Industrial machine

Abstract

The industrial machine of the present disclosure is an industrial machine having a cover fixed by a bolt, wherein the bolt has a drop-off prevention member that prevents the bolt from dropping off from the cover, the cover is disposed between a head portion of the bolt and the drop-off prevention member in a state in which the bolt is inserted through the cover, the cover has an accommodating portion in which the drop-off prevention member is accommodated, and the accommodating portion has an opening through which the drop-off prevention member can be inserted in a direction toward the tip of a threaded portion of the bolt.

Description

Industrial Machinery

[0001] The present disclosure relates to industrial machinery.

[0002] Industrial machinery such as an injection molding machine includes a cover that covers a predetermined portion. For example, the cover is arranged so as to surround an internal mechanism that is an operating part of the industrial machinery. This can prevent an operator from coming into contact with the operating internal mechanism during operation of the industrial machinery.

[0003] Generally, the cover is fixed to a frame of the industrial machinery with bolts. In such a configuration, if the bolt is lost, the cover may be used in a state where it is not fixed by the bolt. To prevent this, industrial machinery requires a drop-out prevention structure that prevents bolts from falling off the cover. It is known to use a retaining washer attached to a bolt as the drop-out prevention structure.

[0004] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-75085

[0005] In a drop-out prevention structure using a retaining washer, when the cover is fixed to a hollow frame of industrial machinery, the retaining washer attached to the bolt may be arranged inside the frame. In this case, the retaining washer attached to the bolt is inserted into the frame through an opening of the frame when attaching the cover to the frame, and is taken out to the outside through the opening of the frame when detaching the cover from the frame. Therefore, when attaching or detaching the cover, the retaining washer may get caught on the frame. If the retaining washer gets caught on the frame, the retaining washer may be damaged. To prevent this, it is conceivable to increase the size of the opening of the frame. If the opening of the frame is enlarged, the cover may be deformed when the cover is fixed to the frame.

[0006] In a drop-out prevention structure using a retaining washer, when the cover is fixed to the frame of industrial machinery, the retaining washer attached to the bolt may be arranged between the cover and the frame. In this case, the retaining washer may be damaged by being compressed when the cover is attached to the frame.

[0007] To address the aforementioned problems, there is a need for industrial machinery that can prevent damage to the anti-loosening component that prevents bolts from falling out of the cover.

[0008] The industrial machine of the present disclosure is an industrial machine having a cover fixed by bolts, wherein the bolts have anti-loosening members that prevent the bolts from falling out of the cover, and with the bolts inserted through the cover, the cover is positioned between the head of the bolt and the anti-loosening member, and the cover has a housing portion that accommodates the anti-loosening member, and the housing portion has an opening through which the anti-loosening member can be inserted toward the tip of the threaded portion of the bolt.

[0009] This is a schematic front view showing an industrial machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. This is a schematic perspective view showing the mounting portion of the cover of the industrial machine according to one embodiment of the present invention, with a portion shown in cross-section. This is a schematic side view showing the mounting portion of the cover of the industrial machine according to one embodiment of the present invention, with a portion shown in cross-section. This is a schematic exploded perspective view showing the mounting portion of the cover of the industrial machine according to one embodiment of the present invention, with a portion shown in cross-section. This is a schematic perspective view showing the state in which the cover of the industrial machine according to one embodiment of the present invention is being removed, with a portion shown in cross-section. This is a schematic perspective view showing the state in which the cover of the industrial machine according to one embodiment of the present invention is being removed, with a portion shown in cross-section. This is a schematic side view showing the state in which the cover of the industrial machine according to one embodiment of the present invention has been removed, with a portion shown in cross-section.

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. An industrial machine 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. The industrial machine 1 is, for example, an injection molding machine and has an industrial machine body 2, a frame 3, a cover 4, bolts 5, and a fall prevention member 6. Note that the industrial machine 1 is not limited to an injection molding machine, and may be, for example, a machine tool. The industrial machine 1 only needs to have a cover 4.

