JP2013180946A - Curving apparatus of curving roller and method for bending glass sheet - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and apparatus for curving the curving roller and bending a glass sheet into a given curve while securing rotation of a curving roller in the entire longitudinal direction by a simple structure.SOLUTION: The curving apparatus 30 of a curved roller 20 includes: the curving roller 20 having a curvable guide shaft 32 and a plurality of ring rollers 36 rotatably supported by the guide shaft 32 via a bearing 34; and a lifting apparatus 42 that is connected to the curving roller 20 and is moved up and down so as to curve the curving roller 20. The plurality of ring rollers 36 each has: an engagement part 38a that engages with the ring roller 36 adjacent in the longitudinal direction so as to transmit rotational motion to the ring roller 36 adjacent in the longitudinal direction; and a bearing 50 that is located in the outer peripheral side of the engagement part 38a and rotatably connects the ring roller to the lifting apparatus.

Description

  The present invention relates to a bending apparatus for a bending roller and a method for bending a glass plate, and in particular, a bending apparatus for a bending roller that can rotate and bend to an arbitrary curve, and glass using the bending apparatus for the bending roller. The present invention relates to a method of bending a plate.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a bending roller that is rotatable and can be bent into an arbitrary curve is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The bending roller includes a bendable guide shaft extending in the longitudinal direction, and a plurality of annular ring rollers that are rotatably supported by the guide shaft via bearings. The guide shaft is fixed at both ends in the longitudinal direction. Further, the ring rollers adjacent to each other are coupled by an elastic member that covers the outer peripheral side, and can transmit rotational motion. Each ring roller is rotated by a rotational movement transmitted from a motor provided in the longitudinal direction of the bending roller toward the center of the bending roller.

  In the bending roller described in Patent Document 1, the guide shaft is directly connected to the lifting device near the center in the longitudinal direction. The lifting device is a device that is moved up and down to bend the bending roller. The degree of curvature of the guide shaft varies as the lifting device is moved up and down. Therefore, it is possible to form the curve of the bending roller into an arbitrary curve by appropriately moving the lifting device up and down.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,504

  However, in the structure in which the guide shaft and the lifting device are directly connected as described above, in order to ensure the rotation of all the ring rollers, the ring rollers arranged in the longitudinal direction are divided at the position where the lifting device is provided. In addition, it is necessary to provide a motor for generating a rotational motion to be applied to the ring roller on each of both sides in the longitudinal direction of the bending roller. For this reason, the apparatus scale increases when the curved roller is curved to an arbitrary curve while ensuring the rotation of the curved roller in the entire longitudinal direction.

  If two or more lifting devices that are directly connected to the guide shaft are provided in the entire longitudinal direction, it becomes difficult to rotate the center ring roller, and it is complicated to rotate the center ring roller. To adopt a special structure.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described points, and the bending of the bending roller capable of bending the bending roller into an arbitrary curve while ensuring the rotation of the bending roller in the entire longitudinal direction with a simple structure. An object of the present invention is to provide a glass plate bending method using the apparatus and the bending apparatus of the bending roller.

  The above object is to provide a bending roller having a bendable guide shaft and a plurality of ring rollers rotatably supported by the guide shaft via a first bearing, and bend the bending roller connected to the bending roller. A plurality of ring rollers that engage with the ring rollers adjacent in the longitudinal direction, and the ring rollers adjacent in the longitudinal direction. It is achieved by a bending device of a bending roller having an engaging portion that transmits rotational movement, and a second bearing that is disposed on the outer peripheral side of the engaging portion and rotatably connects the ring roller to the lifting device. .

  In the invention of this aspect, each ring roller is provided with an engaging portion that transmits rotational motion to the ring roller adjacent in the longitudinal direction. For this reason, since the rotational motion is transmitted between the adjacent ring rollers, the rotation of the bending roller is ensured in the entire longitudinal direction. In addition, a second bearing for connecting the ring roller to the lifting device so as to be rotatable is disposed adjacent to the outer peripheral side of the engaging portion of the ring roller. In this case, the lifting device supports the guide shaft through the second bearing, the ring roller, and the first bearing, and the ring roller rotates with respect to the lifting device and the guide shaft through the first and second bearings. Therefore, the guide shaft is bent by the vertical movement of the lifting device without hindering the rotation of the ring roller. In such a structure, it is not necessary to provide rotational drive sources at both ends in the longitudinal direction to rotate the curved roller in the entire longitudinal direction, and rotation of the bending roller can be performed in the entire longitudinal direction even if a plurality of lifting devices are provided. Secured. Therefore, according to the present invention, the curved roller can be curved into an arbitrary curve while ensuring the rotation of the curved roller in the entire longitudinal direction with a simple structure.

