JP2015107505A - Processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device capable of flexibly processing a rod-like member, such as a pipe, at a high speed.SOLUTION: A processing device 1 includes: bending units 10, each of which bends a rod-like member around a first axis 11; and twisting units 100, each of which supports the bending unit 10 so that the bending unit 10 rotates around a second axis 200. Each twisting unit 100 includes: a twisting gear 101 which supports the bending unit 10, has a ring shape, and includes a first cutout part 102 where a part thereof is cut toward a center; multiple guide rollers 120 which support an outer peripheral surface of the twisting gear 101 so that the twisting gear 101 rotates around the second axis 200; and a support plate 130 supporting the multiple guide rollers 120. The support plate 130 includes: a second opening 135 which is formed around the second axis 200 and is larger than a first opening 105 in a ring of the twisting gear 101; and a second cutout part 132 reaching the second opening 135.

Description

  The present invention relates to a bending apparatus for bending a rod-shaped member such as a small-diameter long pipe for piping.

  Patent Document 1 discloses providing a means that can bend a thin and long metal tube in various directions with a desired angle with high accuracy and can significantly reduce the pipe setting time. ing. The pipe bending apparatus of Patent Document 1 includes a chuck unit that holds an arbitrary portion of a straight pipe and a bending unit that is provided on both sides of the chuck unit so as to be movable in the axial direction of the pipe. In this bending apparatus, the chuck unit is configured to be movable in the axial direction of the pipe.

  Patent Document 2 describes providing a bending apparatus that greatly reduces a non-bendable area when a predetermined bending shape is processed on a pipe. The bending apparatus of Patent Document 2 includes a center chuck unit that can be moved up and down, and a pair of left and right first and second bending units. The processing unit sequentially bends from both end positions of the pipe. When the machining unit approaches the chuck unit along with the bending, the bending die of the machining unit is lowered by the reduction of the head cylinder, and the head chuck mechanism grips the vicinity of the bending position. Then, the chuck unit releases the grip and descends. Further, the machining unit continues bending, and the chuck mechanism is inserted into the insertion hole of the machining unit in a state of being close to the machining unit. As a result, the inflexible area can be greatly reduced.

JP-A-9-29346 JP 2007-237195 A

  When a rod-like member to be machined such as a pipe is three-dimensionally machined, if it is twisted at high speed, the shape bent by inertia force may be deformed. As a method to perform three-dimensional processing with high accuracy, it is a processing device capable of so-called rotary bending method in which the bending unit side is rotated around the pipe axis without pipe twisting, and with a simpler configuration, It is desired to provide a processing apparatus with high flexibility.

  One embodiment of the present invention is a processing apparatus including a bending unit that bends a rod-shaped member around a first axis, and a twist unit that supports the bending unit so as to rotate around a second axis. The twist unit is a ring-shaped twist gear that supports the bending unit, and includes a twist gear that includes a first notch partly cut toward the center, a twist drive unit that drives the twist gear, and a twist. A plurality of guide rollers that support the outer peripheral surface of the twist gear so that the gear rotates about the second axis, and a support unit that supports the plurality of guide rollers. Further, the support unit is a second opening larger than the first opening in the ring of the twist gear with the second axis as a center, and a second notch portion that reaches the second opening. And a second notch that opens in a direction orthogonal to the first notch.

  In this processing apparatus, the twist gear is a ring-shaped gear having an open center, the outer peripheral surface is supported by a guide roller, and a second opening larger than the internal region of the ring-shaped gear is provided in the support unit. Therefore, when a rod-like member such as a pipe is processed as a processing object (work), not only the work but also a part that holds the work, for example, a pipe chuck is bent through the ring-shaped gear and the second opening of the support unit. Can be approached. Therefore, it is possible to perform bending processing, particularly rotary bending processing, at a portion close to the pipe chuck with a simple configuration of a ring-shaped twist gear, and to provide a processing apparatus with high processing flexibility.

  Further, by aligning the positions of the first notch provided on the twist gear and the second notch provided on the support unit, a rod-shaped workpiece is placed on the inner area of the ring-shaped twist gear. It can be taken in and out, and a bar-shaped workpiece can be easily set (loaded and unloaded) in the bending unit.

  Furthermore, it is desirable that a plurality of guide rollers be arranged facing the second opening, and at least a part of the twist gear be supported so as to rotate within the second opening. All or part of the twist gear can be accommodated in the second opening of the support unit. For this reason, the pipe chuck can be brought closer to the bending unit, and the processing flexibility can be further improved.

  By using a structure that directly supports the twist gear for attaching the bending unit with a support unit, for example, a guide roller that can be driven to rotate within the thickness of the support plate, a dedicated twist shaft (twist plate) can be omitted and the twist gear can be omitted. The overhang from the support plate can be eliminated or reduced. For this reason, the distance from a support plate end surface to a bending-axis center (1st axis | shaft) can be shortened, and the twist axis | shaft-less rotary structure which shortened the unbendable area length can be provided.

  The bending unit includes a pair of upper and lower split mold portions including a bending groove for bending the rod-shaped member, a pair of upper and lower clamp portions for holding the rod-shaped member inserted into the bending groove, and a rod-like shape from the outer peripheral side of the bending groove to the bending groove. A pressure including a holding groove for holding a member; a first unit including an upper split mold part and an upper clamp part; a second unit including a lower split mold part and a lower clamp part; and a pressure. It is desirable to include an opening / closing unit that opens and closes in three different directions with respect to the set center of the rod-shaped member. The set center is the position of the central axis of the rod-shaped member mounted in the bending groove, and coincides with the second axis in the processed state.

  By opening the first unit, the second unit, and the pressure in three different directions, the bar-shaped member can be linearly released from the set center. For this reason, the direction in which the rod-shaped member is released from the bending unit is made linear with the direction of the first notch portion of the twist gear and the second notch portion of the support unit, thereby making the rod-shaped member a second shape. The rod-shaped member can be set at a position where the rod-shaped member is processed, that is, the second axis by moving linearly with respect to the axis or by moving the bending unit linearly with respect to the second axis.

  The opening / closing unit preferably includes an opening / closing unit that opens and closes the first unit and the second unit in a balanced manner, and a link unit that moves the pressure away from or close to the setting center in conjunction with the movement of the opening / closing unit. The opening / closing unit and the link unit can be moved by one motor, and the first unit, the second unit and the pressure can be moved in conjunction with each other by one motor. For this reason, the structure of a bending unit can be simplified and a bending unit can be reduced in size and weight. Therefore, the weight load applied to the twist gear can be reduced, the load on the support unit, particularly the guide roller, can be reduced, and the twist gear can be built in the support unit.

  It is desirable that the processing apparatus further includes a turn unit that makes an angle of attachment of the bending unit to the twist gear so that the first axis is inclined with respect to the direction of the first notch. The direction in which the rod-shaped member is opened from the bending unit and the first notch portion are controlled by controlling the mounting angle so that the first axis that is the bending axis of the bending unit is inclined in the direction of the first notch portion. Can be set in a straight line.

  When the bending unit is a left and right bending unit that bends a rod-like member left and right around the first axis, the turn unit moves the bending unit away from or near the rotation center (second axis) of the twist gear. A first position where the second axis is set to the right with respect to the first axis, and a second position where the second axis is set to the left with respect to the first axis; It is desirable to include a unit for switching to The left and right rotary bending processes can be continuously performed on the same bar-shaped member, and a processing apparatus with high processing flexibility can be provided.

  Further, the bending unit is independent of the first drive unit that rotates around the first axis with the first unit and the second unit closed, and the first drive unit with the pressure closed. It is desirable to have a second drive unit that rotates about the first axis. It is possible to provide a processing apparatus capable of performing rotary bending including left and right pull bending and left and right push bending with a single apparatus.

  The processing apparatus relatively controls the distance between the chuck unit and the support unit that supports the unprocessed portion of the rod-shaped member along the second axis on the opposite side of the bending unit with the support unit interposed therebetween. It is desirable to have a feeding unit. The chuck unit preferably includes a workpiece gripper extending along the second axis and penetrating the first opening when the distance between the support unit and the chuck unit approaches. By bringing the chuck unit closer to the bending unit, it is possible to perform bending, particularly rotary bending, on a wide range of the rod-shaped member.

  The processing apparatus further includes a pair of twist units arranged to face each other with the chuck unit interposed therebetween, a pair of bending units respectively mounted on the pair of twist units, and a distance between the pair of twist units with respect to the chuck unit. It is desirable to include a pair of feeding units to be controlled. The pair of twist units and the pair of bending units allow the bending process to proceed from both ends of the rod-shaped member. For this reason, the processing apparatus which can perform a three-dimensional bending process in a short time can be provided. That is, two sets of bending feed units, each of which has a twist unit capable of rotary bending mounted on the feed unit, are coaxially opposed to each other, hold the pipe with the pipe chuck at the intermediate part, and twist from the end of the pipe toward the intermediate part. It is possible to provide a double-end simultaneous bending apparatus that sequentially performs bending while moving the unit.

  The chuck unit preferably includes a pair of workpiece gripping portions and an escape portion that does not grip the workpiece sandwiched between the pair of workpiece gripping portions. When one workpiece gripping part is brought close to one bending unit and the bar-shaped member is once gripped by the bending unit and the bar-shaped member is held again by the workpiece gripping part, even if there is a part processed by the other bending unit The rod-shaped member can be gripped by missing the processed part.

  Another aspect of the present invention is a method of processing a rod-shaped member with a processing apparatus. This method may be a method for manufacturing a rod-shaped member, for example, a pipe, or a method for controlling a processing apparatus. The processing apparatus includes: a bending unit; a twist unit that supports the bending unit so as to rotate about the second axis; and a mounting angle of the bending unit with respect to the twist gear. A turn unit that is inclined with respect to the direction; and a chuck unit that supports an unprocessed portion of the rod-shaped member along the second axis on the opposite side of the bending unit with the support unit interposed therebetween. The twist unit is a ring-shaped twist gear that supports the bending unit, and includes a twist gear that includes a first notch partly cut toward the center, a twist drive unit that drives the twist gear, and a twist. A support unit for rotating and supporting a gear, the second opening being larger than the first opening in the ring of the twist gear around the second axis, and the direction leading to the second opening and perpendicular to the second axis And a support unit including a second notch that is open to the surface. The bending unit includes a first unit, a second unit, and an opening / closing unit that opens and closes the pressure in three different directions with respect to the set center.

The method includes the following steps.
1. The twist drive unit rotates the twist gear so that the first notch and the second notch coincide.
2. The turn unit has a mounting angle, and the direction in which the first unit, the second unit and the pressure open to open the bar-shaped member and the direction of the first notch and the second notch are linear. Like that.
3. The chuck unit and the twist unit are moved in a relatively linear direction to set the rod-shaped member on the second shaft.

  Steps 1 and 2 may be performed before or after or simultaneously.

