor based on the operation of the operation unit to rotate the feed motor at a first speed in a rotation direction that feeds the wire in a first direction, and rotates the feed motor at a second speed faster than the first speed based on a fluctuation in the load on the feed motor to feed the wire clamped by the feed member in the first direction. The binding machine according to claim 1 .

Images