  In the above bending roller bending device, the lifting device includes a support rod that can be moved up and down by a motor, one end rotatably connected to the support rod, and the other end connected to a support member via a connecting portion. The second bearing may be disposed adjacent to the inner peripheral side of the support member.

  According to the invention of this aspect, since the link member moves up and down by moving the support rod up and down, and the support rod and the link member are rotatably connected, the link member is inclined according to the curvature of the bending roller. It is possible to install the lifting device at a position other than the central portion in the axial direction of the bending roller. In addition, since the second bearing is disposed between the outer peripheral side of the engaging portion of the ring roller and the inner peripheral side of the support member of the lifting device, the entire curved roller is allowed to allow rotation around the guide shaft of the ring roller. It can be bent by the vertical movement of the lifting device.

  Further, in the bending device for the bending roller, the support member may be an annular member having a hole in a direction in which the shaft of the bending roller extends.

  According to the invention of this aspect, the predetermined position of the bending roller can be reliably supported by the annular support member, and the stability and reproducibility of the curved shape of the bending roller is improved.

  In the bending roller bending device described above, the ring roller may have an annular space in which the second bearing and the support member can be included on the outer peripheral side of the engagement portion.

  According to the invention of this aspect, since the support member and the second bearing are installed so as to be included in the ring roller, it is possible to make the hole in the conveying surface formed by the adjacent ring roller as small as possible. . That is, the hole on the conveying surface can be a small width that is slightly opened in the longitudinal direction of the bending roller, and is just inserted with the connecting portion of the lifting device.

  In the bending device for the bending roller, a plurality of the second bearing and the lifting device may be provided in a direction in which the bending roller extends.

  According to the invention of this aspect, by providing a plurality of lifting devices in the extending direction of the curved roller, it is possible to arbitrarily displace any position of the guide shaft, for example, a complicated having a plurality of curvature radii. The bending roller can be bent into a curved shape.

  Further, the above object is achieved by a glass plate bending method in which a plurality of bending devices for the bending roller described above are arranged in the conveying direction of the glass plate, and the glass plate is bent by conveying on the bending roller. The

  In the invention of this aspect, the heated glass plate can be bent and formed into an arbitrary curved surface by being conveyed by the curved roller.

  According to the present invention, the curved roller can be curved into an arbitrary curve while ensuring the rotation of the curved roller in the entire longitudinal direction with a simple structure.

It is a block diagram of the bending apparatus of a glass plate provided with the bending apparatus of the bending roller which is one Example of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the curved roller of a present Example. It is a block diagram of the bending apparatus of the bending roller of a present Example.

  Hereinafter, specific embodiments of a bending apparatus for a bending roller according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a configuration diagram of a glass sheet bending apparatus 10 provided with a bending apparatus for bending rollers according to an embodiment of the present invention. The bending apparatus 10 of the present embodiment is an apparatus that bends and forms a glass plate G used in transportation equipment such as automobiles and railways, buildings, and the like. The bending apparatus 10 is an apparatus that bends the glass sheet G in at least an orthogonal direction Y orthogonal to the transport direction X. However, the roller bending apparatus of the present invention can also be applied to an apparatus that bends and forms the glass plate G in two directions (that is, the conveyance direction X and the orthogonal direction Y orthogonal to the conveyance direction X).

  The “transport direction” refers to the transport direction of the glass plate. In addition, the “orthogonal direction” is a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the glass plate and is a direction in which the axis of the roller that conveys the glass plate extends. Further, “bend forming (performed) in the conveying direction” means that the shape of the glass plate is curved from the front end side to the rear end side in the conveying direction. That is, in the glass plate bent in the transport direction, the cross section when cut in parallel along the transport direction is curved. Further, “bending in the orthogonal direction” means that the shape of the glass plate is curved around an axis parallel to the conveying direction. That is, in the glass plate bent in the orthogonal direction orthogonal to the conveying direction, the cross section when cut in parallel along the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction is curved.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the bending apparatus 10 of this embodiment includes a heating furnace 12 and a forming unit 14. The heating furnace 12 and the forming unit 14 are arranged so as to pass in the order in which the glass plate G is conveyed. In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, a part of the molding unit 14 is disposed in the heating furnace 12.

