JP2022179629A - Tool exchange device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tool exchange device which can inhibit a connection state between a master plate and a tool plate from becoming insufficient even if supply of a fluid for connecting the master plate with the tool plate is stopped.

SOLUTION: One embodiment of the invention includes: a tool plate to which a tool is attached; and a master plate to which the tool plate is detachably attached. The master plate has: a plate body formed with a cylinder chamber and a circulation passage for supplying and discharging a fluid to the cylinder chamber; and a piston member which may be reciprocated in the cylinder chamber by a pressure of the fluid supplied and discharged. The master plate has a lock pin which at least partially protrudes into the cylinder chamber to restrict reciprocating motion of the piston member.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

COPYRIGHT: (C)2023,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a tool changer.

The tool exchange device is for exchanging and attaching various tools to an arm of a robot, for example. With such a robot arm tool changer, a single robot can perform a plurality of tasks by exchanging tools. It can contribute to production.

This tool changer has, for example, a master plate attached to the robot side and a tool plate attached to the tool side. The master plate and the tool plate are provided so that they can be attached and detached by a fluid such as air, and by this attachment and detachment, the robot can be replaced with various tools.

In such a tool changer using a fluid, if the supply of the fluid is stopped while the master plate and the tool plate are in the connected state, the master plate and the tool plate cannot maintain the connected state. Serious accidents such as the tool plate falling may occur. In order to prevent such an accident, an automatic tool changer having a stopper for restricting the disengagement of the actuator has been devised (see Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 6-061486).

The automatic tool changer disclosed in this publication comprises a fixed plate and a tool plate, the fixed plate being movable to and from the tool plate by an actuator, and the tool plate moving in conjunction with the operation of the actuator. and a detachable connecting member. A stepped stopper is formed on the distal end side of the actuator to prevent the actuator from coming off the coupling member. Further, when the supply of the working fluid portion is stopped, the coupling member restrains the stopper, so that the actuator can be restricted from coming off the coupling member, and the tool plate can be prevented from coming off. and

In the automatic tool changer, some load is applied to the tool plate, and the step of the stopper may get over the tip of the connecting member, causing the tool plate to fall off. Further, by repeatedly attaching and detaching the fixing plate and the tool plate, the stepped surface of the stopper becomes smooth, making it difficult for the connecting member to restrain the actuator, which may cause the tool plate to fall off. be.

Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 6-061486

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and is a tool changing apparatus capable of suppressing insufficient connection even when the supply of fluid for connecting the master plate and the tool plate is stopped. The task is to provide

One aspect of the present invention comprises a tool plate to which a tool is attached and a master plate to which the tool plate can be attached and detached. and a piston member reciprocable within the cylinder chamber by the pressure of the supplied and discharged fluid, wherein the master plate is at least partially in the cylinder chamber It is characterized by having a lock pin that restricts the reciprocating motion of the piston member by protruding.

By controlling the pressure in the cylinder chamber of the master plate, the tool changer reciprocates the piston member, and attaches and detaches the master plate and the tool plate on which the tool is mounted. Since the master plate has a lock pin that restricts the reciprocating motion of the piston member, it is possible to restrict the attachment and detachment operation with respect to the tool plate. Therefore, in the tool changing device, when the supply of the fluid is stopped and the pressure in the cylinder chamber cannot be controlled, the master plate and the tool plate are in an insufficiently connected state. can be suppressed.

It is preferable that the lock pin restricts the reciprocating motion of the piston member so that the master plate maintains the connection state with the tool plate. Restriction of the reciprocating motion of the piston member by the lock pin may restrict both connection and separation between the master plate and the tool plate, but at least the master plate is connected to the tool plate. It is preferable that the state is maintained. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the tool plate from separating from the master plate and falling when it becomes impossible to control the pressure in the cylinder chamber.

Preferably, the lock pin protrudes into the cylinder chamber as the pressure of the fluid drops. When the pressure of the fluid in the cylinder chamber decreases when the master plate is in a connected state with the tool plate, the piston member moves to the side separating the master plate and the tool plate, and the tool plate may separate from the master plate and fall off. When the pressure drops, the lock pin protrudes into the cylinder chamber, thereby restricting the movement of the piston member and preventing the tool plate from separating from the master plate.

