Sheet metal feeding device

Abstract

Provided is a sheet material feeding device that achieves a reduction in power consumption, has improved durability, and transports a sheet material with high accuracy. This sheet material feeding device 101, which transports a sheet material clamped by a first roll 103 and a second roll 104, is equipped with a release mechanism 112 for releasing the clamped sheet material, the release mechanism 112 having an eccentric cam 201, an eccentric cam bearing 202 arranged along a side surface of the eccentric cam 201, a guide 203 arranged so as to be able to contact the eccentric cam bearing 202, and a block 204 arranged so as to be able to contact the guide 203 and connected to an upper roll support member 110. The release mechanism 112 causes the eccentric cam 201 to rotate and moves the guide 203 in a horizontal direction relative to the block 204 by means of the eccentric cam bearing 202, thereby causing the upper roll support member 110 connected to the block 204 to move in the vertical direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a plate material feeding device that can achieve lower power consumption, improve durability, and convey a plate material with high accuracy to a processing apparatus such as a press apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a roll-type material feeding device that includes a frame, a first driven feed roll, a second feed roll, a first drive motor that rotates in driving engagement with the first driven feed roll, and a second drive motor that rotates in driving engagement with the first driven feed roll. This roll-type material feeding device is provided with a speed change gear device so that the second feed roll can be driven in cooperative relationship with the first driven feed roll, and the speed change gear device has a first drive gear attached to the first driven feed roll, a first driven gear in driving engagement with the first drive gear, and an intermediate coupling member for coupling the first driven gear to the second feed roll. The second feed roll is rotatably supported in a movable roll support, and a force-generating actuator provided between the frame and the movable roll support cooperates with the movable roll support to generate a gripping force between the second feed roll and the first driven feed roll, so as to grip a workpiece between the second feed roll and the first driven feed roll.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the roll-type material feeding device described in Patent Document 1, the force generating actuator lifts the movable roll support that supports the second feed roll, thereby releasing the workpiece being held between the second feed roll and the first driven feed roll. However, there is a problem in that a motor with a large capacity is required as the force generating actuator to lift the movable roll support.

[0005] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a sheet material feeding device that solves the above problems, achieves low power consumption, improves durability, and can transport sheet materials with high precision. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a sheet metal feeding device comprising a housing, a first roll housed within the housing, a second roll housed within the housing, a first roll support member supporting the first roll, and a second roll support member supporting the second roll, configured to clamp a sheet metal with the first and second rolls and to transport the sheet metal in accordance with the rotation of the first and second rolls, further comprising a release mechanism for releasing the clamped sheet metal, the release mechanism comprising an eccentric cam, a bearing disposed along the side surface of the eccentric cam, a guide disposed to be in contact with the bearing, and a block disposed to be in contact with the guide and connected to one of the roll support members, the first and second roll support members, wherein the release mechanism is configured to rotate the eccentric cam, thereby moving the guide horizontally relative to the block via the bearing, and thereby moving the roll support member connected to the block vertically.

[0007] According to one specific example of the present invention, the sheet material feeding device further comprises a first motor connected to a first roll for rotating the first roll, and a second motor connected to a second roll for rotating the second roll.

[0008] According to one specific example of the present invention, the sheet metal feeding device further comprises a first motor connected to one of the first rolls and the second roll for rotating the first roll, a first gear provided on the roll shaft to which the first roll is fixed, and a second gear provided on the roll shaft to which the other of the first rolls is fixed, wherein the first gear and the second gear engage with each other so that the other roll rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the first roll by the first motor.

[0009] According to one specific example of the present invention, in a sheet metal feeding device, the bearing comprises an inner ring portion fixed along the side surface of an eccentric cam and an outer ring portion arranged to be in contact with a guide.

[0010] According to one specific example of the present invention, the sheet metal feeding device further comprises an elastic member positioned between the housing and one of the roll support members, wherein the guide and block are pressed by the elastic member against the eccentric cam and bearing via the one of the roll support members when the sheet metal is being released.

[0011] According to one specific example of the present invention, in a sheet metal feeding device, the elastic member is an air spring or a coil spring.

