JPH0346308Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] Industrial application field This invention is applicable to piping members such as air hoses when supplying pressurized fluid such as pressurized air as motive power to target members such as pallet jigs. The present invention relates to a coupling device for automatically connecting components.

BACKGROUND ART In order to promote automation in various processing lines and assembly lines, it is common practice to attach workpieces to pallets and transport the workpieces together with the pallet to each process. Pallets used in such automated lines generally have the simplest construction possible in order to reduce equipment costs, so when power is required for clamping, is normally supplied from outside the pallet.

Conventionally, curl cords and racks have been used to supply power to moving devices such as pallets, but these are unsuitable for moving devices that have large amounts of movement and complex movements, such as robot jigs. Therefore, conventionally, pressurized air has been supplied to the pallet jig via a device having the configuration shown in FIG. 5 or 6.

The apparatus shown in these figures targets a pallet 3 that is moved between processes by a conveying device 2 by inserting a positioning pin 1 having a steeple-shaped tip from the bottom side, and the apparatus shown in FIG. In this method, a supply port 6 that communicates with an inlet 5 in the pallet 3 is provided on a press plate 4 that moves back and forth toward the side surface of a pallet 3 positioned by a positioning pin 1, and the press plate 4 is connected to an air cylinder or the like. The driving cylinder 7 advances the pallet along the guide shaft 8 and brings it into pressure contact with the side surface of the pallet 3, thereby aligning the inlet 5 and the supply port 6 and communicating with them. In addition, the symbol 9 in FIG. 5 is O for sealing.
It is a ring and is arranged to surround the supply port 6 of the pressure contact plate 4.

Further, the device shown in FIG. 6 has a pair of driving cylinders 11 and 12, such as air cylinders, which operate vertically facing each other, attached to a bracket 10 having a U-shaped cross section, and a guide shaft 13 held by the bracket 10. A pressure contact plate 14 that moves along the guide shaft 13 is fixed to the rod of the lower drive cylinder 11, and a receiving seat 15 that moves up and down along the guide shaft 13 above the pressure contact plate 14 is fixed to the rod of the lower drive cylinder 11.
The side edges of the pallet 3 are sandwiched from above and below between the pressure contact plate 14 and the receiving seat 15, and as a result, the supply port 16 provided to open on the top surface of the pressure contact plate 14 is opened. , and is configured to communicate with an inlet 17 provided to open on the lower surface of the pallet 3. In addition, in order to avoid interference with the pallet 3 during conveyance of the pallet 3, the bracket 10 is attached to a movable plate 19 that is guided in a direction toward and away from the pallet 3 by a traversing guide shaft 18, and The rod of a transverse feed air cylinder 20 that operates in a direction parallel to the guide shaft 18 is connected and fixed to a movable plate 19. In addition, the reference numeral 21 in FIG. 6 is a stopper, which is provided to define the upper limit at which the pressure contact plate 14 contacts the lower surface of the pallet 3. Further, numeral 22 is an O-ring for sealing,
The pressure contact plate 14 is arranged surrounding the supply port 16 .

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, since the device shown in FIG. 5 is configured to maintain airtightness by pressing the pressure plate 4 against the side surface of the pallet 3 and making surface contact with it, the pressing force of the pressure plate 4 is weak. In some cases, the seal may be incomplete and pressure fluid may leak, making it impossible to supply sufficient power. If the pressing force of the press plate 4 is increased to eliminate this inconvenience, the pallet 3
comes off from the positioning pin 1, and as a result, the pressure contact plate 4
The supply port 6 in the pallet 3 and the inlet port 5 in the pallet 3
Of course, it will be impossible to connect to Palette 3.
A problem arises in which it becomes impossible to even position the object.

Furthermore, the apparatus shown in FIG. 6 has a structure in which the side edges of the pallet 3 are sandwiched between the pressure contact plate 14 and the receiving seat 15 in order to communicate the supply port 16 and the inflow port 17. Although there is no particular risk of such a problem occurring, since the pressure contact plate 14 is pressed against the pallet 3 from below, it is difficult to set the upper limit position of the pressure contact plate 14, and the entire device becomes complicated and expensive. It was hot. That is, in the apparatus shown in FIG. 6, it is common to first raise the press plate 14 and abut it against the pallet 3, and then lower the receiving seat 15 so that the pallet 3 is sandwiched between the two. Pressure contact plate 14
It is necessary to stop the pallet 3 at an appropriate position so that it does not push up the pallet 3. Conventionally, a stopper 21 is provided for this purpose, but the position of the bottom surface of the pallet 3 rarely matches the position determined in the design due to the accumulation of machining errors of each component. , the position of the stopper 21 must be determined by so-called on-site alignment, and in that case, the position of the pressure contact plate 1
The work was unavoidably troublesome, as it was necessary to take care not to impair the sealing performance due to the surface contact between pallet 4 and pallet 3. Also three cylinders 1
1, 12, and 20, the total number of valves increases by providing a valve for each,
As a result, the overall structure becomes complicated and expensive.