When the processing apparatus further includes a feed unit that relatively controls the distance between the chuck unit and the support unit, and the chuck unit includes a workpiece gripper extending along the second axis, the method includes: Furthermore, it is desirable to include the following steps.
4). The feed unit brings the support unit and the chuck unit closer to each other, and the workpiece gripping part passes through the second opening.
5. The rod-shaped member is gripped by the bending unit.
6). The feed unit increases the distance between the support unit and the chuck unit, and the workpiece gripping portion grips the rod-shaped member again.

  By these steps, it is possible to perform bending processing, particularly rotary bending processing, also on the portion of the bar-shaped member held by the workpiece gripping portion. That is, for example, a pipe chuck structure for gripping a workpiece is provided at both ends with a pair of workpiece gripping portions projecting left and right from the opening / closing mechanism portion. Part), bend both ends at the same time, and then bend the remaining bending point within the chuck width to the bendable position outside the chuck width to bend without using an auxiliary chuck. Unbendable area length can be shortened. The pair of workpiece gripping parts can be inserted into a ring-shaped twist gear and can be raised and lowered by a notch for supply / discharge (in the open groove), and the middle part of the workpiece gripping parts at both ends is concave. By providing a notch opening for releasing the pipe so that the vicinity of the bending point can be gripped by the gripping portion on one side, the length of the unbendable region can be minimized.

The front view which shows the outline | summary of a processing apparatus. The top view which shows the outline | summary of a processing apparatus. The front view which shows the outline | summary of a twist unit. Sectional drawing which shows the outline of a twist unit. The top view which shows the outline of a twist unit. The front view which shows the outline | summary of a bending unit. Sectional drawing which shows schematic structure of a bending unit. It is a figure which shows the mode of opening and closing of an up-and-down type | mold and a pressure roller, FIG. 8 (a) is a figure which shows a mold open state, FIG.8 (b) is a figure which shows a mold closed state, FIG.8 (c) is a left bending process. The figure which shows a mode that it moves in order to do, FIG.8 (d) is a figure which shows a mode that it moves in order to perform a right bending process. FIGS. 9A and 9B are diagrams illustrating an outline of a bending die clamp. FIG. 9A is an enlarged plan view centering on the bending die clamp, and FIG. 9B is a diagram illustrating a state in which a workpiece is held by a clamp groove. The figure seen from the direction of a groove, FIG.9 (c) is the figure which looked at the state which hold | gripped the workpiece | work by the 2nd clamp groove from the direction of the 2nd clamp groove. It is a figure which shows the structure of the lower mold | type of a bending type clamp, FIG. 10 (a) is a top view, FIG.10 (b) is a side view of the extension direction of a clamp groove | channel, FIG.10 (c) is a 2nd clamp groove | channel. The side view of the extension direction. It is a top view which shows the example of the bending process by a processing unit, Fig.11 (a) is a figure which shows left-handed bending, FIG.11 (b) is a figure which shows right-handed bending, FIG.11 (c) is left-handed bending. FIG. 11D is a diagram showing right-handed bending. It is a figure which shows the structure and movement of a turn unit, FIG. 12 (a) and FIG.12 (d) are the figures which show the state which set the bending unit to the left bending state, FIG.12 (b) and FIG.12 (e) are FIG. The figure which shows the state which moved the bending unit below, FIG.12 (c) and FIG.12 (f) are the figures which show the state which set the bending unit to the right bending state. It is a figure which further shows the structure of a turn unit, Fig.13 (a) is sectional drawing of a horizontal direction, FIG.13 (b) is sectional drawing of a vertical direction. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of a chuck | zipper unit, Fig.14 (a) is a front view, FIG.14 (b) is a side view. The flowchart which shows the process in which a workpiece | work is processed with a processing apparatus. The flowchart which shows the process of a bending process in more detail. The front view which shows the outline | summary of a different twist unit. The side view which shows the outline of the twist unit shown in FIG. The top view which shows the outline of the twist unit shown in FIG. The top view which shows the outline | summary of a different bending unit. Sectional drawing which shows schematic structure of the bending unit shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the mode of opening and closing of an up-and-down type | mold and a pressure roller, FIG.22 (a) is a figure which shows a mold open state, FIG.22 (b) is a figure which shows a mold closed state. It is a top view which shows a different process unit, FIG. 23 (a) is a figure which shows the mode of a left-handed bending process, FIG.23 (b) is a figure which shows the mode of a right push bending process.

  In FIG. 1, as an example of a processing apparatus, a bar-like member such as a pipe is to be processed (work) W and is gripped by an intermediate chuck of the work W, and the twist unit is moved from the terminal side of the work toward the intermediate part. Fig. 2 shows a simultaneous bending apparatus for bending at both ends sequentially. In the following, an example of the workpiece W is a pipe. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the processing apparatus 1.

  The processing apparatus 1 is mounted on the gantry 2, the chuck unit 160 disposed in the center of the gantry 2, the pair of twist units 100 disposed so as to face each other with the chuck unit 160 interposed therebetween, and the pair of twist units 100, respectively. The pair of bending units (processing units) 10, the pair of feed units 140 for controlling the distance of the pair of twist units 100 relative to the chuck unit 160, and the control unit 90 for controlling them. Each of the pair of twist units 100, the pair of bending units 10, and the pair of feed units 140 is arranged so that the units having the same configuration face each other with the chuck unit 160 interposed therebetween.

  The control unit 90 controls the feed unit 140 to determine the position at which the workpiece W is to be bent (alignment), and a bending method using the twist unit 100 and the bending unit 10. Machining control function (machining control unit) 95 for controlling, feeding / discharging control function (feeding / discharging control unit) 97 for controlling feeding / discharging of the workpiece W, and a gripping switching controlling function for controlling the switching (griping) of the workpiece W ( A re-holding control unit) 98. The processing control unit 95 performs mode 1 (M1) for left-hand bending, mode 2 (M2) for right-hand bending, mode 3 (M3) for left-hand bending, and right-hand bending. Mode 4 (M4) to be performed. Further, the processing control unit 95 can be combined with these four bending modes and the control by the twist unit 100, and can perform a three-dimensional bending (rotary bending).

  This processing apparatus 1 includes two sets of bending feed units 150 in which a rotary bending unit including a bending unit 10 and a twist unit 100 is mounted on a feed unit 140, and these are set when a workpiece W is processed. Are arranged opposite to each other along the axis 200 (coaxially). The processing apparatus 1 controls the chuck unit 160 and the feed bending units 150 on both sides in accordance with a program (bending data) 91 installed in the control unit 90, and simultaneously bends both ends sequentially from both ends of the pipe W toward the intermediate portion. Is performed automatically. Further, the twist unit 100 of each feed bending unit 150 can perform a rotary bending process by twisting the bending unit 10 around the second axis 200, and performs a twist for determining a bending direction and a bending at a predetermined angle. It can be carried out.

  Each feed unit 140 includes a moving stand 148 that is mounted on the rail 149 of the stand 2 so as to slide back and forth (left and right), and a feed motor 145 that drives the moving stand 148 via a ball screw 147. Including. The twist unit 100 is mounted on the movable frame 148, and the distance from the chuck unit 160 is controlled by the feed unit 140.

  The twist unit 100 supports the bending unit 10 that bends the rod-shaped member (work, pipe) W around the first axis 11 so as to rotate around the second axis 200. The twist unit 100 includes a ring-shaped twist gear 101 that supports the bending unit 10, a twist drive unit 110 that drives the twist gear 101, and a twist gear 101 so that the twist gear 101 rotates about the second shaft 200. A guide roller 120 that supports the outer peripheral surface (outer peripheral portion) 106 of the motor and a support plate (support unit) 130 that supports the twist gear 101 via the guide roller 120. A support plate 130 is mounted on the movable frame 148, and the distance between the twist unit 100 and the chuck unit 160 is controlled by the feed unit 140. The bending unit 10 is attached to the twist gear 101 via a turn unit 80 that controls the angle of the first axis (bending axis) 11.

  The twist gear 101 includes a first notch 102 that is partially cut toward the center. The support plate 130 includes a second opening (penetrating region) 135 larger than the opening (first opening, internal space) 105 inside the ring-shaped twist gear 101, and in this example, the twist gear 101 is a second gear. Is stored in the opening 135. That is, the support plate 130 includes a second opening 135 that is larger than the first opening 105 in the ring-shaped twist gear 101 about the second shaft 200. Desirably, the first opening 105 is substantially circular, and the second opening 135 is a circular opening having a diameter larger than the inner diameter of the first opening 105.

  The support plate (support unit) 130 further includes a second notch 132 that is a second notch 132 reaching the second opening 135 and that is open in a direction perpendicular to the second axis 200. The first notch portion 102 of the ring gear (twist gear) 101 and the second notch portion 132 of the support plate 130 are arranged in a straight line, so that the position when the workpiece W is machined (second A supply / exhaust path 139 for supplying / discharging to / from the shaft 200 is formed. In the processing apparatus 1 of this example, the supply / discharge path 139 is provided in the vertical direction, and the workpiece W gripped by the chuck unit 160 is supplied in the vertical direction (up / down) when being supplied / discharged (load / unload). Moved. The support unit 130 is plate-shaped, but may be configured by a frame.

  For this reason, the chuck unit 160 includes a chuck plate 161 extending along the second axis 200 during workpiece processing, an open / close cylinder 163 that opens and closes the chuck plate 161, and a chuck plate 161 when supplying and discharging the workpiece W. An elevating cylinder 165 that moves up and down, and a retracting cylinder 164 that temporarily lowers the chuck plate 161 below the second shaft 200 when the work W is changed. The chuck plate 161 has a concave shape at the center and protrudes in the moving direction (hereinafter, left and right) of the feed unit 140 along the second shaft 200 with respect to the open / close cylinder 163. A recessed portion at the center of the chuck plate 161 is a relief portion 168 for missing and gripping the processed workpiece W, and a portion protruding left and right is a gripping portion (work gripping portion) 167 for gripping the workpiece W.

  3 to 5 show the twist unit 100 extracted. 3 is a front view of the twist unit 100, FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view including the second shaft 200 of the twist unit 100, and FIG. 5 is a plan view of the twist unit 100. 3 shows a state in which the first shaft (bending shaft) 11 of the bending unit 10 is set in a state in which the workpiece W is fed and discharged. FIGS. 4 and 5 show the first shaft 11 set in the vertical direction. It shows the state that was done. Further, in FIG. 4, for the sake of explanation, the configuration of the twist drive unit 110 is shown by being overlapped with a sectional view by a solid line.

  The twist unit 100 includes a ring-shaped twist gear 101 that supports the bending unit 10 so as to rotate around the second shaft 200 via the turn unit 80, and a support that supports the twist gear 101 via the guide roller 120. It includes a plate 130 and a twist drive unit 110 that drives the twist gear 101.