[0012] According to one specific example of the present invention, in a sheet metal feeding device, the release mechanism is configured to rotate an eccentric cam so as to extend an elastic member vertically in order to move one of the roll support members vertically to clamp the sheet metal.

[0013] According to one specific example of the present invention, in a sheet metal feeding device, the release mechanism is configured such that a gap is provided between the block and the guide when the sheet metal is clamped.

[0014] According to one specific example of the present invention, the sheet metal feeding device further comprises a third motor, and the release mechanism further comprises a shaft connected to the third motor for rotating an eccentric cam, and the sheet metal feeding device is configured to rotate the shaft in response to the rotation by the third motor, thereby moving one of the roll support members in the vertical direction.

[0015] According to one specific example of the present invention, in a sheet metal feeding device, a third motor is configured to stop the rotation of the eccentric cam while the eccentric cam is rotating, in response to a signal from outside the sheet metal feeding device, thereby stopping the transport of the sheet metal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, a large material gripping force can be obtained with a small driving force, thereby enabling clamping and releasing of sheet materials with low power consumption, and improving durability compared to conventional methods. Furthermore, sheet materials can be clamped and released at high speed, and sheet materials can be conveyed intermittently in fixed quantities with high precision.

[0017] Further objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments relating to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a sheet metal feeding device as one embodiment of the present invention, as seen from the front. [Figure 2] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the sheet metal feeding device shown in Figure 1, along the dashed line II in Figure 1, when viewed from the side. [Figure 3] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the sheet metal feeding device releasing the sheet metal shown in Figure 1, as seen from the front. [Figure 4] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the sheet metal feeding device that clamps the sheet metal shown in Figure 1, as seen from the front. [Figure 5A]This is a schematic perspective view of a release mechanism as an embodiment in the plate material feeding device of FIG. 1, showing a state where the plate material is being released. [Figure 5B] This is a schematic perspective view of a release mechanism as an embodiment in the plate material feeding device of FIG. 1, showing a state transitioning from releasing the plate material to clamping it. [Figure 5C] This is a schematic perspective view of a release mechanism as an embodiment in the plate material feeding device of FIG. 1, showing a state transitioning from releasing the plate material to clamping it. [Figure 5D] This is a schematic perspective view of a release mechanism as an embodiment in the plate material feeding device of FIG. 1, showing a state where the plate material is being clamped. [Figure 6] This is a schematic perspective view illustrating the relationship between the roll shaft, the coupling device, and the gear shaft as an embodiment in the plate material feeding device of FIG. 1. [Figure 7] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a plate material feeding device as another embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the front. [Mode for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0020] Referring to Figures 1 to 6, a sheet metal feeding device 101 as one embodiment of the present invention will be described. The sheet metal feeding device 101 comprises a main body housing 102, a first roll (lower roll) 103 housed within the main body housing 102, and a second roll (upper roll) 104 housed within the main body housing 102 and positioned vertically above the lower roll 103. The sheet metal feeding device 101 also comprises a first roll support member (lower roll support member) 109 housed within the main body housing 102 and rotatably supporting the lower roll 103, and a second roll support member (upper roll support member) 110 housed within the main body housing 102 and rotatably supporting the upper roll 104. The lower roll 103 is fixed to the first roll shaft (lower roll shaft) 107 and can rotate around the first roll axis (lower roll axis) 105, while the upper roll 104 is fixed to the second roll shaft (upper roll shaft) 108 and can rotate around the second roll axis (upper roll axis) 106. The lower roll 103 and the upper roll 104 contact and clamp the sheet metal guided by the sheet metal guide 117, and the clamped sheet metal is conveyed by the rotation of the lower roll 103 and the upper roll 104. The sheet metal feeding device 101 is connected to one of the rolls, the lower roll 103 and the upper roll 104, and includes a roll motor 114 for rotating the other roll. In Figures 1, 3, and 4, the roll motor 114 is connected to the main housing 102 so as to directly rotate the lower roll 103, but the roll motor 114 may also be connected to the main housing 102 so as to directly rotate the upper roll 104.