  A flat glass plate G cut into a predetermined shape is placed on the roller conveyor 12, positioned and carried into the heating furnace 12. The roller conveyor has a plurality of straight rollers 18. Each straight roller 18 has a shaft that extends linearly toward a horizontal orthogonal direction Y orthogonal to the conveyance direction X of the glass plate G, that is, a non-curved shaft. They are arranged side by side with a predetermined distance from adjacent ones. The heating furnace 12 has a heater, and heats the flat glass plate G conveyed horizontally by a roller conveyor to a temperature (for example, about 600 ° C. to 700 ° C.) at which bending can be performed. Therefore, the glass plate G carried into the heating furnace 12 is heated to a temperature at which bending can be performed.

  The forming unit 14 includes a plurality of curved rollers 20 arranged in parallel to each other as forming rollers for bending the glass plate G. The forming unit 14 uses the bending roller 20 to bend and shape the flat glass plate G in the orthogonal direction Y orthogonal to the conveying direction X while conveying the flat glass plate G in the conveying direction X.

  Each bending roller 20 has a flexible shaft that can be bent in a convex shape (bow shape) in an orthogonal direction Y orthogonal to the conveyance direction X of the glass plate G, and is adjacent in the conveyance direction X of the glass plate G. They are arranged side by side with a predetermined distance. Further, the bending roller 20 is arranged adjacent to the downstream side with respect to the straight roller 18, and the curvature of the curve gradually increases from the upstream side to the downstream side, and the most downstream side. When the glass plate G is bent and formed, the curvature of the side has a desired curvature.

  The straight roller 18 and the curved roller 20 form a transport surface for transporting the glass plate G in the transport direction X. In addition, the space | interval in the conveyance direction X between the mutually adjacent rollers 18 and 20 is set so that the one glass plate G may be supported by the four rollers 18 and 20, for example.

  When the bow-shaped curved surface swelled downward by the bending roller 20 advances in the transport direction X as the glass plate G is transported, the glass plate G is deformed so that the central portion hangs downward. That is, when the glass plate G moves on the curved roller 20 in the transport direction X, the glass plate G bends downward along the curved surface of the curved roller 20 by its own weight, and deforms into a shape along the curved surface. As described above, the glass sheet G heated in the heating furnace 12 is bent downward by its own weight during the conveyance of the forming unit 14 and is bent downward in the orthogonal direction Y. The bending of the curved roller 20 is desired so that the curvature gradually increases from the upstream curved roller 20 to the downstream curved roller 20 and the curvature of the most downstream one is desired for bending the glass sheet G. Therefore, the glass plate G is bent to a desired curvature while the forming unit 14 is being conveyed.

  The bending of the glass plate G in the orthogonal direction Y by the bending roller 20 is performed by using the bending roller 20 forming the conveying surface and by the weight of the glass plate G itself, but is not limited thereto. Instead, it may be performed by forcibly sandwiching the glass plate G using the curved rollers arranged above and below the conveyance surface.

  Moreover, when the glass plate G is bent and formed in two directions of the conveyance direction X and the orthogonal direction Y, the following examples (not shown) are given.

  Each straight roller 18 and each curved roller 20 are installed so as to be movable up and down in a vertical direction Z perpendicular to the conveyance direction X of the glass plate G with respect to the conveyor frame 58. The rollers 18 and 20 are rotationally driven independently by driving the corresponding motors, and the vertical movements of the rollers 18 and 20 are also independently driven by motors mounted on the corresponding lifting devices. .

  When the glass plate G is conveyed to the straight rollers 18 and the curved rollers 20 of the forming unit 14, the rollers 18 and 20 are sequentially lowered and raised with the conveyance of the glass plate G from the upstream side. At this time, the plurality of rollers 18 and 20 arranged in the transport direction X are lowered, and the transport surface is curved in an arcuate shape swelled downward when viewed from the orthogonal direction Y, and thereafter the plurality of rollers 18 and 20 are By repeating the lowering and raising, the arcuate curve of the conveying surface moves in the conveying direction X. In addition, as the conveyance of the glass plate G proceeds, the descending amount of the rollers 18 and 20 increases, and the radius of curvature of the curved surface of the conveyance surface viewed from the orthogonal direction Y decreases. Each time the rollers 18 and 20 convey a single glass plate G, the rollers 18 and 20 perform a descending / raising operation in one cycle accompanying the passage of the glass plate G.