[0011] The industrial machine body 2 has an internal mechanism (not shown), a base 7, and support legs 8. The internal mechanism has devices that perform the work that the industrial machine 1 performs. For example, if the industrial machine 1 is an injection molding machine, the internal mechanism has a mold, an opening and closing device for opening and closing the mold, a cylinder for melting the molding material, a nozzle for injecting the molten molding material into the mold, and a supply device for supplying the molding material to the cylinder. The internal mechanism is mounted on the base 7. The base 7 has a mounting section 9 and a support section 10. The mounting section 9 is a plate-like structure that is roughly rectangular in plan view, with its surface facing up and down. Multiple devices of the internal mechanism are mounted on the upper surface of the mounting section 9 in predetermined positions. A pair of support sections 10, 10 are provided on the mounting section 9. The pair of support sections 10, 10 are plate-like structures that are roughly rectangular in front view, and extend downward from the mounting section 9. The pair of support sections 10, 10 face each other while separated front and back. A pair of support sections 10, 10 are provided with multiple support legs 8. The multiple support legs 8 are provided at the lower ends of the pair of support sections 10, 10. The industrial machine body 2 with this configuration is supported on the floor by the multiple support legs 8.

[0012] Frame 3 is a roughly rectangular frame in plan view. Frame 3 is fixed to the upper ends of multiple vertical columns (not shown) erected on the mounting section 9 of the industrial machine body 2. As a result, frame 3 is mounted on the industrial machine body 2 while floating above the mounting section 9. When frame 3 is mounted on the industrial machine body 2, the internal mechanism mounted on the mounting section 9 is located inside the frame-shaped frame 3.

[0013] The frame 3 is provided with a cover 4 that surrounds the internal mechanism mounted on the mounting section 9. The cover 4 has a plurality of plate-shaped panels 11. The plurality of panels 11 are fixed to the frame 3 so as to surround the internal mechanism mounted on the mounting section 9. In this way, the cover 4 is provided on the outer surface of the industrial machine 1. In the illustrated example, there is a place on the front side of the internal mechanism mounted on the mounting section 9 where no panels 11 are provided. That is, the cover 4 has an opening that opens to the front. The frame 3 is provided with a door 12 that opens and closes the opening of the cover 4. The door 12 is supported by the frame 3 so as to be slidable in the left and right directions.

[0014] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the frame 3 is a roughly rectangular groove that opens upwards. Of the pair of side walls 13 and 14 of the groove-shaped frame 3, the side wall 13 located on the outside of the industrial machine 1 has an insertion hole 15 through which a bolt 5, described later, is passed. The insertion hole 15 is circular in shape and penetrates the side wall 13 so as to connect the inside and outside of the frame 3. Of the pair of side walls 13 and 14 of the groove-shaped frame 3, the side wall 14 located on the inside of the industrial machine 1 is provided with a cylindrical boss portion 16. The boss portion 16 bulges out from the side wall 14 toward the inside of the industrial machine 1. The boss portion 16 and the side wall 14 have a through hole 17 that continuously penetrates the boss portion 16 and the side wall 14. The through hole 17 is circular in shape and is located on the same axis as the insertion hole 15. A thread is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the through hole 17. Therefore, the through hole 17 is a threaded hole through which a bolt 5 can be screwed. In this embodiment, the frame 3 is made of metal. The frame 3 may be formed as a single unit, or each part may be composed of separate components.

[0015] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the cover 4 fixed to the frame 3 has a housing portion 18 that houses the fall prevention member 6, which will be described later. The housing portion 18 is a roughly rectangular block shape and is provided on the panel 11 of the cover 4. The housing portion 18 bulges out from the inner surface of the panel 11 toward the inside of the industrial machine 1. The housing portion 18 has a circular recess 20 with an opening 19 that opens toward the inside of the industrial machine 1. Thus, the cover 4 has a hollow housing portion 18. A communication hole 21 is formed in the bottom wall of the recess 20 through which a bolt 5, which will be described later, passes. The communication hole 21 is circular and penetrates the bottom wall of the recess 20 so as to connect the inside and outside of the panel 11. In the illustrated example, the bottom surface of the recess 20 is the inner surface of the panel 11. In this case, the housing portion 18 bulges out in a frame shape from the inner surface of the panel 11 toward the inside of the industrial machine 1. In this embodiment, the cover 4 is made of metal. That is, the panel 11 and the housing portion 18 are made of metal. The cover 4 may be integrally formed, or each part may be composed of separate components.