[0021] The roll motor 114 may comprise a substantially cylindrical stator with a hollow core and a substantially cylindrical rotor with a hollow core positioned within the stator's hollow core. In Figures 1, 3, and 4, the rotor of the roll motor 114 is connected to the lower roll 103 via the lower roll shaft 107. The lower roll 103 rotates relative to the lower roll support member 109 as the rotor of the roll motor 114 rotates. The roll motor 114 may include a motor housing that accommodates the stator, but the motor housing may not accommodate the entire stator, allowing at least a portion of the stator to be in direct contact with the outside air. This direct contact of a portion of the stator with the outside air improves the air cooling efficiency of the roll motor 114. The roll motor 114 may also be equipped with a roll rotation angle sensor 116 at the end opposite to the end connected to the sheet metal feed device 101 in order to measure the rotation angle of the rotor and detect the rotational speed. Examples of the rotation angle sensor 116 for the roll include a magnetic resolver and an optical encoder.

[0022] The lower roll support member 109 may include a lower roll bearing 111, which rotatably supports both ends of the lower roll shaft 107, thereby rotatably supporting the lower roll 103 fixed to the lower roll shaft 107. The upper roll support member 110 may include an upper roll bearing (not shown), which rotatably supports both ends of the upper roll shaft 108, thereby rotatably supporting the upper roll 104 fixed to the upper roll shaft 108.

[0023] The sheet metal feeding device 101 includes a release mechanism 112 for releasing clamped sheet metal. The release mechanism 112 is adjusted according to the thickness of the sheet metal being clamped. The release mechanism 112 includes an eccentric cam 201, an eccentric cam bearing 202 positioned along the side surface of the eccentric cam 201, a guide 203 positioned to be in contact with the eccentric cam bearing 202, and a block 204 positioned to be in contact with the guide 203 and connected to one of the roll support members, the lower roll support member 109 and the upper roll support member 110. In Figures 1 to 4, the release mechanism 112 is connected to the upper roll support member 110 via the block 204 in order to allow the upper roll support member 110 to move vertically, but if the lower roll support member 109 is to be allowed to move vertically, the release mechanism 112 may be connected to the lower roll support member 109 via the block 204. In the following description, the release mechanism 112 is assumed to be connected to the upper roll support member 110 via the block 204, but the same applies when the release mechanism 112 is connected to the lower roll support member 109 via the block 204. The block 204 is provided with a roughly rectangular perforation, and the eccentric cam 201, eccentric cam bearing 202, and guide 203 are arranged within the perforation such that at least a portion of them is housed within the perforation. The block 204 may be integrated with the upper roll support member 110. The release mechanism 112 rotates the eccentric cam 201, causing the guide 203 to move horizontally relative to the block 204 via the eccentric cam bearing 202, thereby allowing the upper roll support member 110 connected to the block 204 to move vertically.

[0024] The release mechanism 112 will be described in more detail. The sheet metal feeding device 101 includes a release motor 118 connected to the main body housing 102. The release mechanism 112 includes a shaft 209 for rotating an eccentric cam 201. The release motor 118 may include a substantially cylindrical stator with a hollow core and a substantially cylindrical rotor with a hollow core located in the hollow core of the stator. The shaft 209 is connected to the rotor of the release motor 118, and the substantially cylindrical eccentric cam 201 is connected to the shaft 209 such that its axis of rotation is offset from the shaft axis 211 of the shaft 209. The eccentric cam 201 may be integrated with the shaft 209. When the rotor of the release motor 118 rotates, the shaft 209 rotates around the shaft axis 211, and the eccentric cam 201 connected to the shaft 209 also rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the shaft 209. The release mechanism 112 may include a shaft bearing 210, which may rotatably support both ends of the shaft 209.

[0025] The eccentric cam bearing 202 comprises an inner ring portion 205 fixed along the side surface of the eccentric cam 201 and an outer ring portion 206 positioned to be in contact with the guide 203. The inner ring portion 205 may be integral with the eccentric cam 201. The outer ring portion 206 is contactable along the arc portion of the guide 203. The outer ring portion 206 may or may not be fixed to the arc portion of the guide 203, and if fixed, it may be integral with the guide 203. The eccentric cam bearing 202 may be a sliding bearing in which the inner ring portion 205 slides against the outer ring portion 206, or it may be a rolling bearing in which a plurality of rollers (needles) 207 are inserted between the inner ring portion 205 and the outer ring portion 206. By incorporating the eccentric cam bearing 202, the sliding speed of the eccentric cam 201 against the guide 203 can be reduced, and the surface pressure on the load-bearing portion can be reduced.