  When the arcuate curved surface swollen downward as viewed from the orthogonal direction Y by the rollers 18 and 20 advances in the transport direction X along with the transport of the glass plate G, the glass plate G has a front side in the transport direction and a rear side in the transport direction. Is maintained at the normal conveyance level, and the central portion in the conveyance direction is deformed so as to hang downward from the normal conveyance level according to the lowered position of the straight roller 18. That is, when the glass plate G moves on the rollers 18 and 20 in the transport direction X, the glass plate G bends downward along the curved surfaces of the rollers 18 and 20 by its own weight, and deforms into a shape along the curved surfaces. . As described above, the glass sheet G heated in the heating furnace 12 is bent downward by its own weight by the bending operation by the straight roller 18 and the bending roller 20 during the conveyance of the forming unit 14, and is bent in the conveyance direction X and the orthogonal direction Y. Molded. Note that the glass plate G may be forcibly sandwiched using rollers arranged above and below the conveyance surface.

  Once the glass plate G is bent and formed by the forming unit 14, it is then carried into the air-cooled strengthening unit. The air-cooling strengthening unit has a blow head arranged above and below the roller conveyor, and wind-cools the glass plate G conveyed by the roller conveyor with air blown from the blow head. In addition, the cooling capacity of the air-cooled tempered portion is appropriately set according to the material and thickness of the glass plate G. Therefore, the glass sheet G bent by the forming unit 14 is conveyed by the roller conveyor into the air-cooled tempering unit installed on the downstream side of the forming unit 14, and from the blower head during the conveyance in the air-cooling tempered unit. Air cooling is enhanced by the air blown out. The glass plate G that has been air-cooled and tempered by the air-cooling and strengthening unit is transported from the outlet toward the inspection device of the next process by a roller conveyor.

  Thus, in the bending apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, the bending roller 20 is bent in the orthogonal direction Y, and the glass sheet G can be bent and formed in the orthogonal direction Y by its own weight while being conveyed in the conveying direction X. .

  FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the bending device 30 of the bending roller 20 of this embodiment. Moreover, FIG. 3 shows the block diagram of the bending apparatus 30 of the bending roller 20 of a present Example. Each of the bending rollers 20 includes a bendable guide shaft (flexible shaft) 32 extending in the orthogonal direction Y, and a plurality of ring rollers 36 rotatably supported by the guide shaft 32 via bearings 34. The bending roller 20 can be curved in a convex shape (bow shape) downward in the orthogonal direction Y, and each ring roller 36 is rotatable about the guide shaft 32.

  The guide shaft 32 is formed in a round bar shape by an elastic flexible material. The guide shaft 32 includes a plurality of stacked plate-like plate members and a holding member that holds the plurality of plate members together. The plate member is a plate spring formed of a metal (for example, spring steel, stainless steel, etc.) that has a predetermined rigidity and has an elasticity that curves to a desired curvature. In addition, a plurality of holding members are provided side by side in the longitudinal direction of the guide shaft 32, and are hollow cylindrical members into which a plurality of stacked plate members are inserted and fitted in the opening holes.

  The ring roller 36 is an annular member that is rotatably inserted into the guide shaft 32, and a plurality of the ring rollers 36 are provided in the longitudinal direction of the guide shaft 32. The ring rollers 36 adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction are arranged with a predetermined gap so that the guide shaft 32 can be bent to a predetermined shape, and the rotational motion around the guide shaft 32 can be transmitted. Are engaged in the circumferential direction. That is, the ring roller 36 has an engaging portion 38 that engages with the ring roller 36 adjacent in the longitudinal direction and transmits the rotational movement around the guide shaft 32 to the ring roller 36 adjacent in the longitudinal direction. Yes.