In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, the object of this invention is to provide a coupling device that can be connected reliably without impairing sealing performance, has a simple structure, and is inexpensive.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, this invention has a floating body that is made by connecting and integrating a direct-acting actuator mounting part and a receiving seat at a certain interval, which is attached to the machine frame. The floating body is supported by an elastic body at a neutral position movable in any direction along the axis of the guide shaft, and A direct-acting actuator that operates in a direction parallel to the guide shaft is attached to the actuator mounting portion facing the receiving seat, and the direct-acting actuator is engaged with the receiving seat and the machine frame so that it can move linearly. The joined rods are connected, and a pressure contact plate movably mounted on the guide shaft between the direct acting actuator mounting portion and the receiving seat is fixed to the rod, and the pressure contact plate is fixed to the rod. This device is characterized in that a supply port is provided on a surface facing the receiving seat and communicates with an inflow port in a member to which pressure fluid is supplied.

Function In this device, when the direct-acting actuator is operated to move the pressure plate toward the receiving seat, the surface of the pressure plate that forms the supply port comes into surface contact with the target member to be supplied. . When the actuator is further operated in this state, since the floating body to which the actuator is attached is supported by the elastic body and is in a floating state, the floating body is moved by the reaction force caused by pressing the press plate against the supplied member. The actuator moved together with the actuator, and as a result, the receiving seat integrated with the floating body moved toward the pressure plate, and eventually the supplied material was partially sandwiched between the pressure contact plate and the receiving seat, ensuring sealing performance. In this state, the supply port and the inflow port communicate with each other. That is, both the pressure contact plate and the receiving seat move around the supplied member. In addition, in this invention, the floating body and the pressure plate are movably attached to the same guide shaft, the pressure plate is attached to a rod that is substantially integrated with the actuator attached to the floating body, and the rod is attached to the receiving seat. Since it is engaged with the machine frame so that it can move in the axial direction, it has high rigidity to support the pressure plate, and as a result, the pressure plate is prevented from bending, and the pressure plate can accurately face the supplied material. Contact.

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of this invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of this invention, and FIG. 2 is a front view thereof. The device shown here is similar to the conventional devices shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The supplied member is a pallet 3, which is positioned by a pinnacle-shaped positioning pin 1. That is, the pallet 3 has an inlet 17 on the lower surface of the side edge, and a pressurized fluid, such as pressurized air, supplied from the inlet 3 positions and clamps the workpiece via a toggle mechanism, a check valve (not shown), etc. It is configured like this. This palette 3
The coupling device 30 connects an air source (not shown) to supply pressurized air to a fixing bracket 33 having a top plate 31 and a bottom plate 32 near the location where the pallet 3 is positioned and fixed. The main structure is that a guide shaft 34 is installed, both ends of which are supported by a top plate 31 and a bottom plate 32, and a floating body 35 and a pressure contact plate 36 are movably attached to the guide shaft 34. It is structured as follows. That is, the floating body 35 has a U-shaped cross section, and the lower flat plate member in the figure forms the direct acting actuator mounting part 37, and the upper flat plate member opposite thereto forms the receiving seat holding part 38. This floating body 35 can be attached to the guide shaft 34 by passing the guide shaft 34 through the direct acting actuator mounting part 37 and the receiving seat holding part 38 with a slide guide 39 such as a linear bearing interposed therebetween. It is mounted so that it can move freely in its axial direction. A cylindrical spring receiver 40 is fitted on the lower side of the floating body 35 to be vertically movable on the guide shaft 34.
is arranged, and its spring receiver 40 and the bottom plate 32
A coil spring 41 is disposed between the floating body 35 and the floating body 35. The coil spring 41 supports the floating body 35 so that it can move in any direction. Furthermore, an air cylinder 42 is attached to the lower direct-acting actuator mounting portion 37 of the floating body 35 so as to face upward, whereas an air cylinder 42 is attached to the upper receiving seat holding portion 38 at a position opposite to the air cylinder 42. A receiving seat 43 is rotatably attached to the bearing sleeve 44 via a bearing sleeve 44. This receiving seat 43 is for holding down the side edge of the pallet 3 from above, and as shown in FIG. , and is configured so as not to interfere with the pallet 3 when the pallet 3 is transported.

A rod 45 is connected to the piston rod of the air cylinder 42, and the rod 45 slidably passes through the bearing sleeve 44 and slides into the slide guide 46 relative to the top plate 31.
It penetrates through. In the rod 45, a groove 47 whose intermediate portion is spiral along the outer peripheral surface of the rod 45 is located at a position corresponding to the receiving seat 43.
is formed, and the pin 4 attached to the receiving seat 43
8 is engaged with the groove 47, so that the receiving seat 43 is rotated by the groove 47 when the rod 45 moves back and forth in its axial direction.