[0026] Guide 203 has a sliding portion on the opposite side of the arc portion of guide 203, and the sliding portion of guide 203 is positioned to be in contact with the upper surface of the hole in block 204. When the sliding portion of guide 203 is in contact with the upper surface of the hole in block 204, it can slide horizontally with respect to the upper surface of the hole in block 204. The sliding portion of guide 203 does not have to be in constant contact with the upper surface of the hole in block 204, and in particular when a plate material is clamped, a gap 208 may be provided between the sliding portion of guide 203 and the upper surface of the hole in block 204.

[0027] Figure 5A shows the release mechanism 112 in the state where the plate material is released. The block 204 and the upper roll support member 110 connected to the block 204 move vertically upward, causing the upper roll 104 supported by the upper roll support member 110 to be lifted vertically upward, thereby releasing the plate material. In this case, the rotation axis of the eccentric cam 201 is positioned vertically upward with respect to the shaft axis 211 of the shaft 209.

[0028] When the rotor of the release motor 118 starts to rotate, as shown in Figure 5B, the shaft 209 connected to the rotor of the release motor 118 rotates around the shaft axis 211, and as the shaft 209 rotates, the eccentric cam 201 connected to the shaft 209 also rotates. When the eccentric cam 201 rotates, the guide 203 slides horizontally against the block 204 by the eccentric cam bearing 202. In Figure 5B, the shaft 209 and the eccentric cam 201 rotate counterclockwise, and the rotation axis of the eccentric cam 201 rotates less than 90° from the vertically upper side around the shaft axis 211 of the shaft 209 when viewed from the side of the sheet metal feeding device 101, and is positioned horizontally to the left of the shaft axis 211 and vertically above, so the guide 203 slides horizontally to the left of the block 204. As a result, block 204 and the upper roll support member 110 connected to block 204 move vertically downward.

[0029] As the rotor of the release motor 118 rotates further, as shown in Figure 5C, the shaft 209 connected to the rotor of the release motor 118 rotates further around the shaft axis 211, and the eccentric cam 201 connected to the shaft 209 also rotates further as the shaft 209 rotates. As the eccentric cam 201 rotates further, the guide 203 slides horizontally in the opposite direction relative to the block 204 by the eccentric cam bearing 202. In Figure 5C, the shaft 209 and the eccentric cam 201 rotate further counterclockwise, and the rotation axis of the eccentric cam 201 rotates more than 90° vertically from the upper side around the shaft axis 211 of the shaft 209 when viewed from the side of the sheet metal feeding device 101, and is positioned horizontally to the left and vertically below the shaft axis 211, and the guide 203 slides horizontally to the right relative to the block 204. As a result, block 204 and the upper roll support member 110 connected to block 204 move further downward in the vertical direction. In this way, the upper roll 104 supported by the upper roll support member 110 moves downward in the vertical direction, transitioning from a state in which the plate material is released to a state in which the plate material is clamped.

[0030] Figure 5D shows the release mechanism 112 in a clamped state. When the rotor of the release motor 118 rotates more than 180° from the start of rotation, the block 204 and the upper roll support member 110 connected to the block 204 move vertically downward to their lower limit, causing the upper roll 104 supported by the upper roll support member 110 to move vertically downward and clamp the sheet metal. In this case, the rotation axis of the eccentric cam 201 is positioned vertically downward with respect to the shaft axis 211 of the shaft 209.

[0031] Conversely, by rotating the rotor of the release motor 118, the block 204 and the upper roll support member 110 connected to the block 204 move vertically upward to their upper limit. This causes the upper roll 104 supported by the upper roll support member 110 to be lifted vertically upward, transitioning from a state where the sheet metal is clamped to a state where the sheet metal is released. In this way, the release mechanism 112 rotates the shaft 209 in response to the rotation by the release motor 118, thereby moving the upper roll support member 110 vertically. Note that the block 204 and the upper roll support member 110 connected to the block 204 do not necessarily have to move vertically upward to their upper limit and / or vertically downward to their lower limit; they may move within a range between the upper and lower limits depending on the thickness of the sheet metal.

