JP2000289586A - Device for reducing operational force for expanding and contracting swing arm - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the force required for the sliding movement of a swing arm and to allow a receiving table to smoothly approach to a lift point. SOLUTION: A slipoff preventive bolt is threadably attached to the upper part of a tip of a lift arm 2 and a roller 6a made of a resin and a roller shaft 7a molded from an elastic material are provided at the lower part of the tip. A roller 6b and a roller shaft 7b are provided at the upper part of the base end of a slide arm 8 sliding within the lift arm 2 and a roller 6c and a shaft 7c are provided at the lower part of the rear end. Deflection of each of the roller shafts 7a, 7b, 7c at no load is small enough so that the slide arm 8 and the lift arm 2 are freely slidable via rollers. The roller shafts 7a, 7b are deflected greatly under load and the elastic force of the slide arm 8 is adjusted so that the slide arm 8 is pressure contacted with the upper and lower surfaces of the lift arm 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a swing arm for supporting a vehicle of a lift device for automobile maintenance.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a vehicle is lifted up by supporting a vehicle with a swing arm, it is first necessary to accurately adjust the position and height of a cradle to a lift point of the vehicle. The lift point of the car is on the side sill (pinch panel) 19 as shown in FIG. 5 for a passenger car, and on the undersurface of the underframe 20 as shown in FIG. 6 for an RV or truck,
The position and dimensions differ depending on the vehicle type. Also, the positional relationship of the vehicle with respect to the lift device is not constant. Due to these conditions, a setting operation is required each time a vehicle is lifted up. The positioning of the cradle to the lift point is performed by the swing operation of the swing arm and the sliding of the slide arm, that is, the expansion and contraction operation of the swing arm.

[0003]

In the setting operation of the cradle, the swinging operation of the swing arm can be performed from any position of the swing arm, so that a large force is not required structurally. As shown in FIG. 7, since the slide type is used, it involves friction and requires a large operation force when the weight of the slide arm is large. Further, the operation on the lower side of the car is difficult and the posture of the worker is poor, which is a difficult operation. It is common to use a roller to reduce the sliding force, but in order to support the load with the roller, it is necessary to considerably increase the strength of the roller itself, and in that case, the swing arm under load starts to move. Must not be. Although a commercially available free bear may be used as the roller, there are disadvantages in that the mounting space is large, the contact surface is severely worn, and the cost is high. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a swing arm expansion / contraction operation force reduction device capable of reducing a force required for expansion / contraction of a swing arm and smoothly bringing a cradle closer to a lift point.

[0004]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a swing arm of a lift device comprising a lift arm and a slide arm fitted thereto. This is a swing arm expansion / contraction operation force reducing device which enables the slide arm to slide on a lift arm via a roller when no load is applied. According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, the roller arm is formed of an elastic body, and the roller is retracted according to the load applied to the slide arm. The upper and lower surfaces of the lift arm are pressed against each other. Claim 3
According to the invention described in (1), in addition to the structure of claim 1, by providing elasticity to the support of the roller shaft and retracting the roller in accordance with the load applied to the slide arm, the slide arm can be moved by the lift arm when the load is applied. The upper and lower inner surfaces are pressed against each other. The invention described in claim 4 is
In addition to the configuration of claim 1, the roller is formed of an elastic body, and the roller is deformed according to a load applied to the slide arm so that the slide arm is pressed against the inner upper and lower surfaces of the lift arm at the time of load. It was done. According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a handle for extending and retracting the slide arm is provided so that the cradle can be remotely operated. According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, a slide suppressing means for suppressing a sliding operation of the slide arm is added.

[0005]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a swing arm telescopic operation force reducing device according to the present invention.
1 and 2 are a perspective view and a side view of the swing arm 1, respectively. In FIG. 2, the lift arm 2 is partially cut and shown for the sake of explanation. An arm sur 3 is welded to a carriage (both not shown) fitted to a vertically erected column so as to be able to move up and down, and a swing arm 1 is pivotally mounted on the arm sur 3 via an arm pin 4 so as to be horizontally rotatable. Is being worn. Hereinafter, the side closer to the support is referred to as a proximal side, and the side farther away is referred to as a distal side.

