JP2003222154A - Coupling - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a coupling capable of absorbing certainly deviation and displacement between two rotating shafts to be able to transmit rotation surely. <P>SOLUTION: The coupling is so structured that the two rotating shafts 34, 36 are coupled while absorbing displacement therebetween to transmit rotation of one rotating shaft to the other one, wherein a leaf spring member 35 having a predetermined width is formed in an annular-shape and the two rotating shafts 34, 36 are coupled via the annular leaf spring 35. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a coupling configured to connect two rotary shafts while absorbing displacement between the shafts and to transmit the rotation of one rotary shaft to the other rotary shaft.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in order to transmit the rotation of a motor to another shaft, a rotating shaft (main driving shaft) on the motor side and another shaft (driven shaft)
There is a method to allow and transmit changes between the axes
As such a rotation transmitting means, a coupling made of a coil spring, a coupling made of a bellows, etc. have been conventionally known.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional coupling, the amount of deformation of the spring cannot be made large, so that the amount of change in axial position such as parallel displacement, angle, expansion and contraction is as small as 1 mm or less. Met. Therefore, the displacement and displacement of the rotary shaft cannot be sufficiently absorbed, and it cannot be suitably incorporated into a mechanism in which the shaft position changes with the rotation of the shaft.

The present invention has been made in view of the above matters, and an object thereof is to reliably absorb a shift or displacement between two rotary shafts and to reliably transmit rotation. Is to provide a ring.

[0005]

To achieve the above object, the present invention connects two rotary shafts while absorbing the displacement between the shafts, and transmits the rotation of one rotary shaft to the other rotary shaft. In the coupling configured as described above, a leaf spring member having a predetermined width is formed in an annular shape, and the two rotary shafts are connected via the annular leaf spring (claim 1). ).

In this case, as described in claim 2, as the coupling, a plurality of annular leaf springs may be arranged along the axial direction so as to be different from each other when viewed from the axial direction.

In the coupling of the present invention, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, a leaf spring member having excellent elasticity is formed in an annular shape, and the two rotary shafts 34, 36 are mechanically connected to each other via a coupling 35 made of such an annular leaf spring. Therefore, as shown in FIG.
The rotation of one rotating shaft 34 can be reliably transmitted to the other rotating shaft 36. Further, the coupling 35 formed of the annular leaf spring does not deform or shift in the same direction even when a displacement force in the width direction is generated. Even if the two rotary shafts 34 and 36 expand and contract in the axial direction as shown in FIG. 3B, the elasticity of the leaf spring member causes the rotary shaft 3 to rotate.
It is possible to preferably prevent the displacement at 4, 36.
Therefore, the positional deviation and displacement of the rotary shafts 34 and 36 can be reliably absorbed.

In the coupling of the present invention, since the leaf spring member is formed of an annular leaf spring that is simply annular, it can be mass-produced easily and easily.
It can be manufactured at low cost.

In the coupling, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, two annular leaf springs 35A, 35
When B is arranged along the axial direction so as to intersect at a right angle when viewed from the axial direction C, one annular leaf spring 35A (35
Even if displacement occurs in the direction orthogonal to the width direction in B),
This displacement is absorbed by the other annular leaf spring 35B (35A). That is, when the plurality of annular leaf springs are arranged so that the arrangement directions do not overlap each other when viewed from the axial direction C, displacements and deviations in all directions in the coupling are skillfully absorbed, and the rotational force between the axes is ensured. Can be transmitted to.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The details of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 5 show a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 schematically shows the overall structure of a particle size distribution measuring apparatus incorporating the coupling of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 is a light source that emits a laser beam 2, 3 is a beam expander that appropriately expands the laser beam 2, 4 is a flow-type cell to which a sample 5 is supplied as shown by an arrow 6, and 7 is a cell 4. It is a condenser lens provided at the rear. Reference numeral 8 denotes a photodetector that detects scattered light or transmitted light from the condenser lens 7. For example, a plurality of arc-shaped scattered light receiving elements 11 centering on the transmitted light receiving element 10 are provided on the surface of the thin detector stage 9. The light receiving elements 10 and 11 are provided at appropriate intervals, and each of the light receiving elements 10 and 11 is composed of a photodiode. 12 is a multiplexer for taking in the signal from the photodetector 8, 13 is a CPU to which the signal from the multiplexer 12 is input, and calculates the particle size distribution by performing calculation based on the scattered light intensity pattern, and 14 is a personal computer for controlling the entire apparatus In addition, a display device 15 such as a color display for displaying the calculation result is provided.

