JPH0341126Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] Industrial application field The present invention uses a large number of manifold blocks equipped with solenoid valves that individually control each actuator, such as a robot equipped with a large number of actuators operated by fluid pressure. This relates to a valve unit that is assembled into one piece.

Problems to be solved by conventional techniques and ideas Conventionally, such a valve unit has a supply passage and a discharge passage penetrating between both sides, an inlet/outlet for connecting an actuator on the back side, and the above-mentioned valve unit on the top side. A plurality of manifold blocks each having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape each having an opening communicating with the supply passage and the discharge passage, and an opening communicating with the inlet/outlet on the back surface are joined so that the supply passage and the discharge passage are aligned with each other, and on both sides thereof. By arranging and tightening the side blocks forming the respective ports of the supply passage and the discharge passage, the manifold blocks are joined together, and the wiring cables of the solenoid valves respectively attached to the upper surfaces of the manifold blocks are connected. It is connected to the terminal of the terminal board attached to the front end surface of each manifold block by tightening screws through the inside of each manifold block, and is inserted through the insertion hole of the projecting wall protruding from the front end surface of the manifold block of the side block. Each cable of the cable bundle is connected to each terminal, and a cover having a U-shaped cross section is installed between the projecting walls of the both side blocks to isolate the space in front of the terminal plate of each manifold block from the outside. Now, the supply pipe and discharge pipe connected to the pumping source of the working fluid are connected to each port on the side block, and connecting pipes are connected to the inlet and outlet of each manifold block to connect each actuator. Since the supply and discharge passages of each manifold block are combined into one, the supply and discharge passages of each manifold block can be connected by simply connecting piping between each port on the side block and the working fluid pressure source. In addition, the number of piping can be reduced by connecting each solenoid valve's solenoid to a pumped source of working fluid, and each solenoid valve's solenoid typically requires several wiring cables from the control device. If the solenoid valves were not grouped together, several wiring cables would have to be wired between each solenoid valve and the control device, but since each solenoid valve is grouped in one place, there is a common cable for each solenoid. Regarding the wiring cables, the common cable wired from the control device may be branched and connected within the cover, which has the advantage that the number of wiring cables can be reduced and piping and wiring can be simplified.

By the way, in order to prevent water and dust from entering the inside of the cover attached to protect the terminal board and wiring cables of each manifold block, conventionally, the wiring cable bundle and the wiring cable bundle inserted through the insertion hole of the side block were A rubber sealing member is used to close the space between the insertion hole and the inner surface of the cover, and a sealing member made of a thin synthetic rubber plate is bonded to both the upper and lower edges of each manifold block and around the protruding walls of the side blocks that come into contact with the inner surface of the cover. However, if there is a dimensional error between each manifold block, the adjacent seals of the sealing members affixed to each manifold block will be damaged when they are joined. This creates a step between the surfaces, which creates a gap between some of the sealing surfaces and the inner surface of the cover, resulting in an incomplete seal, and also creates gaps between the supply and discharge channels of each manifold block that are joined to each other. The openings are completely sealed by fitting O-rings into seal grooves formed around the openings of the supply and discharge passages on the sides of each manifold block. Because they are not flat, there are gaps between the sides of each manifold block that are joined to each other, allowing water and dust to enter. It had the disadvantage of penetrating inside.

Means for Solving the Problems As a means for solving the above problems, the present invention provides a seal on the front end surface of each manifold block that protrudes outward from the outer edge of the front end surface of the manifold block in a free state. A sealing member made of an elastic material having a surface formed thereon is sandwiched and fixed between the terminal plates, and the adjacent sealing surfaces are brought into elastic contact with each other by elastic deformation of the sealing member, and each of the sealing surfaces on the upper and lower edges are respectively covered. mounting step portions are formed along both end edges of the cover on the mutually opposing inner sides of each projecting wall of both side blocks, and the step portions are made of an elastic material that comes into elastic contact with the inner surface of the cover. The structure is such that a sealing member is attached.

Functions and Effects The valve unit of the present invention has the above-mentioned structure, in which the sealing member fixed to the front end face of each manifold block is elastically deformed between it and the cover, and its elastic restoring force causes the sealing surfaces on both the upper and lower edges to be moved to the inner surface of the cover. Since the manifold blocks are brought into elastic contact with each other, even if there is a dimensional error between the manifold blocks and a step is created between the adjacent seal surfaces of each seal member in the free state, each seal surface can be securely attached to the inner surface of the cover. This allows for a complete seal between each manifold block and the cover, and allows the adjacent seal surfaces of the seal members fixed to each manifold block to come into elastic contact with each other.
The gap between the sides of adjacent manifold blocks is sealed at the front of the front end face of each manifold block, thereby preventing water from leaking from the gap between the cover and each manifold block or between the sides of adjacent manifold blocks. In addition to being effective in reliably preventing dust from entering the cover, the sealing member of each manifold block is sandwiched between the terminal plate attached to the front end face of each manifold block and the rear face. Since the seal member is attached and fixed, it is possible to attach the seal member reliably, and there is no need for a special member for attaching the seal member, which has the effect of reducing the number of parts.