[0032] The sheet metal feeding device 101 may further include an elastic member 113 positioned between the main body housing 102 and the upper roll support member 110. When the sheet metal is released, the guide 203 and block 204 are pressed against the eccentric cam 201 and eccentric cam bearing 202 via the upper roll support member 110 by the elastic force of the elastic member 113. The elastic member 113 may be an air spring or a coil spring. An air spring, for example, can adjust the pressing force by adjusting its elastic force from the outside, and can also absorb vibrations that occur when the sheet metal feeding device 101 is operating. The elastic member 113 is not limited to these and may be other elastic members. In addition, the outer ring portion 206 of the eccentric cam bearing 202 may be pressed by the elastic force of the elastic member 113 so as to contact the arc portion of the guide 203.

[0033] As shown in Figure 3, when the sheet metal feeder 101 is releasing the sheet metal, the rotation axis of the eccentric cam 201 is positioned vertically above the shaft axis 211 of the shaft 209. When the eccentric cam 201 rotates, the block 204 and the upper roll support member 110 connected to the block 204 are pushed vertically downward due to the restoring force of the elastic member 113, which extends vertically downward. Based on the restoring force of the elastic member 113, the sheet metal is clamped between the lower roll 103 and the upper roll 104. As shown in Figure 4, when the sheet metal feeder 101 is clamping the sheet metal, the rotation axis of the eccentric cam 201 is positioned vertically below the shaft axis 211 of the shaft 209. When the eccentric cam 201 rotates in the reverse direction, the block 204 and the upper roll support member 110 connected to the block 204 are lifted vertically upward by the eccentric cam 201, and the elastic member 113 is shortened vertically upward. In this way, the release mechanism 112 can rotate the eccentric cam 201 so as to extend the elastic member 113 vertically in order to move the upper roll support member 110 vertically downward to clamp the plate material, and to shorten the elastic member 113 vertically in order to move the upper roll support member 110 vertically upward to release the plate material.

[0034] As shown in Figure 4, in the release mechanism 112, when a plate material is clamped, a gap 208 may be provided that functions as play between the guide 203 and the block 204. The height of the gap 208 may be 1 mm or less, preferably 0.5 mm or less, and more preferably 0.2 mm. When a plate material is clamped, the elastic member 113 presses the upper roll support member 110 vertically downward based on its restoring force, thereby clamping the plate material between the lower roll 103 and the upper roll 104. By ensuring a gap 208, the restoring force of the elastic member 113 can sufficiently act on the upper roll support member 110 to clamp the plate material.

[0035] The release motor 118 may be equipped with a release rotation angle sensor 119 at the end of the shaft 209 opposite to the end connected to the rotor, in order to measure the rotation angle of the rotor. Examples of the release rotation angle sensor 119 include a magnetic resolver and an optical encoder. By adjusting the rotation angle of the rotor of the release motor 118 based on the rotation angle of the rotor measured by the release rotation angle sensor 119, the eccentric cam 201 can be rotated to any angle, and the upper roll support member 110 can be adjusted to any height. This allows the sheet metal feeding device 101 to adjust the upper roll 104 to any height and release the sheet metal.

[0036] The sheet metal feeding device 101 intermittently transports a fixed amount of sheet metal to a processing device such as a press, but the release motor 118 may receive signals from outside the sheet metal feeding device 101 of the processing device. The release motor 118 may rotate its rotor to a predetermined first rotation angle in response to an external signal in order to clamp and transport the sheet metal by moving the upper roll support member 110 vertically downward. In addition, the release motor 118 may reverse rotation its rotor to a predetermined second rotation angle in response to an external signal in order to stop transporting the sheet metal by moving the upper roll support member 110 vertically upward while the sheet metal is being clamped and transported. In this way, the release motor 118 may rotate its rotor to intermittently transport a fixed amount of sheet metal to the processing device in response to the operation of the processing device. Furthermore, in order to stop the intermittent transport of a fixed amount of sheet material to the processing device, etc., the release motor 118 may be stopped by an external signal, by stopping the rotation of the rotor while the rotor is rotating between a first rotation angle and a second rotation angle, thereby stopping the rotation of the eccentric cam 201.

