JP2009066624A - Workpiece supporting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a workpiece supporting apparatus that can suppress fluttering of a workpiece and that can further reduce possibility of fire breaking. <P>SOLUTION: The workpiece supporting apparatus supports the workpiece W that is machined by a laser beam machine 1 as a sheet material processing machine. The apparatus includes a table 3 for placing the workpiece W thereon and a thin plate-like workpiece supporting member 100 to be arranged on the table 3, wherein the work supporting member 100 is installed with its planar part facing the moving direction of the workpiece W and is elastically deformable in accordance with the movement of the workpiece W. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a workpiece support device in a plate material processing machine such as a laser processing machine.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when processing a workpiece such as a thin plate using a plate material processing machine, for example, a laser processing machine, a workpiece support device that uses a free bear, a roller, a brush, or the like is known as a workpiece support device that supports a moving workpiece. For example, a first work support member made of a metal roller, a second work support made up of a brush made of a thin thread made of a synthetic resin or the like fixed to a table, and a wire bundled in the middle of the thin thread. There is a work support device provided with a member (for example, refer to patent documents 1).

  Here, the workpiece support devices using free bears, rollers, and brushes have the following characteristics.

  First, in the case of a work support device using a free bear, the work is supported at the top of a bearing having a large inertia. For this reason, when the workpiece is accelerated at a large acceleration, the friction force between the workpiece and the free bear loses the inertia, and the bearing cannot be rotated and becomes a sliding friction, and the workpiece is scratched. There was a risk of it. Further, the support of the work at the apex of the free bear generates local pressure between the work and the trajectory of the contact portion of the bearing may be attached to the support surface of the work. For these reasons, the workpiece support device using the free bear is relatively unsuitable for machining a workpiece without scratches.

  A workpiece support device using a roller is suitable for workpiece support when the workpiece is moved in one direction. However, when dross occurs during laser processing, if the projecting part due to the dross gets on the roller, the workpiece height changes, the moving workpiece flutters, and the workpiece pass line changes. There was a risk of doing so.

A workpiece support device using a brush is a support device that can be used regardless of the moving direction of the workpiece. In addition, it can support the plane of the workpiece, and even if there is a local protrusion such as dross, the height change can be absorbed by the bending of the brush, so there is no fluttering of the workpiece, so the pass line Does not change. Furthermore, the configuration is relatively simple compared to the case where a free bear or a roller is used. For this reason, in a laser processing machine or the like, a work support device using a brush is often used in order to suppress the occurrence of back scratches and changes in the pass line.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-103912

  However, in a work support device using a brush, the brush is configured by bundling strands. For this reason, there is a possibility that the brush sucks up oil such as grease applied and adhering to the workpiece and the workpiece supporting device by a capillary phenomenon as if it were a lamp core. Therefore, the use of the work support device using the brush in an oxygen-rich atmosphere in which spatter is scattered may cause a fire.

  A method of dealing with such a problem by using a flame-retardant material for the brush has been implemented. Thereby, the possibility that a fire will occur can be reduced to some extent. However, oil that has been sucked up by the brush mainly burns in the event of a fire, so using a brush as a flame-retardant material has not been a sufficient fire countermeasure.

  The present invention has been made under such circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a work support device that can suppress the fluttering of the work and further reduce the possibility of fire.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and has the following configuration.

  (1) A workpiece support device for supporting a workpiece to be processed by a plate material processing machine, comprising: a support base on which the workpiece is placed; and a thin plate-like workpiece support member disposed on the support base. The workpiece support device, wherein the member is provided such that a plane portion thereof faces the moving direction of the workpiece, and is elastically deformable with the movement of the workpiece.

  (2) The workpiece support device according to (1), wherein the workpiece support member has a notch on a side in contact with the workpiece.

  (3) In the workpiece support device according to (1) or (2), the workpiece support member has a spherical portion at a position where the workpiece abuts the workpiece, and supports the workpiece via the spherical portion. A workpiece support device.