Further, a pressure contact plate 36 is arranged between the direct acting actuator mounting portion 37 and the receiving seat 43. This press contact plate 36 is in contact with the lower surface of the side edge of the pallet 3, and has a rectangular shape as shown in FIG. The rod 45 is movably engaged through the rod 45 at the intermediate portion.
A supply port 50 that communicates with the inlet 17 of the pallet 3 is formed on the upper surface of the other end of the top plate 31 that protrudes from the plane projection surface. O ring 5 surrounding the supply port 50
1 is placed.

Note that reference numeral 52 in FIG. 1 is a stopper that determines the upper limit of the floating body 35.

Next, the operation of the apparatus configured as described above will be explained. After positioning pallet 3,
By operating the air cylinder 42, the rod 45
When the pressure plate 36 is raised, the pressure contact plate 36 integrated therewith rises and comes into contact with the lower surface of the side edge of the pallet 3. When the air cylinder 42 is further operated from this state, the floating body 35 to which the air cylinder 42 is attached is simply supported from below by the coil spring 41 and is movable up and down, so that the reaction force received from the pallet 3 is reduced. The floating body 35 is pushed down by
Therefore, pallet 3 is not pushed up. Further, as the rod 45 rises, the receiving seat 43 rotates due to the action of the groove 47, and the end portion protrudes toward the pallet 3. At the same time, the receiving seat 43 descends together with the floating body 35, so that the final Specifically, the receiving seat 43 and the pressure contact plate 36 sandwich the side edges of the pallet 3, and the pressure contact plate 36 is brought into pressure contact with the lower surface of the pallet 3. In that case, the pressure contact plate 36 is fitted into the guide shaft 34 and fixed to the rod 45, and further
is engaged with the top plate 31, which is a part of the fixed bracket 33, so that the pressure contact plate 36 has high rigidity against bending loads. face to face contact,
Accordingly, the supply port 50 and the inlet port 17 of the pallet 3
This allows for good sealing and communication.

Also, in order to release the connection, the air cylinder 4
2 by operating rod 4 in the opposite manner to the above case.
5 is lowered, since the coil spring 41 is initially bent, the coil spring 41 pushes up the floating body 35 relatively, and the press plate 36 remains in contact with the lower surface of the pallet 3, leaving only the receiving seat 43. When the coil spring 41 extends until the elastic force of the coil spring 41 becomes approximately equal to the entire weight of the floating body 35, the floating body 35 is supported at the neutral position, and the pressure contact plate 36 is moved downward from the pallet 3. descend. At the same time, the receiving seat 43 is retracted and rotated so as not to interfere with the upward conveyance of the pallet 3.

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above explanation, according to the device of this invention, a direct-acting actuator for moving the pressure contact plate and a receiving seat for clamping the supplied member together with the pressure contact plate are integrally provided on the floating body. Moreover, since the floating body is supported by an elastic body and made movable, when the supplied member is clamped, the floating body moves due to the reaction force from the supplied member, and as a result, the receiving seat and Since the pressure contact plate moves around the supplied member, it is possible to eliminate inconveniences such as pushing and moving the positioned supplied member.
In addition, since the pressure contact plate was supported by two shaft-like members, the guide shaft and the rod parallel to the guide shaft,
The pressure contact plate has high rigidity against bending loads, and therefore accurately moves in parallel to come into surface contact with the supplied member, so that the supply port and the inflow port can be connected with good sealing performance. Furthermore, with this invention, all operations can be performed by a single direct-acting actuator, and there is no need for a stopper to accurately stop the pressure plate, making it a simple and inexpensive device. It is possible to obtain excellent practical effects such as the ability to

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an embodiment of this invention.
Figure 2 is a front view, Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the - line in Figure 2, Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the - line in Figure 2, and Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along the - line in Figure 2.
The figure is a front view showing an example of a conventional coupling device, and FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing another example of the conventional coupling device. 3... Pallet, 17... Inlet, 30... Coupling device, 34... Guide shaft, 35
... Floating body, 36 ... Pressure plate, 37 ... Direct acting actuator mounting section, 38 ... Receiving seat holding section, 4
1...Coil spring, 42...Air cylinder, 4
3... catch seat, 45... rod, 50... supply port.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A floating body formed by connecting and integrating a direct acting actuator mounting portion and a receiving seat at a certain interval is attached to a guide shaft attached to the machine frame so as to be movable in its axial direction, and the floating body is The linear actuator is supported by an elastic body at a neutral position movable in any direction along the axis of the guide shaft, and the linear actuator mounting portion includes a linear actuator that operates in a direction parallel to the guide shaft. The rod is attached toward the receiving seat, and the direct-acting actuator is connected to a rod that is linearly movably engaged with the receiving seat and the machine frame;
Further, a pressure contact plate movably mounted on the guide shaft between the linear actuator mounting portion and the receiving seat is fixed to the rod, and a surface of the pressure contact plate facing the receiving seat is fixed to the rod. A coupling device for supplying pressure fluid, characterized in that a supply port is provided that communicates with an inlet of a member to be supplied with pressure fluid.