Support device

Abstract

To provide a countermeasure that does not become an excessive burden on an operator to lift a stirrer 16 upward and insert stirring blades 16a into a paint container, and does not become large-scale equipment.SOLUTION: According to an auxiliary device 1, a holding unit 20 holds a weight 14. The weight 14 is obtained by integrating an upper lid 15 and a stirrer 16. The upper lid 15 covers the surface of the paint formed inside the container. The stirrer 16 includes stirring blades 16a for stirring the paint forming the surface, and a drive unit 16b that rotationally drives the stirring blades 16a. Constant-load springs 13L, 13R are set such that a load acts upward on the holding unit 20. The auxiliary device 1 assists in lifting the weight 14 upward by the load of the constant-load springs 13L, 13R.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an auxiliary device for assisting in lifting a heavy object upward, and particularly relates to a structure that can be suitably used to lift a stirrer for stirring paint upward and insert a stirring blade into a paint container.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, for example, in a paint supply device that supplies paint applied to a vehicle body, a configuration including the following coating part and supply tank has been known. That is, the coating part is a part that applies paint toward a workpiece, and is mounted, for example, at the tip of a robot. The supply tank stores the paint while stirring it, is connected to the coating part by a predetermined flow path, and the paint in the supply tank is sucked by a pump provided in the flow path and discharged toward the coating part (Patent Document 1).

[0003] Also, the paint is put into a container of, for example, several hundred liters and transported near the supply tank, and is sucked from the container by another pump and transferred to the supply tank. By the way, since the solvent of the paint is likely to volatilize, if it is not kept in a fluid state, the phase state in the liquid phase of the paint may become non-uniform. Therefore, it is considered preferable to insert a stirring blade not only in the supply tank but also in the container to stir the paint and keep it in a fluid state. [[ID=ip19]]

[0004] However, in order to flow several hundred liters of paint, it is necessary to lift a stirrer having a weight of several tens of kilograms and insert the stirring blade into the container, and such work is a heavy burden for an operator. For this reason, it is also conceivable to introduce a hoist using a counterweight or the like, but it becomes too large-scale as equipment. Therefore, a countermeasure that does not impose a large burden on the operator and does not become large-scale as equipment is required.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4938896 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] This disclosure primarily relates to an auxiliary device for assisting in the upward lifting of heavy objects, and in particular aims to provide a solution that does not place a heavy burden on the operator and does not require large-scale equipment when lifting a stirrer for stirring paint upwards and inserting the stirring blades into the paint container. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The auxiliary device of this disclosure comprises the following holding part and constant-load spring. First, the holding part holds the following weighted body. That is, the weighted body is an integrated top lid and a stirrer, the top lid covering the liquid surface of the paint formed inside the container that can store and transport the paint. The stirrer has a stirring blade for stirring the paint that forms the liquid surface, and a drive unit for rotating the stirring blade. Next, the constant-load spring is set so that a load acts upward on the holding part.

[0008] The auxiliary device then assists in lifting the heavy object upwards using the load of a constant-load spring. Furthermore, the draw-out end of the constant-load spring is attached to the part that extends downward from the holding section. As a result, the auxiliary device of this disclosure provides a solution that does not place a heavy burden on the operator and does not require large-scale equipment when lifting the agitator for stirring the paint upwards and inserting the stirring blades into the paint container. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the paint supply device. [Figure 2] This is a front view of the auxiliary device. [Figure 3] This is a plan view of the auxiliary device. [Figure 4] This is a side view of the auxiliary device. [Figure 5] This is a front view of the movable parts, excluding the stirring blades and other components. [Figure 6] This is a side view showing the side of the movable part together with a part of the base. [Figure 7] This is a rear view of the movable part. [Figure 8] This is a front view of the base. [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX in Figure 8. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments for carrying out the invention will be described below based on examples. It goes without saying that these examples are for illustrative purposes only, and the present invention is not limited to these examples. [Examples]

[0011] [Configuration of the Example] The auxiliary device 1 of the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, auxiliary device 1 is used to operate the paint supply device 2, which will be explained first (see Figure 1). The paint supply device 2 is a device that supplies paint to be applied to, for example, the body of a vehicle (not shown), and comprises a coating unit 3 and a supply tank 4 as follows.