  The twist gear 101 is a ring-shaped spur gear without a shaft, and has a first opening (ring opening, internal space, through hole) whose inner diameter (ring inner diameter) R1 is about 1/3 or more of the outer diameter of the twist gear 101. ) 105. The first opening 105 of the twist gear 101 has a size that allows not only the workpiece W to pass through but also the insertion and removal (insertion) of the grip portion 167 of the chuck plate 161 of the chuck unit 160, and functions as a chuck insertion hole. The twist gear 101 further includes a first notch 102 that opens in a direction orthogonal to the second shaft 200, and the first notch 102 moves the workpiece W into and out of the first opening 105. It functions as a supply / discharge opening groove.

  The support plate (support unit) 130 is a plate-like member extending in the vertical direction, and includes a second opening 135 that houses the twist gear 101 in the upper center portion. In the processing apparatus 1 of this example, the twist gear 101 is accommodated in the support plate 130, but it is also possible to attach the twist gear 101 to the outside of the support plate 130, in which case the first opening of the twist gear 101 is used. In order for 105 to function as a chuck insertion hole, the inner diameter of the second opening 135 is preferably equal to or larger than the inner diameter R1 of the first opening 105. In this example, the twist gear 101 is housed in the support plate 130 to prevent the twist gear 101 from jumping forward and backward of the support plate 130. For this reason, the diameter (inner diameter) of the second opening 135 is equal to or larger than the outer diameter of the twist gear 101. The twist gear 101 is housed inside the support plate 130, and the distance L1 between the support plate 130 and the first shaft (bending axis) 11 can be reduced by preventing the twist gear 101 from popping out. The difficult region can be shortened.

  A plurality of guide rollers 120 are arranged in the second opening 135 so as to face the inside. These guide rollers 120 rotatably support the outer peripheral portion 106 of the twist gear 101 housed in the second opening 135 so as to be sandwiched from the front and rear (left and right), and the twist gear 101 that is a shaftless spur gear is provided. The support plate 130 rotates smoothly inside. The rotation support form of the twist gear 101 is such that inclined surfaces for guide surfaces are provided on both outer peripheral surfaces of the twist gear 101, and the guide surfaces are sandwiched from both sides by guide rollers 120 such as cam followers. The support plate 130 may be provided with a mechanism as a stopper for restricting the movement of the twist gear 101 in the front-rear direction, and the guide roller 120 may support the twist gear 101 horizontally.

  The support plate 130 further includes a second notch 132 that opens in the vertical direction with respect to the second shaft 200 and is connected to the second opening 135. The second notch 132 functions as an opening groove for taking in and out (supply / discharge) the work W into and from the second opening 135. Accordingly, the first notch portion 102 and the second notch portion are rotated by rotating the twist gear 101 that rotates inside the second opening 135 so that the first notch portion 102 is in the vertical direction. 132 is arranged in a straight line, and a feed / exhaust groove 139 for taking the workpiece W into and out of the first opening 105 of the twist gear 101 is formed. As will be described later, the bending unit 10 opens the upper mold 23, the lower mold 22 and the pressure 30 in three directions, so that the position of the second shaft 200 which is a set position (set center) C when the workpiece W is processed linearly. Can be taken in and out (supply / discharge). For this reason, the workpiece W can be moved to the retreat position E through the linear path 13 in the vertical direction through the supply / discharge groove (supply / discharge path) 139. At this time, the clamp portion of the upper mold 23 on the path 13 in FIG. 3 can be retracted from the path 13 by rotating the upper mold 23 and the lower mold 22 around the bending axis 11.

  The twist unit 100 further includes a twist drive unit 110 that rotationally drives a twist gear 101 that is rotatably supported by a plurality of pairs of guide rollers 120 attached to the inside of the support plate 130, in this example, about eight pairs of guide rollers 120. including. The twist drive unit 110 includes a twist motor 115 fixed to the support plate 130 via a mounting plate 119, and a plurality of drive gears 112 that transmit the drive force of the twist motor 115 to the twist gear. The twist gear 101 is rotated in the range of 360 degrees by the twist motor 115 inside the support plate 130.

  The plurality of drive gears 112 includes a pair of drive gears 112a and 112b connected to the twist gear 101, a drive gear 112c that drives the drive gears 112a and 112b in synchronization, and an umbrella that drives the common drive gear 112c. Gears 112d and 112e are included. The drive shaft of the twist motor 115 is changed by 90 degrees by the bevel gears 112d and 112e so as to extend along the support plate 130, and the length (dimension) of the twist motor 115 protruding from the support plate 130 is shortened. The pair of drive gears 112a and 112b has a twist gear 101 on both sides of the first notch 102 when the first notch 102 rotates and arrives between the drive gears 112a and 112b. The driving force of the twist gear 101 can be stably secured. In addition, half of the pair of drive gears 112 a and 112 b is in contact with the twist gear 101 inside the support plate 130 and half is in contact with the synchronizing gear 112 c outside the support plate 130. By rotating a plurality of drive gears in contact with the twist gear 101 with a part missing, the rotational angle can be accurately controlled regardless of the position where the part 102 lacks.

  As described above, the twist unit 100 includes the twist gear 101 including the first opening 105 serving as the chuck insertion hole and the first notch 102 serving as the supply / discharge opening groove as the second opening serving as the opening groove. It has a twist shaft-less twist unit structure that is directly supported by the guide roller 120 so as to be rotationally driven within the thickness of the support plate 130 provided with the notch portion 132 and eliminates a dedicated twist shaft. Since the rotation guide mechanism (guide roller) 120 and the twist gear 101 are arranged within the thickness of the support plate 130 with a twist shaft-less structure, the L dimension (L1) from the end surface of the support plate to the bending shaft center 11 is shortened. Therefore, the length between the bending points that can be bent at the same time at both ends can be shortened.

  That is, the length between the bending points of the final bend of the pipe intermediate portion is such that, even in a structure in which the chuck holding portion of the final bend can enter to the vicinity of the bending axis, The space inside the pipe for bending needs to be greater than or equal to the L dimension for discharging after bending, and below this length is an unbendable region. For this reason, the length of the unbendable area of the final bending can be shortened by the amount that the twist unit 100 is thinned without a twist axis.

  FIG. 6 shows an outline of the bending unit (processing unit) 10 extracted. FIG. 7 shows a schematic configuration using a cross section along the bending axis 11 of the bending unit 10. The bending unit 10 includes a bending mold clamp 20 that rotates about a bending axis (first axis) 11, a roller-type pressure (pressure roller) 30 that bends the workpiece W in cooperation with the bending mold clamp 20, A first drive unit (drawing / bending mechanism) 40 that rotates the mold clamp 20 around the bending axis 11 and a second that rotates the pressure roller 30 around the bending axis 11 independently of the first drive unit 40. Drive unit (push-bending mechanism) 50, a mold opening / closing mechanism 60 that opens and closes the bending mold clamp 20 up and down, and a link unit that swings the pressure roller 30 relative to the bending mold clamp 20 in conjunction with the mold opening / closing mechanism 60 ( Pressure actuator mechanism 70). The bending unit 10 includes a slide plate 49 slidably attached to the gantry 2 via a turn unit (moving unit) 80, and these mechanisms 40 to 70 are supported via the slide plate 49.

  The bending clamp 20 includes a pair of upper and lower split mold parts (upper and lower molds) 23 and 22 including an arc-shaped portion, in this example, a ring-shaped bending groove 24, and bends a workpiece W such as a pipe along the bending groove 24. Used for processing. The pressure roller 30 includes a holding groove 31 having a semicircular cross section for holding the rod-shaped workpiece W in the bending groove 24 having a semicircular cross section of the bending die clamp 20 from the outer peripheral side of the bending groove 24. The holding groove 31 includes an arc-shaped portion, and in this example, a ring-shaped groove is provided over the entire circumference of the pressure roller 30.

  A bending mechanism (first driving unit) 40 that rotationally drives the bending clamp 20 drives a hollow shaft 45 that is supported by the slide plate 49 so as to rotate around the bending shaft 11, and the hollow shaft 45. A first motor (a bending motor) 41 and gears 42 a and 42 b that connect the bending motor 41 and the hollow shaft 45 are included. The bending motor 41 is fixed to the slide plate 49 via a support plate 48a. The hollow shaft 45 is rotatably attached to support plates 48b and 48c fixed to the slide plate 49 via bearings 47a and 47b. When the hollow shaft 45 is rotationally driven by the bending motor 41, the bending mold clamp 20 is rotationally driven around the bending shaft 11 through the upper mold opening / closing shaft 63 and the lower mold opening / closing shaft 62 that rotate together with the hollow shaft 45. .

  A push-bending mechanism (second drive unit) 50 that rotationally drives the pressure roller 30 includes a housing 55 that is rotatably mounted around the hollow shaft 45, and a second motor (push-bending motor) that rotationally drives the housing 55. ) 51, and gears 52a and 52b for connecting the push-bending motor 51 and the housing 55 to each other. The pressure roller 30 is attached to the housing 55 via the pressure swing mechanism 70, and when the push bending motor 51 rotates the housing 55, the pressure roller 30 rotates around the bending shaft 11 together with the housing 55. The housing 55 is attached to the hollow shaft 45 by bearings 57 a and 57 b provided on the outer periphery of the hollow shaft 45. The push-bending motor 51 is fixed to the slide plate 49 by a support plate 48c.

  The mold opening / closing mechanism 60 is a mechanism that opens and closes an upper mold (first unit) 23 and a lower mold (second unit) 22 that are a pair of upper and lower split mold portions of the bending mold clamp 20. The mold opening / closing mechanism 60 is inserted into the hollow shaft 45 so as to be slidable up and down along the bending shaft 11, and slides up and down along the bending shaft 11 inside the lower mold opening / closing shaft 62. An upper mold opening / closing shaft 63 inserted in a possible manner, a left / right screw 65 having screws different from the left and right of the lower mold opening / closing shaft 62 and the upper mold opening / closing shaft 63, and a third motor (mold opening / closing motor for rotationally driving the left / right screw 65) 61). The mold opening / closing motor 61 is fixed to the slide plate 49 via a support portion 48d, and the left and right screws 65 are rotatably attached to the support plate 48a via bearings 67.

  The upper mold 23 of the bending mold clamp 20 is screwed to the upper mold opening / closing shaft 63, and the lower mold 22 is screwed to the lower mold opening / closing shaft 62. The upper mold opening / closing shaft 63 and the lower mold opening / closing shaft 62 include at least a part of a portion connected to the upper mold 23, the lower mold 22, and the hollow shaft 45 (penetrating portion) including a non-rotating shape such as a square cross section, and bend each other. It rotates in conjunction with the periphery of the shaft 11. The left and right screws 65 include, for example, a left screw portion (left male screw) 65b at a portion connected to the upper mold opening / closing shaft 63, and a right screw portion (right male screw) 65a at a portion connected to the lower mold opening / closing shaft 62. Yes. The upper die opening / closing shaft 63 includes a left female screw portion 63 a, and the lower die opening / closing shaft 62 includes a right female screw portion 62 a formed on a nut 64. The left and right threads may be reversed. Therefore, when the left and right screws 65 are rotated forward and backward by the mold opening / closing motor 61, the upper mold opening / closing shaft 63 and the lower mold opening / closing shaft 62 move in different directions, and the upper mold 23 and the lower mold 22 are opened and closed in a balanced (equal) manner. (Balanced opening and closing). A nut 64 is attached to the lower mold opening / closing shaft 62 so that the mold closing height can be adjusted.