[0037] The sheet material feeding device 101 may also include a second roll motor. The second roll motor may have the same structure as the roll motor 114, comprising a substantially cylindrical stator with a hollow core and a substantially cylindrical rotor with a hollow core positioned within the stator's hollow core. The rotor of the second roll motor is connected to the upper roll 104 via the upper roll shaft 108. The upper roll 104 rotates relative to the upper roll support member 110 in conjunction with the rotation of the rotor of the second roll motor. In this way, by connecting each motor to its respective roll and rotating each roll, it becomes possible to transport heavy sheet materials even with a small rotational capacity for each motor, thereby providing a sheet material feeding device 101 with high transport capacity.

[0038] Furthermore, if the sheet material feeding device 101 is equipped with a second roll motor, the sheet material feeding device 101 may be equipped with a control device that receives a signal of the rotor rotation speed detected by a roll rotation angle sensor 116 provided on the roll motor 114 and a signal of the rotor rotation speed detected by a roll rotation angle sensor provided on the second roll motor. The control device determines whether these detected rotation speeds correspond to a predetermined rotation speed and controls the rotation speed of the rotors of each motor, thereby enabling the lower roll 103 and the upper roll 104 to rotate synchronously at a predetermined rotation speed.

[0039] The sheet metal feeding device 101 may also include a transmission mechanism 115 that transmits the rotation of the rotor of the roll motor 114 to the upper roll 104. The transmission mechanism 115 includes a first gear (lower roll gear) provided on the lower roll shaft 107 to which the lower roll 103 is fixed, and a second gear (upper roll gear) provided on the upper roll shaft 108 to which the upper roll 104 is fixed. The lower roll gear and the upper roll gear mesh and engage with each other, transmitting the rotation of the lower roll gear to the upper roll gear. As a result, the upper roll 104 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the lower roll 103 caused by the rotation of the rotor of the roll motor 114. In Figure 1, the transmission mechanism 115 is provided at the end of the lower roll shaft 107 and the end of the upper roll shaft 108 opposite to the roll motor 114, but it may also be provided at the end of the lower roll shaft 107 and the end of the upper roll shaft 108 on the same side as the roll motor 114. By transmitting rotation with the transmission mechanism 115, the lower roll 103 and the upper roll 104 can be rotated synchronously.

[0040] In the sheet metal feeding device 101, a coupling device 121 may be provided on the roll shaft to which at least one of the lower roll 103 and upper roll 104 is fixed, and at least one roll may be able to move vertically relative to the main housing 102 via the coupling device 121. In Figures 1, 3, 4, and 6, a coupling device 121 is provided on the upper roll shaft 108 to which the upper roll 104 is fixed, and the rotation of the upper roll gear caused by the rotation of the lower roll gear is transmitted to the upper roll shaft 108 via the coupling device 121, allowing the upper roll 104 to rotate. In addition, the upper roll 104 and the upper roll support member 110 that supports the upper roll 104 are able to move vertically relative to the main housing 102 via the coupling device 121, thereby allowing the sheet metal guided by the sheet metal guide 117 to be clamped and released. Alternatively, instead of the transmission mechanism 115, a second roll motor may be used, and the rotation of the rotor of the second roll motor may be transmitted to the upper roll shaft 108 via the coupling device 121, allowing the upper roll 104 to rotate. Furthermore, the upper roll 104 and the upper roll support member 110 that supports the upper roll 104 may be able to move vertically relative to the second roll motor and the main body housing 102 via the coupling device 121.

