JP3777177B2 - Electric actuator and hopper device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an electric actuator that reciprocally drives a rod using a motor as a driving source, and a hopper device for storing waste such as residue, for example. The present invention particularly relates to an electric actuator provided with a grease supply mechanism. The present invention relates to an actuator and a hopper device using this electric actuator as a gate opening / closing drive mechanism.

  For example, in a sewage treatment facility, the suspended matter in a sand basin is scraped and subjected to treatment such as dehydration, and then this waste (hereinafter referred to as “sediment”) is transported to a hopper device by a transport conveyor to be temporarily It is stored in. As shown in FIG. 6, this type of hopper device is installed below the end of the transfer conveyor 101 guided to the floor. The hopper device 100 is provided with gates 102 and 102 for opening and closing the storage outlet 100b at the lower part of the storage tank 100a, and a space into which the track 103 can enter is set below the gate 102. When the storage tank 100a of the hopper device 100 is full, the gate 102 is opened, and the residue stored in the storage tank 100a is discharged from the discharge port 100b to the loading platform of the truck 103. The residue is then discarded by being transported to an incinerator.

  In the hopper device 100 described above, a hydraulic actuator has been conventionally used as an actuator for opening and closing the gate 102. However, since the maintenance such as oil replenishment takes time, recently, the electric actuators 110 and 110 are used instead of the hydraulic actuators.

  Each illustrated electric actuator 110 includes a drive mechanism 112 using a motor 111 as a drive source, and a cylinder mechanism 113 that receives a rotational drive force from the drive mechanism 112 and drives the rod 117 in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 7, the cylinder mechanism 113 includes a screw shaft 115 that vertically penetrates the inside of the cylinder 114 and a nut member 116 that meshes with the screw shaft 115 inside the cylinder 114. The rod 117 is driven integrally with the nut member 116 by rotating the nut 115 and reciprocating the nut member 116 along the screw shaft 115.

  A grease supply port 118 is provided at the center of the length of the cylinder 114. A nozzle tip of a grease supply device 120 called a “grease gun” is inserted into the grease supply port 118, and the screw shaft 115 is rotated to reciprocate the nut member 116, and a small amount of grease is applied to the outer peripheral surface of the screw shaft 115. Apply.

  The present invention has been developed based on the above-mentioned known or publicly used techniques without conducting prior art searches. For this reason, there is no prior art information to be described.

  However, in the above-described hopper device 100, the storage tank 100a is installed so as to hang down from the floor, so that the grease supply port 118 of each electric actuator 110 is in a position out of reach from the ground, and the supply of grease is not possible. Have difficulty. In order to facilitate the supply of grease, an inspection table 122 surrounding the periphery of the hopper device 100 is installed so that an operator can climb the inspection table 122 by the stairs 121 and perform the grease supply operation. In addition to incurring high costs, work is performed at a high place, so that there is a problem that work safety is lacking and work efficiency is lowered.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to the above problems, and even when installed at a high place, it is not necessary to install equipment such as an inspection table for supplying grease, so that work safety and work An object is to provide an electric actuator with improved efficiency and a hopper device using the electric actuator.

The electric actuator according to the present invention includes a drive mechanism using a motor as a drive source, and a cylinder mechanism that receives a rotational drive force from the drive mechanism to drive the rod in the vertical direction. The cylinder mechanism includes a screw shaft that vertically penetrates the inside of the cylinder and a nut member that meshes with the screw shaft inside the cylinder, and the nut member is reciprocated along the screw shaft by rotating the screw shaft. As a result, the rod is driven integrally with the nut member.
The electric actuator according to the present invention includes a grease supply mechanism for supplying grease to a meshing portion between the nut member and the screw shaft. The grease supply mechanism includes a grease tray fixed to the nut member with an upper surface facing upward, a grease injection hole formed in an upper end portion of the cylinder so as to open right above the grease tray, and one end of the grease supply mechanism And a grease supply pipe connected to the grease injection hole and connected to the grease supply device at the other end. The grease tray has a through-hole through which the screw shaft passes, and the grease that has dropped onto the upper surface of the grease tray from the through-hole is introduced into a meshing portion between the nut member and the screw shaft.