[0012] In other words, the coating unit 3 is the part that applies paint to the body and is, for example, attached to the tip of the robot 5. The supply tank 4 stores the paint while stirring it and is connected to the coating unit 3 by a predetermined flow path 6. The paint in the supply tank 4 is sucked up by a pump 7 installed in the flow path 6 and discharged towards the coating unit 3. The paint is also transported to the vicinity of the supply tank 4 in a container 8 of several hundred liters, for example, and then sucked up from the container 8 by another pump 9 and transferred to the supply tank 4. The operation of the various devices in the coating unit 3 and the supply tank 4, as well as the robot 5, etc., is controlled by a control unit 10 consisting of a well-known control panel or the like.

[0013] Next, the auxiliary device 1 will be described (see FIGS. 2 to 9). The auxiliary device 1 assists in lifting the weight body 14 by the constant load spring 13. Here, the weight body 14 is, for example, an integrated unit of the upper lid 15 of the container 8 and the stirrer 16 that stirs the paint in the container 8. That is, the upper lid 15 covers the paint liquid surface formed inside the container 8, and the stirrer 16 includes a stirring blade 16a immersed in the paint forming the liquid surface and a drive unit 16b that rotationally drives the stirring blade 16a, etc.

[0014] More specifically, the upper lid 15 is a metal member having a circular portion 15a facing the liquid surface and a cylindrical portion 15b that extends short and cylindrically from the periphery of the circular portion 15a to one side and covers the outer peripheral surface near the upper end of the container � from the outside. And the drive unit 16b is mounted at the center of the circular portion 15a. Further, the rotation output shaft 16c of the drive unit 16b penetrates the circular portion 15a and extends downward, and the stirring blade 16a is assembled to the tip of the rotation output shaft 16c.

[0015] Furthermore, the circular portion 15a is provided with a hole 15c for inserting the suction pipe 18 connected to the pump 9 into the container 8 (see FIGS. 1 and 3). The suction pipe 18 is a pipe for transferring the paint sucked from the container 8 by the pump 9 to the supply tank 4, and is connected to the suction port of the pump 9. Also, on the cylindrical portion 15b of the upper lid 15, metal fastening members 21 used for fastening the weight body 14 and a holding portion 20 to be described later are attached at two locations separated by an angle of 180°. Hereinafter, the configuration of the auxiliary device 1 will be described.

[0016] The auxiliary device 1 is roughly divided into a movable part 23 and a base part 24. First, the movable part 23 is the part that moves up and down while holding the weighted body 14, and the extended end 13a of the constant-load spring 13 is fixed to it (see Figures 5, 7, 8, etc.). Next, the base part 24 is the part that guides the up and down movement of the movable part 23 and is placed on a predetermined mounting surface, and the drum 13b on which the constant-load spring 13 is wound is fixed to it (see Figures 2, 6, 8, etc.). The movable part 23 and the base part 24 will be described in order below.

[0017] First, the movable part 23 includes the following holding part 20, lower extension part 26, and sliding part 27 (see Figures 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, etc.). The holding part 20 holds the weighted body 14 and is, for example, a metal part that appears U-shaped when viewed from above (see Figure 3). It has two arms 20a, a connecting part 20b that connects the ends of these arms 20a, and two bridging parts 20c that bridge each arm 20a and the connecting part 20b in a diagonal manner.

[0018] In the following explanation, the side from which the arm 20a protrudes from the connection part 20b is defined as the front, and the side from which the arm 20a does not protrude is defined as the rear. Left and right are defined when viewing the holding part 20 from the front. Also, the left and right arms 20a may be referred to as arms 20aL and 20aR.