[0041] Figure 6 shows the relationship between the upper roll shaft 108 to which the upper roll 104 is fixed, the coupling device 121, and the upper roll gear shaft 120 to which the upper roll gear is fixed. In the sheet metal feeding device 101, the coupling device 121 is provided on the upper roll shaft 108 to which the upper roll 104 is fixed, and the upper roll shaft 108 and the upper roll gear shaft 120 are connected via the coupling device 121. By moving the upper roll support member 110 in the vertical direction, the upper roll 104 can move vertically relative to the main housing 102 via the coupling device 121 without moving the transmission mechanism 115 vertically relative to the main housing 102. In Figure 3, the plate material is released by moving the upper roll support member 110 and the upper roll 104 vertically upward relative to the main housing 102 via the coupling device 121 so that the upper roll axis 106 of the upper roll shaft 108 is offset from the axis of the upper roll gear shaft 120. In Figure 4, the plate material is clamped by moving the upper roll support member 110 and the upper roll 104 vertically downward relative to the main housing 102 via the coupling device 121 so that the upper roll axis 106 of the upper roll shaft 108 is aligned with the axis of the upper roll gear shaft 120. The coupling device 121 can be any device that can move the upper roll 104 vertically downward via the upper roll shaft 108 when clamping the plate material, and can move the upper roll 104 vertically upward via the upper roll shaft 108 when releasing the plate material. An example of such a coupling device is an Oldham coupling. The coupling device 121 allows the upper roll 104 to be moved vertically without changing the vertical position of the transmission mechanism 115, thereby clamping and releasing the sheet metal. In Figure 6, the upper roll shaft 108 and the upper roll gear shaft 120 are connected via the coupling device 121 because the upper roll support member 110 is moved vertically. However, when the lower roll support member 109 is moved vertically, the lower roll shaft 107 and the gear shaft of the lower roll gear may be connected via the coupling device 121, so that the lower roll 103 can be moved vertically without changing the vertical position of the transmission mechanism 115, thereby clamping and releasing the sheet metal.

[0042] As shown in Figure 7, another embodiment of the present invention, a sheet metal feeding device 101, includes an additional roll motor 122 connected to the lower roll 103 at the opposite end to one end of the lower roll 103 to which a roll motor 114 is connected, for rotating the lower roll 103. The additional roll motor 122 may include a substantially cylindrical stator with a hollow body and a substantially cylindrical rotor with a hollow body positioned in the hollow of the stator. The rotor of the additional roll motor 122 is connected to the lower roll 103 via the lower roll shaft 107. The lower roll 103 rotates relative to the lower roll support member 109 in conjunction with the rotation of the rotor of the roll motor 114 and the additional roll motor 122. The roll motor 114 is equipped with a roll rotation angle sensor 116 at the end opposite to the end connected to the sheet material feeder 101 in order to measure the rotation angle of the rotor and detect the rotation speed, while the additional roll motor 122 is not equipped with a roll rotation angle sensor. The additional roll motor 122 is pre-configured so that its rotor rotates at the same rotation speed as the rotor of the roll motor 114. For example, by treating the roll motor 114 and the additional roll motor 122 as the same motor and supplying them with currents of equal magnitude, the rotor of the additional roll motor 122 can rotate at the same rotation speed as the rotor of the roll motor 114. In this way, by connecting motors at both ends of the lower roll 103 and ensuring that the rotors of the motors at both ends rotate at the same rotation speed, the lower roll 103 can be prevented from twisting, and the sheet material can be conveyed at the same speed at both ends.

[0043] The sheet metal feeding device 101 may also include a second transmission mechanism 123 having the same configuration as the transmission mechanism 115, which transmits the rotation of the rotor of an additional roll motor 122 to the upper roll 104. The second transmission mechanism 123 is provided at the end of the lower roll shaft 107 and the end of the upper roll shaft 108 opposite to the transmission mechanism 115. As a result, the upper roll 104 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the lower roll 103 due to the rotation of the rotor of the roll motor 114 and the rotor of the additional roll motor 122. In addition, a second coupling device 125 having the same configuration as the coupling device 121 may be provided on the side opposite to the side on which the coupling device 121 is provided on the upper roll shaft 108. The upper roll shaft 108 and the second upper roll gear shaft 124, to which the upper roll gear of the second transmission mechanism 123 is fixed, are connected via the second coupling device 125. By moving the upper roll support member 110 in the vertical direction, the upper roll 104 can move vertically relative to the main housing 102 via the coupling device 121 and the second coupling device 125, without moving the transmission mechanism 115 and the second transmission mechanism 123 vertically relative to the main housing 102.