  As the left and right screws 65, it is desirable to use trapezoidal screws or the like within a lead angle that can be self-locked by a frictional force. The mold opening / closing motor 61 can be downsized by reducing the diameter around the bending axis and self-locking the mold opening force as compared with general ball screws and hydraulic / pneumatic cylinder opening / closing. In addition, by adopting the left and right screws 65, the interference area around the bending shaft 11 can be reduced, the space efficiency can be improved, and the compact bending unit 10 can be provided.

  The pressure swing mechanism (link unit) 70 is a mechanism that links the housing 55 that rotates around the bending shaft 11 and the pressure roller 30, and includes a holder 71 that rotatably supports the pressure roller 30, and a fulcrum pin 72. Via a stay 74 that supports the housing 55 so that the holder 71 swings, an open spring 77 that applies a pulling force to the holder 71 in an open state, and a cylindrical cam that moves up and down integrally with the lower mold opening / closing shaft 62. 75 and a cam follower 73 that contacts the outer periphery of the cylindrical cam 75 and swings the holder 71 against the force of the opening spring 77.

  When the upper and lower molds 23 and 22 of the bending mold clamp 20 are opened (when the mold is opened), the pressure roller 30 is opened by the opening spring 77. When the upper and lower molds 23 and 22 are closed (when the mold is closed), the cam follower 73 is inclined by the skirt-shaped cylindrical cam 75 with the direction of the bending mold clamp 20 provided on the lower mold opening / closing shaft 62 being narrow and extending downward. Swing along the surface 75a. A position where the holder 71 which is integrated with the cam follower 73 and supported by the stay 74 so as to swing obliquely with respect to the bending shaft 11 with the fulcrum pin 72 is rocked together with the cam follower 73 and the pressure roller 30 is brought into contact with the workpiece W. Close until. At the time of bending, the cam follower 73 is in contact with the outer cylindrical portion 75 b outside the inclined surface 75 a of the cylindrical cam 75, and the cam follower 73 rotates around the bending shaft 11 at a position away from the bending shaft 11. The cam follower 73 receives the opening force of the pressure roller 30 and clamps the workpiece W together with the bending die clamp 20.

  For this reason, in the bending unit 10, the holding | maintenance energy of a mold clamping force becomes unnecessary. Further, the upper and lower molds 23 and 22 and the pressure roller 30 can be opened and closed by a mold opening / closing motor 61, and a one-motor three-way opening / closing mechanism can be realized by the mold opening / closing mechanism 60 and the pressure swing mechanism 70. For this reason, in the bending unit 10, the upper and lower molds 23 and 22 and the pressure roller 30 are opened and closed synchronously by a small and energy saving opening and closing means. The pressure swing mechanism (link unit) 70 may include a connecting portion that rotatably connects a stay 74 that supports the holder 71 via a fulcrum pin 72 around the lower mold opening / closing shaft 62. The bending reaction force acting on the link unit 70 when bending the workpiece W between the upper die 23, the lower die 22 and the pressure roller 30 can be received near the bending die clamp 20 which is a bending portion. The workpiece W can be gripped with high accuracy.

  FIG. 8 shows how the upper and lower molds 23 and 22 and the pressure roller 30 are opened and closed. FIG. 8A shows the mold open state. The upper die 23, the lower die 22 and the pressure roller 30 of the bending die clamp 20 are shown opened in three directions around the position (the position of the central axis of the workpiece W, the set center) C where the workpiece W is set. ing. FIG. 8B shows a closed mold state. The upper mold | type 23 of the bending type clamp 20, the lower mold | type 22, and the pressure roller 30 are shown closed.

  In this bending unit 10, a mold opening / closing mechanism 60 that opens and closes the upper mold 23 and the lower mold 22 of the bending mold clamp 20 and a pressure swing mechanism 70 that opens and closes the pressure roller 30 are interlocked via a skirt-shaped cylindrical cam 75. The pressure roller 30 is opened and closed simultaneously with the opening and closing of the upper and lower molds 23 and 22. For this reason, an actuator for opening and closing the pressure roller 30 is not required, a sensor for detecting the opening and closing position is not required, and a mechanism for controlling the operation of the pressure roller 30 is also unnecessary.

  In this example, the pressure roller 30 is a form in which a round roll is rotatably supported. However, the pressure of a rectangular outer shape is supported so as to be swingable within a range necessary for bending left and right or supported so as to be slidable and slidable in the pipe axis direction. It may be in the form.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, the upper and lower mechanisms (first unit) 23 and the lower mold (second unit) 22 of the opening / closing mechanism are vertically uniform (equilibrium) along the bending axis 11 by the mold opening / closing mechanism 60. The pressure 30 is opened and closed in a direction (perpendicular to the direction) 12 substantially perpendicular to the bending shaft 11 in conjunction with the mold opening / closing mechanism 60 by the pressure swing mechanism 70. Therefore, the upper mold 23, the lower mold 22 and the pressure 30 are used for bending, that is, the work W is placed in three different directions around the center (center axis, setting center) C of the unprocessed work W. It can be opened and closed at a distance that does not interfere with movement. For this reason, the workpiece W can be moved along the linear path 13 between the setting center C and the retracted position E. In the processing apparatus 1, the setting center C corresponds to the second shaft 200 on which the chuck unit 160 sets the workpiece W during processing.

  In the processing apparatus 1, the position (the vertical position and height) of the workpiece W can be controlled by the chuck unit 160. Further, since the bending unit 10 moves up and down by the turn unit 80, the relative positional relationship between the workpiece W and the bending unit 10 also changes at this time. The turn unit 80 moves the bending unit 10 away from or close to the rotation center (second shaft 200) of the twist gear 101 (in FIG. 8, it moves up and down with respect to the twist gear 101), and the first unit Switching between a first position where the second axis 200 is set to the right with respect to the axis 11 and a second position where the second axis 200 is set to the left with respect to the first axis 11 . Therefore, when the workpiece W is taken in and out in the vertical direction (vertical direction), as shown in FIG. 8C, when the left bending is performed, the turn unit 80 moves the bending axis 11 with respect to the workpiece W on the left side in the drawing. Are tilted (rotated or swung) so that a gap is formed between the upper mold 23 and the pressure 30 so that the workpiece W can move in the vertical direction without interference. Thereby, the workpiece | work W can be set to the 2nd axis | shaft 200 (setting center C) by moving the workpiece | work W along the linear path | route 13 from upper direction (vertical direction) to the bending unit 10. FIG. At this time, the bending unit 10 may be tilted to an angle at which the clamp portion 23b of the upper mold 23 does not interfere with the path 13. By rotating the bending mold clamp 20 around the bending axis 11, the clamp section 23b is moved to the path 13. You may retreat to the position where it does not interfere. When the inclination of the bending unit 10 increases, the load (moment) of a heavy object such as a motor increases, so it is desirable to rotate the bending mold clamp 20 to avoid interference with the clamp portion 23b. When the workpiece W reaches the second shaft 200, the upper die 23, the lower die 22 and the pressure 30 are closed to clamp the workpiece W and start bending.

  When it is necessary to change the bending angle, the angle of the bending shaft 11 of the bending unit 10 is controlled by the twisting unit 100 in the mold open state of FIG. When opening the workpiece W, the upper mold 23, the lower mold 22 and the pressure 30 may be opened again in three directions, and the bending unit 10 may be lowered along the path 13, or the workpiece W may be opened. The workpiece W may be moved by an appropriate distance by the chuck unit 160.

  On the other hand, when the workpiece W is bent to the right, as shown in FIG. 8D, the bending unit 10 is moved upward while the bending shaft 11 is tilted to the right in the drawing by the turn unit 80. The workpiece W can be accessed by moving along the straight path 13 in the (vertical direction). The linear path 13 in FIGS. 8C and 8D is a path common to left and right bending. Therefore, the right bending and the left bending of the workpiece W can be switched simply by changing the arrangement of the pressure 30 around the bending shaft 11 and the inclination of the bending shaft 11 while moving the bending unit 10 up and down by the turn unit 80. be able to.

  FIG. 9 shows an outline of the bending die clamp 20. FIG. 9A shows an enlarged view of the bending unit 10 as viewed from above, that is, from the direction of the bending die clamp 20, and shows the bending die clamp 20 as a center. FIG. 9B shows a state where the workpiece W is gripped by the clamp groove 25 of the bending die clamp 20 as viewed from the extending direction of the workpiece W (extending direction of the clamp groove 25). FIG. 9C shows a state in which the workpiece W is gripped by the second clamp groove 26 of the bending clamp 20 as viewed from the extending direction of the second clamp groove 26.

  FIG. 10 shows the lower die 22 of the bending die clamp 20 as a representative, FIG. 10 (a) is a plan view, FIG. 10 (b) is a side view in the extending direction of the clamp groove 25, and FIG. c) is a side view of the second clamp groove 26 in the extending direction. The configuration of the upper mold 23 that forms a pair with the lower mold 22 is also the same as that of the lower mold 22 and is not shown.

  The bending die clamp 20 includes a pair of upper and lower split mold portions 23a and 22a including a bending groove 24 including an arc-shaped portion, and a pair of upper and lower clamping portions 23b and 22b that hold a rod-shaped workpiece W inserted into the bending groove 24. Including. The pair of upper and lower clamp parts 23b and 22b protrude from the pair of upper and lower split mold parts 23a and 22a in the circumferential direction of the bending groove. Therefore, the upper clamp part 23b and the upper split mold part 23a are integrated to form an upper mold (first unit) 23, and the lower clamp part 22b and the lower split mold part 22a are integrated. A lower mold (second unit) 22 is formed.

  Each of the pair of upper and lower clamp parts 23b and 22b includes a clamp groove 25 and a second clamp groove 26 that cross in an X shape and are connected to the bending groove 24 so as to extend in the tangential direction of the bending groove 24, respectively. . The clamp parts 23b and 22b are protrusions protruding in a trapezoidal shape from one place on the outer periphery of the upper and lower split bending molds, and two pipe clamps for right and left bending connected to the bending radius of the bending groove 24 by tangent thereto The semicircular grooves 25 and 26 for use are arranged so as to intersect symmetrically in an X shape. One of the clamp groove 25 and the second clamp groove 26 is used as a pipe nipping groove for bending one side to the left and the other side to the right. In this example, the clamp groove 25 is a clamp groove for bending the workpiece W to the left when viewed from above, and the second clamp groove 26 is a clamp groove for bending the workpiece W to the right when viewed from above.

