Patent Application
20200009699
This invention relates to a pallet changing apparatus which arranges a turning shaft for supporting a pallet changing arm transferring a pallet between a pallet setup base and a table in such a manner so as to move freely in a vertical direction and also in a state of being stationary in a horizontal direction.
The pallet changing apparatus equips, as essential constituents, the pallet setup base which places a pallet, the table which places a workpiece with a state of before processing or after processed by means of the pallet, and the turning shaft which holds pallet changing arms extended on both sides and also turns along a horizontal direction together with the pallet changing arms.
The turning shaft equips a turning supporting portion which allows a ball bearing device, etc., to turn smoothly below a site which supports the pallet changing arm. In recent years, there is favorably adopted such a configuration that has a covering portion which covers from above a turning supporting portion in order to prevent chips generated due to cutting of workpieces by a main shaft from entering into the turning supporting portion.
On the other hand, for the sake of convenience of cutting work by the main shaft, the table often equips a rising portion which has a oscillating center axis at a leading end of the table on the side of the turning shaft for allowing a region which places a workpiece by means of a pallet to oscillate freely and also equips a oscillating portion in which the region is supported by the turning shaft.
Where the table having the above-described rising portion moves back from and forth for a side of the turning shaft having the covering portion, the presence of the rising portion inevitably hinders the turning of the pallet changing arm.
Further, the fact that a certain space is occupied by the turning shaft firmly fixing the covering portion makes more worse state for the above-mentioned is necessary for hindering problem.
In order to avoid the above-described problem, instead of the table which has the rising portion and moves back from and forth for a side of the turning shaft, there can be conceived such a configuration that, as shown in
However, in the case of the configuration of the above-described arrangement, in addition to a space region in a direction at which the table 4 moves back and forth, a space region is also necessary at the side portion for changing a pallet. Thereby, it is impossible to achieve a compact pallet changing apparatus.
Where the configuration in which the table moves back from and forth for a side of the turning shaft is compared with the above-described configuration in which the constituents are arranged at the side portions, there is found such a relationship that the former configuration is larger in a region in which the table overlaps with the pallet changing arm in a vertical direction than the latter configuration. In the former configuration, it is possible to set the space necessary for turning of the pallet changing arm small.
Instead of the configuration in which the constituents are arranged at the side portions, where there is retained the configuration in which the table having the rising portion and the oscillating portion moves back from and forth for a side of the turning shaft, it is possible to conceive such a configuration that, on transfer of a pallet by using a table and a setup base, a turning shaft moves from an intermediate position between the table and the setup base to a position suitable for the transfer.
However, in the case of the above-described configuration, it is essential that not only the table moves back and forth but also the turning shaft moves. Therefore, complicated control becomes essential.
With regard to a pallet changing apparatus, various publicly-known technologies have been disclosed.
Of these publicly known technologies, in Patent Document 1, an oscillatory table 6 is moved by a table-driving device 30. However, a supporting shaft 42 which corresponds to the turning shaft is arranged at an oblique side portion in a direction at which the table 6 moves (
However, as compared with the case of the orthogonal state shown in
In Patent Document 2, a turning member 34 which corresponds to the pallet changing arm is installed on a side of a table 6 which can oscillate along a oscillating axis 19 provided at a supporting portion 17 which corresponds to the rising portion, and also one of or both of the table 6 and a turning member 34 are allowed to move back and forth with each other (
However, the above-described configuration is also similar to the configuration shown in
Additionally, in the case of the above-described configuration, the table 6 is not only required to move back from and forth for a side of a lower region of the main shaft, but the turning member 34 and/or the table 6 are also required to move back and forth with each other in a direction different from the above-described back and forth movement. Therefore, complicated control is essential.
As described so far, although referring the publicly known technologies, proposal is not found for compact configuration of a pallet changing apparatus at all which supports a workpiece so as to oscillate by means of a pallet and which is provided with a rising portion having a oscillating center axis at the leading end of the turning shaft of the table which moves back from and forth for a side of the turning shaft and also covers from above a turning supporting portion at a lower end of the turning shaft.
An object of the present invention is to provide a compact configuration of a pallet changing apparatus which equips a rising portion with a oscillating center axis at a leading end of the table that supports a workpiece by oscillatory state by means of a pallet and moves back from and forth for a side of the turning shaft and which covers the turning supporting portion at a lower end of the turning shaft from upper side.