[0016] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the bolt 5 that secures the cover 4 to the frame 3 is made of metal, for example, and has a head 22, a threaded portion 23, and a shaft portion 24. The head 22 has a body piece 25 and a washer piece 26. The body piece 25 is cylindrical and has a hole formed at one end in the axial direction into which a tool such as a screwdriver can be inserted. A washer piece 26 is provided at the other end in the axial direction of the body piece 25. The washer piece 26 is a circular plate and is arranged on the same axis as the body piece 25. The head 22 has a threaded portion 23 and a shaft portion 24. The threaded portion 23 is cylindrical and has threads formed on its outer circumference. The shaft portion 24 is cylindrical and has an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the threaded portion 23. The shaft portion 24 protrudes from the washer piece 26 of the head 22. The threaded portion 23 protrudes from the tip of the shaft portion 24. Thus, the bolt 5 has a shaft portion 24 between the head portion 22 and the threaded portion 23.

[0017] The bolt 5 has a fall prevention member 6 that prevents the bolt 5 from falling out of the cover 4. The fall prevention member 6 can be positioned on the shaft portion 24 of the bolt 5. The fall prevention member 6 is a circular plate and is integrally formed from an elastic material. The fall prevention member 6 is made of, for example, resin. A bolt insertion hole 27 is formed in the center of the fall prevention member 6 through which the bolt 5 passes. The bolt insertion hole 27 is circular and penetrates the fall prevention member 6 in the thickness direction. The fall prevention member 6 has a plurality of slits 28 that extend radially outward from the bolt insertion hole 27. In the illustrated example, the fall prevention member 6 has six slits 28 that are equally spaced in the circumferential direction. As a result, the fall prevention member 6 has a plurality of tongue pieces 29 that extend radially inward from the outer edge portion of the fall prevention member 6.

[0018] Next, the fixing of the cover 4 to the frame 3 will be described. When fixing the cover 4 to the frame 3, a bolt 5 is passed through a communication hole 21 formed in the cover 4. The bolt 5 is passed through the communication hole 21 from the outer side of the panel 11 of the cover 4. The threaded portion 23 and the shaft portion 24 pass through the communication hole 21. As a result, the threaded portion 23 of the bolt 5 is positioned on the inside of the panel 11 of the cover 4. After passing the bolt 5 through the communication hole 21 formed in the cover 4, the anti-loosening member 6 is attached to the bolt 5. To attach the anti-loosening member 6 to the bolt 5, the threaded portion 23 is passed through the bolt insertion hole 27 formed in the anti-loosening member 6, and then the shaft portion 24 is passed through the bolt insertion hole 27 formed in the anti-loosening member 6. When passing the threaded portion 23 through the bolt insertion hole 27, the tongue 29 of the anti-loosening member 6 elastically deforms, making it possible for the threaded portion 23 to pass through the bolt insertion hole 27. When the anti-loosening member 6 reaches the shaft portion 24 from the threaded portion 23, the tongue 29 of the anti-loosening member 6 returns to its original position. In this state, the shaft portion 24 is passed through the bolt insertion hole 27. In this way, the anti-loosening member 6 is positioned on the shaft portion 24 of the bolt 5. The anti-loosening member 6 is movable relative to the shaft portion 24 of the bolt 5 in the axial direction of the shaft portion 24.

[0019] After attaching the anti-loosening member 6 to the bolt 5, with the tip surface 30 of the housing portion 18 in contact with the outer surface 31 of the side wall 13 located outside the frame 3, the threaded portion 23 of the bolt 5 is screwed into the through hole 17, which is a threaded hole. The bolt 5 is screwed into the through hole 17 through the insertion hole 15 formed in the frame 3 until the washer piece 26 of the head 22 of the bolt 5 contacts the outer surface of the panel 11. In this way, the cover 4 is fixed to the frame 3 by the bolt 5.

