JPH0650943B2 - Actuator - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an actuator, and more specifically, to ensure rigidity of a housing even when an opening is defined along the longitudinal direction of the housing. Actuator that can be used.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In recent years, the importance of actuators that perform accurate linear motion has been re-recognized in the technological development of automatic machines represented by robots. In particular, actuators that perform linear motion by electric signals are widely used as work transfer actuators for assembly robots that require high positioning accuracy.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an actuator according to this conventional technique. That is, the actuator 2 includes a housing 4 and a slide rod 6 that fits into the housing 4.
Including and In this case, a plurality of coils 8 wound in a ring shape are arranged on the housing 4 with a predetermined distance therebetween, and a sleeve made of a non-magnetic material such as aluminum is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the slide rod 6. 10 are attached. In such a structure, the slide rod 6
In order to move to the left and right in the figure, an appropriate alternating current may be sequentially passed through the coil 8 to generate an electromagnetic force in the sleeve 10 made of a non-magnetic material.

By the way, the housing 4 of the actuator 2 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and when the housing 4 is positioned and fixed to another device or the like, the housing 4 has a substantially cylindrical shape, which makes mounting difficult. There is.

Further, it is conceivable to define an opening along the longitudinal direction of the housing 4 and transmit the linear reciprocating motion of the slide rod 6 to another member through the opening. However, by defining the opening along the longitudinal direction of the housing 4, it is difficult to secure the rigidity of the housing 4.

The present invention has been made to overcome the above-mentioned inconveniences, and even when the opening is defined along the longitudinal direction of the housing, it is possible to ensure the rigidity of the housing and to simply It is an object to provide an actuator that can be attached to another member.

[Means for Achieving the Object] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a first cylindrical body made of a substantially prismatic body and having a hole defined along the axial direction and made of a non-magnetic body. A housing having a second cylindrical body made of a magnetic material and a plurality of coils are mounted, and an electric current is caused to flow through the coils to generate an electromagnetic action with the magnetic substance, which is generated under the electromagnetic action. A rod member that is relatively driven in the hole based on an electromagnetic force, and communicates with the hole, and is linearly defined from one end of the housing to the other end thereof along the longitudinal direction. An opening portion; and an engagement member that is provided on an outer peripheral portion of the rod member and has one end exposed to the outside through the opening portion defined in the housing.

[Embodiment] Next, a preferred embodiment of the actuator according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2 to 4, reference numeral 20 indicates an actuator, and the actuator 20 has a housing 22.

As can be easily understood from FIG. 3, the housing 22
Is composed of a first tubular body 24 and a second tubular body 26, and a rectangular flange portion 24a is formed at an end portion of the first tubular body 24, and the flange portion 24a is substantially centered. Hole in the part
24b is drilled. On the other hand, the second tubular body 26 is externally fitted to the first tubular body 24 and has an outer shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. In this case, an opening 27 extending in the longitudinal direction of the housing 22 is defined in the upper surface portion of the housing 22 in the figure. The first cylinder 24 is made of a non-magnetic material such as aluminum and copper, and the second cylinder 26 is made of a magnetic material such as iron.

Inside the housing 22 formed in this way, a rod member 30 having a substantially cylindrical shape is disposed via a guide bar 28. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, the hole defined along the axial direction of the housing 22 for moving the rod member 30 is defined to have a substantially circular cross section.
The four corners of are formed thick. Further, the rod member 30 is formed of a magnetic material, and the guide bar
It is slidably arranged along arrows 28 in the directions of arrows A and B. Circumferential grooves 32a, 32b, and 32c are defined on the outer peripheral portion of the rod member 30 at predetermined intervals.
Coils 34a to 34c are wound inside a to 32c, respectively. Further, one end side of the engaging member 36 is attached to the outer peripheral portion of the rod member 30, and the other end side of the engaging member 36 is exposed to the outside through an opening 27 defined in the housing 22. ing. In this case, holes 36a and 36b are formed in the other end of the engaging member 36, and the actuator 20 is engaged with the conveying device or the like through the holes 36a and 36b.