The master plate includes a casing that accommodates the lock pin, and the casing includes a pin accommodation chamber that accommodates the lock pin, a pin flow passage that supplies fluid to the pin accommodation chamber, and the lock pin. It is preferable to have an elastic member that presses toward the cylinder chamber. The master plate has a casing, and the casing includes a pin housing chamber for reciprocatingly housing the lock pin, a pin flow path serving as a fluid supply path for reciprocating the lock pin, and an elastic member. , the lock pin can easily and reliably protrude into the cylinder chamber with a relatively simple configuration.

It is preferable that the lock pin is restricted from protruding into the cylinder chamber by supplying fluid to the pin accommodating chamber. That is, when the supply of fluid to the pin accommodating chamber is stopped, the lock pin protrudes into the cylinder chamber. By doing so, when the supply of the fluid stops unintentionally due to an obstacle or the like, the lock pin protrudes into the cylinder chamber, and separation of the tool plate from the master plate can be suppressed.

A fluid supply device that supplies fluid to the cylinder chamber and a fluid supply device that supplies fluid to the pin housing chamber may be a common fluid supply device. By adopting a configuration that does not require a driving device, equipment, etc., for operating the lock pin in this manner, the configuration can be simplified.

As described above, the tool changing device of the present invention can prevent the connection state from becoming insufficient even if the supply of the fluid for connecting the master plate and the tool plate is stopped.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional side view showing a connected state of tool plates of a tool changer according to one embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional side view showing a detached state of the tool plate of the tool changer of FIG. 1; FIG.

<Tool changer>
A tool changer 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, which is an embodiment of the present invention, mainly includes a tool plate 2 on which tools are mounted, and a master plate 3 to which the tool plate 2 is detachable. The tool plate 2 has an insertion recess 21 on its upper surface, and the master plate 3 has a cylindrical portion 31 that can be inserted into the insertion recess 21, and detachably connects the tool plate 2. As shown in FIG.

The master plate 3 is attached to, for example, a robot arm (not shown), and the tool plate 2 is attached with a tool (not shown). Various tools (tool plate 2) can be exchanged and mounted.

The master plate 3 includes a plate body 32 having a cylindrical portion 31, a plurality of locking portions held by the plate body 32, and a piston member 33 attached to the plate body 32 so as to reciprocate. In this embodiment, a ball 34 is used as the locking portion.

Inside the plate body 32 , a cylinder chamber 35 and a flow passage (not shown) through which fluid flows in and out of the cylinder chamber 35 are formed. Specifically, the plate main body 32 is fixed to a first cylindrical body 32a formed of a concave portion forming the inner peripheral wall of the cylinder chamber 35, and to a lower portion (tool plate 2 side) of the first cylindrical body 32a. and a second tubular body 32b. That is, in this embodiment, the plate main body 32 is composed of the first cylindrical body 32a and the second cylindrical body 32b. The first tubular body 32a and the second tubular body 32b are provided in a substantially cylindrical shape.

The flow path is formed in the first tubular body 32a and arranged in the upper cylinder chamber 35a on the opposite side (upper side in the drawing) of the tool plate 2 to which the piston member 33 (to be described later) is connected. , an upper cylinder chamber 35a and a second flow passage through which the fluid flows in and out of the lower cylinder chamber 35b on the opposite side of the piston member 33. As shown in FIG. The first flow path and the second flow path are connected to a fluid supply device (not shown) in the factory via solenoid valves (not shown).

The first flow passage supplies fluid to the upper cylinder chamber 35a to move the piston member 33 toward the tool plate 2, and the piston member 33 moves the ball 34 toward the locked state. At this time, the second flow passage discharges the fluid in the lower cylinder chamber 35b. Further, the second flow passage supplies fluid to the lower cylinder chamber 35b to move the piston member 33 toward the master plate 3, thereby moving the piston member 33 toward the ball 34 on the unlocking/releasing side. At this time, the first flow passage discharges the fluid in the upper cylinder chamber 35a.

