Spring-loaded cushion and workpiece locking member using the same

Abstract

This provides a coil spring capable of damping forces applied not only in the axial direction but also on the outer circumference. [Solution] The coil spring of the present invention is a coil spring made by winding a wire in a spiral shape, and the axis connecting the centers of each loop, which makes up one turn of the coil, is a helical axis.

Description

Technical Field

[0005] , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a coil spring, a spring-integrated cushion formed by winding a mesh belt around the spring, and a work locking member for a belt conveyor using the spring-integrated cushion.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a belt conveyor for lifting a metal workpiece from a quenching layer, a work locking member in which a thick aluminum plate is covered with a mesh belt has been used to prevent the workpiece from sliding down in the inclined direction of the belt conveyor. This mesh belt is a cushioning material for preventing the workpiece from being damaged when the workpiece thrown into the quenching layer hits the locking member, but still, since the cushioning property of the work locking member is not sufficient, the present applicants have proposed, although not publicly, a work locking member with enhanced cushioning property in Patent Document 1.

[0003] That is, the work locking member of Patent Document 1 has enhanced the buffering ability against the work locking member by accommodating a coil spring inside a mesh belt wound in a cylindrical shape instead of a thick aluminum plate, by the expansion and contraction of the coil spring.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, Patent Document 1 proposes two types of workpiece locking members: one in which the axial direction of a coil spring is oriented perpendicular to the axial direction of a cylindrically wound mesh belt, and another in which the axial direction of the coil spring is oriented in the same direction as the mesh belt. The former has the advantage that the impact of a workpiece falling from above is applied in the axial direction of the coil spring, making it easier to cushion the impact of the workpiece by the axial expansion and contraction of the coil spring. However, it has the problem that it is difficult to wind the mesh belt around the coil spring. On the other hand, the latter type of workpiece locking member has the advantage that it is easy to wind the mesh belt around the coil spring, but it has the problem that the impact from the workpiece is applied to the outer circumference of the coil spring, so the cushioning of the impact by the coil spring is not sufficient. This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a coil spring that can effectively dampen the force applied to its outer circumference. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The invention made to solve the above problem is a wire made by winding a wire in a spiral shape. Along with, A coil spring in which the axis connecting the centers of each ring, which make up one turn of the coil, is a helical axis. The spring-filled cushion is characterized by comprising a mesh belt formed by weaving wires and wound in a cylindrical shape around the outer circumference of the coil spring.

[0007] This invention In spring cushions Because the coil spring has a spirally shaped axis, each ring protrudes sequentially in different radial directions following the spiral axis, and recesses on the opposite side. As a result, the outer surface is inclined in both the longitudinal and radial directions, and simultaneously forms radially opposing grooves and protrusions. When the coil spring is laid on a horizontal floor, there are areas with and without gaps between the outer surface and the floor. In the areas with gaps, the upper side of the outer surface protrudes upward, while in the areas without gaps, the upper side of the outer surface is recessed downward. When a force is applied from above to the upwardly protruding portion of the coil spring in this state, the coil spring deforms in a direction that causes this gap to contact the floor, and simultaneously generates an elastic force due to this deformation, thus buffering the force applied to the outer surface.

[0008] In the coil spring according to the present invention, it is preferable that the outer diameter of each ring is constant. This allows for regularly spaced irregularities to be formed on the outer circumference.

[0009] The coil spring according to the present invention preferably has a gap between each of the rings. This allows the coil spring to be compressed in the longitudinal direction, thereby improving the cushioning performance of the coil spring.

[0010] This invention The spring-filled cushion is as described above. By winding the mesh belt around the outer circumference of the coil spring, the mesh belt can be easily wound around the coil spring. Furthermore, due to the irregularities of the coil spring, areas where the mesh belt and the coil spring contact and areas where there is a gap are formed between the outer circumference of the coil spring and the mesh belt. As a result, the force applied to the mesh belt from above can be transmitted to a wider area of ​​the coil spring through these contact areas, and the coil spring can deform using these gaps, thus more efficiently cushioning the force applied from above.