In the particle size distribution measuring apparatus shown in FIG. 1, the position adjusting mechanism 16 for aligning the center of the transmitted light receiving element 10 of the photodetector 8 with the center of the optical axis of the laser beam 2.
As shown in FIG. 2, the structure shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 is used.

That is, in FIG. 2 and FIG.
Is, for example, a flat base stage, which is erected so as to be orthogonal to the optical axis of the laser beam 2. On one flat surface side of the base stage 17, a flat plate-shaped biaxial stage 18 that detachably holds the photodetector 8 as an optical member is deformed and displaced along the flat surface of the base stage 17 to form three appropriate shapes. It is supported by leaf springs 19, 20, 21 having a width. Biaxial stage 18 in this embodiment
Has a substantially square shape in a plan view, and one of the diagonals thereof is vertically oriented and the other diagonal is horizontally oriented, that is, the four sides 18a, 18b, 18c and 18d are inclined at 45 °. It is provided in the state. A bulging portion 18A having a bilaterally symmetrical shape in plan view is formed at one corner of the biaxial stage 18 (a portion sandwiched by the sides 18a and 18b), and a bulging portion 18A (a side 18c and a bulge) is formed. A bulging portion 18B having a rectangular shape in plan view is formed in a portion between the sides 18d). The photodetector 8 is provided on one surface side of the flat plate-shaped biaxial stage 18, and the leaf springs 19 to 21 are
It is provided on the other surface side of the biaxial stage 18, between the base stage 17 and the biaxial stage 18. Note that, hereinafter, the direction parallel to the side 18a is referred to as the X direction, the direction parallel to the side 18b is referred to as the Y direction, and the two axes are the X direction and the Y direction.

The first leaf spring 19 and the second leaf spring 20 of the leaf springs 19 to 21 are L-shaped when viewed in the plate thickness direction thereof, and are surface portions 19a and 19b orthogonal to each other. , 20a, 20b. Also, the third
The leaf spring 21 is made of a leaf spring having one flat surface portion.

In the first leaf spring 19, one surface portion 19a thereof is parallel to the X direction, the end portion of the surface portion 19a is fixed to the edge of the bulging portion 18A of the biaxial stage 18,
The end of the other surface portion 19b is the flat surface 17 of the base stage 17.
It is fixed to a fixing member 22 protruding from a, and the width surface thereof is perpendicular to the flat surface 17a. In addition, the second leaf spring 20
One of the surface portions 20a is parallel to the Y direction, the end portion of the surface portion 20a is fixed to a fixing member 23 protruding from the flat surface 17a, and the width surface is perpendicular to the flat surface 17a.
Further, the third plate spring 21, one end of which is fixed to the horizontal edge of the bulging portion 18B diagonally opposite to the bulging portion 18A, and the other end of which is protrudingly provided on the flat surface 17a. Two
4 and its width face is perpendicular to the plane 17a and X
Direction, the Y direction and the direction of 45 ° (horizontal state).

The leaf springs 19 to 21 constructed as described above.
Is the direction along the plane 17a of the base stage 17, that is, the first leaf spring 19 is in the X direction, and the second leaf spring 2 is
0 can be deformed and / or moved only in the Y direction orthogonal to the X direction, and the third spring 21 can be deformed and / or moved only in the A direction (the vertical direction of the base stage 17). X along the plane 17a of 17
It can only move in the direction and in the Y direction. In particular, the upper end of the biaxial stage 18 has the third spring 21.
Since it is supported by, it does not perform any unnecessary movement other than in the vertical direction and parallel to the plane 17a.

The biaxial stage 18 operates in the x ₁ direction (X
Direction, upward direction), x ₂ direction (down direction in X direction), y ₁ direction (up direction in Y direction), y ₂ direction (down direction in Y direction) There is.