The lower surface of the first cylindrical body 32a is provided with a stepped portion to which the second cylindrical body 32b is attached. The second cylindrical body 32b is fixed to this stepped portion. The second tubular body 32b has a flange portion 36 fitted to the stepped portion, and a tubular portion 31 protruding downward from the flange portion 36. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the tubular portion 31 is provided so as to protrude downward from the first tubular body 32a. Further, the second cylindrical body 32b is formed with an insertion hole through which a rod 33a of a piston member 33, which will be described later, is inserted. The first cylindrical body 32a is attached to a robot arm or the like.

Further, the master plate 3 and the tool plate 2 have contact surfaces 3a, 2a that contact each other in the connected state. Specifically, the lower surface of the first tubular body 32a and the lower surface of the flange portion 36 are flush with each other and abut on the upper surface 2a of the tool plate 2 in the connected state. That is, in this embodiment, the flush surface formed by the lower surface of the first tubular body 32a and the lower surface of the flange portion 36 of the second tubular body 32b serves as the contact surface 3a of the master plate 3. In the connected state of the tool plate 2, 3a and 2a are in contact with each other.

The master plate 3 further includes a plate 37 forming the upper wall (the wall facing the piston) of the cylinder chamber 35 . This plate 37 is fixed to the upper surface of the first cylindrical body 32a. Thereby, the cylinder chamber 35 is airtightly provided.

A plurality of holding holes for holding the balls 34 are drilled in the tubular portion 31 in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the tubular portion 31 . This holding hole holds the ball 34 so as to be able to extend and retract from the side surface of the cylindrical portion 31 . The diameter of the holding hole outside the tubular portion 31 is set smaller than the diameter of the ball 34, and the ball 34 is restricted from leaving the tubular portion 31 outside.

The piston member 33 is attached to the plate body 32 so as to reciprocate within the cylindrical portion 31 along the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 31, that is, along the direction substantially perpendicular to the contact surface by the pressure of the cylinder chamber 35. It is Due to the reciprocating motion of the piston member 33 , the plurality of balls 34 protrude and retreat from the side surface of the cylindrical portion 31 .

Specifically, the piston member 33 includes a rod 33a inserted into the insertion hole of the second tubular portion 31 and a cam portion 33b fixed to the tip (lower end in the figure) of the rod 33a projecting into the tubular portion 31. and The side surface of the cam portion 33b contacts the ball 34, and movement of the ball 34 toward the inside of the cylindrical portion 31 is restricted.

The cam portion 33b allows the outer surface of the ball 34 to move inwardly from the outer surface of the cylindrical portion 31 when the piston member 33 is positioned at the upper end, thereby preventing the ball 34 from falling inside the cylindrical portion 31. is doing.

Further, the side surface of the cam portion 33b is formed as an inclined surface that is inclined inwardly downward in the drawing, and the downward movement of the piston member 33 pushes the ball 34 out of the cylindrical portion 31, thereby A locked state with the locking portion 22 is obtained. Here, the cam portion 33b has two inclined surfaces with different inclination angles. The angle formed by the two inclined surfaces of the tubular portion 31 and the axial direction of the tubular portion 31 is larger at the lower inclined surface in the figure and smaller at the subsequent upper inclined surface. When the piston member 33 moves downward from the state where the piston member 33 is positioned at the upper end (see FIG. 2), the greatly inclined surface pushes the ball 34 outward, and then when the piston member 33 reaches the lower end, The slightly inclined surface restricts the inward movement of the ball 34 in the cylindrical portion 31 (see FIG. 1).

The tool plate 2 has a locked portion 22 that contacts the plurality of balls 34 when the cylindrical portion 31 is inserted into the insertion recess 21 and the plurality of balls 34 are pushed outward in the vertical direction from the central axis of the rod 33a. have. That is, in the present embodiment, the locking portion is composed of a plurality of balls 34 held so as to move forward and backward from the side surface of the cylindrical portion 31 by the reciprocating motion of the piston member 33, and the locked portion 22 is cylindrical. The portion 31 is configured to be locked by the ball 34 protruded with the portion 31 inserted into the insertion recess 21 .