  One bending type clamp 20 corresponds to left bending and right bending, and is a bending type clamp common to left and right bendings. For this reason, in the bending unit 10 and the processing apparatus 1 adopting the bending clamp 20, a rod-shaped member (work) W such as a pipe or a tube can be processed flexibly and efficiently.

  FIG. 11 shows several bending operations that can be performed by the bending unit 10. FIG. 11A shows a left-hand bending process (first mode), FIG. 11B shows a right-hand bending process (second mode), and FIG. 11C shows a left-hand bending process (first mode). 3 (d), and FIG. 11 (d) shows a left-handed bending process (fourth mode). Each figure shows a bending start position. The bending clamp 20 can rotate 360 degrees. The pressure roller 30 can rotate in a range that does not interfere with the slide plate 49 and the support plate 48 b that connects the slide plate 49 and the bending unit 10.

  11A, the work W is set on the right side of the bending clamp 20 and the clamp portions 23b and 22b of the bending clamp 20 are bent with respect to the pressure roller 30. Set in direction. The bending motor 41 is driven and the bending mechanism 40 is used to rotate the bending clamp 20 to the left (clockwise, first direction) when viewed from above. The bending roller 20 is rotated with respect to the pressure roller 30 without rotating the pressure roller 30.

  11B, the workpiece W is set on the left side of the bending clamp 20 and the clamp portions 23b and 22b of the bending clamp 20 are bent with respect to the pressure roller 30. Set in direction. The bending motor 41 is driven to rotate the bending clamp 20 to the right (counterclockwise direction, second direction) when viewed from above. The bending roller 20 is rotated with respect to the pressure roller 30 without rotating the pressure roller 30.

  In the left-press bending process (third mode) of FIG. 11C, the workpiece W is set on the right side of the bending clamp 20 and the pressure roller 30 is bent with respect to the clamp portions 23b and 22b of the bending clamp 20. Set in direction. The push-bending motor 51 is driven and the push-bending mechanism 50 is used to rotate the pressure roller 30 to the left (clockwise) when viewed from above. The pressure roller 30 is rotated with respect to the bending die clamp 20 without rotating the bending die clamp 20.

  In the right push bending process (fourth mode) of FIG. 11D, the workpiece W is set on the left side of the bending die clamp 20 and the pressure roller 30 is bent with respect to the clamp portions 23b and 22b of the bending die clamp 20. Set in direction. The push-bending motor 51 is driven to rotate the pressure roller 30 to the right (counterclockwise) when viewed from above. The pressure roller 30 is rotated with respect to the bending die clamp 20 without rotating the bending die clamp 20.

  In the bending unit 10, the bending mold clamp 20 is rotated by the pulling motor 41 and the pressure roller 30 is selectively rotated by the pressing and bending motor 51. Mixed bending is possible.

  Further, in the bending mold clamp 20, left and right bending clamp grooves 25 and 26 are provided symmetrically in one place on the outer periphery of the upper and lower split molds 22 and 23 that open and close in the direction of the bending axis 11. For this reason, interference between the radial direction and the rotational direction of the bending shaft 11 of the clamp mechanisms (clamp portions) 23b and 22b can be minimized. Further, by rotating the pressure roller 30 and the bending clamp 20 independently, the pressure position and the clamp position can be changed at various angles around the bending axis 11 including the start and end positions of the left and right pulling bending. Can be freely rotated. For this reason, the bending die clamp 20 is a bending die clamp that can be used for both left and right pulling bending that can accommodate a large bending angle, and the bending unit 10 that employs the bending die clamp 20 and is rotatable independently of the pressure roller 30. Can be bent in various ways, and can handle large bending angles.

  12 and 13 show a schematic configuration of the turn unit 80. FIG. FIG. 12A shows a state where the bending unit 10 is set in a left-bending state by the turn unit 80 as shown in FIG. FIG. 12C shows a state in which the bending unit 10 is set to the right bending state by the turn unit 80 as shown in FIG. 12 (b), as shown in FIG. 12 (e), the bending unit 10 is once moved downward by the moving unit (quick turn unit) 80 and switched from left bending to right bending or vice versa (quick turn). ) Indicates the state. 13A is a cross-sectional view in the lateral direction of the turn unit 80, and FIG. 13B is a cross-sectional view in the vertical direction along the central axis of the turn unit 80.

  The turn unit 80 has a connecting plate (base) 81 connected and fixed to the twist gear 101, and a plate-like shape supported on the connecting plate 81 so as to swing left and right around the swing shaft 82 (as a fulcrum). The holder 83 has a slide plate 49 that slides in the longitudinal direction (axial direction) 83 c of the holder 83. The bending unit 10 is attached to the slide plate 49.

  In order to attach the upper portion of the connecting plate 81 to the ring-shaped twist gear 101, an opening 87 having a position and size corresponding to the first opening 105 of the twist gear 101 and a third notch 88 connected to the opening 87 are provided. Including. The lower end 81a of the connecting plate 81 is curved in a convex shape so as to form a part of a circular arc with the center of the sliding shaft 82 as the center. The holder 83 includes a guide piece 83 a that guides the holder 83 so as to swing left and right along the lower end 81 a of the connecting plate 81. The upper surface 83 b of the guide piece 83 a is a concave guide surface that contacts the lower end 81 a of the connecting plate 81.

  The turn unit 80 includes a turn gear 84 that is rotatably mounted by an outer peripheral guide at a position along the central axis (axial direction) 83c of the holder 83, and is held by the holder 83. The turn gear 84 is connected to the connecting gears 86a and 86b. And a turn motor 85 that is driven via The turn gear 84 is incorporated in the holder 83 in a state of being sandwiched between the slide plate 49 and the connecting plate 81, and is a turn roller protruding forward and backward (front and back) at an eccentric position at a position along the axis 83c. 84a is included. The turn roller 84a is inserted into a first cam groove 81x whose back side extends in the vertical direction (vertical direction) along the axis 81c of the connecting plate 81. When the turn gear 84 rotates, the first cam groove 81x is rotated. Move up and down. The turn roller 84a is inserted into a second cam groove 49x whose front side extends in a direction orthogonal to the slide direction (axial direction) 83c of the slide plate 49. When the turn gear 84 rotates, the turn roller 84a By moving along the second cam groove 49x, the holder 83 swings to the left and right about the peristaltic shaft 82, and the slide plate 49 moves up and down.

  The workpiece W is supported by the chuck unit 160 on the axis 81 c of the connecting plate 81. The bending unit 10 is supported so that the bending axis 11 coincides with the axis 83 c of the holder 83 and the slide plate 49. Accordingly, when the turn gear 84 is driven to rotate clockwise by the turn motor 85 from the state shown in FIG. 12B, the turn roller 84a moves along the second cam groove 49x, and the slide plate 49 moves on the peristaltic shaft. It turns counterclockwise around 82. Further, the turn roller 84a moves along the first cam groove 81x, and the slide plate 49 moves upward along the axis 83c, resulting in the state shown in FIG.

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 12D, the bending unit 10 attached to the slide plate 49 moves upward with the bending shaft 11 tilted, and the workpiece W is located at the initial position of the left bending. The mold 23, the lower mold 22 and the pressure 30 reach the set center C in the opened state. Accordingly, in this state, the bending unit 10 closes the upper mold 23, the lower mold 22, and the pressure 30 to grip the workpiece W at a predetermined position, and starts the left bending process.

  When shifting to the right bending process after the left bending process is completed, when the turn gear 84 is driven to rotate counterclockwise by the turn motor 85 from the state shown in FIG. It will be in the state shown in b). Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 12 (e), the bending unit 10 attached to the slide plate 49 moves downward, and the workpiece W moves from the setting center C corresponding to the second axis 200 from the bending unit 10. It moves (relatively moves) to the retreat position E that is separated upward.

  Further, when the turn gear 85 is driven to rotate counterclockwise by the turn motor 85, the turn roller 84a moves along the second cam groove 49x, and the slide plate 49 turns clockwise about the peristaltic shaft 82. The turn roller 84a moves along the first cam groove 81x, and the slide plate 49 moves upward along the axis 83c, resulting in the state shown in FIG.

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 12 (f), the bending unit 10 attached to the slide plate 49 moves upward with the bending shaft 11 inclined in the direction opposite to that in FIG. 12 (d). W reaches the set center C in the state in which the upper die 23, the lower die 22 and the pressure 30 at the initial position of the left bend are opened. Therefore, the bending unit 10 closes the upper die 23, the lower die 22 and the pressure 30 in this state, grips the workpiece W at a predetermined position, and starts right bending.

  Therefore, the bending unit 10 once descends downward and swings in the opposite direction, moves so as to draw a U-shape or C-shape, changes the direction of the upper die 23, the lower die 22 and the pressure 30 and then rises again. The workpiece W can be bent from right bending to left bending or vice versa.

  The position of the peristaltic shaft 82, the turning radius and turning angle of the turn gear 84 are determined by the movement of the left and right bending rod-shaped member (work) W and the supply / discharge path 13 of the bending unit 10 when the bending unit 10 is moved upward. Can be selected to match. Further, the position of the peristaltic shaft 82 and the turning radius and turning angle of the turn gear 84 are set so that the bending unit 10 detours with an appropriate clearance to the position E where the workpiece W has escaped when switching between left and right. It can be selected to ensure the required trajectory and lifting stroke. At this time, if the clamp part of the clamp-integrated bending clamp 20 interferes with the linear movement path (supply / discharge path) 13 of the workpiece W, the bending clamp 20 is moved to the first shaft 11. Rotation around can avoid interference, and the workpiece W can be fed and discharged linearly.

  In the above description, the turn motor 85 rotates the turn roller 84a via the coupling gears 86a and 86b and the turn gear 84, and the slide plate 49 is moved up and down and the holder 83 is swung left and right at the same time. The example which moves to U shape is demonstrated. It is also possible to change the second cam groove 49x provided in the slide plate 49 into a linear groove in the horizontal direction to make a circular arc groove or a V-shaped groove symmetrical to the center line. Further, the vertical movement of the bending unit 10 and the switching of the left and right inclinations may be performed in order. It is also possible to appropriately change the stroke in which the bending unit 10 moves up and down and the turn trajectory. While the bending unit 10 is retracted from the workpiece W, the upper and lower molds 23 and 22 and the pressure 30 are turned around the bending axis 11 by an appropriate angle, and the clamp (projection) 23b of the bending mold clamp 20 and It is desirable to set (rotate and retract) 22b at a position where it does not interfere with the workpiece W.

  The turn unit 80 may include a balance mechanism such as an air cylinder that pushes the slide plate 49 upward along with the weight of the processing unit (bending unit) 10. Further, the turn unit 80 may include a lock mechanism that locks the connection plate 81 in a state where the holder 83 swings left and right.

  The turn unit (quick turn unit, moving unit) 80 for switching the direction of the bending unit 10 may include other mechanisms such as an XY orthogonal slide. This turn unit 80 has a small number of actuators and components, can be reduced in size and weight, and is fixed to the pipe shaft. It is wrapped with pipe feed and twist between the bending points, and the turn gear 84 rotates less than one turn so that the left and right bending positions can be obtained. Can be switched instantly. For this reason, the time for switching between the left and right bends can be greatly reduced.