That is, inside the bent portions of the first leaf spring 19 and the second leaf spring 20, the actuator portions 30X, 30 provided on the base stage 17 are provided.
Drive members 25 and 2 for moving the biaxial stage 18 in the x ₁ direction and the y ₁ direction in response to a pressing force of Y (described later).
6 is provided. In addition, one end is connected to a point (intersection point of a line extending the surface portion 19a of the first leaf spring 19 and a line extending the surface portion 20a of the second leaf spring 20) 27 in the bulging portion 18A, and one end of each is connected. The other ends are connected to fixed points 28 and 29 on the base stage 17, respectively, and X
Springs 30 along the Y-direction and the Y-direction,
31 is stretched.

The structure of the position displacement mechanisms 32X and 32Y for applying a predetermined pressing force to the drive members 25 and 26 will be described. The position displacement mechanism 32X presses the drive member 25 in the X direction, and the position displacement mechanism 32Y operates the drive member 26.
Is pressed in the Y direction. Since both position displacement mechanisms 32X and 32Y have the same configuration, the configuration of one X direction position displacement mechanism 32X will be described, and in FIGS. 2 and 3, the corresponding members on the Y direction position displacement mechanism 32Y side will be described. Are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

That is, in FIG. 2 and FIG.
Is a motor, for example, a step motor (also called a pulse motor) that can rotate in either forward or reverse directions.
Then, it is attached to the flat surface 17a of the base stage 17 via a bracket. Output shaft 34 of this motor 33
Is coupled to a screw shaft 36 as a pressing member via a coupling 35 that absorbs vertical displacement. As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 4, the coupling 35 is formed by forming a leaf spring member having a predetermined width in an annular shape such as a substantially elliptical shape or an elliptic shape, and is provided on each of the opposing long circumferential surfaces 35a. The output shaft 34 of the motor 33, which is one rotation shaft, and the screw shaft 36, which is the other rotation shaft, are mechanically coupled via the mounting member 37.

A nut member 38 is attached to a position below the motor 33 on the plane 17a via a bracket, and the screw shaft 36 is screwed with the nut member 38 to form a tip (lower end) portion 36a thereof. Is formed into a spherical surface or an appropriate curved surface, and the tip end side thereof projects downward from the nut member 38 by an appropriate length. Therefore, the screw shaft 36 descends or rises in the direction D or the direction U in FIG. 2 by the rotation of the motor 33 in the normal direction or the reverse direction, respectively, and drives the lever 39 described later.

Reference numeral 39 is a lever for appropriately varying and transmitting the downward movement amount or upward movement amount and the pressing force of the screw shaft 36, and a horizontal first lever on which the pressing force of the lower end portion 36a of the screw shaft 36 acts. 1 Lever portion 39A and the surface portion 19 of the first leaf spring 19
b (a surface portion 20b of the second leaf spring 20) and a second lever portion 39B which is obliquely raised from the first lever portion 39A at an angle of 45 ° so as to be parallel to the base stage 1
It is rotatably supported by a fulcrum 39C erected on 7. Then, the lever 39 and the tip portion 3 of the screw shaft 36
6a, the ring body 40 is attached to the screw shaft 3 at the force point portion 39a of the first lever portion 39A on which the pressing force of the screw shaft 36 acts.
It is interposed in a state where it is not constrained by any of 6 and the first lever portion 39A. A pressing portion 39b for pressing the drive member 25 (26) is formed on the output side of the second lever portion 39B of the lever 39.