Embodiment Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings.

First, the overall configuration will be described with reference to FIG. The manifold block is a rectangular parallelepiped manifold block having openings 4 and 5 communicating with the inlet and outlet ports 2 and 3, respectively, and openings 6 and 7 communicating with the supply channel and the discharge channel, respectively, on the upper surface thereof. , a side block which connects three manifold blocks 1 with their respective supply passages and discharge passages aligned with each other, and has ports 8 and 10 formed on both sides thereof to communicate with the supply passages and discharge passages of the manifold blocks 1, respectively. 11 are arranged respectively, and through bolts 12, which pass through these,
12, each manifold block 1 and both side blocks 11 are integrally connected, and the upper surface of each manifold block 1 has a
A solenoid valve 14 has ports on its lower surface that align with the openings 4 to 7, respectively, and a solenoid connecting terminal protrudes from the lower surface. The terminal 2 is fixed on the front end surface 18 of each manifold block 1 by tightening the mounting bolts 17.
The terminal board 21 to which connector 1 is attached is fixed with the mounting screw 22 and attached to each terminal 20.
6 lead wires 23 are passed through the wiring hole 19 and the insertion hole 24 of the terminal board 21 and connected by the upper screw 25, while the both side blocks 11,
Each of the projecting walls 26 projecting forward from the front end of the 11 manifold blocks 1 is provided with an insertion hole 27, so that a bundle of wiring cables connected to a control device (not shown) can be inserted through one of the projecting walls 26. Each wiring cable is passed through the hole 27 to the front of the manifold block 1, and each wiring cable is connected to each terminal 20 of each terminal board 21 by a lower screw 28, and the projecting wall 26 on the side through which the bundle of wiring cables is inserted
A sealing member tightly fitted around the bundle of distribution cables is fitted into the insertion hole 27 on the other side to seal the space between the insertion hole 27 and the bundle of distribution cables. A cover body made of synthetic rubber is also tightly fitted and sealed, and a cover 30 having a U-shaped cross section is provided between the projecting walls 26 of the both side blocks 11, and both ends are connected to each projecting wall 2.
At the same time, the top and bottom tips of the screws 33 are fitted into the fitting steps 31 formed at the front end of each manifold block 1, and the top and bottom tips of the screws 33 are fitted into the fitting steps 32 formed at the top and bottom edges of the front end of each manifold block 1, respectively. The front part of each manifold block 1 is closed off from the outside by tightening, and a supply pipe and a discharge pipe connected to a pressure source of working fluid (not shown) are connected to each port 8, 10 of one side block 11. The ports 8 and 10 of the other side block 11 are respectively closed with blind plugs, and piping is connected between the inlets and outlets 2 and 3 on the back of each manifold block 1 and each actuator. , in this embodiment, the front end surface 18 of each manifold block 1
A seal member 35 is attached to the block 11 on both sides, and a seal member 36 is attached to the inner side of the block 11 on both sides.
is installed.

The sealing member 35 attached to each manifold block 1 is made of synthetic rubber and is placed around a base 37 which is sandwiched between the front end surface 18 of the manifold block 1 and the terminal plate 21 and has a large opening in the center as shown in FIG. As shown in a, a seal portion 38 having a dogleg-shaped cross section is integrally formed, and the outside of the tip portion where the wall thickness of the seal portion 38 gradually becomes thinner is a sealing surface 40. The seal member 35 is attached to each of the front end faces 18 of the manifold blocks 1 before they are joined together. The rear surface of the base 37 is tightly fixed to the front end surface 18 by passing it through the through hole 41 formed in the manifold block 1 and tightening it into the screw hole of the manifold block 1. It protrudes outward from the upper and lower fitting steps 32 and both side surfaces. On the other hand, block 1 on both sides
A mounting step 44 whose side surface serves as a mounting surface 43 is formed on the inner surface of the projecting wall 26 of No. 1, and a sealing member 36 is attached around this mounting step 44. A seal portion 45 having a substantially L-shaped cross section is integrally formed around a base portion 42 which is also made of synthetic rubber and is in close contact with the mounting surface 43 of the mounting step portion 44, and the outer peripheral surface of this seal portion 45 serves as a seal surface 46. This sealing member 45 is also attached to each side block 11 before assembly, and the base 42 is fitted around the mounting surface 43 of the mounting step 44 while expanding the base 42 against elasticity. The inner periphery is fixed in close contact with the mounting surface 43, and the seal surface 46 of the seal portion 45 projects outward from the side surface to which the fitting step portion 31 and the manifold block 1 are joined.