  Further, when switching the bending direction, instead of moving the bending unit 10 up and down, the workpiece W can be moved up and down by the chuck unit 160, and the lifting function of the bending unit 10 can be omitted by the quick turn unit 80. Such a turn unit 80 may be configured such that the slide plate 49 and the holder 83 are integrated and the horizontal groove for raising and lowering the slide plate 49 and the front-side turn roller 84a inserted through the groove are omitted.

  The turn unit 80 without the lifting / lowering function has only the function of tilting the bending shaft 11 to the left / right bending position. Therefore, when switching between left and right bending, it is necessary to avoid interference between the workpiece W and the moving bending shaft 11. For this reason, the twist angle is once raised to the position where the center of the open groove (first notch) 102 of the twist gear 101 is returned to the vertical position (vertical direction) and then the workpiece W does not interfere with the bending shaft 11. Then, the left and right bending positions are switched (inclination of the bending shaft 11 in the reverse bending direction). When the bending unit 10 is moved up and down on the quick turn unit 80 side, the left and right bending positions can be switched in a short time because there is no need for the twisting back operation and the workpiece W ascending escape operation.

  FIG. 14 shows the chuck unit 160 extracted. FIG. 14A is a front view of the chuck unit 160 and shows a state seen from a direction orthogonal to the second axis 200. FIG. 14B is a side view of the chuck unit 160 and shows a state seen from the direction of the second shaft 200. The chuck unit (pipe chuck) 160 is opposed to the pair of chuck plates 161 extending along the second shaft 200, the opening spring 162 that holds the pair of chuck plates 161 in an open state, and the opening spring 162. An open / close cylinder 163 that opens and closes the pair of chuck plates 161, an elevating cylinder 165 that moves the chuck plate 161 up and down with respect to the second shaft 200, and a retracting cylinder that retracts the chuck plate 161 downward with respect to the second shaft 200. 164. The pair of chuck plates 161 is supported so as to rotate around the chuck shaft 166 like a pinch, and the chuck plate 161 opens and closes when the open / close cylinder 163 moves the roller 163 a in and out of the operating side 161 a of the chuck plate 161. Is done.

  The pair of chuck plates 161 protrudes from the cylinders 163 to 165 in the direction of the second shaft 200 (left and right) and has a recessed shape at the center, and two portions on the left and right sides of the cylindrical member W such as a pipe. A grip portion 167 is formed in which a cylindrical groove is formed so as to be gripped. A central portion (an intermediate portion of the gripping portion 167, a relief portion) 168 of the chuck plate 161 has a shape that is notched and opened downward from the lower surface of the workpiece (pipe) W. It can be gripped by the gripping portion 167 of the place. Therefore, when the workpiece W is changed, the processed portion can be released by the escape portion 168, and the workpiece W can be held again by the one grip portion 167.

  The gripping portion 167 protruding left and right with respect to the cylinders 163 to 165 is smaller than the central opening 105 of the twist gear 101 as a whole. The twist drive mechanism 110 of the twist unit 100 is disposed at one of the front and rear ends of the support plate 130, and the twist drive mechanism 110 is separated from the second shaft 200 in the front-rear direction with respect to the cylinders 163 to 165. It is arranged and does not interfere when the chuck unit 160 and the twist unit 100 are closest to each other. Therefore, when the twist unit 100 is moved by the feed unit 140 so as to be closest to the chuck unit 160, the twist unit 100 is sent to a position where the support plate 130 is close to the cylinders 163 to 165.

  At that time, the gripping portion 167 is inserted into the first opening 105 in the center of the twist gear 101 and almost penetrates the support plate 130 and the twist gear 101. For this reason, the position where the workpiece W is chucked by the chuck unit 160 can be brought very close to the bending unit 10 supported on the opposite side of the support plate 130, and the workpiece W is chucked by the chuck unit 160. It can be bent to the vicinity.

  Further, the workpiece W can be held (re-held) by using the bending unit 10 of one twist unit 100 that is closest to the chuck unit 160. That is, the workpiece W is temporarily gripped by the upper and lower units (upper and lower molds) 22 and 23 of the bending unit 10 and the pressure 30, the chuck plate 161 is opened to release the workpiece W, and the retraction cylinder 164 is used to hold the chuck plate 161. After retracting downward with respect to the second shaft 200 and separating the twist unit 100 from the chuck unit 160 by an appropriate distance, the chuck plate 161 can be raised and the workpiece W can be held again. At this time, since the chuck plate 161 includes the escape portion 168, the portion bent by the other twist unit 100 can be released by the escape portion 168, and the workpiece W can be gripped by the one grip portion 167. Therefore, the workpiece W can be bent while leaving the minimum straight pipe part (straight line part) necessary for gripping with one gripping part 167.

  FIGS. 15 and 16 are flowcharts showing an outline of a method of processing the workpiece W by the processing apparatus 1 (processing method, control method of the processing apparatus). If the timing at which supply / discharge of the workpiece W is required in step 211, the supply / discharge control unit 97 of the control unit 90 rotates the twist gear 101 in step 212 to rotate the first notch 102 and the support plate 130. The second notch 132 is aligned in the vertical direction, and the supply / discharge path 139 is set. Before or after step 212 or in parallel, in step 213, the supply / discharge control unit 97 controls the turn unit 80 and the bending unit 10, and controls the upper die (first unit) 23, lower die (second unit). ) 22 and the pressure 30 are opened in three directions, the supply path (supply / discharge path) 139 and the supply / discharge direction (supply / discharge path) 13 are straight, and the bending unit 10 is bent so that the workpiece W can be taken in and out in the vertical direction. The angle of the axis 11 is set. At this time, if necessary, the bending clamp 20 is rotated to retract the clamp portions 23b and 22b to a position where they do not interfere with supply / discharge.

  Thereafter, in step 214, the supply / discharge control unit 97 raises and lowers the chuck unit 160 to discharge (unload) the workpiece W from the second shaft 200 that is the processing position, or supply the workpiece W to the second shaft 200. (Setting, loading). The supply / discharge of the workpiece W is mainly performed when the workpiece W is set in the processing apparatus 1 in order to start a series of bending processes on the workpiece W, or after the series of bending processes is completed. It is done when discharging from. In the processing apparatus 1 in which the turn unit 80 does not have the lifting / lowering function, a supply / discharge function can be used to switch between right bending and left bending.

  In step 221, it is determined whether it is necessary to change the workpiece W. In order to change the workpiece W, the bending of the left and right sides that can be processed at the first chuck position of the chuck unit 160 is completed. In step 211, the workpiece W is moved to the retracted position E by the ascent of the chuck unit 160, and then within the chuck width. In this case, when an unprocessed part remains, the unprocessed part within the chuck width is changed to a processable position outside the chuck width.

  If it is necessary to change the position, the re-holding control unit 98 of the control unit 90 controls the bending feed unit 150, and in step 222, any one side of the pair of left and right bending feeding units 150 is set as the bending completion side. The unit on the bending completion side is retracted to a retracted position (a position away from the chuck unit, usually the first bending start position on the terminal side) that does not interfere when the workpiece W processed on one side is lowered. In step 223, the chuck unit 160 is lowered to the set center C, and the re-holding control unit 98 temporarily closes the upper mold 23, the lower mold 22 and the pressure 30 of the bending unit 10 on the opposite side to the bending completion side. Hold W.

  In step 224, the grip change control unit 98 opens the workpiece W once in the chuck unit 160, retracts the chuck plate 161 downward, and adjusts the position of one twist unit 100 by the feed unit 140. The position of the twisting unit 100 is controlled so that the place where the gripping portion 167 of the chuck plate 161 is gripped is at least a straight pipe, and then the workpiece W is re-gripped in step 225 by re-raising the chuck plate 161. . By performing this change, almost the entire area of the workpiece W can be subjected to bending work except for the portion gripped by the one gripping portion 167.

  If the feeding / discharging and the gripping change are completed or there is no such need, in step 200, the position control unit 93 and the machining control unit 95 of the control unit 90 determine both twist units 100 according to the machining data 91. And a predetermined bending process is performed on a predetermined portion of the workpiece W. In step 230, it is confirmed whether or not the bending process has been completed, and if the next process including the supply / discharge process remains, the process returns to step 211 and the above-described processes are repeated.

  FIG. 16 shows a more detailed process of the bending process. In step 201, the position control unit 92 controls the mold opening / closing mechanism 60 to open the upper mold 23, the lower mold 22, and the pressure 30 in three different directions around the set center C, thereby releasing the workpiece W. Further, the pair of twist units 100 are set to the next bending position by the feeding units 140 on both sides.

  When the twisting unit 100 reaches the bending point, the machining control unit 95 determines the machining mode in step 202, and if it is the left-hand bending of the first mode M1, the first mode (left-drawing) is determined in step 203. The processing unit 10 is set in (bending). In step 209, the machining control unit 95 closes the upper mold 23, the lower mold 22 and the pressure 30 to clamp the workpiece W, and performs bending in the mode set by rotating the bending mold clamp 20. At this time, if it is necessary to control the bending direction, the twist gear 101 of each twist unit 100 is rotated by a predetermined angle. In each twist unit 100, since the rotation angle of the twist gear 101 can be controlled independently, the angle of the bending shaft 11 of each bending unit 10 can be controlled independently, and bending can be performed independently from both ends.

  Further, at this time, if the bending in the three-dimensional direction (rotary bending) is designated in the data 91, the bending gear 20 is rotated and the twist gear 101 is rotated at the same time, and the bending unit 10 is changed in angle to bend. Bending is performed sequentially while changing the angle of the shaft 11. If the mode is different from the bending process performed previously, in step 203, the machining control unit 95 uses the turn unit 80 to raise and lower the bending unit 10 as described above, and the orientation of the bending unit 10 with respect to the workpiece W is changed. Perform a change process.

  The clamp position of the bending mold clamp 20 and the left / right bending position of the pressure roller 30 are switched by rotating the pressure roller 30 to the next bending start position after the bending unit 10 is lowered, and the clamping portion ( The protrusions 22b and 23b are rotationally moved to the bending start position. These left / right bending, push bending, and pull bending switching processes can be performed in parallel with the workpiece feed in step 201.

  Similarly, if it is the right mode bending process of the second mode M2 at step 204, the bending unit 10 is set to the second mode (right direction bending process) at step 205, and the workpiece W is clamped at step 209, Perform bending or rotary bending in the set mode. If the left push bending process of the third mode M3 is performed in step 206, the bending unit 10 is set in the third mode (left push bending process) in step 207, and the workpiece W is clamped and set in step 209. Perform bending or rotary bending in mode. If not in these modes, the bending unit 10 is set in the fourth mode (right push bending process) M4 in step 208, and in step 209, the work W is clamped and bending is performed in the set mode.