In the position adjusting mechanism 16 having the above structure,
The photodetector 8 is arranged so that the transmitted light receiving element 10 thereof coincides with an intersection 27 of a line extending the surface portion 19a of the first leaf spring 19 and a line extending the surface portion 20a of the second leaf spring 20. , Attached to the biaxial stage 18. In this state,
When the motor 33 of the position displacement mechanisms 32X and 32Y is normally rotated, the screw shaft 36 connected to the output shaft 34 of the motor 33 via a coupling 35 that absorbs the vertical displacement.
Moves in the downward direction (D direction), and the pressing force displaces the first lever portion 39A in the D direction via the ring body 40 arranged at the force point portion 39a of the first lever portion 39A of the lever 39. With the downward displacement of the first lever portion 39A, the second lever portion 39B rotates in the direction indicated by reference numeral w ₁ in FIGS. 2 and 3, and the pressing force due to this rotation causes the driving member 2 to rotate.
5 and 26 are applied. As a result, the first leaf spring 19 resists the pulling force of the pulling spring 30, and the second leaf spring 20 resists the pulling force of the pulling spring 31 by the symbols x ₁ and y ₁ , respectively. The biaxial stage 18 moves in the same manner as the biaxial stage 18 moves in the direction shown, and the photodetector 8 held by the biaxial stage 18 also moves in the same manner. Therefore, the biaxial stage 18 holding the photodetector 8 can be moved by giving a command to the motor 33 to obtain the optimum rotation amount, and the transmitted light which is the center of the photodetector 8 can be moved. The position of the light receiving element 10 can be matched with the optical axis of the laser light 2.

The position displacement mechanism 32X, 32Y
At 35, a coupling 35 for mechanically coupling the output shaft 34 of the motor 33 and the screw shaft 36 for pressing the lever 39
Has a very simple shape in which a leaf spring member having a predetermined width is formed in an annular shape, can be easily manufactured, and can be mass-produced at low cost. The leaf spring is easily deformed with a small force in the thickness direction, but is hard to be deformed in the width direction, and a leaf spring member having such a characteristic is formed in an annular shape. In the coupling 35 formed as shown in FIG. 5A, as shown in FIG.
The rotation of the output shaft 34 is reliably transmitted to the screw shaft 36 which is the other rotation shaft. That is, the coupling 35 formed of the annular leaf spring does not deform or shift in the same direction even when a displacement force in the width direction is generated, and therefore the two rotation shafts 34 and 36 are not shown in FIG. As shown in, axial direction C
Even if it expands and contracts, the displacement of the rotary shafts 34, 36 can be suitably prevented by the elasticity of the leaf spring member. Therefore, the positional deviation and displacement of the rotary shafts 34 and 36 can be reliably absorbed.

As described above, in the coupling 35 of the above-described embodiment, it is not always necessary to strictly align the two rotary shafts 34 and 36 in the axial direction, and the number of production steps of the apparatus can be reduced accordingly. Can be achieved. Further, since there is no generation of unnecessary force due to the positional displacement between the rotary shafts 34 and 36, a strong bearing is unnecessary. Therefore, the position displacement mechanism 32 in this embodiment is
In X and 32Y, the vertical movement associated with the rotation of the screw shaft 36 is reliably transmitted to the lever 39 even if the angle of the force application point 39a changes, and unnecessary force is not generated. Therefore, the position adjusting mechanism 16 is distorted. In addition, it is possible to perform a desired operation, and it is possible to adjust the optical axis of the photodetector 8 that requires a high degree of accuracy with high accuracy.

Needless to say, when the motor 33 is rotated in the reverse direction, the biaxial stage 18 can be moved in the directions indicated by reference numerals x ₂ and y ₂ .

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, but can be modified in various ways. Hereinafter, other embodiments will be described.

As the coupling 35, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, two ends of two leaf spring members 41 and 42 having a predetermined width and having equal dimensions are overlapped and sandwiched by a sandwiching member 43. The shaft mounting portion 37 may be formed on the long circumferential surface 35a.

Further, as the coupling 35, as shown in FIG. 7, two annular leaf springs 35A and 35B having the same shape are crossed at right angles when viewed from the axial direction C and are arranged along the axial direction C. You may set it up. In this case, even if displacement occurs in a direction orthogonal to the width direction of the one annular leaf spring 35A (35B), this displacement will not occur.
It is absorbed by 5B (35A). In this figure, 41 is a fixing member for fixing the adjacent portions of the annular leaf springs 35A, 35B, which is similar to the shaft mounting member 37.