The lift arm 2 has a cylindrical shape with a rectangular cross section. The tip end is cut diagonally, a retaining bolt 5 is screwed on the upper part, and a resin roller 6a is provided on the lower part. I have. The shaft 7a of the roller 6a is formed of an elastic body. A slide arm 8 that slides is fitted into the lift arm 2, and a pedestal 9 that supports a lower surface of the vehicle to be lifted up is attached to an upper portion on the distal end side. The roller 6b and the shaft 7b as described above are provided on the upper portion on the base end side of the slide arm 8.
However, a roller 6c and a shaft 7c are provided at a lower portion, respectively.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line AA and a line BB in FIG. The elastic force of each of the roller shafts 7a and 7b is adjusted so that when a load (vehicle weight) is applied to the cradle 9, the rollers 6a retreat outside the lift arm 2 and the rollers 6b retreat into the slide arm 8. Therefore, when no load is applied to the cradle 9, that is, when the load is only the weight of the slide arm 8 (no load), the deflection of each roller shaft 7a, 7b, 7c is small, and the slide arm 8 and the lift arm 2 means rollers 6a, 6
The roller shafts 7a and 7b can be slid freely through the rollers b and 6c, but when lifted up (during load), the roller shafts 7a and 7b bend greatly.
The slide arm 8 presses against the upper and lower surfaces of the lift arm 2. Therefore, the slide arm 8 hardly generates sliding friction resistance with the lift arm 2 when there is no load, so that the force required for the expansion and contraction operation is small. A large static frictional resistance will result and will be substantially fixed.

On the other hand, a handle 10 is provided on the side of the swing arm 1. FIG. 4 shows the internal structure. The handle 10 is provided with the sliding rod 1
2 is slidably inserted. The sliding rod 12 is connected via bolts to a U-shaped bracket 13 protruding from the base end side surface of the lift arm 2, and racks 14, 14,... Has been established. Further, the rotating cylinder 11 is pivotally mounted on a bearing member 15 protruding from a side surface on the distal end side of the slide arm 8, and a locking claw 16 is formed at an upper inner periphery thereof. Because of this, the handle 10 is engaged with and disengaged from the racks 14, 14,... And the locking claws 16 by the rotation of the rotation cylinder 11, so that the entire length of the handle 10 is variable. Further, a coil spring 17 is externally fitted to the tip of the rotating shaft of the rotating cylinder 11, and is urged to rotate so that the racks 14, 14,... And the locking claws 16 are always locked (FIG. 4A). reference).

Next, the operation of the swing arm 1 as described above will be described. First, lower the carriage to the bottom,
Get the vehicle on the lift. And swing arm 1
To rotate the rotating cylinder 11 against the urging force,
With the locking claws 16 removed from the racks 14, 14,..., The slide arm 8 is extended and contracted in a state in which the slide suppression of the slide arm 8 is released (FIG. -Release your hand at the position shown in Fig. 6). Then, the rotating cylinder 11 is returned to the original position (FIG. 4A) by the urging force of the coil spring 17, and the locking claw 16 is
4, 14... To automatically prevent the slide arm 8 from sliding. Similarly, the other lift points 18,
After aligning the pedestal 9 with 18, the carriage is raised. At this time, since the roller shafts 7a and 7b largely retreat the bending rollers 6a and 6b, the slide arm 8 is pressed against the upper and lower surfaces inside the lift arm 2 as shown in FIG. Therefore, a large static friction resistance is generated between the two, and the slide arm 8 does not slide.

When the work is completed, the carriage is lowered,
Remove the cradle 9 from the vehicle body. Then, the roller shafts 7a and 7b
The roller is interposed between the lift arm 2 and the slide arm 8 with the elastic force of the above, and the slide arm 8 can be slid with a small force. Then, the rotation suppression is released by rotating the rotating cylinder 11, and the slide arm 8 is stored in the lift arm 2 as it is. When the user releases his hand from the rotating cylinder 11, the locking claws 16 are automatically locked to the racks 14, 14,... By the rotational urging force of the coil spring 17, and the sliding of the slide arm 8 is suppressed.

If the configuration of the above embodiment is adopted, the force required for the sliding operation of the swing arm 1 is reduced, and the cradle 9 can be smoothly brought close to the lift point. That is, the above configuration is excellent in that the position can be adjusted manually without using a machine and continuously, not stepwise. In particular, a swing arm having a large capacity, such as a truck, has a large weight and requires much effort and time to approach the lift point. However, adopting the above-described configuration can significantly reduce the effort and improve efficiency. In addition, when a load is applied, static frictional resistance immediately acts on the contact surface as in the case of the conventional swing arm, so that the stability of the load is not impaired. Although the deflection of the roller shaft 7 is emphasized in FIG. 3 for the sake of explanation, the gap between the lift arm 2 and the slide arm 8 when there is no load is very small, and the adverse effects due to the deflection (play of both arms, bending) No).

