JP2002039149A - Flexible transmission shaft - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a flexible transmission shaft capable of supporting a relatively heavy tool in spite of easy bending operation, and enlarging driving torque. SOLUTION: This transmission shaft 10 having four shafts 11 to 14 bendably joined with three joint parts 15 to 17 is supported rotatably about an axis by a holding case 30 formed by bendably joining four case members 31 to 34 at three joint parts 35 to 37. The transmitting shaft 10 is supported by a bearing B rotatably in the holding case 30, and the joint parts 35 to 37 of the holding case 30 bend about bending centers O of the joint parts 15 to 17 of the transmitting shaft 10. A rotation member on a power device 70 side is removably mounted on the one end side shaft 11 of the transmission shaft 10, and a rotation member on the tool side rotated by the power device 70 is removably mounted on the other side shaft 14 of the transmission shaft 10.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a power transmission shaft for transmitting a rotational power of a power unit and operating a tool such as a drill.
More specifically, the present invention relates to a flexible transmission shaft that can be used by arbitrarily changing the power transmission direction.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional flexible transmission shaft, for example, a wire is used as a transmission shaft for rotational power,
There is known a case in which a tube containing the wire is configured as a case, and is used for driving a tool bit in a drill. This utilizes the property of transmitting rotational power even when the wire is bent.Since it is possible to change the rotational power of the power unit in any direction and use it, it is used for drill operation etc. in narrow places. I have.

[0003]

However, in the prior art using such a wire as the power transmission shaft, there is no problem when the tip tool is relatively light and small, but when the tool becomes large to a certain extent, this is not the case. There is a problem that the (tube) cannot be supported completely. Further, there is also a problem that the driving torque is small and usable tip tools are limited. For such a problem, it is conceivable to increase the diameter of the wire and the tube. However, as the diameter of the wire increases, the bending rigidity also increases, and it becomes difficult to bend and the workability deteriorates. A new problem, such as becoming difficult, occurs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and has a structure capable of supporting a relatively heavy tool while easily performing a bending operation and increasing a driving torque. It is intended to provide a flexible transmission shaft.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, a flexible transmission shaft according to the present invention comprises a plurality of shafts which are flexibly connected in any direction at joints, and an input is provided at one end. A transmission shaft that transmits the rotational power to the other end, and a plurality of cylindrical case members that support these shafts rotatably around their respective axes, the bending center of the joint portion of the transmission shaft as the bending center. And a holding case formed so as to be flexibly coupled to the joint part. The two adjacent case members are provided with a hollow case inside the joint female part formed at each of the opposing ends. Male joints formed at both ends of the joint member are fitted and bendable, and two adjacent shafts are formed by a male joint formed at each of the opposed ends. Is fitted into the joint female portions formed on both ends of the shaft joint member mounted rotatably via a bearing inner member has a bendable.

As described above, in the flexible transmission shaft according to the present invention, the transmission shaft in which the plurality of shafts are flexibly connected at the joint portion is formed by connecting the plurality of cylindrical case members to the joint portion so as to be freely bent. The power transmission shaft is rotatably supported around the axis inside the holding case, and the power transmission shaft can be rotated in the holding case to transmit power while being bent. As a result, a large power can be transmitted, and a large driving torque can be output. In addition, since the joint of the holding case has the bending center at the bending center of the joint of the transmission shaft, when the holding case is bent, the transmission shaft also bends accordingly, and the bending operation is easy while the large power can be transmitted. It is. In addition, the holding case holding the transmission shaft can have higher rigidity than the tube of the conventional product, can support a heavy tool, and can support a reaction force received from a work target during the work. Therefore, it is easy to work and can be applied in various fields.

Here, one end of the transmission shaft is configured so that a rotating member on the power unit side can be removably attached thereto, and the other end of the transmission shaft is rotated by the power unit. It is preferable that the rotating member on the gripper 80) side in the form is configured to be removably attachable. If the flexible transmission shaft is used between the power unit and the tool as described above, the work can be performed by moving only the tool while the power unit is fixed at one place, and the flexible transmission shaft can be connected to the power unit and the tool. By using a configuration that can be detachably attached to the same power unit, it is possible to selectively replace an appropriate tool or an appropriate size flexible transmission shaft according to the work content with respect to the same power unit, The applicable range of the flexible transmission shaft can be further expanded.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Here, as an embodiment of the flexible transmission shaft according to the present invention, the joint portion is 3
A three-joint type flexible transmission shaft having a portion will be described as an example. FIG. 1 is a partial end view of the three-joint type flexible transmission shaft cut along the upper and lower surfaces passing through the center (the transmission shaft is not cut). FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of region II in FIG. Things.