  In the bending process, the workpiece W is gripped by one of the clamp grooves 25 or 26 of the upper and lower molds 23 and 22 with the upper and lower molds 23 and 22 and the pressure roller 30 of the bending mold clamp 20 closed. In the case of bending for rotating the upper and lower molds 23 and 22, the upper and lower molds 23 and 22 are rotated together with the bending hollow shaft 45 through the gears 42 a and 42 b by the bending motor 41. In the case of push-bending in which the pressure roller 30 supported by the housing 55 is rotated, the pressure roller 30 is rotated around the bending clamp 20 by the push-bending motor 51 via the gears 52a and 52b, and the workpiece W is moved. Bending is performed along bending grooves 24 formed in the upper and lower molds 23 and 22.

  The control unit 90 for controlling the processing method (control method) can be realized by a computer resource including a CPU and a memory, and the processing method (control method) can be provided as a program (program product) recorded on an appropriate recording medium.

  By this method, the center (near the middle part) of the rod-like workpiece W such as a pipe is chucked by the chuck unit 160, and the workpiece W is transferred into various shapes while feeding the twist unit 100 from both ends of the workpiece W toward the center. Can be processed. In particular, the processing apparatus 1 includes two sets of rotary bending units (twisting units) 100, which are coaxially opposed to each other, grip the vicinity of the pipe intermediate portion with a pipe chuck 160, and rotate from both ends toward the intermediate portion. 100 is sequentially moved and both ends are bent simultaneously. Further, in this processing apparatus 1, a process for changing the holding unit 10 by using the bending die clamp 20 of the bending unit 10 is prepared, and the intermediate length of the intermediate portion cannot be bent without adding an auxiliary chuck or withdrawing the pipe chuck from the pipe axis. Can be shortened.

  Further, this processing apparatus 1 is a simultaneous bending apparatus at both ends, and two sets of bending feed units 150 are coaxially arranged opposite to each other centering on a pipe chuck 160 provided near the center of the gantry 2, and each support plate The bending unit 10 is provided on the opposite side of the pipe chuck 160 across 130. The gripping portion 167 of the pipe chuck 160 can be inserted into the opening (chuck insertion hole) 105 of the twist gear 101. For this reason, the chuck 160 can be brought close to the bending unit 10, and the length of the unbendable region of the workpiece W can be shortened in this respect as well.

  In the bending operation, first, the vicinity of the bending point of the bending point interval at which the pipe W is bent at the same left and right bends is gripped by the gripping portions 167 on both sides of the chuck plate 161, and the bending feed unit 150 is connected to the pipe end. Bending in a range not interfering with the chuck plate 161 is performed simultaneously while moving from the side toward the intermediate portion. An arbitrary one side bent at the initial gripping position is defined as a bending completion side, and the vicinity of the final bending point on the bending completion side is gripped by the gripping portion 167 on the opposite side of the chuck plate 161. By changing the grip, the bending point remaining in the chuck width at the first chuck position is moved to a bendable position outside the chuck width, and the remaining bending is performed.

  It is also possible to perform the re-holding process in steps 222 to 225 including the supply / discharge process. That is, first, the upper die 23, the lower die 22 and the pressure 30 of the bending unit 10 are opened in three directions, and then the bending feed unit 150 is fed in the chuck direction so that the bent pipe W can be raised. The rotation of the clamp parts 23b and 22b is avoided and the twisting is performed so that the center of the open groove 102 of the twist gear 101 is in the vertical position. Next, the pipe W is lifted above the upper surface of the support plate 130 of the twist unit 100 by the lift cylinder 165 and the retraction cylinder 164, and then the bending feed unit 150 on the bending completion side is retracted to a position where it does not interfere with the pipe W. The bend is lowered to the bending height again, and then the bending die clamp 20 of the bending feed unit 150 on the side where the remaining bending is performed is returned to the bending start position and the pipe W is gripped. The chuck plate 161 is opened by the open / close cylinder 163 and is retracted downward by the retracting cylinder 164. Then, the bending feed unit 150 gripping the pipe W is retracted by the re-stroke, and the chuck plate 161 is bent again to the height of the pipe W. By returning to chucking, the vicinity of the final bending point on the bending completion side can be gripped by the gripping portion 167 on the opposite side of the chuck plate 161.

  Since the above gripping change is performed using the clamping function of the bending unit 10 necessary for bending the pipe, the feeding function of the feeding unit 140, the chucking function of the pipe chuck 160 and the lifting / lowering function, a moving mechanism for changing the gripping is newly added. It can be done without adding.

  If the bending path on the bending completion side after the simultaneous bending at both ends is directed downward from the horizontal and interferes with the backward movement of the bending feed unit 150 or the chuck plate 161, the first chuck position is the bending point where there is no interference. Or by using a twisting function of the rotary bending unit 100 or the like to perform a twisting operation for changing the pipe twisting direction before the first bend, it is possible to avoid gripping interference.

  These processes can be automatically performed by a processing data 91 including a flag for instructing a gripping change point and gripping stroke data.

  As described above, the processing apparatus 1 includes a rotary bending unit (twisting unit) 100 capable of feeding and discharging a straight path with a twisted shaft-less structure and shortening the unbendable region length of the intermediate bending of both ends simultaneous bending, and the vicinity of the bending portion. And an overhang chuck type chuck unit 160 that can be moved up and down, and is gripped by using the clamp function and feed function of the bending feed unit 150 necessary for pipe bending. For this reason, it is possible to shorten the inflexible region of the intermediate portion without adding a retracting mechanism of the pipe chuck 160 from the direction of travel of the bending feed unit 150, an ascending / descending mechanism of the rotary bending unit 100, an auxiliary chuck, and the like. Therefore, the structure of the processing apparatus 1 can be simplified while being a simultaneous bending apparatus at both ends.

  Moreover, in this processing apparatus 1, the continuous bending process which mixed (combined) rotary bending (three-dimensional bending) in the left-right bending direction and the pull bending method can be performed. For this reason, the bending control program (processing data) can be generated by selecting and specifying a bending direction and a bending method without interference for each bending portion. For example, a bending direction and bending method identification flag may be added to a feed / twist / bending processing data table for each bending portion with respect to a general one-way / one-direction bending control program (data). In the processing apparatus 1, the bending mold clamp 20 and the pressure roller 30 are rotationally moved to the bending start position by the control program corresponding to the selected and specified identification flag, and the left and right bending positions are switched by the moving unit 80 if necessary. Do. Subsequent bending operations may be the same as the general one-way one-system bending operation control. The switching operation of the bending direction and the bending method can be controlled so as to be performed automatically and continuously by lapping with the feeding / twisting operation between the bending points.

  Further, the control unit 90 may have an automatic arc length calculation function according to the bending radius and the bending angle in order to feed the pipe corresponding to the bending arc length. It is possible to control the feeding of the workpiece W so that the workpiece W is fed before the bending process in addition to the feeding of the straight pipe length between the bending points at the time of bending, while feeding at the time of bending.

  17 to 22 show different examples of the twist unit 100. This twist unit 100 is equipped with a bending unit 10 dedicated to left-hand bending. Since it is not necessary to switch between right and left bending, the turn unit of the bending unit 10 is omitted, and the connecting plate 81 is directly attached to the twist gear 101 with the first shaft (bending shaft) 11 tilted. Yes. Therefore, the configuration of the twist unit 100 is further simplified, the distance L1 between the support plate 130 and the bending shaft 11 is further shortened, and the inflexible area of the intermediate portion of the workpiece W can be further shortened.

  17 is a front view of the twist unit 100, FIG. 18 is a side view of the twist unit 100, and FIG. 19 is a plan view of the twist unit 100.

  FIG. 20 is a plan view showing the bending unit 10 exclusively used for bending mounted on the twist unit 100. FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view of the bending unit 10 dedicated to bending, and the bending unit 10 includes a mold opening / closing motor 61 and a bending motor 41. The configurations of the upper mold (first unit) 23, the lower mold (second unit) 22, and the mold opening / closing mechanism 60 of the pressure 30 are the same. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 22A and 22B, the upper mold 23, the lower mold 22, and the pressure 30 are moved in three directions around the second shaft 200 by the mold opening / closing mechanism 60 and the pressure swing mechanism 70. Open and close. For this reason, the upper mold 23, the lower mold 22 and the pressure 30 are opened, and the bending mold clamp 20 including the upper mold 22 and the lower mold 23 is rotated to a position where the clamp portion 23b does not interfere, so that the workpiece W is straightened (feeded). It is possible to supply / discharge along the (exhaust route) 13.

  FIG. 23 shows still another example of the bending unit (processing unit) 10 that can be mounted on the twist unit 100. The bending unit 10 performs a unidirectional pull bending process and a reverse pushing process. The bending unit 10 shown in FIGS. 23A and 23B includes a unidirectional bending clamp 20 a having one clamping groove continuous to the bending groove 24, and a pressure roller type pressure 30. As shown in FIG. 23A, when the workpiece W is pressed by the pressure roller 30 and the bending die clamp 20a is rotated in the clockwise direction, left-hand bending can be performed. As shown in FIG. 23B, when the workpiece W is pressed by the bending die clamp 20a and the pressure roller 30 is rotated counterclockwise, the right-handed bending process can be performed.

  The bending type clamp 20a shown in FIGS. 23 (a) and 23 (b) is a bending type that is a left-handed bending and a right-handed bending. It is possible to provide the processing unit 10 that performs the bending process and the right push bending process.

  In the case where only a general bending function is sufficient, the pressure 30 may be fixed, and the second drive unit (push-bending mechanism) 50 that rotationally drives the pressure 30 is omitted, and the housing that supports the pressure 30 A configuration in which 55 is fixed to the slide plate 49 may be employed. Alternatively, the bending unit 10 may be configured to be used for both left and right bending by rotating the pressure 30 to the left and right bending position manually or by a jig and fixing the pressure 30 at that position.

  Moreover, although the feed unit 140 of the processing apparatus 1 described above is an example of a ball screw, a feed motor 145 may be installed on the rotary bending unit 100 side as a rack and pinion mechanism. Further, the elevating cylinder 165 and the retracting cylinder 164 of the chuck unit 160 may be electric sliders that can handle both strokes.

  As described above, the processing apparatus 1 shortens the intermediate part unbendable region with a simple device structure, and performs both-end simultaneous bending processing of the workpiece W of a rod-shaped member such as a long pipe with a short-distance straight path supply / discharge and pipe High-precision, high-speed and efficient operation can be performed with one-way feed with a fixed axis. In addition, by providing the left and right pulling and bending unit and the quick turn unit, mixed bending of the left and right pulling and bending can be efficiently performed by fixing the pipe shaft.