In the engaged portion 22, the plurality of balls 34 are advanced to the outside of the cylindrical portion 31 while the contact surface 3a of the plate body 32 and the contact surface 2a of the tool plate 2 face each other with a gap. It has a top surface 22a that comes into contact with at least one ball 34 at the time. The top surface 22a is provided so that the contact surfaces 2a and 3a contact each other when the contacting ball 34 is advanced further outward. Specifically, the top surface 22a is inclined so that the diameter of the insertion recess 21 increases downward in the drawing. More specifically, when the cylindrical portion 31 is inserted into the insertion recess 21 and the abutment surfaces 2a and 3a are arranged with a predetermined gap, the movement of the piston member 33 pushes the ball 34 outward. When the top surface 22a and the ball 34 are brought into contact with each other, the ball 34 moves further along the top surface 22a from this state, and the ball 34 moves along the top surface 22a. The tool plate 2 is drawn to the side and the connected state of the tool plate 2 shown in FIG. 1 is obtained.

The master plate 3 has a lock pin 4 that at least partially protrudes into an upper cylinder chamber 35 a of the cylinder chamber 35 to restrict the reciprocating motion of the piston member 33 . Specifically, a pin insertion hole 38 through which the lock pin 4 can extend and retract is formed in the first cylindrical body 32a in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the piston member 33. As shown in FIG. The lock pin 4 restricts the reciprocating motion of the piston member 33 within the cylinder chamber 35 by protruding at least a portion from the pin insertion hole 38 .

The shape of the lock pin 4 is not particularly limited, and may be prismatic, cylindrical, or the like, preferably cylindrical. By doing so, molding of the lock pin 4 and processing of the pin insertion hole 38 can be facilitated. The material of the lock pin 4 is not particularly limited, and iron, aluminum, stainless steel, or the like can be used.

It is preferable that the lock pin 4 protrudes at least partially into the cylinder chamber 35 so that the master plate 3 maintains the connection state with the tool plate 2 . In other words, it is preferable that the lock pin 4 protrudes into the cylinder chamber 35 so that the master plate 3 and the tool plate 2 cannot be separated. In this embodiment, when the piston member 33 moves toward the tool plate 2 and the master plate 3 and the tool plate 2 are in a connected state, the lock pin 4 protrudes into the upper cylinder chamber 35a to restrict the movement of the piston member 33. As a result, the connection state between the master plate 3 and the tool plate 2 is maintained. Specifically, the lock pin 4 protrudes to the upper side of the piston member 33 that has moved toward the tool plate 2 , restricts the movement of the piston member 33 to the side opposite to the tool plate 2 side, and locks the master plate 3 and the tool. Separation from the plate 2 is made impossible.

It is preferable that the lock pin 4 protrude into the cylinder chamber 35 when the supply of the fluid to the cylinder chamber 35 is stopped. As described above, by supplying the fluid to the upper cylinder chamber 35a and discharging the fluid in the lower cylinder 35b, the piston member 33 moves toward the tool plate 2, and the master plate 3 and the tool plate 2 are connected. become. Further, by discharging the fluid in the upper cylinder chamber 35a and supplying the fluid to the lower cylinder 35b, the piston member 33 moves toward the master plate 3 and the master plate 3 and the tool plate 2 are separated. Here, when the supply of the fluid is stopped while the master plate 3 and the tool plate 2 are in the connected state, and the pressure of the fluid in the upper cylinder chamber 35a becomes equal to or less than a predetermined pressure, the weight of the tool plate 2 causes relative displacement. In effect, the piston member 33 may move toward the master plate 3 (separate side) and the tool plate 2 may fall off. When the supply of the fluid to the upper cylinder chamber 35a stops and the pressure drops, the lock pin 4 protrudes into the upper cylinder chamber 35a, thereby restricting the movement of the piston member 33 to the withdrawal side, Separation of the tool plate 2 from the master plate 3 can be suppressed.

The master plate 3 includes a casing 5 that accommodates the lock pin 4, and the casing 5 includes a pin accommodation chamber 51 that accommodates the lock pin 4, a pin flow passage 52 that supplies fluid to the pin accommodation chamber 51, and the lock pin. 4 to the cylinder chamber side.