[0019] The weight 14 is then held within the area defined by the arms 20aL, 20aR, the connecting portion 20b, and the two bridging portions 20c when viewed from above. Here, the fastening members 21 are metal bodies with an inverted L-shaped cross-section, and engage with the respective arms 20aL and 20aR from the inside of the area where the weight 14 is housed (hereinafter, the left and right fastening members 21 may be referred to as fastening members 21L and 21R).

[0020] Next, the manner in which the weighted body 14 is held by the holding part 20 will be described. First, the weight 14 is held in the holding part 20 by fastening a well-known screw-hole slider 21a with a screw 21b (see Figures 2, 3, 5, etc.). Specifically, the upper part of each of the arms 20aL and 20aR is provided with a slide groove 21c that allows the slider 21a to move freely along the longitudinal direction of the arms 20aL and 20aR. In addition, an elongated hole 21d is provided on one of the upper parts of the fastening member 21, along the longitudinal direction of the arm.

[0021] Then, the slider 21a is moved to the desired position, and the entire weight 14 is moved while engaging the fastening members 21L and 21R with the arms 20aL and 20aR respectively, in line with the position of the slider 21a, so that the screw hole of the slider 21a aligns with the elongated hole 21d of the fastening member 21. Then, the claw of the slider 21a and the head of the screw 21b clamp the part of the arms 20aL and 20aR and the part of the fastening members 21L and 21R, and screw the screw 21b into the slider 21a. As a result, the fastening members 21L and 21R are fastened to the arms 20aL and 20aR respectively, and the weight 14 is held in the holding part 20.

[0022] The lower extension 26 has the function of securing space for placing the container 8 below the weight body 14. More specifically, the lower extension 26 consists of two rod-shaped metal bodies assembled to extend downward from between the connection portion with arm 20aL and the connection portion with arm 20aR of the connection portion 20b (see Figures 2, 3, 5, 7, etc. Hereinafter, the left and right lower extensions 26 may be referred to as lower extensions 26L and 26R).

[0023] Furthermore, rectangular annular metal plates 28 are fixed near the lower ends of the lower extensions 26L and 26R (see Figures 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, etc.). Specifically, the left and right edges 28L and 28R of the metal plate 28 are fixed to the lower extensions 26L and 26R, respectively, and the lower extensions 26L and 26R are bridged by the upper and lower edges 28U and 28D.

[0024] Furthermore, the extension end 13a of the constant-load spring 13 is fixed to the upper edge 28U of the metal plate 28. As a result, the weight body 14 is held by the holding part 20 above the extension end 13a, and space corresponding to the lengths of the lower extensions 26L and 26R can be secured below the weight body 14. Furthermore, the lower extensions 26L and 26R are bridged to the left and right ends of the connection section 20b by the bridging section 26a.

[0025] The sliding part 27 is mounted on the guide part 30 provided on the base part 24 so as to be able to move up and down, and as will be described later, together with the guide part 30 it has the function of stabilizing the vertical movement of the weight body 14. The sliding part 27 will be described in detail later, together with the guide part 30.

[0026] Next, the base portion 24 comprises the following frame 31 and guide portion 30 (see Figures 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, etc.). The frame 31 is the structural framework of the base 24 and includes left and right column sections 31pL, 31pR, upper and lower bridging sections 31bU, 31bD, left and right front projections 31FL, 31FR, and left and right rear projections 31BL, 31BR, etc. Here, the column sections 31pL and 31pR are the parts that extend vertically.

[0027] Furthermore, the upper bridging section 31bU is the part that bridges the upper ends of the column sections 31pL and 31pR, respectively, and the lower bridging section 31bD is the part that bridges the lower ends of the column sections 31pL and 31pR, respectively. The lower bridging section 31bD is longer than the upper bridging section 31bU, the left end of the lower bridging section 31bD protrudes to the left of the column section 31pL, and the right end of the lower bridging section 31bD protrudes to the right of the column section 31pR. In addition, the connection section 20b of the lower bridging section 31bD and the holding section 20 are the same length in the left-right direction, the arm 20aL is located to the left of the column section 31pL, and the arm 20aR is located to the right of the column section 31pR (see Figures 2 and 3, etc.).