  In the electric actuator having the above-described configuration, when grease is supplied to the grease supply pipe by the grease supply device, the grease is sent to the grease injection hole through the grease supply pipe. Since the grease injection hole is opened right above the grease receiving tray, the grease introduced into the grease injection hole falls to the grease receiving tray from the opening of the grease injection hole. The grease that has dropped onto the upper surface of the grease tray is introduced into the meshing portion between the nut member and the screw shaft through the through hole of the grease tray.

  In the above-described configuration of the present invention, the shape of the grease receiving tray is not limited as long as it can receive grease on the upper surface thereof. However, in a preferred embodiment, the outer diameter of the outer diameter substantially matches the inner diameter of the cylinder. In addition, a rising wall is formed on the outer peripheral edge to prevent the grease falling on the upper surface from overflowing.

  Further, in the above-described configuration of the present invention, the through hole formed in the grease receiving tray may set the entire hole diameter large or introduce a hole diameter partially in order to introduce the grease into the meshing portion of the nut member and the screw shaft. Or may be expanded.

  The hopper device according to the present invention includes the above-described at least one electric actuator and a storage tank having a gate for opening and closing a storage outlet, and the gate of the storage tank is opened and closed by the electric actuator. .

  According to the present invention, even if the electric actuator is located at a high place, equipment such as an inspection table is not necessary for supplying grease, and equipment costs can be reduced. Further, since it is not necessary to work at a high place, work safety and work efficiency can be improved.

FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration of a waste storage hopper device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
This hopper device 1 is installed in a sewage treatment facility or the like, and temporarily stores residue A as waste that has been transported by the transport conveyor 10. Although not shown in the drawing, the conveyor 10 receives the residue A supplied from a residue dewatering machine or the like in the downstairs and vertically conveys the residue A to the upper floor, and then horizontally conveys it to the position of the hopper device 1.

  The hopper device 1 is installed below the end of the conveyor 10. An opening 12 is provided in the floor surface 11 on the second floor, and the upper end portion of the hopper device 1 is supported by the support member 13 so that the storage tank 1 a is suspended downward from the opening 12. The hopper device 1 stores residue inside a storage tank 1a. A storage discharge port 1b is provided at the lower end of the storage tank 1a, and gates 2 and 2 for opening and closing the discharge port 1b are assembled. ing. When the storage tank 1a of the hopper device 1 is filled with residue A, the left and right gates 2 and 2 are opened to open the discharge port 1b, and the stored residue is dropped downward. Below the hopper device 1, the truck 14 is placed on standby, and the dropped residue is stored in the loading platform of the truck 14. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the left and right gates 2 and 2 in the hopper device 1 are opened.

The hopper device 1 includes a pair of electric actuators 3 and 3 as actuators for opening and closing the gates 2 and 2.
As shown in FIG. 3, each electric actuator 3 includes a drive mechanism 30 that uses a motor 31 as a drive source, and a cylinder mechanism 4 that receives the rotational driving force of the drive mechanism 30 to drive the rod 6 in the vertical direction. . Note that two electric actuators 3 are not necessarily required, and may be configured with only one.

  The drive mechanism 30 reduces the rotational speed of the motor 31 by the gear mechanism 33 and transmits the rotational drive force to the cylinder mechanism 4. The gear mechanism 33 includes a first gear 34 attached to the motor shaft 32, second and third gears 36 and 37 attached to the intermediate shaft 35, and a fourth gear attached to the output shaft 38. The first gear 34 and the second gear 36 mesh with each other, and the third gear 37 and the fourth gear 39 mesh with each other.