As shown in FIG. 1, the flexible transmission shaft 1 comprises a transmission shaft having four shafts 11, 12, 13, 14 flexibly connected at three shaft joints 15, 16, 17, respectively. Reference numeral 10 designates four case-shaped joint members 3 having three cylindrical case members 31, 32, 33, and 34.
5, 36, and 37 are provided in a holding case 30 that is flexibly coupled to the transmission shaft 1.
By interposing the bearings B between the shaft joints 15 to 17 of the No. 0 and the case joints 35 to 37 of the holding case 30, the transmission shaft 10 can be rotated in the holding case 30. I have.

The left end of the first shaft 11, the second and third shafts
At both ends of the shafts 12 and 13 and at the right end of the fourth shaft 14, a male joint S1 having a protruding shape formed by shaving the outer surface is provided, and the male joints S1 and S1 adjacent to each other are formed. At both ends of each of the shaft joint members 20 located therebetween, concave joint female portions S2 and S2 formed by hollowing out the inside are provided. Here, the male joint S provided at the end of the shaft
1 has an outer surface shape that is referred to as a “spherical hexagonal shape” for convenience in this description.
The joint female portion S2 provided at the end of 0 has an (similar shape) inner surface shape corresponding to the outer surface shape of the male joint portion S1 having the “spherical hexagonal shape”. Therefore, the male joint S
1 can be fitted into the female joint portion S2, and the male male portion S1 is fitted and attached to the female joint portion S2 to form shaft joint portions 15 to 17.

Here, an example of a procedure for obtaining the "spherical hexagonal shape" which is the shape of the male joint portion S1 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 3, the figure shown in the left column is the male joint S
1 is a front view (view from the axial end side of the shaft), and the figure shown in the right column is a side view of the male male part S1 (view from a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the shaft). It is. As shown in FIG. 3, in order to shape the male joint portion S1 into a “spherical hexagonal shape”, first, the tip of the shaft is shaped into a spherical shape with a radius r ₁ (FIG. 3A), and FIG. ), Six arcs a to f are drawn at every central angle of 60 degrees when viewed from the front of FIG.
(B)). Subsequently, as viewed from the front of FIG. 3B, the plane is cut by a plane parallel to the axis passing through the lines g to l connecting the maximum points of the arcs a to f (FIG. 3C). The hatched portion in the figure is cut off on the curved surface including the arcs a and f, and the other portions are made the same (FIG. 3D). Finally, the tip is cut off in a plane perpendicular to the axis (FIG. 3E). As a result, a “spherical hexagonal shape” is obtained.

As described above, the male joint S1 of the shaft is fitted and attached to the female joint S2 of the shaft joint member 20, but in the state where the male joint S1 is attached to the female joint S2, the male joint S1 is attached to the female joint S2. The shaft can be bent in any direction with respect to the shaft joint member 20 while sliding the portion S1 within the female joint portion S2. At this time, the shaft is "spherical hexagonal" in the male joint portion S1.
(Shown in FIG. 3 (A), the center of the spherical surface of radius r ₁ before molding) center would be bent around the position of the. Hereinafter, a point that becomes the center of bending of the shaft is referred to as a bending center O.

In a state where the male joint S1 is attached to the female joint S2 and two adjacent shafts are connected by the shaft joint member 20, the rotational force applied to one of the shafts is reduced by the shaft joint member. 20 and the rotational force applied to the shaft joint member 20 is transmitted to the other shaft. This is Figure 4
As can be seen from FIG. 2 (end view as viewed from the arrow IV-IV in FIG. 2), the male joint S1 and the female joint S2 each have a hexagonal cross-section, and the torsion around the axis of the shaft is reduced. This is because relative slip does not occur. As a result, the rotational force of one shaft is transmitted to the adjacent shaft via the shaft joint member 20.