[0028] Then, a drum 13b around which a constant-load spring 13 is wound is attached to the upper bridging portion 31bU via a predetermined fitting 32 (see Figures 2, 8, etc.). Here, the drum 13b is mounted so that its axial direction is oriented in the left-right direction, and is mounted in the center of the upper bridging portion 31bU in the left-right direction.

[0029] The constant-load springs 13 and drums 13b are each equipped in pairs. The two constant-load springs 13 are arranged in parallel on the left and right sides, set between the upper bridging section 31bU and the metal plate 28 (hereinafter, the left and right constant-load springs 13 may be referred to as constant-load springs 13L and 13R, respectively. Also, the left and right drums 13b may be referred to as drums 13bL and 13bR, respectively).

[0030] Furthermore, the forward projections 31FL and 31FR are portions that extend forward from the lower bridging portion 31bD, with the forward projection 31FL extending from the left end of the lower bridging portion 31bD and the forward projection 31FR extending from the right end of the lower bridging portion 31bD (see Figures 2, 8, 9, etc.). In addition, the rear projections 31BL and 31BR are portions that extend backward from the lower bridging portion 31bD, with the rear projection 31BL extending from a position to the right of the left end of the lower bridging portion 31bD and the rear projection 31BR extending from a position to the left of the right end of the lower bridging portion 31bD (see Figures 3, 9, etc.). Also, the rear projections 31BL and 31BR are shorter than the forward projections 31FL and 31FR.

[0031] Furthermore, the column 31pL is connected to the lower bridging section 31bD and the rear projection 31BL by a bridging section 31C in a diagonal manner, and the column 31pR is connected to the lower bridging section 31bD and the rear projection 31BR by a bridging section 31C in a diagonal manner (see Figures 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, etc.).

[0032] Furthermore, the bridging section 31C between the column 31pL and the lower bridging section 31bD bridges the column 31pL and the lower bridging section 31bD to the left of the base of the rear projection 31BL, and the bridging section 31C between the column 31pR and the lower bridging section 31bD bridges the column 31pR and the lower bridging section 31bD to the right of the base of the rear projection 31BR. The lower bridging section 31bD, the forward projections 31FL and 31FR, and the rear projections 31BL and 31BR rest directly on the mounting surface.

[0033] Next, the guide section 30, together with the slide section 27 described above, has the function of stabilizing the vertical movement of the weight 14 (see Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, etc.). First, the guide section 30 consists of two cylindrical metal rods that are vertically spanned between the upper and lower bridging sections 31bU and 31bD, respectively, with the upper and lower ends of the metal rods fixed to the upper and lower bridging sections 31bU and 31bD by predetermined fittings 33 (hereinafter, the left and right guide sections 30 may be referred to as guide sections 30L and 30R, respectively). Furthermore, guide section 30L is provided between the column 31pL and the drum 13bL, and guide section 30R is provided between the column 31pR and the drum 13bR.

[0034] On the other hand, the slide portion 27 is a metal body having a cylindrical hollow 27h, and one slide portion 27 is fixed to each of the four corners of the metal plate 28. Therefore, the draw-out ends 13a of the constant-load springs 13L and 13R and the slide portions 27 at the two upper corners are at the same height in the vertical direction. In addition, a bush 27b is installed in the hollow 27h of each slide portion 27, and the slide portion 27 is guided to the guide portion 30 via the bush 27b (hereinafter, the upper left, upper right, lower left, and lower right slide portions 27 may be referred to as slide portions 27LU, 27RU, 27LD, and 27RD, respectively).