[0011] The present invention includes a workpiece locking member provided on the upper surface of a conveyor belt of a belt conveyor for locking a workpiece to be transported by the conveyor belt, the workpiece locking member comprising a spring-loaded cushion and a fixing means for fixing the spring-loaded cushion to the belt conveyor such that the longitudinal direction of the spring-loaded cushion extends in the width direction of the belt conveyor. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] As described above, the coil spring, spring-filled cushion, and workpiece locking member of the present invention can efficiently cushion the force applied to the outer circumference of the coil spring. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a coil spring according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a front view of the coil spring. [Figure 3]It is a rear view of the coil spring shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is a right side view of the coil spring shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 5] It is a left side view of the coil spring shown in FIG. 1 [Figure 6] It is a plan view of the coil spring shown in FIG. 1 [Figure 7] It is a bottom view of the coil spring shown in FIG. 1 [Figure 8] It is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship of adjacent rings of the coil spring of FIG. 1. [Figure 9] It is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship of the 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd rings of the coil spring of FIG. 1. [Figure 10] It is a front view of the spring-included cushion according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] It is a developed view of the mesh belt shown in FIG. 10. [Figure 12] It is a (a) plan view, (b) front view, and (c) top view of the locking member for a belt conveyor according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and includes those obtained by making appropriate changes without departing from the gist.

[0015] <First Embodiment> (Coil Spring) Figure 1 shows a coil spring 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment, no members other than the coil spring 1 are provided. As shown in Figure 1, the coil spring 1 is formed by winding a metal wire for a spring into a coil shape and comprises a number of rings 1a1, 1a2, 1a3, ..., 1a28 (collectively referred to as 1a) that are spirally connected (28 in the example of Figure 1), gaps 1b1, 1b2, 1b3, ... (collectively referred to as 1b) provided between adjacent rings 1a1, 1a2, 1a3, ..., and a virtual helical axis 11 obtained by connecting the centers O1, O2, O3, ... (collectively referred to as O) of the outer circles 1c1, 1c2, 1c3, ... (collectively referred to as 1c) of each ring 1a1, 1a2. In this embodiment, all rings 1a have the same outer circle radius R. Furthermore, the coil spring 1 includes a half-ring portion 1a29 adjacent to the ring 1a28, which is a ring that covers half of its circumference.

[0016] When using metal wire such as spring steel wire, piano wire, oil-tempered wire, or stainless steel wire for the coil spring 1, the metal wire is coiled into a straight tube at cold (room temperature), and then an external force is applied radially to each loop to plastically deform it so that the center points of each loop are aligned on the helical axis. After that, low-temperature annealing is performed at a temperature suitable for the material. However, the coil spring of the present invention is not limited to metal, and in addition to resins such as carbon fiber composites, known spring materials can be used as appropriate.

[0017] (Regarding the side view shape of the coil spring) Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram of the coil spring 1 as viewed from the right side, parallel to the longitudinal direction of the coil spring 1. In Figure 8, the helical axis 11 is represented as a circle with radius r1 centered on a virtual linear axis 12 (which appears as a point in Figure 8) passing through the center of the helical axis 11. The coil spring 1 is wound around the linear axis 12 for one turn (360 degrees) from ring 1a1 to ring 1a28.

[0018] As shown in Figure 8, the outer circle 1c1 (see Figure 9) of the first ring 1a1 (see Figure 2) from the right is formed as a circle with radius R centered at point 11a (see Figure 2) on the helical axis 11. The outer circle 1c2 of the second ring 1a2 from the right is formed as a circle with radius R centered at point O2, which is obtained by rotating clockwise from center O1 by θ = 2π / 28 on the helical axis 11. In this way, the rings 1a1, 1a2, 1a3, ... are arranged so that the centers O1, O2, O3, ... of their outer circles 1c1, 1c2, 1c3, ... move along the helical axis 11 by an angle θ around the linear axis 12.

[0019] In Figure 8, the virtual circle 13, shown by the dashed line, represents a circle with radius r2 = r1 + R, centered on the linear axis 12. The outer circles 1c1, 1c2, 1c3, ... of the rings 1a1, 1a2, 1a3, ... of the coil spring 1 are tangent to the virtual circle 13 at points of tangency T1, T2, T3, ...

[0020] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the coil spring 1 viewed from the right side, similar to Figure 8, and shows only the rings 1a1, 1a8, 1a15, and 1a22, which are the 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd rings from the right, respectively, out of the 28 rings 1a. The centers O1, O8, O15, and O22 of the outer circles 1c1, 1c8, 1c15, and 1c22 of rings 1a1, 1a8, 1a15, and 1a22 rotate counterclockwise by π / 2 (90 degrees) in order on the helical axis 11.