  (4) In the workpiece support device according to any one of (1) to (3), the support base has a T-shaped groove at a position where the workpiece support member is disposed, and the workpiece support member is at one end. A work support apparatus, comprising a T-shaped part, wherein the work support member is disposed on the support base with the T-shaped part fitted into the T-shaped groove.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, while suppressing the flutter of a workpiece | work, the workpiece | work support apparatus which can further reduce possibility that a fire will generate | occur | produce can be provided.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the following embodiments.

  However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of the components described in this embodiment are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to those unless otherwise specified. .

  In the present embodiment, a case where the work support device of the present invention is applied to a laser processing machine as a plate material processing machine will be described as an example.

  First, a schematic configuration of the laser processing machine will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of the laser processing machine. In FIG. 4, one horizontal direction is an x-axis direction, another horizontal direction is a direction perpendicular to the x-axis direction is a y-axis direction, and a vertical direction is a z-axis direction.

  The laser processing machine 1 has a base member 2, and a plate-like table 3 (support base) on which a workpiece W can be placed is provided on the upper side of the base member 2. Further, a post 4 standing and extending upward is integrally provided on one end portion side of the base member 2, and an overhead beam extending above the table 3 on the upper end portion side of the post 4. 5 is provided integrally.

  The table 3 has a planar portion extending in the horizontal direction (x-axis direction and y-axis direction), and the workpiece W can be placed on the planar portion. Further, a workpiece support member, which will be described later, is provided in the planar portion and is extended in the z-axis direction with a predetermined interval, and the workpiece W is supported by the workpiece support member.

  An x-axis guide rail 6 extending in the x-axis direction is provided on one end side of the table 3, and an x-axis carriage 7 extending in the x-axis direction is provided on the x-axis guide rail 6 in the x-axis direction. The x-axis carriage 7 is movably provided and is positioned in the x-axis direction by, for example, a control motor (not shown). The x-axis carriage 7 has clamping devices 8A and 8B that can grip the workpiece W. The workpiece W is gripped by the clamp devices 8A and 8B and moved in the x-axis direction by moving the x-axis carriage 7.

  The overhead beam 5 is provided with a y-axis guide rail (not shown) extending long in the y-axis direction. The y-axis guide rail is provided with a y-axis carriage 9 movably in the y-axis direction. The carriage 9 is moved and positioned in the y-axis direction by a control motor (not shown), for example.

  The y-axis carriage 9 is provided with a laser processing head 10 capable of irradiating the workpiece W with laser light from above. The laser processing head 10 is connected to the y-axis carriage via a z-axis guide rail (not shown). 9 is provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction (z-axis direction), and is moved and positioned in the z-axis direction by, for example, a control motor (not shown).

  Then, the workpiece W is irradiated with laser light while the workpiece W is moved relative to the laser processing head 10 by appropriately operating the x-axis carriage 7, the y-axis carriage 9, and the like, thereby processing the workpiece W. Can be done.

  Then, the workpiece | work support member in the workpiece | work support apparatus of this embodiment is demonstrated in detail.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a workpiece support device, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a workpiece W viewed from the y-axis direction is placed on the workpiece support device.

  The workpiece support member 100 of the present invention is a thin plate, and is disposed on the table 3 so that the plane portion thereof faces the moving direction (x-axis direction) of the workpiece W.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the workpiece support member 100 in the present embodiment is a rectangular thin plate, and the plurality of workpiece support members 100 have their planar portions directed in the moving direction of the workpiece W, and their long sides as the workpiece W. Are arranged on the table 3 in parallel with each other at a predetermined interval.

  In addition, a plurality of notches 101 are provided at a predetermined interval on the side where the workpiece W abuts on the long side portion of the workpiece support member 100. In the notch 101, the work support member 100 is retracted from the work W, thereby preventing the work support member 100 from being cut by the laser light applied to the work W from the laser processing head 10. be able to. The position, number, size, and the like of the notch 101 can be changed as appropriate in accordance with the laser processing of the workpiece W.