In order to solve the above problem, basic configurations of the invention are composed of:
(1) A pallet changing apparatus which equips a turning shaft for supporting a pallet changing arm transferring a pallet between a pallet setup base and a table in such a manner so as to move freely in a vertical direction and also in a state of being stationary in a horizontal direction,
wherein the table moves back from and forth for a side of the turning shaft and also equips a rising portion at the leading end of the table on the side of the turning shaft and a oscillating portion which is supported by means of a oscillating center axis of the rising portion so as to oscillate freely and also places a workpiece by means of a pallet,
wherein the turning shaft firmly fixes a covering portion which covers a turning supporting portion positioned at a lower end side of the turning shaft from upper side, and the covering portion equips an insertion and removal hole which allows the rising portion to be inserted and removed freely, and
wherein the pallet changing arms equip a pallet supporting portion extending in a horizontal direction for transferring a pallet on both sides from side positions of the insertion and removal hole, and
(2) A pallet changing apparatus which equips a turning shaft for supporting a pallet changing arm transferring a pallet between a pallet setup base and a table in such a manner so as to move freely in a vertical direction and also in a state of being stationary in a horizontal direction,
wherein the table moves back from and forth for a side of the turning shaft and equips a rising portion at the leading end of the table on the side of the turning shaft and a oscillating portion which is supported by means of a oscillating center axis of the rising portion so as to oscillate freely and also places a workpiece by means of a pallet,
wherein the turning shaft firmly fixes a movable covering portion which extends the pallet changing arms on both sides, and a stationary covering portion which covers a turning supporting portion positioned at a lower end side of the turning shaft is arranged on a floor below the movable covering portion from upper side, the stationary covering portion an insertion and removal hole which allows the rising portion to be inserted and removed freely, and
wherein the pallet changing arms equip a pallet supporting portion extending in a horizontal direction for transferring a pallet and a cross-linking extending portion for cross-linking the positions of the both sides of the movable covering portion.
This invention which is based on the basic configurations (1) and (2) equips the insertion and removal hole of the covering portion (in the case of the basic configuration (1)) or the insertion and removal hole of the stationary covering portion (in the case of the basic configuration (2)) which allows the rising portion positioned at the leading end of the table on the side of the turning shaft and a certain region of the table connected to the rising portion to be inserted and removed freely. Therefore, where the rising portion is inserted into the insertion and removal hole, no hindrance occurs at all to turning of the pallet changing arms (in the case of the basic configuration (1)) extended on both sides from the covering portion or turning of the pallet changing arms (in the case of the basic configuration (2)) extended on both sides from the movable covering portion.
Further, by inserting the rising portion positioned at the leading end of the table into the insertion and removal hole, a pallet placed on the table can be arranged in a closed state to the turning shaft side, although the covering portion (in the case of the basic configuration (1)) or the stationary covering portion (in the case of the basic configuration (2)) is present between the table and the pallet setup base.
In other words, since a pallet can be arranged in a state of being made close, the pallet changing arms can be designed shorter in length as compared with the prior arts, thus making it possible to achieve a compact pallet changing apparatus.
As described in the Technical Field, each of the basic configuration (1) shown in
In the basic configurations (1) and (2), the oscillating portion 41 which supports the workpieces W, W′ by means of the supporting frame 40 inside the table 4 and a supporting surface which supports the pallets P, P′ by means of the supporting frame 50 inside the setup base 5 are both arranged so as to be lower than a position at which a supporting portion of the pallet changing arm 3 turns. Therefore, the supporting portion is arranged above the oscillating portion 41 and the supporting surface of the setup base 5.
As shown in
As shown in
Then, as shown in
In
Concretely, there can be adopted a shape in which the cross-linking extending portion 31 is curved sequentially by extending from a side of the movable covering portion 21 in a horizontal direction and forms a connection with the supporting portion, and additionally, an obliquely linear shape in which it extends from a side of the movable covering portion 21 and reaches the supporting portion.
As described so far, shape of the pallet changing arm 3 of the basic configuration (1) and that of the basic configuration (2) are different with each other. However, at a stage when the rising portion 42 of the table 4 is inserted into the insertion and removal hole 20, the rising portion 42 cannot be a hindrance to turning of the pallet changing arm 3.
In fact, the insertion and removal hole 20 often allows not only the rising portion 42 but also the oscillating portion 41 and a certain region of the table 4 such as a lower region which supports the oscillating portion 41 indicated by a dotted patterned region in
The turning shaft 1 of the basic configuration (1) is characterized in that it can adopt a simple configuration in which one covering portion 2 is firmly fixed and the pallet changing arm 3 is extended from the covering portion 2 in a horizontal direction.
The covering portion 2 of the basic configuration (1) covers the turning supporting portion 11 positioned at a lower end of the turning shaft 1, but is not in contact with a floor surface as long as it integrally turns with the turning shaft 1.
However, where such a configuration is adopted that the lower end of the covering portion 2 is below from a position at which the pallet changing arm 3 is extended and also arranged in the vicinity of the floor, it is possible to perform sufficiently functions of the covering portion 2 which prevents chips from entering into the turning supporting portion 11.