[0035] Here, the lower extension 26L, the edge portion 28L of the metal plate 28, the sliding portions 27LU, 27LD, and the guide portion 30L are arranged in substantially the same position with respect to the left-right direction, and the lower extension 26R, the edge portion 28R of the metal plate 28, the sliding portions 27RU, 27RD, and the guide portion 30R are also arranged in substantially the same position with respect to the left-right direction.

[0036] Then, the two left sliding parts 27LU and 27LD are guided by the guide part 30L, and the two right sliding parts 27RU and 27RD are guided by the guide part 30R. Furthermore, the entire movable part 23 is restricted from moving upward by the fact that the sliding parts 27LU and 27RU are locked to the upper fittings 33. With the upward movement of the movable part 23 restricted, the two drawer ends 13a are slightly pulled downward from their wrapped state around the drums 13bL and 13bR, respectively.

[0037] Therefore, throughout the entire range of motion of the movable part 23, the constant-load springs 13L and 13R act on the holding part 20 in an upward direction, and the auxiliary device 1 can assist in lifting the heavy body 14 upward with the load of the constant-load springs 13L and 13R.

[0038] [How to use the example] The method of using auxiliary device 1 in the embodiment will be explained. First, the movable part 23 is moved upward to lift the holding part 20 and the weight body 14 upward, creating space to place the container 8 under the top lid 15. Next, the container 8 containing the paint is carried under the weight body 14, the lid of the container 8 is removed, and the liquid surface of the paint is exposed from above. Subsequently, the movable part 23 is moved downward to cover the liquid surface with the top lid 15, and the stirring blade 16a is inserted into the container 8. Furthermore, the suction pipe 18 is inserted into the container 8 through the hole 15c. After that, the drive unit 16b is operated to rotate the stirring blade 16a, and the pump 9 is operated to start the transfer of paint from the container 8 to the supply tank 4.

[0039] [Effects of the Examples] The auxiliary device 1 of the embodiment comprises the following holding part 20 and constant load springs 13L and 13R. First, the holding part 20 holds a weighted body 14 as shown below. Here, the weighted body 14 is an integrated unit consisting of a top lid 15 and a stirrer 16, with the top lid 15 covering the liquid surface of the paint formed inside the container 8, which can store and transport the paint. The stirrer 16 has a stirring blade 16a for stirring the paint that forms the liquid surface, and a drive unit 16b for rotating the stirring blade 16a. Next, the constant load springs 13L and 13R are set so that a load acts upward on the holding part 20.

[0040] The auxiliary device 1 assists in lifting the heavy body 14 upwards by the load of the constant-load springs 13L and 13R. This provides a solution that does not place a heavy burden on the operator when lifting the agitator 16 upwards and inserting the agitator blade 16a into the container 8, and does not require large-scale equipment.

[0041] In other words, the constant-load springs 13L and 13R exert a constant force (load) back to the respective drums 13bL and 13bR, regardless of the amount the extension end 13a is pulled out. As a result, when lifting the heavy body 14 upwards, a constant load is always applied upwards, regardless of the height of the heavy body 14. Therefore, the heavy body 14 can be easily lifted upwards, and the agitator 16 can be lifted upwards and the agitator blades 16a inserted into the container 8 in a manner that does not place a heavy burden on the operator and does not require large-scale equipment.

[0042] Furthermore, the auxiliary device 1 of the embodiment comprises the following frame 31 and sliding parts 27LU, 27RU, 27LD, and 27RD. First, the frame 31 has drums 13bL and 13bR, each wound with constant-load springs 13L and 13R, attached to it and rests on the mounting surface. Next, the sliding parts 27LU, 27RU, 27LD, and 27RD are integrated into the holding part 20. The sliding parts 27LU and 27LD are mounted on the guide part 30L so as to be vertically movable, and the sliding parts 27RU and 27RD are mounted on the guide part 30R so as to be vertically movable. The guide parts 30L and 30R are provided on the frame 31.