In this way, each manifold block 1 to which the seal member 35 is attached and the seal member 36
When the side blocks 11 to which the manifold blocks 1 are attached are connected in the manner described above, as shown in FIG. Due to the force, the respective sealing surfaces 40, 40
are elastically in close contact with each other, and the seal portion 38 of the seal member 35 of the manifold block 1 adjacent to the side block 11 and the seal portion 45 of the seal member 36 of the side block 11 are similarly elastically deformed to each other, and the respective The sealing surfaces 40 and 46 come into elastic contact with each other, and as a result, the joints between the manifold blocks 1 and the side blocks 11 are sealed at the front part of each manifold block 1, and the protruding walls of both side blocks 11 are sealed. 2
When the cover 30 is attached as described above between 6 and 26, the upper and lower seal portions 38 and 38 of the seal 35 of each manifold block 1 are pressed against the cover 30, respectively, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. This causes elastic deformation, and the elastic restoring force causes each sealing surface 4 to
0 elastically adhere to the inner surface of the cover 30, and the upper and lower seal portions 36 of the side block 11 and the front seal portions 45 are also pressed by the cover 30 and are elastically deformed, and the elastic restoring force causes each portion to deform. The sealing surface 46 comes into elastic contact with the inner surface of the cover 30, so that the cover 30 and each fitting step 3 of each manifold block 1 and side block 11 are tightly connected.
1 and 32 are sealed.

In this embodiment, since the seal portion 38 of the seal member 35 attached to each manifold block 1 can undergo large elastic deformation, there is a dimensional error between the manifold blocks 1, and these Even if there is a difference in level between the upper and lower seal surfaces 40 of the seal members 35 attached to each manifold block 1 when they are joined together, the elastic deformation of the seal portions 40 causes the seal surfaces 40 to align with the cover 30. The joints of the manifold blocks 1 and the side blocks 11 are securely attached to the inner surface of the manifold blocks 1 and the joints of the manifold blocks 1 and the side blocks 11 are securely connected to each other. Manifold block 1
Since the front part of the cover 30 is sealed, water and dust from the outside can pass through the gaps between the manifold blocks 1 and the joints with the side blocks 11 to the cover 30.
Intrusion into the inside of the device is reliably prevented.

Note that the seal portion 38 of the seal member 35 is
As shown in b to h in the figure, various cross-sectional shapes are possible, and all of them are capable of causing large elastic deformation, similar to the seal portion 38 of this embodiment.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the entire configuration of one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a part thereof, and Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a part thereof.
The figure is a partial vertical sectional view, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the seal portion 38 of the seal member 35 and a modification thereof. 1: Manifold block, 2, 3: Inlet/outlet,
4, 5, 6, 7: Opening, 8, 10: Port, 1
1: Side block, 14: Solenoid valve, 1
8: Front end surface, 20: Terminal, 21: Terminal board,
22: Mounting screw, 26: Projection wall, 27: Insertion hole, 3
0: cover, 35: sealing member of manifold block 1, 36: sealing member of side block 11, 40: sealing surface.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A supply channel and a discharge channel are provided between both sides, an inlet and an outlet for connecting the actuator are formed on the back surface, and an opening that communicates with the supply channel and the discharge channel, respectively, and an opening that communicates with the inlet and outlet of the back surface, respectively, on the upper surface. A plurality of manifold blocks each forming a substantially rectangular parallelepiped are connected with the supply passage and the discharge passage aligned with each other, and side blocks having respective ports of the supply passage and the discharge passage are arranged on both sides of the manifold blocks. The manifold blocks are joined together by tightening, and the wiring cables of the solenoid valves respectively attached to the top surface of each manifold block are passed through the inside of each manifold block and attached to the front end surface of each manifold block by tightening screws. At the same time, each cable of the cable bundle inserted through the insertion hole in the protruding wall protruding from the front end surface of the manifold block of the side block is connected to each terminal, respectively, and In a valve unit in which a cover having a U-shaped cross section is attached between projecting walls to isolate the space in front of the terminal plate of each manifold block from the outside, the front end of each manifold block is provided on the front end surface of each manifold block on the outer periphery. A sealing member made of an elastic material having a sealing surface protruding outward in a free state from the outer edge of the surface is sandwiched and fixed between the terminal plates, and the adjacent sealing surfaces are elastically deformed by elastic deformation of the sealing member. At the same time, each of the sealing surfaces of the upper and lower edges is brought into elastic contact with the inner surface of the cover, respectively, and mounting steps are formed along both end edges of the cover on the mutually opposing inner sides of each protruding wall of the both side blocks. A valve unit characterized in that a sealing member made of an elastic material is attached to the stepped portion and makes elastic contact with the inner surface of the cover.