[0021] (Regarding the shape of the coil spring as viewed from a direction perpendicular to its linear axis) As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the helical axis 11 and the pair of outlines 14, 14 of the coil spring 1, viewed from a direction perpendicular to the linear axis 12, are arranged in a congruent sine curve of one period. By rotating the coil spring 1 around the linear axis 12 and gradually changing the viewing direction, the positions of the peaks and valleys of the sine curve traced by the helical axis 11 and the pair of outlines 14, 14 shift slightly. For example, if the viewing direction of the coil spring 1 is changed by 90 degrees from the front view in Figure 2 to the plan view in Figure 6, the peaks and valleys of the sine curve of the outline 14 shift to the left by a quarter of a period.

[0022] (Effects / Actions) When the coil spring 1 is used alone, for example, as shown in Figure 2, if the coil spring 1 is placed on the floor surface F with its outer circumference in contact with the floor surface F, it will be in contact with the floor surface F at point T, and the rest of the coil spring will create a gap S between it and the floor surface F. When a force f (see arrow in Figure 2) is applied to the coil spring 1 from above at a position above the gap S, the coil spring 1 deforms to narrow the gap S, and the elastic force generated at that time cushions the applied force. The coil spring 1 is preferably long enough so that the sine curve 14 of its outer diameter, when viewed from at least one direction perpendicular to the linear axis 12, is at least one-quarter of a period, more preferably at least half a period, even more preferably at least three-quarters of a period, and even more preferably at least one period. By increasing the overall length of the coil spring 1 in this way, a sufficient gap can be secured when it is placed on the floor surface F.

[0023] <Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second and subsequent embodiments, components and parts common to the previously described embodiments will be denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions will be omitted. (Spring cushion) Figure 10 shows a spring-loaded cushion 10 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The spring-loaded cushion 10 is used, for example, to support heavy objects such as metal parts or to cushion the impact applied to heavy objects by placing it under such objects. The spring-loaded cushion 10 comprises multiple coil springs 1,... arranged in a single row with the same longitudinal direction (five in the example of Figure 1), and a mesh belt 2 covering the coil springs 1,.... However, the number of coil springs 1 may be four or fewer, or six or more.

[0024] As shown in Figure 10, multiple coil springs 1,... are arranged in a straight line within the mesh belt 2 so that adjacent springs touch each other, and are wound integrally by the mesh belt 2. However, when arranging multiple coil springs 1,..., a space may be left between adjacent coil springs 1. Also, in the example in Figure 10, for convenience, the multiple coil springs 1,... are shown so that the sine curves of their outer shapes are continuous, but their orientation with respect to the circumferential direction may be different so that the sine curves of their outer diameters in a side view are discontinuous. Adjacent coil springs 1 may be fixed together with wire.

[0025] The coil spring 1 is in contact with the inner surface of the mesh belt 2 at point T (see T1, T8, T15, T22 in Figure 9) where the outer circumference 1c is furthest from the linear axis 12, and around that point. The rest of the coil spring 1 is separated from the mesh belt 2, forming a gap 15 between it and the mesh belt 2.

[0026] (Mesh belt) As shown in Figure 11(b), the mesh belt 2 is rectangular in its unfolded state and covers the coil spring 1 by being wound in a cylindrical shape around the axis of the coil spring 1. As shown in Figure 11, the mesh belt 2 comprises a right-handed helical member 3, a left-handed helical member 4, a reinforcing rib 5, and a wavy spring member 6. All of these are formed from metal wire such as stainless steel or iron.

[0027] The right-handed helical member 3 is formed to extend in a right-handed helical shape from one end to the other end of the mesh belt 2 when viewed from one end (upper side in Figure 11(b)) in the width direction (up and down direction in Figure 11(b)) when the mesh belt 2 is unfolded, while the left-handed helical member 4 is formed to extend in a left-handed helical shape from one end to the other end. The helical members 3 and 4 extend in the width direction of the mesh belt 2 and are arranged in parallel and alternately in the longitudinal direction.

[0028] The reinforcing bars 5 are formed from metal wire in a wavy rod shape and have numerous alternating waves 5a and 5b arranged in the length direction (width direction of the mesh belt 2). Wave 5a engages with the ring 3a of the right helical member 3, and wave 5b engages with the ring 4a of the left helical member 4, thereby connecting adjacent helical members 3 and 4 while preventing them from shifting in the width direction. However, the reinforcing bars may be straight lines without waves instead of wavy rods.