[0020] With the cover 4 fixed to the frame 3, the opening 19 of the housing 18 is closed by the side wall 13 located on the outside of the frame 3. Inside the recess 20 of the housing 18, which is thus closed, the anti-loosening member 6 is positioned, held by the bolt 5. With the anti-loosening member 6 positioned inside the housing 18, the bottom wall of the recess 20 is located between the washer piece 26 of the bolt 5 and the anti-loosening member 6 held by the bolt 5. In this way, with the bolt 5 inserted through the cover 4, the cover 4 is positioned between the head 22 of the bolt 5 and the anti-loosening member 6. The anti-loosening member 6 is inserted into the recess 20 of the housing 18 from the opening 19 of the housing 18 when fixing the cover 4 to the frame 3. Thus, the housing 18 has an opening 19 through which the anti-loosening member 6 can be inserted toward the tip of the threaded portion 23 of the bolt 5.

[0021] In the illustrated example, the outer diameter of the recess 20 in the housing section 18 is larger than the outer diameter of the fall prevention member 6, and the depth of the recess 20 in the housing section 18 is greater than the thickness of the fall prevention member 6. Therefore, the fall prevention member 6 can be completely housed in the housing section 18. "Completely housed" means that the fall prevention member 6 can be housed without protruding from the housing section 18.

[0022] As shown in Figure 3, the axial length L2 of the shaft portion 24 is greater than the sum of the length L1 between the base end of the portion of the threaded portion 23 that is screwed into the threaded hole and the tip of the threaded portion 23, and the thickness of the anti-loosening member 6. In the illustrated example, the tip of the threaded portion 23 of the bolt 5 protrudes outward from the through hole 17. In this case, the length L1 is the sum of the length of the portion of the threaded portion 23 that is screwed into the threaded hole and the length of the tip portion of the threaded portion 23 that protrudes outward from the through hole 17.

[0023] As described above, when the cover 4 is fixed to the frame 3, the front end surface 30 of the housing section 18 abuts against the outer surface 31 of the side wall 13 of the frame 3. Therefore, when the cover 4 is fixed to the frame 3, which is part of the industrial machine 1, it has a contact portion that abuts against the frame 3. The contact portion is a part of the front end surface 30 of the housing section 18. Note that the housing section 18 is not limited to a frame shape, so the contact portion only needs to include at least a part of the housing section 18.

[0024] As described above, when the cover 4 is fixed to the frame 3, the front end surface 30 of the housing section 18 abuts against the outer surface 31 of the side wall 13 of the frame 3. Therefore, the cover 4 abuts against the frame 3 when it is fixed to the frame 3, which is part of the industrial machine 1. The frame 3 and the cover 4 are electrically connected by the contact between the front end surface 30 of the housing section 18 and the outer surface 31 of the side wall 13 of the frame 3. When the cover 4 is provided on the outer surface of the industrial machine 1 (in other words, when the cover 4 constitutes a part of the outer surface of the industrial machine 1), the cover 4 is painted, so the front end surface 30 of the housing section 18 is not painted due to masking. Note that the housing section 18 is not limited to a frame shape, so the frame 3 and the cover 4 only need to be electrically connected at least a portion of the contact area between the frame 3 and the cover 4.

[0025] Next, the removal of the cover 4 from the frame 3 will be explained using Figures 5 to 8. To remove the cover 4 from the frame 3, the bolt 5 is unscrewed from the through hole 17. This causes the threaded portion 23 of the bolt 5 to be removed from the through hole 17. By removing the threaded portion 23 of the bolt 5 from the through hole 17, the panel 11 of the cover 4 can be removed from the frame 3. When removing the cover 4 from the frame 3, the shaft portion 24 and the threaded portion 23 of the bolt 5 are removed from the frame 3 through the insertion hole 15 formed in the side wall 13 of the frame 3. In the state where the cover 4 has been removed from the frame 3, the panel 11 of the cover 4 is located between the head 22 of the bolt 5 and the anti-drop member 6. The anti-drop member 6 is positioned on the shaft portion 24, which has an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the threaded portion 23 and the outer diameter of the head 22, and is therefore prevented from falling out of the bolt 5. Thus, the bolt 5 can be prevented from falling out of the cover 4.