  A motor 40 that is a rotational power source is connected to the end of the bending roller 20 in the longitudinal direction. The motor 40 is electrically connected to the controller 22 and generates power for rotating the bending roller 20 according to a command from the controller 22. The motor 40 is disposed only in one of the longitudinal directions of the bending roller 20, and transmits the rotational motion to the ring roller 36 located at the longitudinal end of the bending roller 20. A ring gear 60 is fixed to the ring roller 36 at the end of the bending roller 20, and the guide shaft 32 is inserted through the central opening of the ring gear 60. A gear 62 is engaged with the ring gear 60, and the gear 62 is fixed to a spindle 64 of the motor 40. Therefore, when the motor 40 is driven, the rotational force is transmitted to the ring roller 36, so that the ring roller 36 is rotated about the guide shaft 32. This rotational force becomes a conveying force for conveying the glass plate G, and the rotational speed of the ring roller 36 is controlled by the controller 22 that controls the motor 40. Rotational motion is transmitted to each ring roller 36 of the bending roller 20 via the engaging portion 38 in order from the ring roller 36 on the side where the motor 40 is disposed.

  A bearing 34 is disposed between the outer peripheral side of the guide shaft 32 and the inner peripheral side of the ring roller 36. The bearing 34 is provided for each ring roller 36. Each ring roller 36 is rotatably supported by a guide shaft 32 via a bearing 34. In addition, it is good also as attaching to the outer periphery of the ring roller 36 the fiber-like or felt-like heat-resistant member which prevents damage to the sleeve made from aluminum, a heat-resistant resin, or the glass plate G conveyed.

  The bending device 30 includes an elevating device 42 that is moved up and down to bend the bending roller 20. At least one lifting device 42 is provided corresponding to the ring roller 36 (for example, FIG. 3 shows a state where 13 bending devices 20 are provided side by side in the longitudinal direction of the bending roller 20. ing). When a plurality of lifting devices 42 are provided, a plurality of lifting devices 42 are provided side by side in the direction in which the bending roller 20 extends (that is, the orthogonal direction Y).

  The lifting device 42 includes a motor (for example, a servo motor) 43 whose case is fixed to the conveyor frame 58, a support rod 44 that is moved up and down with respect to the conveyor frame 58 by the motor 43, and one end that is rotatable to the support rod 44. And a link member 46 that is connected and fixed at the other end to the bending roller 20. The motor 43 is electrically connected to the controller 22 and generates power for bending the bending roller 20 according to a command from the controller 22. That is, the lifting device 42 can bend the bending roller 20 by the vertical movement of the support rod 44 by the motor 43.

  The link member 46 has two plate-like members separated by a distance larger than the diameter of the ring roller 36 in the transport direction X. A support member 48 that supports the ring roller 36 of the bending roller 20 is connected between the two plate-like members of the link member 46 via a connecting portion 47 that extends in a bar shape in the transport direction X. That is, the other end of the link member 46 is connected to the support member 48 via the connecting portion 47.

  The support member 48 is a member formed in an annular shape with a hole in the direction in which the axis of the bending roller 20 extends, and supports the ring roller 36 via a bearing 50 so as to be rotatable. The bearing 50 is disposed adjacent to the inner peripheral side of the support member 48 and is disposed adjacent to the outer peripheral side of the engaging portion 38 of the ring roller 36. In other words, the bearing 50 is disposed between the inner peripheral side of the support member 48 and the outer peripheral side of the engaging portion 38 of the ring roller 36 so as to rotatably support the ring roller 36 on the lifting device 42. When a plurality of lifting devices 42 are provided, the bearings 50 are provided side by side in the direction in which the bending roller 20 extends (that is, the orthogonal direction Y).

  An annular space (annular space) 52 is formed inside the annular ring roller 36. The annular space 52 is provided only in some of the ring rollers 36 that constitute the curved roller 20, that is, only in the ring roller 36 in which the lifting device 42 is provided. That is, some of the ring rollers 36 have an annular space 52. The annular space 52 is provided adjacent to the outer peripheral side of the engaging portion 38. One annular space 52 may be formed by two ring rollers 36 adjacent to each other in the axial direction. Engagement of the ring rollers 36 adjacent to each other at the portion where the elevating device 42 is provided is performed at an inner peripheral portion (engagement portion 38 a) adjacent to the annular space 52 of the ring roller 36. Further, the meshing of the ring rollers 36 adjacent to each other at the portion where the lifting device 42 is not provided is performed at the inner peripheral portion and the central portion (engagement portion 38b) of the ring roller 36.