The turning shaft 1 of the basic configuration (2) firmly fixes the movable covering portion 21 which extends the pallet changing arms 3 on both sides above and achieves turning and vertical movement in an integral manner. It has a region which overlaps at least partially with the movable covering portion 21 in a vertical direction below the movable covering portion 21. A stationary covering portion 22 covering the turning supporting portion 11 positioned at the lower end of the turning shaft 1 and an insertion and removal hole 20 is provided at the stationary covering portion 22.
In the case of the basic configuration (2), as described previously, the pallet changing arm 3 is extended from the movable covering portion 21, and forms a relatively complicated shape. However, the stationary covering portion 22 is not connected to the pallet changing arm 3, thereby eliminating the need for such strength that is required for supporting the pallet changing arm 3, as compared with the covering portion 2 of the basic configuration (1). It is, therefore, possible to use a metal plate or a plastic plate which is thinner than the covering portion 2 of the basic configuration (1).
Further, the stationary covering portion 22 is arranged on the floor surface below, thus making it possible to prevent chips from entering into the turning supporting portion 11 positioned at a lower end side of the turning shaft 1.
Especially in the case of a configuration that the lower end side of the stationary covering portion 22 is firmly fixed on a floor, it is possible to completely prevent flying chips from entering thereinto.
Although it is essential that the turning shaft 1 of the basic configurations (1) and (2) turns together with the pallet changing arm 3 and also moves freely in a vertical direction, in order to achieve the above-described turning and vertical movement, as shown in
In the basic configurations (1) and (2), as the first step of inserting the rising portion 42 of the table 4 and a certain region of the table 4 connected to the rising portion 42 into the insertion and removal hole 20, operation of changing the pallets P, P′ from starting and until finishing can be achieved by the following processes, as shown in
Process (a): insertion of the rising portion 42 of the table 4 (however, in most cases, the rising portion 42 and a certain region of the table 4 connected to the rising portion 42) into the insertion and removal hole 20,
Process (b) : integral turning of the pallet changing arms 3 in a stand-by state together with the turning shaft 1,
Process (c): movement of pallets P, P′ supported by the supporting frame 40 in the oscillating portion 41 of the supporting portion of the pallet changing arm 3 and that of the pallets P, P′ supported by the supporting frame 50 in the setup base 5 by downward turning,
Process (d): upward movement of the turning shaft 1 of the pallet changing arms 3 which support the pallets P, P′ and the covering portion 2 (in the case of the basic configuration (1)) or the movable covering portion 21 (in the case of the basic configuration (2)),
Process (e): 180 degree-turning of the pallet changing arms 3 which support the pallets P, P′,
Process (f): downward movement of the turning shaft 1 of the pallet changing arms 3 which support the pallets P, P′ and the covering portion 2 (in the case of the basic configuration (1)) or the movable covering portion 21 (in the case of the basic configuration (2)) and placement of each of the pallets P, P′ on the supporting frame 40 of the oscillating portion 41 and on the supporting frame 50 of the setup base 5,
Process (g): return to an original position by turning of the pallet changing arm 3.
As described above, in a state that the rising portion 42 of the table 4 (however, in fact, in most cases, a certain region of the table 4 connected to the rising portion 42) is accommodated inside the insertion and removal hole 20 of the covering portion 2, the basic configurations of (1) and (2) are able to smoothly change the pallets P, P′ which respectively place workpieces W, W′ by a series of turning and vertical movement.
Hereinafter, a description will be given with reference to the examples.
Example 1 is characterized in that the covering portion 2 of the basic configuration (1) and the stationary covering portion 22 of the basic configuration (2) are each provided with a door (not shown) for opening and closing the insertion and removal hole 20.
Installation of the door makes it possible to prevent chips from entering into the turning supporting portion 11 by closing the door even after insertion of the rising portion 42 and a certain region of the table 4 through the insertion and removal hole 20.
With a consideration on a space necessary for opening and closing the door, a sliding door is more preferable than a revolving door.
Example 2 is characterized in that the basic configurations (1) and (2) achieve a state that the rising portion 42 inserted into the insertion and removal hole 20 is arranged in the vicinity of the surface of the turning shaft 10.
In Example 2, the pallet changing arms 3 can be made shortest in length by arranging the rising portion 42 in the vicinity, thereby achieving a compact pallet changing apparatus.
As described so far, in the present invention in which the rising portion can be inserted into the insertion and removal hole provided at the covering portion (in the case of the basic configuration (1)) or at the stationary covering portion (in the case of the basic configuration (2)), the presence of the rising portion does not hinder turning of the pallet changing arms. Further, the present invention is remarkably innovative in achieving a compact pallet changing apparatus and can be used in all types of machine tools that require pallet change.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-203596 | Oct 2017 | JP | national |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16145477 | Sep 2018 | US |
| Child | 16575822 | US |