The cylinder mechanism 4 includes a screw shaft 5 that vertically penetrates the inside of the cylinder 40, a nut member 50 that meshes with the screw shaft 5 inside the cylinder 40, and a nut member 50 that is integrally connected to the tip of the cylinder mechanism 4 from the lower end of the cylinder 40. And a rod 6 protruding downward. In this embodiment, a ball screw mechanism is used, and a metal hard sphere (not shown) is interposed between the screw shaft 5 and the nut member 50.
The upper end portion of the screw shaft 5 is connected to the output shaft 38 of the gear mechanism 33 via a coupling 51. When the screw shaft 5 is rotated by receiving the rotational driving force from the drive mechanism 30, the nut member 50 moves upward or downward along the screw shaft 5 according to the rotation direction of the screw shaft 5. The rod 6 moves forward and backward integrally with the nut member 50. When the rod 6 protrudes longer than the cylinder 40, the gates 2 and 2 are closed (see FIG. 1), while the rod 6 is a cylinder. When retracted into the interior of the gate 40, the gates 2 and 2 are opened (see FIG. 2).

The cylinder mechanism 4 of the electric actuator 3 incorporates a grease supply mechanism 7 for supplying grease to a meshing portion between the nut member 50 and the screw shaft 5.
As shown in FIG. 4, the grease supply mechanism 7 of this embodiment includes a grease tray 70 fixed to the upper end surface of the nut member 50, a grease injection hole 41 formed in the upper end portion of the cylinder 40, and the grease injection And a grease supply pipe 8 having one end connected to the hole 41.

  The upper surface of the grease receiving tray 70 is a receiving surface 71 capable of accommodating the grease G, and is fixed to the upper end surface of the nut member 50 so that the receiving surface 71 faces upward. The grease tray 70 is set to have an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the cylinder 40, and a rising wall 72 is formed around the outer peripheral edge to prevent the grease on the receiving surface 71 from overflowing. . Note that the grease tray 70 is not limited to the form shown in the figure, and for example, the receiving surface 71 may be concave. Further, a seal member that can slide along the inner wall of the cylinder 40 may be provided on the outer periphery of the grease tray 70.

  A through hole 73 through which the screw shaft 5 passes is formed in the grease tray 70. In this embodiment, the through hole 73 is formed with a sufficiently large hole diameter so that the grease G on the receiving surface 71 can be introduced into the meshing portion of the nut member 50 and the screw shaft 5. In this embodiment, the diameter of the through-hole 73 is set to be large over the entire circumference, but the diameter of the through-hole 73 may be partially enlarged (for example, every fixed angle). Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the receiving surface 71 of the grease receiving plate 70 is formed as an inclined surface that is inclined downward toward the center, so that the grease easily flows into the meshing portion between the nut member 50 and the screw shaft 5. You may comprise as follows.

  The grease injection hole 41 communicates a hole 41 a formed in the end plate member 42 that covers the upper end opening of the cylinder 40 and a hole 41 b formed in the support wall 44 that supports the upper end of the cylinder 40. Is. The hole 41 a of the end plate member 42 extends from the outer periphery toward the center and is bent downward near the screw shaft 5. The hole 41a opens to the lower surface of the end plate member 42, and this is a drop opening 45 through which grease is dropped. The drop opening 45 is located immediately above the grease tray 70. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 46 denotes a cover that constitutes the casing 43 together with the support wall 44.

  The grease supply pipe 8 is configured by using, for example, a tube made of synthetic resin, and one end thereof is connected to the hole 41 b of the support wall 44 that constitutes the grease injection hole 41. The grease supply pipe 8 is extended to a proper position on the floor, and a grease injection fitting 81 such as a grease nipple is attached to the other end of the grease supply pipe 8 and fixed on the support 82. A grease supply device 9 called a “grease gun” can be connected to the grease injection fitting 81, and the grease supply device 9 is operated to feed the grease into the grease supply pipe 8.