Further, the swing arm 1 can maintain its strength for a long period of time because the lift arm 2 and the slide arm 8 have little wear. Further, even if a large load is applied to the roller 6, a load greater than the elastic force of the roller shaft 7 is covered by the contact surface of the lift arm 2, so that the roller 6 is protected from damage.

Further, by providing the handle 10,
Even if the lift point is too deep to reach or the body is low and the position is difficult to adjust, the cradle 9 can be easily brought close to the lift point using the rotating cylinder 11, and the work is completed and the carriage When lowering, the handle 10 itself plays the role of a foot guard. Further, if a slide suppression device for the slide arm 8 is added, the position of the slide arm 8 at the time of no load can be maintained.

The configuration of the swing arm according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. The material, shape and size of the lift arm and the slide arm, and the shape, material, diameter, number of rollers, The design, such as the arrangement, the material and strength of the roller shaft, the location and configuration of the handle, and the means for suppressing the sliding of the slide arm, can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, if a lubricating resin is used as the material of the roller, generation of abnormal noise can be prevented without requiring lubrication. In addition, the roller shaft is made rigid and the roller itself is made into an elastic sphere, and it deforms and retracts when large pressure is applied, or the roller and roller shaft are rigid but the support pillar supporting the roller shaft is elastic via spring. And the like. Also, a roller may be provided on the side of the slide arm so that the expansion and contraction operation can be performed more smoothly.

Further, the slide arm slide suppressing device may be installed at a portion other than the handle, and the slide suppressing mechanism may be an air cylinder mechanism, a screw type, a grip ball in addition to the mechanism of the present embodiment. It may be configured to use, or to use a lever or a pin.

[0016]

According to the present invention, the force required for the sliding operation of the swing arm is reduced, and the cradle can be easily brought closer to the lift point. In particular, a lift arm having a large capacity such as a truck can greatly reduce the labor and time required for setting. Moreover, as soon as a load is applied, the slide arm stops sliding as in the conventional swing arm, and the stability of the load is not impaired. Furthermore, since the wear of the lift arm and the slide arm is small, the strength can be maintained for a long time. In addition, by providing a handle, the cradle can be easily brought close to the lift point even if the lift point is too deep to reach or the body is low and it is difficult to adjust the position.In addition, the handle itself has the role of a foot guard. Can be made. Further, by adding a slide arm slide suppression device, the position of the slide arm during the setting operation can be maintained.

Since the present invention has a simple structure and requires a small space, the present invention can be applied to a large number of lift devices having a telescope type swing arm. The applicable range is not limited to the swing arm, but can be applied to other devices such as a table enlargement slide portion of a table lift. In addition, since each component is inexpensive, has little wear, and lasts a long time, the manufacturing cost and running cost can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a swing arm according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a swing arm according to the present invention.

3 is a sectional view taken along line AA and a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an internal structure of a handle.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a lift point of the automobile.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing a lift point of the automobile.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a conventional swing arm.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ・ ・ Swing arm, 2 ・ ・ Lift arm, 3 ・ Armser, 4 ・ Arm pin, 5 ・ ・ Retaining bolt,
6a, 6b, 6c roller, 7a, 7b, 7c
Roller shaft, 8 slide arm, 9 cradle, 1
0 ··· handle, 11 ··· rotating cylinder, 12 ··· sliding rod, 13 ··· bracket, 14 ·· rack, 15 ··· bearing member, 16 ·· locking claw, 17 ·· coil spring, 18
・ ・ Lift point, 19 ・ ・ Side sill, 20 ・ ・ Underframe.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A swing arm of a lift device comprising a lift arm and a slide arm fitted to the lift arm, wherein the slide arm can slide on the lift arm via a roller at least when no load is applied. A swing arm telescopic operation force reduction device. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the roller shaft is formed of an elastic body, and the roller is retracted in accordance with a load applied to the slide arm, so that the slide arm presses against the upper and lower inner surfaces of the lift arm under load. A device for reducing the expansion / contraction operation force of a swing arm as described in the above. 3. The slide arm presses against the upper and lower inner surfaces of the lift arm when a load is applied by providing elasticity to the support of the roller shaft and retracting the roller in response to a load applied to the slide arm. 4. The device for reducing telescopic operation force of a swing arm according to claim 1. 4. The roller according to claim 1, wherein the roller is formed of an elastic body, and the roller is deformed according to a load applied to the slide arm, so that the slide arm is pressed against the inner upper and lower surfaces of the lift arm during load. Device for reducing the operating force of the swing arm. 5. The device for reducing the expansion / contraction operation force of a swing arm according to claim 1, further comprising a handle for slidingly operating the slide arm. 6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a slide suppressing means for suppressing a sliding operation of the slide arm.