[0026] After removing the cover 4 from the frame 3, when removing the anti-loosening member 6 from the bolt 5, the shaft portion 24 should be removed from the bolt insertion hole 27 formed in the anti-loosening member 6, and then the threaded portion 23 should be removed from the bolt insertion hole 27 formed in the anti-loosening member 6. When the anti-loosening member 6 reaches the threaded portion 23 from the shaft portion 24, the tongue 29 of the anti-loosening member 6 elastically deforms, and the threaded portion 23 is removed from the bolt insertion hole 27. The tongue 29 of the anti-loosening member 6 returns to its original state after being removed from the bolt 5. In this way, the anti-loosening member 6 is removed from the bolt 5. When the anti-loosening member 6 is removed from the bolt 5, the anti-loosening member 6 can be removed from the bolt 5 through the opening 19 of the housing portion 18.

[0027] In conventional designs, when a cover is attached to a frame, the anti-detachment member attached to a bolt is sandwiched between the cover and the frame. Therefore, since the cover does not directly contact the frame, no electrical connection is made through contact between the cover and the frame. In contrast, in the case of the industrial machine 1 of this embodiment, the housing portion 18 of the cover 4 directly contacts the frame 3, so electrical connection is easily made through contact between the cover 4 and the frame 3. Therefore, according to the industrial machine 1 of this embodiment, it is possible to improve the reduction of noise generated by the industrial machine 1.

[0028] In the case of the industrial machine 1 of this embodiment, the axial length L2 of the shaft portion 24 is greater than the sum of the length L1 and the thickness of the fall prevention member 6. Therefore, according to the industrial machine 1 of this embodiment, the bolt 5 can be released from being screwed into the through hole 17 while the cover 4 is in contact with the frame 3, thus improving the workability when removing the cover 4 from the frame 3.

[0029] According to at least one embodiment described above, the anti-detachment member 6 is positioned inside the housing portion 18 of the cover 4. Therefore, it is possible to provide an industrial machine 1 that can prevent damage to the anti-detachment member 6, which prevents the bolt 5 from falling out of the cover 4.

[0030] While this disclosure has been described in detail, it is not limited to the individual embodiments described above. These embodiments can be added, replaced, modified, partially deleted, etc., in any way that does not depart from the gist of this disclosure or from the spirit of this disclosure derived from the claims and their equivalents. Furthermore, these embodiments can be implemented in combination. For example, the order of operations and processes in the embodiments described above are given as examples only and are not limited thereto. The same applies when numerical values ​​or mathematical formulas are used in the description of the embodiments described above.

[0031] If the anti-detachment member 6 is made of resin, it does not need to have a slit 28. In this case, when attaching the anti-detachment member 6 to the bolt 5, the threaded portion 23 is press-fitted into the bolt insertion hole 27.

[0032] If the anti-loosening member 6 is made of metal, it does not need to have a slit 28. In this case, threads are formed on the inner circumferential surface of the bolt insertion hole 27 of the anti-loosening member 6. That is, the bolt insertion hole 27 is a threaded hole. When attaching the anti-loosening member 6 to the bolt 5, the threaded portion 23 of the bolt 5 is screwed into the bolt insertion hole 27 of the anti-loosening member 6, thereby moving the anti-loosening member 6 to the shaft portion 24 of the bolt 5.

[0033] In the above embodiment, the shaft portion 24 of the bolt 5 is provided between the head portion 22 and the threaded portion 23, but it may also be provided at an intermediate point in the axial direction of the threaded portion 23 protruding from the head portion 22. In the above embodiment, the bolt 5 is screwed into the through hole 17, but is not limited thereto. For example, a nut (not shown) may be screwed onto the threaded portion 23 of the bolt 5 while the bolt 5 is passing through the frame 3.