[0029] As shown in Figure 13, the wavy spring member 6 is formed in a wavy shape with continuous waves 6a at a pitch P2 that is larger than the pitch P1 of the rings 3a and 4a of the helical members 3 and 4. By making the pitch P2 larger than the pitch P1, it is possible to suppress the waves 6a of the wavy spring member 6 from getting stuck between the rings 3a and 4a of the helical members 3 and 4, allowing the wavy spring member 6 to be inserted between the helical members 3 and 4 while they are spaced apart. When the distance between the axes of the helical members 3 and 4 decreases, the waves 6a are pushed by the rings 3a and 4a of the helical members 3 and 4, causing deformation that reduces the wave height of the waves 6a, thus forming an elastic force in the wavy spring member 6. The pitch P2 is preferably twice or more the pitch P1, more preferably three times or more, even more preferably four times or more, and particularly preferably five times or more.

[0030] The wavy spring member 6 is fixed at both ends by welding to only one of the helical members 3 and 4, and is not fixed to the other helical member 3 or 4. In this way, the wavy spring member 6 can move freely within the helical members 3 and 4, and the movement of the wavy spring member 6 causes the distance between the axes of adjacent helical members 3 and 4 to expand or contract.

[0031] The wavy spring member 6 may have both ends 6b, 6b welded to the ends of the helical member 3 or helical member 4. However, when the wavy spring member 6 undergoes deformation that reduces the wave height, it stretches in the length direction (width direction of the mesh belt 2). If both ends are fixed by welding, the stretching is constrained, and there is a risk that deformation that reduces the wave height will not be possible.

[0032] Furthermore, while the wavy spring member 6 does not necessarily have to be welded at both ends, if both ends are free, there is a risk that the wavy spring member 6 may shift position in the width direction of the mesh belt 2 as the mesh belt 2 repeatedly expands and contracts.

[0033] By welding only one end of the wavy spring member 6 to the end of the helical member 3 or helical member 4, the wavy spring member 6 can undergo elastic deformation that reduces the wave height without restricting its extension or causing displacement, thereby effectively forming an elastic force, making the mesh belt 2 expandable and contractible, and giving the mesh belt 2 cushioning properties.

[0034] When multiple wavy spring members 6 are arranged in parallel, it is preferable to weld at least some of the wavy spring members 6 to the helical member 3 or helical member 4 at an end 6b on a different side from the other spring members 6. It is even more preferable to change the end 6bw to which the multiple wavy spring members 6 are welded at regular intervals between one end and the other end in the width direction of the mesh belt 2, and even more preferable to change the end 6bw to which each spring member is welded alternately. This allows the mesh belt 2 to expand and contract uniformly.

[0035] The mesh belt 2 is formed into a cylindrical shape by winding coil springs 1,... and then connecting the circumferential reinforcing ribs 5, 5 at both ends with helical members having an appropriate outer diameter.

[0036] The mesh belt 2 is not limited to the one shown in Figure 5, but can be made by weaving metal wires. This makes it easy to wind around the coil spring 1 and easy to deform when an object collides with it. Furthermore, it is preferable that the mesh belt 2 is made by alternately connecting at least right helical members 3 and left helical members 4 in the direction perpendicular to the axis. This allows the mesh belt 2 to be wound around the coil spring 1 without gaps by selecting helical members 3 and left helical members 4 of appropriate diameters for the connection when winding the mesh belt 2 around the coil spring 1 and connecting both ends in the circumferential direction. Alternatively, the right helical members 3 and left helical members 4 may be connected by reinforcing ribs 5. This allows the mesh belt 2 to be wound around the coil spring 1 without gaps by selecting helical members of appropriate diameters or reinforcing ribs 5 that are straight or have waves 5a, 5b of appropriate height when winding the mesh belt 2 around the coil spring 1 and connecting both ends in the circumferential direction.

[0037] (Effects / Actions) In this embodiment, by winding the mesh belt 2 around the coil spring 1, when a force is applied to the outer circumference of the coil spring 1, the impact can be distributed over a wide area of ​​the coil spring 1 via the mesh belt 2 and the contact point T between the coil spring 1 and the mesh belt 2, thereby more effectively cushioning the impact.

[0038] <Third Embodiment> (Locking member for belt conveyor) Figure 12 shows a workpiece locking member 100 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The workpiece locking member 100 comprises a spring-loaded cushion 10 for locking a workpiece and a fixing means 20 for fixing the spring-loaded cushion 10 to the conveyor belt A. The workpiece locking member 100 is, for example, provided protruding from the upper surface of the conveyor belt A (shown as a dashed line in Figure 11(b)) of a belt conveyor that lifts metal workpieces (hereinafter referred to as "workpieces") from a quenching tank, and is used to lock the workpieces and prevent metal parts from sliding down along the inclination of the conveyor belt A.