  The annular space 52 is formed in such a size that the support member 48 and the bearing 50 of the lifting device 42 can be enclosed. A support member 48 and a bearing 50 are included in the annular space 52. That is, the ring roller 36 having the annular space 52 has an outer peripheral portion provided on the outer diameter side with respect to the radial position of the support member 48 and the bearing 50 with respect to the axial center of the guide shaft 32. For this reason, the conveyance surface by the outer peripheral surface of the ring roller 36 is formed on the outer diameter side with respect to the radial position of the support member 48 and the bearing 50.

  The ring roller 36 having the annular space 52 has a gap 54 that is slightly open at an outer peripheral portion facing the engaging portion 38 with the annular space 52 interposed therebetween. One gap 54 may be formed by two ring rollers 36 adjacent to each other in the axial direction. The gap 54 has a width enough to insert the connecting portion 47 that connects the link member 46 and the support member 48 of the elevating device 42, and is an annular gap formed in an annular shape.

  The ring roller 36 having the annular space 52 is rotatable with respect to the guide shaft 32 via the bearing 34, and is rotatable with respect to the support member 48 contained in the annular space 52 via the bearing 50. is there. The ring roller 36 that does not have the annular space 52 has a shape different from that of the ring roller 36 that has the annular space 52, and does not have the gap 54.

  By the way, in some ring rollers 36 in which the bearings 50 are installed on the curved rollers 20, a space for connecting the lifting device 42 and the ring rollers 36 is required. It is common to have a hole above. On the other hand, in the configuration of the present embodiment, the support member 48 and the bearing 50 are installed so as to be included in the ring roller 36, so that the hole on the transport surface formed by each ring roller 36 is extremely small. Is possible. That is, the hole formed by the gap 54 has a small width that is slightly opened in the longitudinal direction of the bending roller 20 so that the connecting portion 47 that connects the main body side of the lifting device 42 and the support member 48 is inserted. Can do.

  In the bending device 30 described above, when the support rod 44 of the elevating device 42 is moved up and down by driving the motor 43, the link member 46 and the support member 48 are moved up and down along with the vertical movement. At this time, the link member 46 is moved up and down, the connection position between the link member 46 and the bending roller 20 (the connection position between the support member 48 and the bearing 50) is displaced to a predetermined position, and the bending roller 20 is bent. Note that the link member 46 is tilted according to the bending of the bending roller 20 because one end is pivotally connected to the support rod 44 and the other end is fixed to the bending roller 20.

  In this way, as the lifting device 42 moves up and down, the ring roller 36 connected to the lifting device 42 is moved up and down, whereby the guide shaft 32 that rotatably supports each ring roller 36 via the bearing 34, The part (position) corresponding to the ring roller 36 moved up and down is moved up and down. In this regard, the guide shafts 32 are bent in accordance with the vertical movement of each portion by appropriately moving the lifting devices 42 arranged in the longitudinal direction of the bending roller 20 up and down. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the bending roller 20 can be bent in an arbitrary curved shape in the orthogonal direction Y by the vertical movement of each lifting device 42 of the bending device 30. That is, the bending of the bending roller 20 can be ensured by the vertical movement of each lifting device 42.

  In addition, when the raising / lowering apparatus 42 is provided only in the center of the bending roller 20 in the longitudinal direction, the tilting link member 46 is not an essential configuration. That is, since the operation of tilting the link member 46 is not required, a plate-like member to which the support member 48 that supports the ring roller 36 is coupled may be fixedly connected to the support rod 44.

  Further, both ends of the guide shaft 32 are rotatably supported by a bifurcated support plate 68 via pins 66, and the support plate 68 is fixed to the conveyor frame 58. Therefore, for example, when the guide shaft 32 is curved downward as described above by the vertical movement of the elevating device 42, both ends of the guide shaft 32 are pushed upward with the pin 66 as a fulcrum. Since the motor 40 fixed to the end of the guide shaft 32 is also inclined in conjunction with the inclination of the guide shaft 32, the engagement between the ring gear 60 and the gear 62 is ensured even if the bending roller 20 is bent.