  Furthermore, this processing apparatus 1 is a method for accurately performing small-diameter long-length pipe bending in which the shape bent by inertia force is deformed by twisting the pipe at high speed. The pipe can be processed by a so-called rotary bending method that rotates around the pipe axis. The pipe chuck 160 grips the vicinity of the intermediate portion of the pipe, and the two sets of rotary bending means 100 and the feeding means 140 arranged on both sides of the pipe chuck 160 so as to be coaxially opposed to the pipe shaft, from the pipe end side toward the intermediate portion. Bending can be performed sequentially while moving the bending means. In this processing apparatus 1, both ends are simultaneously subjected to rotary bending, and without causing deformation due to pipe twisting, bending at both ends can also reduce the bending length by half and reduce distortion due to bending. For this reason, bending of a small-diameter long pipe can be performed with high accuracy in a short time by simultaneous bending at both ends with increased twisting speed and bending speed.

  In the conventional bending method, when the pipe is supplied to and discharged from the bending part, the opening direction of the semicircular groove for bending the upper and lower integrated bending mold and the center of the twisting mechanism opening and discharging groove are perpendicular to each other. The pipe supply / discharge route requires vertical movement in the supply / discharge open groove and the horizontal movement in the bending semicircular groove, which makes the supply / discharge time longer. There is a problem that the mechanism becomes complicated.

  In addition, the twist structure of the rotary bending unit has a twist shaft (twist plate) that supports the rotation of the bending unit and a twist gear for rotation drive, and the twist gear is arranged outside the support plate. As a result, the distance from the end face of the support plate to the center of the bending axis becomes longer, and there is a disadvantage that the unbendable region of the intermediate part that is bent last by simultaneous bending at both ends becomes longer. If there is no retracting mechanism for the pipe chuck in the bending unit feed direction, this intermediate bendable area is equal to or greater than the sum of the distance between the center of the bending axis and the width of the pipe chuck mechanism from the end surface of the support plate. There is a problem that can not cope with short bends. In order to shorten the unbendable area of the intermediate part, a mechanism for retracting the pipe chuck from the axis of the pipe, another auxiliary chuck for gripping the pipe when the pipe chuck is retracted, and a lowering / retracting mechanism for the bending mechanism on one side are provided. However, there is a problem that the structure of the apparatus is complicated. Even when such a retracting mechanism is provided, the distance between the bending points of the final bent portion needs to be about the distance between the end surfaces of the support plates and the center of the bending axis.

  The above processing apparatus 1 can solve these problems, shortens the length of the unbendable area of the pipe intermediate portion with a simple structure, and shortens the processing time by feeding and discharging the straight path in the direction perpendicular to the pipe axis and by one-way feeding. A bending apparatus can be provided.

  In addition, the positioning in the axial direction and the rotation direction of the workpiece W such as a pipe may be performed by the positioning unit before supply in the case of automatic conveyance supply / discharge, and may be supplied to the bending apparatus of the present invention while maintaining the position. Moreover, when using by manual supply / discharge, the pipe positioning unit which can move to an axial direction should just be provided in the reference | standard terminal.

  Further, in the above, an example of the processing apparatus 1 having a pair of twist units 100 arranged so as to face each other with the chuck unit 160 interposed therebetween is shown, but one end where the twist unit 100 is arranged on one side of the chuck unit 160 is shown. It may be a bending device.

  The processing apparatus 1 disclosed above is capable of feeding and discharging the rotary bending unit in a straight path and unidirectionally feeding the pipe shaft, reducing the size and weight with a simple structure with a reduced number of actuators, and twisting and feeding on the rotary bending unit side. Bending at both ends with the pipe fixed, high-accuracy high-speed bending can be performed without bending due to increased swing length and breakage deformation due to pipe twisting inertia. As a structure that allows the gripping part of the pipe chuck to be inserted into the bending mechanism with a short bendable area and the insertion hole of the twist gear, there is a feature that the bendable area of the middle part, which is a weak point of simultaneous bending at both ends, can be shortened. The combined use form utilized is not limited to such an embodiment, and can be implemented in various modes without departing from the scope of the present invention. Get.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Processing apparatus 10 Bending unit 20 Bending die clamp, 22 Lower die, 23 Upper die 30 Pressure roller 80 Turn unit 100 Twist unit, 101 Twist gear 130 Support unit 160 Chuck unit

That is , if bending in the three-dimensional direction (rotary bending) is specified in the data 91, the bending gear clamp 20 is rotated and the twist gear 101 is rotated at the same time, and the angle of the bending unit 10 is changed. Bending is performed sequentially while changing the angle. If the mode is different from the bending process performed previously, in step 203, the machining control unit 95 uses the turn unit 80 to raise and lower the bending unit 10 as described above, and the orientation of the bending unit 10 with respect to the workpiece W is changed. Perform a change process.

It is also possible to perform the re-holding process in steps 222 to 225 including the supply / discharge process. That is, first, the upper die 23, the lower die 22 and the pressure 30 of the bending unit 10 are opened in three directions, and then the bending feed unit 150 is fed in the chuck direction so that the bent pipe W can be raised. The rotation of the clamp parts 23b and 22b is avoided and the twisting is performed so that the center of the open groove 102 of the twist gear 101 is in the vertical position. Next, the pipe W is lifted above the upper surface of the support plate 130 of the twist unit 100 by the lift cylinder 165 and the retraction cylinder 164, and then the bending feed unit 150 on the bending completion side is retracted to a position where it does not interfere with the pipe W. The bend is lowered to the bending height again, and then the bending die clamp 20 of the bending feed unit 150 on the side where the remaining bending is performed is returned to the bending start position and the pipe W is gripped. The chuck plate 161 is opened by the opening / closing cylinder 163 and retracted downward by the retracting cylinder 164, and then the bending feed unit 150 gripping the pipe W is retracted by the re-stroke, and the chuck plate 161 is returned to the bending height and again. By chucking the pipe W, the vicinity of the final bending point on the bending completion side can be gripped by the gripping portion 167 on the opposite side of the chuck plate 161.

Claims (12)

A bending unit for bending the rod-shaped member around the first axis;
A twist unit that supports the bending unit to rotate about a second axis;
The twist unit is a ring-shaped twist gear that supports the bending unit, and includes a twist gear that includes a first cutout part partially cut toward the center;
A twist drive unit for driving the twist gear;
A plurality of guide rollers for supporting an outer peripheral surface of the twist gear so that the twist gear rotates about the second axis;
A support unit for supporting the plurality of guide rollers,
A second opening larger than the first opening in the ring of the twist gear about the second axis;
A processing apparatus, comprising: a second notch that reaches the second opening, the second notch being open in a direction perpendicular to the second axis.   2. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of guide rollers are arranged facing the second opening, and at least a part of the twist gear is supported so as to rotate within the second opening. 3. The bending unit according to claim 1, wherein the bending unit is
A pair of upper and lower split mold parts including bending grooves for bending the rod-shaped member;
A pair of upper and lower clamps for holding a bar-shaped member inserted in the bending groove;
A pressure including a holding groove for holding a rod-shaped member in the bending groove from an outer peripheral side of the bending groove;
The first unit including the upper split mold part and the upper clamp part, the second unit including the lower split mold part and the lower clamp part, and the pressure are set to the center of the rod-shaped member. And an opening / closing unit that opens and closes in three different directions. The open / close unit according to claim 3, wherein the open / close unit opens and closes the first unit and the second unit in a balanced manner;
A processing apparatus comprising: a link unit that moves the pressure away from or close to the set center in conjunction with movement of the opening / closing unit.   5. The processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: a turn unit that makes an angle of attachment of the bending unit with respect to the twist gear so that the first shaft is inclined with respect to a direction of the first notch. . The bending unit according to claim 5, wherein the bending unit is a left / right bending unit that bends a rod-like member left and right around the first axis.
The turn unit has a first position in which the second axis is set to the right with respect to the first axis by moving the bending unit away from or closer to the rotation center of the twist gear; A processing apparatus including a unit that switches the second axis to a second position in which the second axis is set in the left direction with respect to the first axis. The first drive unit according to claim 6, wherein the first drive unit rotates about the first axis with the first unit and the second unit closed.
A processing apparatus comprising: a second drive unit that rotates about the first axis independently of the first drive unit in a state where the pressure is closed. In any one of Claims 1 thru | or 7,
A chuck unit for supporting an unprocessed portion of the rod-shaped member along the second axis on the opposite side of the bending unit with the support unit interposed therebetween;
A feed unit that relatively controls the distance between the chuck unit and the support unit;
The chuck unit includes a workpiece gripper extending along the second axis, the workpiece gripper passing through the first opening when a distance between the support unit and the chuck unit approaches. . In claim 8,
A pair of twist units arranged to face each other across the chuck unit;
A pair of bending units respectively mounted on the pair of twist units;
A processing apparatus, comprising: a pair of feed units that control distances of the pair of twist units with respect to the chuck unit. The chuck unit according to claim 8,
A pair of workpiece gripping portions;
A processing apparatus comprising: an escape portion that does not grip a workpiece sandwiched between the pair of workpiece gripping portions. A method of processing a rod-shaped member with a processing device,
The processing device includes:
A bending unit for bending the rod-shaped member around the first axis;
A twist unit that supports the bending unit to rotate about a second axis;
The twist unit is a ring-shaped twist gear that supports the bending unit, and includes a twist gear that includes a first cutout part partially cut toward the center;
A twist drive unit for driving the twist gear;
A support unit for rotating and supporting the twist gear, wherein the second opening is larger than the first opening in the ring of the twist gear around the second axis, and reaches the second opening and reaches the second opening. A support unit including a second notch that opens in a direction perpendicular to the axis of
The bending unit includes a pair of upper and lower split mold parts including a bending groove for bending a rod-shaped member;
A pair of upper and lower clamps for holding a bar-shaped member inserted in the bending groove;
A pressure including a holding groove for holding a rod-shaped member in the bending groove from an outer peripheral side of the bending groove;
The first unit including the upper split mold part and the upper clamp part, the second unit including the lower split mold part and the lower clamp part, and the pressure are set to the center of the rod-shaped member. And an opening / closing unit that opens and closes in three different directions,
The processing apparatus further includes:
A turn unit that makes an angle of attachment of the bending unit to the twist gear that the first shaft is inclined with respect to the direction of the first notch,
A chuck unit that supports a raw portion of the rod-shaped member along the second axis on the opposite side of the bending unit with the support unit interposed therebetween,
The method is
The twist drive unit rotates the twist gear so that the first notch and the second notch coincide;
The turn unit has the mounting angle, the direction in which the first unit, the second unit, and the pressure open to open the bar-shaped member, and the first notch and the second notch. Make sure the direction is straight,
Moving the chuck unit and the twist unit relative to each other in the linear direction to set a bar-like member on the second shaft. In claim 11,
The processing apparatus further includes:
A feed unit that relatively controls the distance between the chuck unit and the support unit;
The chuck unit includes a workpiece gripper extending along the second axis,
The method further includes:
The feed unit makes the distance between the support unit and the chuck unit closer, and the workpiece gripping part passes through the second opening;
When the bar-shaped member is gripped by the bending unit, the feeding unit opens a distance between the support unit and the chuck unit, and the work gripping unit grips the bar-shaped member again.

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