In the structure as shown in FIG. 7, when the annular leaf springs 35A and 35B are independent of each other, they are easily deformed in the directions of arrows A and B in the figure. When they are arranged so as to be orthogonal to each other, for example, even if a force acts on the rotating shaft 34 in the A direction, the annular leaf spring 35A is
It does not deform in the direction. Similarly, even if a force acts on the rotating shaft 36 in the B direction, the annular leaf spring 35B does not deform in the B direction due to the action of the annular leaf spring 35A. That is, when the two annular leaf springs 35A and 35B are arranged so as to be orthogonal to each other when viewed from the axial direction C, the front and rear and left and right displacements and deviations of the coupling 35 are skillfully absorbed, and the rotational force between the shafts is ensured. Can be transmitted to. FIG. 8 shows an example of the position adjusting mechanism 16 in which such a coupling 35 is incorporated in the position displacement mechanisms 32X and 32Y.

FIG. 9 shows another example of the method of forming the coupling 35 shown in FIG. 7, in which the leaf spring member is formed in a cross shape having a predetermined width, as indicated by a virtual line in the figure. The corresponding end portions 42a and 42b and the end portions 42c and 42d of the cross-shaped member 42 are folded back and overlapped, for example, upward and downward, respectively, and the shaft mounting member 3 is attached to the overlapped portion.
7 is provided.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 7 to 9 described above,
The two annular leaf springs 35A and 35B are arranged so as to form a right angle when viewed from the axial direction, but this arrangement angle is arbitrary and, for example, as shown in FIG. Good. Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the three annular leaf springs 35A, 35B, 35C are fixed to the fixing members 41A, 41B.
May be stacked via. In the thing shown in this figure,
The annular leaf springs 35A and 35B are orthogonal to each other, and the annular leaf spring 35
Although B and 35C are orthogonal to each other, they do not necessarily have to be orthogonal as illustrated in FIG.

That is, when two or more annular leaf springs are arranged so that their arrangement directions do not overlap each other when viewed from the axial direction, displacements and deviations in all directions of the coupling 35 are skillfully absorbed, and the axial direction of the coupling 35 is improved. It is possible to reliably transmit the rotational force between them.

Although the optical member held by the biaxial stage 18 is the photodetector 8 in the above-described embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the optical member is a gas analyzer. The position can be similarly adjusted using a lens, a light source, an optical filter, a mirror, a pinhole, a diffraction grating, etc. provided in various analyzers and measuring devices. In this case, in a lens, an optical filter, a pinhole or the like that allows light to pass therethrough, it is necessary to provide a light passage portion such as a light passage hole in the base stage 17 or devise the shape of the base stage 17 as appropriate.

[0034]

As described above, in the present invention, the two rotary shafts are connected while absorbing the displacement between the shafts,
In a coupling configured to transmit the rotation of one rotating shaft to the other rotating shaft, a leaf spring member having a predetermined width is formed in an annular shape, and the two rotating shafts are connected via the annular leaf spring. Since they are connected to each other, it is not necessary to strictly align the two rotary shafts in the axial direction, and the number of production steps of the device can be reduced accordingly. Further, since no unnecessary force is generated due to the positional displacement of both rotary shafts, a strong bearing becomes unnecessary. Therefore,
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The coupling according to the present invention can be suitably used for an apparatus such as a photodetector of a particle size distribution measuring apparatus that requires a highly accurate operation such as a position adjusting mechanism for an optical member.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an overall configuration of a particle size distribution measuring device incorporating a coupling of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a planar configuration of a position adjusting mechanism in the particle size distribution measuring device.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing a main part of the position adjusting mechanism.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a coupling of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an operation explanatory view of the coupling.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing another configuration example of the coupling.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing still another configuration example of the coupling.

8 is a diagram schematically showing a planar configuration of a position adjusting mechanism that incorporates the coupling shown in FIG.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing still another example of the coupling together with the forming method.

FIG. 10 is a plan view showing still another example of the coupling.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing still another example of the coupling.

[Explanation of symbols]

34, 36 ... Rotating shaft, 35 ... Coupling (annular leaf spring), 35, 35B, 35C ... Annular leaf spring, C ... Axial direction.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A coupling having a predetermined width in a coupling configured to connect two rotating shafts while absorbing displacement between the rotating shafts and to transmit the rotation of one rotating shaft to the other rotating shaft. A coupling, wherein the spring member is formed in an annular shape, and the two rotary shafts are connected via the annular leaf spring. 2. The coupling according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of annular leaf springs are arranged along the axial direction so that the arrangement directions do not overlap each other when viewed from the axial direction.