The casing 5 may be integrally formed with the master plate 3 as a part of the master plate 3 , or may be formed separately from the master plate 3 and disposed on the master plate 3 . The casing 5 is formed with a pin housing chamber 51 for reciprocatingly housing the lock pin 4 and a pin flow path 52 for communicating the pin housing chamber 51 with an opening connected to the fluid supply device. The casing 5 also has an elastic member 53 in the pin accommodating chamber 51 that expands and contracts with the reciprocating motion of the lock pin 4 and presses the lock pin 4 toward the cylinder chamber.

When the lock pin 4 is formed in a cylindrical shape, the pin housing chamber 51 is formed in a cylindrical shape in the casing 5 in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the piston member 33, and has one end that opens outward. It is formed by sealing at 55 . The pin accommodation chamber 51 accommodates the lock pin 4 and an elastic member 53 which will be described later. The casing 5 has communication holes 54 that communicate the pin housing chambers 51 and the pin insertion holes 38 formed in the master plate 3 . Preferably, the diameter of the pin insertion hole 38 and the diameter of the communication hole 54 are the same, and the inner peripheral surface of the pin insertion hole 38 and the inner peripheral surface of the communication hole 54 are formed to be flush with each other. Moreover, it is preferable to make the diameter of the pin receiving chamber 51 larger than the diameter of the pin insertion hole 38 and the communication hole 54 . That is, the diameter of the portion of the lock pin 4 protruding into the cylinder chamber 35 (hereinafter referred to as "tip") is small, and the diameter of the portion of the lock pin 4 that is accommodated in the pin accommodating chamber 51 (hereinafter referred to as "bottom") is small. It is preferable that it is a substantially convex body formed with a large diameter. By doing so, the amount (length) of the lock pin 4 protruding into the cylinder chamber 35 can be easily adjusted.

It is preferable to form a recess 4a in the outer peripheral surface of the lock pin 4 on the bottom side, and to dispose a sealing member such as an O-ring in this recess 4a. In addition, a concave portion 4b is formed in a circumferential shape on the end surface of the bottom portion of the lock pin 4 that contacts the side wall of the pin accommodating chamber 51 (the end surface on the side having the tip portion), and a sealing member is disposed in this concave portion 4b. is preferred. Furthermore, it is preferable to form a recess in the inner peripheral surface of the connecting hole 54 and arrange the sealing member in this recess. By doing so, the tightness of the pin housing chamber 51 can be improved.

The pin flow passage 52 communicates between the opening connected to the fluid supply device and the pin housing chamber 51 . That is, one end of the pin circulation passage 52 is open toward the outside of the casing 5 and is used for connection with the fluid supply device. The other end of the pin circulation passage 52 opens at the pin storage chamber 51 . At least a portion of the other end of the pin circulation passage 52 is open at the side wall of the pin housing chamber 51 on the cylinder chamber 35 side. By doing so, the fluid is supplied to the pin circulation passage 52 to move the lock pin 4 to the opposite side (right side in the figure) of the pin housing chamber 51 to the cylinder chamber 35 side, and the cylinder at the tip of the lock pin 4 is moved. Projection into the chamber 35 can be restricted.

The elastic member 53 is housed in the pin housing chamber 51 together with the lock pin 4 . In this embodiment, the elastic member 53 is arranged between the lock pin 4 and the lid 55 . The elastic member 53 is not particularly limited as long as it can be stretched and stretched in an unloaded state. For example, a coil spring can be used. When the fluid is supplied to the pin housing chamber 51 , the elastic member 53 is compressed by the bottom portion of the lock pin 4 that receives the pressure and contracts. push to the side.

It is preferable that the lock pin 4 is restricted from protruding into the cylinder chamber 35 by supplying fluid to the pin housing chamber 51 . That is, the lock pin 4 protrudes into the cylinder chamber 35 when the supply of fluid to the pin housing chamber 51 is stopped and the pressure in the cylinder chamber 35 is reduced. Specifically, when the fluid is normally supplied from the fluid supply device, the lock pin 4 does not protrude into the cylinder chamber 35, and the master plate 3 can freely attach and detach the tool plate 2. can. On the other hand, the supply of fluid to the pin storage chamber 51 is insufficient due to troubles in the fluid supply device, leakage of the fluid from the piping arranged between the fluid supply device and the tool changer, and other obstacles. If this is not possible, the lock pin 4 protrudes into the cylinder chamber 35 and the master plate 3, which is in a connected state, maintains the connected state with the tool plate 2 and cannot be separated. By doing so, it is possible to ensure safety when the fluid cannot be supplied normally.