The left end of the first case member 31, both ends of the second and third case members 32 and 33, and the fourth case member 34
Each of the right ends has a concave joint female part T2 formed by hollowing out the inside thereof, and both ends of a hollow case joint member 40 located between the adjacent joint female parts T2 and T2. Each is provided with a protruding male male part T1, T1 formed by shaving the outer surface. Here, the outer surface of the male joint portion T1 provided at the end of the case joint member 40 has the above-mentioned “spherical hexagonal shape”, and the female joint portion T2 provided at the end of the case member has the “spherical shape”. It has an inner surface shape (similar shape) corresponding to the outer surface shape of the male joint part T1 forming a “hexagonal shape”. Therefore, the male joint part T1 can be fitted inside the female joint part T2, and the male joint part T1 is fitted and attached to the female joint part T2, and the case joint parts 35 to 37 are attached.
Is configured. The male joint portion T1 is formed into a “spherical hexagonal shape” by using the male joint portion S1 of the transmission shaft 10.
Is performed in a process similar to that of

As described above, the case joint member 40
The male joint portion T1 is fitted and attached to the female joint portion T2 of the case member, but when the male joint portion T1 is attached to the female joint portion T2, the male joint portion T1 slides within the female joint portion T2. It is possible to bend the case member in any direction with respect to the case joint member 40. At this time, the case member is “spherical hexagonal shape” in the male joint portion T1.
5, the flexible transmission shaft 1 has a “spherical hexagonal shape” in the male joint portion T1 of the case joint member 40 at the time of final assembly, as shown in FIG. Is aligned with the center of the “spherical hexagonal shape” in the male joint portion S1 of the shaft, and the joint portion 35 of the holding case 30 is formed.
The center of bending in -37 is the joint 15-
The center of curvature O coincides with the bending center O at 17.
For this reason, when the holding case 30 is bent at the joints 35 to 37, the transmission shaft 10 is correspondingly moved.
It bends at 5-17 (see FIG. 5).

Further, the shaft joints 15 to
The bearing B provided between the case 17 and the case joints 35 to 37 of the holding case 30 is attached between the shaft joint member 20 of the transmission shaft 10 and the case joint member 40 of the holding case 30. In this bearing B, the inner ring B1 and the outer ring B2 are relatively rotatable. As shown in FIG. 2, the bearing B is inserted from the left side of the shaft joint member 20 so that the inner ring B1 is located on the outer peripheral portion of the shaft joint member 20. Formed contact wall 2
1 until it comes into contact with the bearing B, and the case joint member 40 is inserted from the left side of the bearing B and pushed until the contact wall 41 formed on the inner peripheral portion contacts the outer ring B2 of the bearing B. Can be installed between the two joint members 20 and 40.

The flexible transmission shaft 1 having such a configuration
When the holding case 30 is bent, the transmission shaft 10 also bends accordingly.
Since it is held by the bearing B so as to be relatively rotatable with respect to 0, only the transmission shaft 10 can be rotated while the holding case 30 is in a predetermined bending posture.
For this reason, if the first shaft 11 of the transmission shaft 10 is attached to the rotating member of the power unit and the fourth shaft 14 is attached to the rotating member of a tool that is driven to rotate by the power unit, the flexible shaft 1 The tool can be driven. In addition, this flexible transmission shaft 1
If the maximum bending angle of the shaft with respect to the shaft joint member 20 is 15 degrees, that is, if the maximum bending angle between adjacent shafts (or between case members) in one joint is 30 degrees, there are three joints. ,
The entire flexible transmission shaft 1 can be bent up to 90 degrees.

An example of use of such a flexible transmission shaft 1 will be described. FIG. 6 shows a configuration example in which the flexible transmission shaft 1 is mounted on a work platform of an aerial work vehicle having a work platform movably provided on a vehicle body, and driven by a power device to drive a gripper as a tip tool. It is shown. As shown in FIG.
Are detachably attached by screws 72a of an attachment member 72, and can be connected to oil passages L1, L2 on a hydraulic pump P side provided on the vehicle body side via attachment hoses 73, 74 extending from the power unit 70. Has become. The power unit 70 includes a hydraulic motor 75 that is rotationally driven by hydraulic oil from the hydraulic pump P, and a manual switching valve that switches the rotational direction of the hydraulic motor 75 by switching the flow path of hydraulic oil supplied from the hydraulic pump P. 76 are built in.

