The present invention relates to a quick change locking coupler of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,513,802, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,572,356, 7,165,961 and 7,258,539 which issued to the assignee of the present invention and the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference. Such couplers are commonly used for releasably attaching and positively securing a tooling component to a supporting surface, such as, for example, a fixture or thermoforming mold for producing a thermoformed plastic part or an injection mold for producing a molded plastic part. The locking coupler is preferably of the type manufactured and sold by Tooling Technology, LLC of Ft. Loramie, Ohio and referred to in its catalog as a “Quick-Change Cylinder Lock”. It has been found desirable to provide such a quick change locking coupler with a form of signal for indicating when the coupler is positively locked after the mold or fixture or other tooling component is in its proper place to assure that the coupler is positively locked and that the tooling component is secured with no chance of the component moving away from its supporting surface. While above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 7,258,539 discloses a sensor which detects when two tooling or mold components are brought together, the sensor does not assure that the coupler is in its positively locked condition to prevent any possible damage to either tooling component or mold.
The present invention is directed to an improved quick change locking coupler which provides the desirable feature mentioned above by mounting on a portion of the coupler a proximity sensor which detects when the coupler is completely and positively locked and then transmits an electrical signal to produce a visual or audio indication showing the locked condition of the coupler. The basic construction of the quick change locking coupler is substantially the same as disclosed in the above-mentioned patents. In addition, the piston housing supports a proximity sensor which senses when the internal piston is in its fully locked position.
A locking coupler 10 includes a male portion in the form of a metal knob or stud 12 having a threaded portion 14 secured to a tooling component 15 such as a thermoforming mold. The stud 12 projects downwardly or outwardly from the tooling component and has a tapered or frusto-conical base portion 17 integrally connected to an enlarged head portion 18 by a cylindrical neck portion 21 of reduced diameter. The coupler 10 also includes a female portion in the form of a cup-shaped cylinder 24 having an annular end portion 26 with an internal tapered surface 28 which mates with the tapered outer surface of the base portion 17 of the stud 12. An end flange portion 31 of the cylinder 24 has circumferentially spaced counterbores which receive machine screws 33 for securing the flange portion 31 within a counterbore 34 within a second tooling component 35 in the form of a metal support plate. The cylinder 24 also has a cup-shaped inner end portion 38 which defines a cavity 39 for receiving the enlarged head portion 18 of the stud 12. A plurality of hardened steel locking balls 42 are retained within corresponding circumferentially spaced holes 43 within the cylinder 24 for corresponding radial movement.
A cup-shaped piston 45 surrounds the portion 38 of the cylinder 24 and has a circumferentially extending internal groove or recess 47 for receiving the balls 42 in retracted positions when the piston 45 is in its released position (
When it is desired to move the piston 45 of the coupler 10 to its released position (
In accordance with the present invention, an electronic proximity detector or sensor 75 has an externally threaded tubular housing 77 which is threaded into a hole within the bottom or end wall 66 of the housing 50 and is secured by a lock nut 78. The inner end of the sensor 75 is flush with the inner bottom surface of the housing 50, and a flexible electrical cable 82, enclosing electrical conductors, extends from the opposite end of the sensor 77 to a remote indicating unit or system in the form of a visual light indication and/or an audio alarm indication. One form of proximity sensor which has provided satisfactory results is produced by Turck Inc. and identified and sold under the Number S4602256.
When it is desired to couple the parts or components 15 and 35 together, compressed fluid or air is supplied through the port 68 to pressurize the chamber 63 below the piston 45 and to move the piston to its released position (
When the piston 45 bottoms and seats on the bottom wall 66 of the housing 50, the sensor 75 detects the bottom wall of the piston 45 (
While the form of the locking coupler herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form of the locking coupler, and that changes made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
This application claims priority of provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/000,183, filed Oct. 25, 2007.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61000183 | Oct 2007 | US |