[0039] (Fixing means) The fixing means 20 comprises a base plate 21 made of a long metal plate and fixing bolts 22 extending from the lower surface of the base plate 21.

[0040] As shown in Figures 12(b) and (c), the substrate 21 is shaped like a long plate, with its longitudinal direction oriented in the width direction of the conveyor belt A (left and right directions in Figures 12(b) and (c)), and is sandwiched between the coil spring 1 and the mesh belt 2 on the conveyor belt A side of the coil spring 1. At both ends of the upper surface of the substrate 21 in the width direction (left and right directions in Figure 12(d)), a pair of spring locking members 24, 24 made of metal rods extending in the longitudinal direction of the substrate 21 are fixed to the substrate 21 by welding. As shown in Figure 12(d), the spring locking members 24 abut against the outer circumference of the coil spring 1 to prevent the coil spring 1 from falling off the substrate 21 and guide the axial expansion and contraction of the coil spring.

[0041] The fixing bolt 22 is a countersunk bolt and is welded to the base plate 21 by passing through it with its head embedded in the base plate 21. The fixing bolt 22 extends through the gaps between the mesh belt 2 and the conveyor belt A and is fixed to the conveyor belt A by nuts 23 through bolt holes in the base B, which is made of C-channel and is provided on the underside of the conveyor belt A. In this way, the spring cushion 10 is fixed to the conveyor belt A. However, the fixing bolt 22 does not have to be a countersunk bolt, and its head may protrude above the base plate 21. Alternatively, female screw holes or nuts may be provided on the base plate 21 side on the inside of the mesh belt 2, and the fixing bolt 22 inserted from the underside of the conveyor belt A may be passed through from the outside of the mesh belt 2 to fix it.

[0042] Furthermore, the fixing means 20 includes cover plates 323 that contact the ends of the coil springs at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the base plate 21 to prevent the coil springs 1 from escaping from the mesh belt 2, and a U-shaped frame member 324 whose ends are welded to the base plate 21 in order to accommodate the ends of the coil springs 1.

[0043] (Effects / Actions) The workpiece locking member 100 according to the third embodiment has the following functions and effects due to having the above-described configuration. (1) By providing the coil spring 1 on the inside of the mesh belt 2, the cushioning of the workpiece locking member 100 can be improved. (2) The mesh belt 2 is wound around the axis of the coil spring 1, making it easy to wind the mesh belt 2 onto the coil spring 1. (3) A gap 15 is provided between the coil spring 1 and the mesh belt 2, which further enhances the cushioning of the spring cushion 10. (4) As the mesh belt 2, a wavy spring member 6 with a small pitch between the helical members 3 and 4 is used, making it easy to wind the mesh belt 2 around the coil spring 1.

[0044] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, the radius of the outer diameter of the coil spring rings may vary from ring to ring. The radius of the helical axis of the coil spring around the linear axis, that is, the distance from the helical axis, may vary depending on the location. The outer shape, as viewed from a direction perpendicular to the helical axis and the linear axis of the coil spring, does not have to be a sine curve. There may be no gaps between the rings of the coil spring. The helical axis may rotate less than one full turn around the linear axis relative to the total length of the coil, or it may rotate more than one full turn. The number of rings in the coil spring may be 27 or less, or 29 or more. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1. Coil spring 1a wheel 10 spring cushions 11. Helical axis 15 gaps 2 Mesh belts 100 Workpiece locking member 20 Fixing means A Conveyor belt O center R is the radius of the outer circle. T Contact part (contact)

Claims

1. A coil spring is formed by winding a wire in a spiral shape, and the axis connecting the centers of each loop, which makes up one turn of the coil, is the helical axis. A mesh belt formed by weaving wires and wound around the outer circumference of the coil spring in a cylindrical shape, A spring-loaded cushion characterized by having the following features.

2. The spring cushion according to Claim 1, wherein the outer diameter of each of the coil springs is constant.

3. The spring cushion according to claim 1, wherein the coil spring has a gap between each of the rings.

4. A workpiece locking member provided on the upper surface of the conveyor belt of a belt conveyor, for locking a workpiece to be transported by the conveyor belt, A spring-filled cushion according to claim 1, Fixing means for fixing the spring cushion to the belt conveyor such that the longitudinal direction of the spring cushion extends in the width direction of the belt conveyor, A workpiece locking member comprising the above.

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