First shaft 11 of flexible transmission shaft 1
Are detachably attached to a rotating shaft 75a of a hydraulic motor 75 via an attachment (not shown), and the first case member 31 of the flexible transmission shaft 1 is attached to a case 71 of a power unit 70, respectively. A rotating shaft of a tool bit is detachably attached to a rotating shaft mounting portion 14a provided on the fourth shaft 14 of the flexible transmission shaft 1, and the gripper 80 itself is a left end portion of the flexible transmission shaft 1 shown in FIG. Is attached to an attachment 38 provided in the main body in a detachable manner. This gripper 8
Numeral 0 has a mechanism for converting the rotational power into an opening / closing operation of the two gripping portions 81 and 82, and by switching the rotation direction of the hydraulic motor 75 by operating a lever 76a provided on the switching valve 76, the gripping is performed. The opening and closing operations of the parts 81 and 82 can be performed.

When the gripping operation is performed by using the gripping tool 80 connected to the power unit 70 by the flexible transmission shaft 1 as described above, the worker (not shown) on the work table 60 is The fourth case member 34 in
An object to be gripped by hand (or a portion other than the movable portion of the gripping tool 80) is positioned between the gripping portions 81 and 82 by hand. When the operator moves the fourth case 34 while holding the same, the entire holding case 30 bends accordingly, and the transmission shaft 10 in the holding case 30 also bends so as to be in the same posture as the holding case 30. . When the lever 76a of the switching valve 76 is operated in the direction A in FIG. 6 and the hydraulic motor 75 is rotated in the forward direction by the hydraulic oil from the hydraulic pump P, this rotational power is transmitted by the transmission shaft 10 and 81 and 82 are driven in the closing direction. As a result, the object is gripped by the gripper 80. On the other hand, lever 76a
Is operated in the direction B of FIG. 6 to rotate the hydraulic motor 75 in the reverse direction, the two grippers 81 and 82 are driven in the opening direction, and the gripping of the object is released. FIG. 6 shows a state in which the flexible transmission shaft 1 is bent. However, in order to hold the flexible transmission shaft 1 in such a bent state, an operator on the work table 60 needs to support the flexible transmission shaft 1 by hand. ,
Alternatively, the posture of the flexible transmission shaft 1 needs to be held by a holder separately attached to the work table 60.

In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the tip tool is the gripper 80 has been described.
However, the present invention is not limited to this, and another type (for example, a drill) may be used. Here, if the tip tool is a drill, a reaction force is received from the work target during the drilling operation. However, in the flexible transmission shaft 1 according to the present invention, since the transmission shaft 10 is held by the holding case 30, The reaction force can be supported by the holding case 30, and the transmission shaft (wire)
Can be performed on a larger scale than a conventional product in which the tube is covered with a tube.

As described above, in the flexible transmission shaft according to the present invention, the plurality of shafts 11 to 14 are connected to the plurality of joints 15.
Transmission shaft 10 which is flexibly connected at the positions 17 to 17
However, a plurality of cylindrical case members 31 to 34 are supported rotatably around an axis inside a holding case 30 in which a plurality of joint portions 35 to 37 are flexibly coupled, and the transmission shaft 10 is bent. Although the power can be transmitted by rotating the holding case 30 in the holding state, a larger power can be transmitted and a larger driving torque can be output as compared with a wire that is a conventional transmission shaft. . Further, since the joints 35 to 37 in the holding case 30 have the center of bending of the joints 15 to 17 in the transmission shaft 10, when the holding case 30 is bent, the transmission shaft 10 also bends accordingly, and The bending operation is easy, although the power can be transmitted. Further, the holding case 30 for holding the transmission shaft 10 can have higher rigidity than the tube of the conventional product, can support a heavy tool, and also support a reaction force received from a work target during the work. Therefore, it is easy to work and can be applied in various fields.

As described above, if the flexible transmission shaft 1 according to the present invention is used between the power unit 70 and the tool, the operation is performed by moving only the tool while the power unit 70 is fixed at one place. And the flexible transmission shaft 1 can be detachably attached to the power unit 70 and the tool, so that the same power unit 70 can have an appropriate tool or an appropriate size according to the work content. The flexible transmission shaft 1 can be selectively replaced and used. Further, as described above, if the power unit 70 itself is detachable from the worktable 60, the power unit 70 is used only when the use of the flexible transmission shaft 1 is necessary.
Can be mounted on the worktable 60, and the work space of the worktable 60 is not narrowed.