  Further, in this embodiment, the engaging portions 38 of the ring rollers 36 arranged in the longitudinal direction of the bending roller 20 mesh with each other adjacent in the longitudinal direction. This meshing is performed at the inner peripheral portion of each ring roller 36, and in particular, the ring roller 36 that includes the bearing member 50 and the support member 48 that rotatably supports the curved roller 20 on the lifting device 42 side in the annular space 52. The case is performed on the inner peripheral side of the annular space 52. For this reason, even if the bending of the bending roller 20 is performed by the vertical movement of each lifting device 42 as described above, transmission of rotational movement between the ring rollers 36 adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction is ensured.

  Further, when the ring roller 36 rotates around the guide shaft 32 via the bearing 34, the rotation of the ring roller 36 is allowed via the bearing 50 with respect to the support member 48 of the lifting device 42. The support member 48 and the bearing 50 of the lifting device 42 are enclosed in an annular space 52 formed inside the ring roller 36. The support member 48 is connected to the main body side (the plate-like member of the link member 46 and the support rod 44) via a rod-like connecting portion 47. The connecting portion 47 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the ring roller 36. Since it is inserted into the gap 54 of the circular ring formed, the gap 54 allows relative rotation with the connecting portion 47. For this reason, it is avoided that the rotation of the ring roller 36 is obstructed by the members constituting the elevating device 42.

  Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the bending roller 20 can be curved into an arbitrary curve while ensuring the rotation of the bending roller 20 in the entire longitudinal direction.

  In such a structure, in order to rotate the bending roller 20 in the entire longitudinal direction, it is sufficient to provide the motor 40 that generates rotational power only at one of the longitudinal ends of the bending roller 20. Thus, it is not necessary to provide the motors 40 on both sides of the bending roller 20 in the longitudinal direction. Conversely, even when a plurality of lifting devices 42 are provided for bending the bending roller 20, if only one motor 40 is provided, the bending roller 20 can be rotated in the entire longitudinal direction. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to bend the bending roller 20 into an arbitrary curve while ensuring the rotation of the bending roller 20 in the entire longitudinal direction with a simple structure.

  By the way, in the above embodiment, the bearing 34 corresponds to the “first bearing” described in the claims, and the bearing 50 corresponds to the “second bearing” described in the claims.

  In the above embodiment, the support member 48 of the elevating device 42 that rotatably supports the bending roller 20 is formed in an annular shape. However, in order to ensure the rigidity in the vicinity of the support member 48, the link member 46 is used. It is good also as providing the rib which connects both between these two plate-shaped members. Further, the connecting portion 47 that connects the support member 48 of the lifting device 42 and the plate-like member of the link member 46 is formed in a rod shape, but the shape of the connecting portion 47 is not limited to this, and the support member Any shape may be used as long as it connects 48 and the plate-like member of the link member 46.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 20 Bending roller 30 Bending apparatus 32 Guide shaft 34,50 Bearing 36 Ring roller 38 Engagement part 42 Lifting apparatus 43 Motor 44 Support rod 46 Link member 47 Connection part 48 Support member 52 Ring space

Claims (6)

A bending roller having a bendable guide shaft and a plurality of ring rollers rotatably supported by the guide shaft via a first bearing, and connected to the bending roller and moved up and down to bend the bending roller A bending device for a bending roller comprising a lifting device,
The plurality of ring rollers are:
An engagement portion that engages with the ring roller adjacent in the longitudinal direction and transmits rotational motion to the ring roller adjacent in the longitudinal direction;
A second bearing disposed on the outer peripheral side of the engaging portion and rotatably connecting the ring roller to the lifting device;
A bending apparatus for a bending roller, comprising: The elevating device has a support rod that can be moved up and down by a motor, and a link member having one end rotatably connected to the support rod and the other end connected to the support member via a connecting portion,
The bending device for a bending roller according to claim 1, wherein the second bearing is disposed adjacent to an inner peripheral side of the support member.   The bending device for a bending roller according to claim 2, wherein the support member is a ring-shaped member having a hole in a direction in which an axis of the bending roller extends.   4. The bending device for a bending roller according to claim 2, wherein the ring roller has an annular space in which the second bearing and the support member can be included on an outer peripheral side of the engaging portion.   The bending device for a bending roller according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a plurality of the second bearings and the lifting device are provided in a direction in which the bending roller extends.   6. A glass comprising: a plurality of bending devices for a bending roller according to claim 1 arranged in a conveying direction of the glass plate; and the glass plate is bent by being conveyed on the bending roller. A method of bending a plate.

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