  The material of the work support member 100 is elastic enough to be deformed as the work W is moved in a state where the plane portion of the work support member 100 is disposed on the table 3 so that the plane portion faces the movement direction of the work W as described above. Also, the hardness is lower than that of the workpiece W, and it is flame retardant or non-flammable. For example, the workpiece support member 100 is made of metal.

  Next, the work support operation of the work support apparatus of this embodiment will be described.

  When the workpiece W is placed on the workpiece support member 100, the tops of the plurality of workpiece support members 100 come into contact with the workpiece W to support the workpiece W as shown in FIG. When the workpiece W is moved in the x-axis direction, the workpiece support member 100 is elastically deformed as the workpiece W is moved. Therefore, the moving workpiece W can be supported in the same manner as the brush. Further, in the case where the workpiece W has a local protruding portion Wa such as dross, the workpiece supporting member 100 that contacts the protruding portion Wa is elastically deformed and bent by the height of the protruding portion Wa. The height change due to the portion Wa can be absorbed.

  Further, the work support member 100 is made of a flame-retardant or non-flammable material as described above, and, unlike a brush constructed by bundling strands, the work support member 100 absorbs oil such as grease by capillary action. Absent.

  Therefore, according to the workpiece support device of the present embodiment, it is possible to suppress the flutter of the workpiece and further reduce the possibility of fire.

  In the present embodiment, in order to reduce the number of components and facilitate replacement, a thin plate having a rectangular shape and having a notch in the long side portion is used as the work support member. However, the shape of the workpiece support member is not particularly limited to that of the present embodiment, and may be any thin plate that can be elastically deformed as the workpiece W moves. For example, a square workpiece support member that is completely cut off at the cutout portion of the workpiece support member in the present embodiment may be arranged on the table.

(Other embodiments)
Another embodiment of the workpiece support device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic partial view of the workpiece support device viewed from the y-axis direction.

  As shown in FIG. 3, as another embodiment, a contact portion 102 having a circular cross section is provided on the top of the work support member 100, and the work support member 100 is brought into contact with the work W via the corresponding contact portion 102. The workpiece W may be supported. Thereby, the possibility that the workpiece W is damaged by the workpiece support member 100 can be further reduced.

  Further, a T-shaped groove 113 is provided at the work support member disposition position of the table 3, a T-shaped portion 103 corresponding to the T-shaped groove 113 is provided at one end of the work support member 100, and the T-shaped groove of the table 3 is provided. The T-shaped portion 103 of the work support member 100 may be fitted to 113 and the work support member 100 may be slid and attached to the table 3. Thereby, the workpiece support member 100 can be easily attached to and detached from the table 3, and the workpiece support member 100 can be easily replaced.

Schematic of the workpiece support device according to the first embodiment Schematic diagram showing the state where the workpiece is placed on the workpiece support device Schematic partial view of a workpiece support device according to another embodiment Schematic configuration diagram of laser processing machine

Explanation of symbols

W Work 1 Laser processing machine 3 Table (support table)
100 Work support member 101 Notch 102 Spherical part 103 T-shaped part

Claims (4)

In the work support device that supports the work processed by the plate material processing machine,
A support table on which the workpiece is placed;
A thin plate-like workpiece support member disposed on the support base,
The workpiece support device, wherein the workpiece support member is provided such that a plane portion thereof faces in a movement direction of the workpiece, and is elastically deformable with the movement of the workpiece. The workpiece support apparatus according to claim 1,
The workpiece support device, wherein the workpiece support member has a notch on a side in contact with the workpiece. In the workpiece support apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The work support device has a contact section with a circular cross section at a position where the work support member comes into contact with the work, and supports the work via the contact section. The workpiece support apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The support base has a T-shaped groove at the position where the work support member is disposed,
The workpiece support member has a T-shaped portion at one end,
The workpiece support device, wherein the workpiece support member is disposed on the support base with the T-shaped portion fitted into the T-shaped groove.

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