Although the embodiment of the flexible transmission shaft according to the present invention has been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above. For example, in the above embodiment,
The male joint part of the transmission shaft and the holding case has a “spherical hexagonal shape”, and the female joint part has a configuration that can be fitted with this “spherical hexagonal shape”. Other shapes may be used as long as bending between the case members is possible and power transmission between the shafts is possible.
Alternatively, another configuration may be used. Further, in the above embodiment, as an example in which the flexible transmission shaft 1 is used for driving a tool, a case where the flexible transmission shaft 1 is attached to the work bench 60 of the aerial work vehicle is used. The present invention is not limited to the case where it is used by being attached to the worktable 60, and can be used in various other cases.

In the above embodiment, a three-joint type flexible transmission shaft having three joints has been described as an example.
The number of joints may be increased or decreased by increasing or decreasing the number of shafts and case members to be connected (however, these are always the same number). However, at least one joint is required. The number of the joints is determined by the relationship between the maximum bending angle between adjacent shafts (or between adjacent case members) and the maximum bending angle required for the flexible transmission shaft 1 as a whole.

[0026]

As described above, in the flexible transmission shaft according to the present invention, the transmission shaft in which a plurality of shafts are flexibly connected to each other at the joint portion has a plurality of cylindrical case members at the joint portion. It is supported rotatably around the axis inside the holding case that is flexibly connected, and the power transmission shaft can rotate in the holding case and transmit power while being bent. Large power can be transmitted as compared with the shaft wire, and a large driving torque can be output. In addition, since the joint of the holding case has the center of bending at the center of bending of the joint of the transmission shaft, when the holding case is bent, the transmission shaft also bends in accordance with the bending, so that the bending operation is easy, although large power can be transmitted. It is. Also,
The holding case that holds the transmission shaft can increase the rigidity compared to the conventional tube, can support heavy tools, and can also support the reaction force received from the work target during work. Easy to remove,
It can be applied in various directions.

Further, if the flexible transmission shaft is used between the power unit and the tool, the work can be performed by moving only the tool while the power unit is fixed at one place, and the flexible transmission shaft can be driven by the power. By adopting a configuration that can be detachably attached to the device and the tool, it is possible to use the same power unit by selectively changing the appropriate tool or the appropriate size of the flexible transmission shaft according to the work content. Therefore, the applicable range of the flexible transmission shaft can be further expanded.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial end view when cut along upper and lower surfaces passing through the center of a flexible transmission shaft according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing a range II in FIG. 1 of the flexible transmission shaft according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a procedure for forming a spherical hexagonal shape in a male joint part of a shaft end.

FIG. 4 is an end view as viewed from an arrow IV-IV in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the range of FIG. 2 in a state where the flexible transmission shaft according to the present invention is bent.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration example in a case where the flexible transmission shaft according to the present invention is used by being attached to a work bench of an aerial work vehicle.

[Description of Signs] 1 Flexible transmission shaft 10 Transmission shaft 11-14 Shaft 15-17 Shaft joint 20 Shaft joint 30 Holding case 31-34 Case member 35-37 Case joint 40 Case joint 40 S1, T1 Male joint S2, T2 joint female part B bearing

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of shafts are flexibly connected in an arbitrary direction at a joint portion, and a transmission shaft for transmitting rotational power input to one end to the other end; A plurality of cylindrical case members rotatably supported on the transmission shaft, and a holding case formed to be flexibly coupled to a joint centered on the bending center of the joint in the transmission shaft, Two adjacent case members are bendable by fitting male joints formed at both ends of a hollow case joint member into the female joints formed at opposing ends. The two adjacent shafts are formed such that male joints formed at opposite ends thereof are rotatably mounted inside the case joint member via bearings. A flexible transmission shaft, which is fitted into female joints formed at both ends of a joint member and is bendable. 2. A tool in which the one end side of the transmission shaft is configured such that a rotating member on a power unit side can be detachably attached thereto, and the other end side of the transmission shaft is rotationally driven by the power unit. 2. The flexible transmission shaft according to claim 1, wherein the side rotation member is detachably attachable.