[0044] By using the sheet material feeding device 101 of the present invention as described above, low power consumption can be achieved, and sheet materials can be transported intermittently in fixed quantities with high precision. Then, processing equipment such as a press can perform processing such as press working on the sheet materials transported with high precision from the sheet material feeding device 101, thereby manufacturing structures such as small parts used in information-related equipment such as mobile phones and personal computers, automobile and industrial motor parts, and components for home appliances.

[0045] Although the above description is based on specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited thereto, and various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the principles of the present invention and the appended claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0046] 101 Sheet metal feeding device 102 Main Housing 103 Lower Roll 104 Upper Roll 105 Lower Roll Axis 106 Upper Roll Axis 107 Lower Roll Axis 108 Upper Roll Axis 109 Lower roll support member 110 Upper roll support member 111 Lower Roll Bearing 112 Release mechanism 113 Elastic members 114 Roll Motor 115 Transmission mechanism 116 Roll rotation angle sensor 117 Board Guide 118 Release motor 119 Release rotation angle sensor 120 Upper roll gear shaft 121 Coupling device 122 Additional motor for rolls 123 Second transmission mechanism 124 Second upper roll gear shaft 125 Second coupling device 201 Eccentric Cam 202 Eccentric cam bearing 203 Guide 204 blocks 205 Inner part 206 Outer ring section Around 207 208 gap 209 Shaft 210 Shaft bearing 211 Shaft axis

Claims

1. Housing and A first roll housed within the housing, A second roll housed within the aforementioned housing, A first roll support member that supports the first roll, A second roll support member that supports the second roll and Equipped with, A sheet material feeding device configured to clamp a sheet material with the first roll and the second roll, and to transport the sheet material according to the rotation of the first roll and the second roll, The plate material feeding device further comprises a release mechanism for releasing the clamped plate material, The release mechanism comprises an eccentric cam, a bearing arranged along the side surface of the eccentric cam, a guide positioned to be in contact with the bearing, and a block positioned to be in contact with the guide and connected to one of the first roll support member and the second roll support member. A sheet metal feeding device, wherein the release mechanism is configured to rotate the eccentric cam, thereby moving the guide horizontally relative to the block via the bearing, and thereby moving one of the roll support members connected to the block vertically.

2. The sheet metal feeding device according to claim 1, further comprising a first motor connected to the first roll for rotating the first roll, and a second motor connected to the second roll for rotating the second roll.

3. The system further comprises a first motor connected to one of the first roll and the second roll for rotating the first roll, a first gear provided on the roll shaft to which the first roll is fixed, and a second gear provided on the roll shaft to which the other of the first roll and the second roll is fixed. The sheet metal feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the first gear and the second gear engage with each other so that the other roll rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the first roll by the first motor.

4. The sheet metal feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the bearing comprises an inner ring portion fixed along the side surface of the eccentric cam and an outer ring portion arranged to be in contact with the guide.

5. The sheet metal feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an elastic member disposed between the housing and the one roll support member, wherein the guide and the block are pressed against the eccentric cam and the bearing via the one roll support member by the elastic member when the sheet metal is released.

6. The plate material feeding device according to claim 5, wherein the elastic member is an air spring or a coil spring.

7. The sheet metal feeding device according to claim 5, wherein the release mechanism is configured to rotate the eccentric cam so as to extend the elastic member vertically in order to move the one roll support member vertically to clamp the sheet metal.

8. The plate material feeding device according to claim 5, wherein the release mechanism is configured such that a gap is provided between the block and the guide when the plate material is clamped.

9. The sheet metal feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a third motor, the release mechanism further comprising a shaft connected to the third motor for rotating the eccentric cam, and the sheet metal feeding device is configured to rotate the shaft in response to the rotation by the third motor to move one of the roll support members in the vertical direction.

10. The sheet material feeding device according to claim 9, wherein the third motor is configured to stop the rotation of the eccentric cam while the eccentric cam is rotating in response to a signal from outside the sheet material feeding device, thereby stopping the transport of the sheet material.

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