It is preferable that the fluid supply device that supplies the fluid to the cylinder chamber 35 and the fluid supply device that supplies the fluid to the pin housing chamber 51 are one common fluid supply device. In other words, it is preferable that one fluid supply device supplies the fluid to the cylinder chamber 35 and the pin housing chamber 51 . By doing so, the configuration of the system for operating the tool changing device can be simplified.

A configuration in which one fluid supply device supplies fluid to the cylinder chamber 35 and the pin housing chamber 51 can be configured as follows, for example. As described above, the plate body 32 of the master plate 3 includes the first flow path for entering and exiting the fluid in the upper cylinder chamber 35a and the second flow path for entering and exiting the lower cylinder chamber 35b. The first flow path and the second flow path are connected to the fluid supply device via solenoid valves. By switching the electromagnetic valve, fluid is supplied to one of the first flow path and the second flow path, and fluid is discharged from the other. The piston member 33 reciprocates within the cylinder chamber 35 due to the pressure difference between the upper cylinder chamber 35a and the lower cylinder chamber 35b. Hereinafter, the main pipe is the fluid pipe from the fluid supply device to the solenoid valve, the first pipe is the fluid pipe from the solenoid valve to the first flow path, and the first pipe is the fluid pipe from the solenoid valve to the second flow path. Let the piping for fluid be the 2nd piping.

A pipe for supplying fluid to the pin housing chamber 51 (hereinafter referred to as “pin pipe”) has one end connected to the main pipe on the upstream side of the solenoid valve, and the other end connected to the pin flow passage 52 of the casing 5. be done. The connection between the main pipe and the pin pipe is simply branched without using an electromagnetic valve or the like. By doing so, when the master plate 3 and the tool plate 2 are in the connected state, the fluid cannot be sufficiently supplied to the cylinder chamber 35 due to the above obstacle, and at the same time, the fluid is not supplied to the pin housing chamber 51. can't do enough. The supply of fluid to the cylinder chamber 35 becomes insufficient, the pressure in the cylinder chamber 35 decreases, and the master plate 3 cannot maintain the connection state with the tool plate 2. At the same time, the lock pin 4 protrudes into the cylinder chamber 35. to restrict the movement of the piston member 33 . Therefore, the piston member 33 is held in a position where the master plate 3 is connected with the tool plate 2 . Separation of the tool plate 2 from the master plate 3 can be suppressed in this way.

When arranging a fluid supply device that supplies fluid to the cylinder chamber 35 and another fluid supply device that supplies fluid to the pin housing chamber 51, a pressure gauge for detecting the pressure in the cylinder chamber 35 is provided in the tool changing device. 1, and when the measured value of the pressure gauge falls below a predetermined value, the other fluid supply device stops supplying the fluid.

<How to operate>
Next, a method of operating the tool changer will be described.

The tool changing device supplies fluid to the upper cylinder chamber 35a while the contact surface 3a of the plate body 32 and the contact surface 2a of the tool plate 2 face each other with a gap therebetween.

When the fluid is supplied to the upper cylinder chamber 35a, the ball 34 moves to the outside of the cylindrical portion 31, presses the top surface 22a, and the tool plate 2 is drawn toward the master plate 3, and the contact surface 2a, 3a comes into contact with the tool plate 2 and the master plate 3 to obtain a connected state.

In this connected state, if the supply of fluid to the cylinder chamber 35 is sufficient, the lock pin 4 will not protrude into the cylinder chamber 35 because the supply of fluid to the pin housing chamber 51 is also sufficient. . On the other hand, when the supply of fluid to the cylinder chamber 35 becomes insufficient, the supply of fluid to the pin housing chamber 51 also becomes insufficient. to regulate. Therefore, the tool changing device can prevent separation of the master plate 3 and the tool plate 2 due to insufficient connection even if the supply of the fluid is insufficient.