  In the hopper device 1 having the above-described configuration, the cylinder mechanism 4 of each electric actuator 3 is normally in a state in which the rod 6 protrudes long, and the gates 2 and 2 are closed (see FIG. 1). The residue A transported by the transport conveyor 10 falls above the hopper device 1 and is temporarily stored in the storage tank 1a.

When the storage tank 1a of the hopper device 1 is full, when the motor 31 is driven to rotate the screw shaft 5 in order to collect the residue A in the truck 14, the nut member 50 moves along the screw shaft 5. The rod 6 moves upward, and the rod 6 moves backward into the cylinder 40 integrally with the nut member 50 to open the gates 2 and 2 (see FIG. 2). When the gates 2 and 2 are opened, the residue A that has been stored in the storage tank 1 a falls to the loading platform of the truck 14.
When the motor 31 is rotated reversely after collecting the residue, the nut member 50 moves downward along the screw shaft 5 so that the rod 6 protrudes integrally with the nut member 50 and closes the gates 2 and 2 ( (See FIG. 1).

  When supplying grease to the cylinder mechanism 4 of each electric actuator 3, the grease supply device 9 such as a grease gun is operated to feed the grease into the grease supply pipe 8. The grease fed into the grease supply pipe 8 enters the grease injection hole 41 and falls from the dropping port 45. Since the dropping port 45 is opened right above the receiving surface 71 of the grease receiving plate 70, the grease is added to the grease receiving plate. It falls onto the receiving surface 71 of 70. The grease G accommodated on the receiving surface 71 is introduced into the meshing portion between the nut member 50 and the screw shaft 5 through the through hole 73 of the grease receiving tray 70.

It is a front view which shows the whole structure of the hopper apparatus which is one Example of this invention. It is a front view which shows the state which the gate of the hopper apparatus opened. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of an electric actuator. It is an expanded sectional view of the electric actuator which shows the structure of a grease supply mechanism. It is an expanded sectional view showing other examples of a grease saucer. It is a front view which shows the whole structure of the conventional hopper apparatus. It is an expanded sectional view which shows the structure of a cylinder mechanism.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Hopper apparatus 3 Electric actuator 4 Cylinder mechanism 5 Screw shaft 6 Rod 7 Grease supply mechanism 8 Grease supply pipe 9 Grease supply apparatus 30 Drive mechanism 40 Cylinder 41 Grease injection hole 50 Nut member 70 Grease tray 71 Standing wall

Claims (3)

  A drive mechanism using a motor as a drive source, and a cylinder mechanism that receives a rotational driving force from the drive mechanism and drives the rod in the vertical direction, the cylinder mechanism includes a screw shaft that vertically penetrates the inside of the cylinder, An electric actuator that has a nut member that meshes with a screw shaft inside a cylinder, and drives the rod integrally with the nut member by rotationally driving the screw shaft and reciprocating the nut member along the screw shaft; A grease supply mechanism is provided for supplying grease to a meshing portion of the nut member and the screw shaft, and the grease supply mechanism includes a grease tray fixed to the nut member with an upper surface facing upward, and a grease tray. A grease injection hole formed at the upper end of the cylinder so as to open upward, and one end connected to the grease injection hole and the other end of the grease supply device A grease supply pipe connected to the grease receiving plate, the grease receiving plate having a through hole through which the screw shaft passes, and a portion of the grease that has fallen to the upper surface of the grease receiving plate from the through hole being engaged with the nut member and the screw shaft. An electric actuator introduced to   2. The grease receiving tray according to claim 1, wherein the grease receiving plate has an outer diameter substantially coinciding with the inner diameter of the cylinder, and a rising wall is formed on the outer peripheral edge to prevent the grease falling on the upper surface from overflowing. Electric actuator. A hopper device comprising at least one electric actuator according to claim 1 and a storage tank having a gate for opening and closing a stored product discharge port, wherein the gate of the storage tank is opened and closed by the electric actuator. .

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