[0043] Furthermore, drums 13bL and 13bR are attached to the frame 31 so as to be located above the sliding sections 27LU and 27RU. Furthermore, the draw-out ends 13a of the constant-load springs 13L and 13R are fastened to the metal plate 28 of the movable part 23, and the constant-load springs 13L and 13R are drawn out downwards. As a result, the vertical movement of the weight 14 is stabilized, allowing the operator to stably lift the agitator 16 and insert the agitator blades 16a.

[0044] Furthermore, according to the auxiliary device 1 of the embodiment, the pull-out ends 13a of the constant-load springs 13L and 13R and the sliding parts 27LU and 27RU are at the same height in the vertical direction. As a result, the vertical movement of the weight 14 becomes more stable, allowing the operator to lift the weight 14 and insert the stirring blade 16a with greater stability.

[0045] Furthermore, according to the auxiliary device 1 of the embodiment, the weighted body 14 is held by the holding part 20 above the respective drawer ends 13a of the constant-load springs 13L and 13R. This makes it easier to secure space to place the container 8 below the heavy body 14, so that the operator can lift the heavy body 14 and insert the stirring blade 16a even more easily.

[0046] [Variation] The present invention can be modified in various ways without departing from its essence. For example, in the auxiliary device 1 of the embodiment, the weight body 14 was an integrated unit consisting of a top lid 15 and a stirrer 16, but the configuration of the weight body 14 is not limited to this configuration. For example, in addition to the top lid 15 and a stirrer 16, a pump 9 and suction piping 18 may be added to the weight body 14. Furthermore, a liquid level gauge for detecting the liquid level of paint in the container 8 may be added to the weight body 14.

[0047] Furthermore, in the auxiliary device 1 of the embodiment, the circular portion 15a of the top lid 15 was provided with a hole 15c for inserting the suction pipe 18 into the container 8. However, the suction pipe 18 may be integrally provided with the top lid 15 and added to the weight body 14.

[0048] Furthermore, according to the auxiliary device 1 of the embodiment, the lower bridging portion 31bD is longer than the upper bridging portion 31bU, the left end of the lower bridging portion 31bD protrudes to the left of the column portion 31pL, the right end of the lower bridging portion 31bD protrudes to the right of the column portion 31pR, the arm 20aL is located to the left of the column portion 31pL, and the arm 20aR is located to the right of the column portion 31pR. However, it may also be provided in the following manner. In other words, the lower bridging section 31bD and the upper bridging section 31bU may be provided to be of the same length, and the arm 20aL may be located in the same position as the column section 31pL in the left-right direction, and the arm 20aR may be located in the same position as the column section 31pR. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0049] 1 Auxiliary device 8 Containers 13, 13L, 13R Constant load spring 14 Weight unit 15 Top lid 16 Agitator 16a Agitator blade 16b Drive unit 20 Holding unit

Claims

1. A container capable of transporting paint while storing it, a container with a top lid to cover the liquid surface of the paint formed inside, a stirring blade for stirring the paint forming the liquid surface, and a holding part for holding a weight that integrates a stirrer having a drive unit for rotating the stirring blade, This includes a constant-load spring set to act on the holding part in an upward direction, The load of this constant-load spring assists in lifting the aforementioned heavy object upwards. An auxiliary device characterized in that the extended end of the constant-load spring is attached to a portion that extends downward from the holding portion.

2. In the auxiliary device according to claim 1, A frame to which the drum around which the aforementioned constant-load spring is wound is attached and which rests on the mounting surface, It comprises a sliding part which is integrated with the holding part and is mounted on a guide part provided on the frame so as to be able to move up and down, The drum is attached to the frame so as to be located above the sliding portion. The auxiliary device is characterized in that the constant-load spring is pulled out downwards.

3. In the auxiliary device according to claim 2, An auxiliary device characterized in that the draw-out end of the constant-load spring and the sliding portion are at the same height in the vertical direction.

4. In the auxiliary device according to claim 1, The auxiliary device is characterized in that the weighted body is held in the holding portion above the extension end of the constant-load spring.

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