<advantage>
As described above, the tool changing device 1 is provided with the lock pin 4, so that the master plate 3 and the tool plate 2 are locked when the fluid cannot be sufficiently supplied during the work or when the fluid supply device is stopped after the work is finished. It is possible to suppress insufficient connection with.

Furthermore, since the lock pin 4 protrudes into the cylinder chamber 35, the tool changing device 1 can maintain the connected state between the master plate 3 and the tool plate 2, so that the tool plate 2 may be separated inadvertently. Dropping or the like can be suppressed, damage to the tool plate 2 and the tools attached to the tool plate 2 can be suppressed, and the safety of the operator can be improved.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented in various modified and improved modes in addition to the above-described modes.

That is, in the above embodiment, the master plate 3 and the tool plate 2 are detachable by the reciprocating motion of the piston member 33, but the master plate 3 and the tool plate 2 are detached by a cam rotating. It is possible, and the lock pin 4 may regulate the rotation of the cam.

Further, in the above embodiment, the piston member 33 is reciprocated by pressurization of air, but other fluids may be used. Further, the connection state of the tool plate 2 is obtained by pressurizing the cylinder chamber 35, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the connection state of the tool plate 2 is obtained by applying a negative pressure to the cylinder chamber 35. It is also possible to change the design so that

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a configuration is shown in which the master plate 3 and the tool plate 2 are connected when the piston member 33 is positioned on the tool plate 2 side, but the present invention is limited to this. is not. When the piston member is positioned on the tool plate side, the tool plate is in a disengaged state (disengagement state between the engaging portion and the engaged portion), and the piston member moves away from the tool plate to disengage the tool plate. The state (locked state between the locking portion and the locked portion) is also within the intended scope of the present invention.

In the above embodiment, the tubular portion has a substantially cylindrical shape, but the tubular portion may have a square tubular shape or the like.

The tool changer of the present invention can suppress the work with the tool in the state where the tool plate is insufficiently connected to the master plate as described above, so it is suitable for various work in which various tools are detachably mounted. can be used for

1 tool changer 2 tool plate 2a contact surface (upper surface of tool plate)
21 insertion recess 22 engaged portion 22a top surface 3 master plate 3a contact surface (lower surface of master plate)
31 Cylindrical Part 32 Plate Main Body 32a First Cylindrical Body 32b Second Cylindrical Body 33 Piston Member 33a Rod 33b Cam Part 34 Ball 35 Cylinder Chamber 35a Upper Cylinder Chamber 35b Lower Cylinder Chamber 36 Flange 37 Plate 38 Pin Insertion Hole 4 Lock Pins 4a, 4b Recess 5 Casing 51 Pin Storage Chamber 52 Pin Flow Path 53 Elastic Member 54 Communication Hole 55 Lid

Claims (6)

a tool plate for mounting tools;
Equipped with a master plate to which the above tool plate can be attached and detached,
The above master plate is
A tool changing device comprising a plate body in which a cylinder chamber and a flow path for supplying and discharging fluid to and from the cylinder chamber are formed, and a piston member reciprocating within the cylinder chamber by the pressure of the supplied and discharged fluid. and
The tool changing device, wherein the master plate has a lock pin that at least partially protrudes into the cylinder chamber to restrict the reciprocating motion of the piston member. 2. The tool changing device according to claim 1, wherein the master plate maintains the connection state with the tool plate by restricting the reciprocating motion of the piston member by the lock pin. 3. The tool changer according to claim 1, wherein the lock pin protrudes into the cylinder chamber as the pressure of the fluid drops. the master plate includes a casing housing the lock pin;
The casing is
a pin housing chamber housing the lock pin;
a pin flow passage for supplying a fluid to the pin storage chamber;
4. The tool changer according to claim 1, 2 or 3, further comprising an elastic member that presses the lock pin toward the cylinder chamber. 5. The tool changer according to claim 4, wherein the lock pin is restricted from protruding into the cylinder chamber by supplying fluid to the pin accommodating chamber. 6. The tool changing device according to claim 5, wherein the fluid supply device for supplying fluid to the cylinder chamber and the fluid supply device for supplying fluid to the pin housing chamber are a common fluid supply device.

Images