[0034] With respect to the above embodiment, the following further notes are disclosed. (Note 1) The industrial machine (1) is an industrial machine having a cover (4) fixed by a bolt (5), wherein the bolt (5) has a fall prevention member (6) that prevents the bolt (5) from falling out of the cover (4), and with the bolt (5) inserted through the cover (4), the cover (4) is positioned between the head (22) of the bolt (5) and the fall prevention member (6), the cover (4) has a housing portion (18) that houses the fall prevention member (6), and the housing portion (18) has an opening (19) through which the fall prevention member (6) can be inserted toward the tip of the threaded portion (23) of the bolt (5).

[0035] (Note 2) In the industrial machine (1), as described in Note 1, the fall prevention member (6) may be completely housed in the housing section (18).

[0036] (Note 3) In the industrial machine (1), as described in Note 1 or Note 2, the cover (4) has a contact portion that abuts against the frame (3) when fixed to the frame (3), which is part of the industrial machine (1), and the contact portion may include at least a part of the housing portion (18).

[0037] (Note 4) In the industrial machine (1), as described in Note 1 or Note 2, the cover (4) is fixed to the frame (3), which is part of the industrial machine (1), and the frame (3) and the cover (4) are made of metal, and at least a portion of the contact area between the frame (3) and the cover (4) may be electrically connected.

[0038] (Note 5) In any of Notes 1 to 4, the anti-detachment member (6) of the industrial machine (1) may be made of resin.

[0039] (Note 6) In any of Notes 1 to 5, the cover (4) may be provided on the outer surface of the industrial machine (1).

[0040] (Note 7) In any of Notes 1 to 6, the industrial machine (1) has a shaft portion (24) between the head (22) and the threaded portion (23), or in the middle of the axial direction of the threaded portion (23), having an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the threaded portion (23), the anti-loosening member (6) can be positioned on the shaft portion (24), and the axial length (L2) of the shaft portion (24) may be greater than the sum of the length (L1) between the base end of the portion of the threaded portion (23) that is screwed into the threaded hole and the tip of the threaded portion (23) and the thickness of the anti-loosening member (6).

[0041] 1 Industrial machine 3 Frame 4 Cover 5 Bolt 6 Anti-dropping member 18 Housing section 19 Opening 22 Head 23 Threaded section 24 Shaft section L1 Length L2 Length

Claims

1. An industrial machine having a cover fixed by bolts, wherein the bolts have anti-loosening members that prevent the bolts from falling out of the cover, the cover is positioned between the head of the bolt and the anti-loosening member when the bolts are inserted through the cover, the cover has a housing portion that accommodates the anti-loosening member, and the housing portion has an opening through which the anti-loosening member can be inserted toward the tip of the threaded portion of the bolt.

2. The industrial machine according to claim 1, wherein the fall prevention member can be fully housed in the housing portion.

3. The industrial machine according to claim 1, wherein the cover has a contact portion that contacts the frame when fixed to the frame which is part of the industrial machine, and the contact portion includes at least a portion of the housing portion.

4. The industrial machine according to claim 1, wherein the cover is fixed to the frame which is part of the industrial machine and is in contact with the frame, the frame and the cover are made of metal, and at least a portion of the contact portion between the frame and the cover is electrically connected.

5. The industrial machine according to claim 1, wherein the anti-detachment member is made of resin.

6. The industrial machine according to claim 1, wherein the cover is provided on the outer surface of the industrial machine.

7. The industrial machine according to claim 1, wherein the bolt has a shaft portion having an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the threaded portion between the head and the threaded portion, or in the middle of the axial direction of the threaded portion, the anti-loosening member is arrangeable on the shaft portion, and the axial length of the shaft portion is greater than the sum of the length between the base end of the portion of the threaded portion screwed into the threaded hole and the tip of the threaded portion and the thickness of the anti-loosening member.

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