The guide bar 28 has the first cylindrical body substantially at one end thereof.
The other end side extends toward the other end side of the housing 22 while fitting in the hole 24b formed in the hole 24, and the other end side of the housing 22 is not shown. Is stuck to. The guide bar 28 is formed with a hole portion 40 penetrating in the axial direction of the guide bar 28, and a plurality of fins 42 projecting and screwing toward the inside of the hole portion 40 are formed on the inner peripheral wall surface of the hole portion 40.
a to 42d are formed (see FIGS. 5 and 6).

Therefore, a fan 44 is arranged near one end of the guide bar 28 to force the air in the hole 40 of the guide bar 28 to flow. In the present embodiment, the fan 44 is used as a constituent element of the cooling means, but as the cooling means, for example, the guide bar 28 is projected from the flange portion 24a of the first tubular body 24 and its end is formed. Of course, it is also possible to arrange a radiator in the part.

The actuator according to the present embodiment is basically configured as described above, and its operation and effect will be described next.

As can be easily understood from FIGS. 2 and 3, in the actuator 20, the housing 22 and the rod member 30 can be displaced from each other. That is, whether the housing 22 is fixed or the rod member 30 is fixed via the engaging member 36 can be appropriately selected according to the user's need. In that case, the other of the fixed components can be selected. It is possible to use the constituent elements of as a moving body. Here, for convenience of description, it is assumed that the housing 22 is fixed to a mounting member or the like (not shown).

Therefore, three-phase alternating currents are sequentially applied to the coils 34a to 34c. As a result, the rod member 30 and the housing 22
A magnetic field is generated between the second cylindrical body 26 and the second cylindrical body 26. In this case, since the coils 34a to 34c are supplied with the three-phase alternating current as described above, the magnetic field moves in a predetermined direction, for example, the arrow A direction. That is, an electromagnetic force directed in the direction of arrow A is generated in the second cylindrical body 26 constituting the housing 22 by the electromagnetic action. In fact, since the housing 22 is fixed, the rod member 30 is slidably displaced along the guide bar 28 in the arrow B direction by the electromagnetic force generated in the second tubular body 26.

In order to displace the rod member 30 in the direction of arrow A, the phase sequence of the three-phase alternating current supplied to the coils 34a to 34c may be changed.

In addition, as described above, the rod member 30 is attached to the arrow A or B.
When the fan 44 is displaced in the direction, the fan 44 is rotated to forcibly flow the air in the guide bar 28 to cool the guide bar 28 and the rod member 30 sliding on the guide bar 28. At this time, since the fins 42a to 42d are formed inside the guide bar 28, the cooling action by the flowing air can be efficiently performed. Therefore, the guide bar 2 is generated by the heat generated when the coils 34a to 34c are energized.
8. The deformation of the rod member 30 and the like can be prevented, and the actuator 20 can be operated smoothly.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, a hole having a substantially circular cross section is defined inside the housing 22 in which the rod member 30 is slidable, and the four corners of the housing 22 are compared with other parts. And is formed thick. Therefore, as compared with the conventional one in which the opening is defined in the cylindrical housing, the housing is
It is possible to maintain the rigidity of 22.

Further, since the housing 22 is formed of a substantially prismatic body, the actuator 20 can be easily attached to another device by utilizing one side surface of the substantially prismatic body.

Next, an actuator according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described.

In this embodiment, the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment indicate the same constituent elements, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 7, the actuator 50 has a substantially square cross section, and has a housing 54 in which a chamber 52 having an open square cross section is defined. The housing 54 includes a first cylindrical body 56 made of a non-magnetic material, and grooves 58a, 58b, 58c and 58d formed on the four side surfaces of the first cylindrical body 56.
And plate bodies 60a, 60b, 60c and 60d which respectively engage with. In this case, the plates 60a to 60d are made of a magnetic material.

A rod member 62 having a prismatic shape inside the housing 54.
Are arranged via the guide bar 28, and coils 34a to 34c are wound around the rod member 62 in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

With the actuator 50 having such a structure, it is possible to perform a linear motion by substantially the same action as the actuator 20 according to the first embodiment, and the actuator 50 itself can be made considerably small in size as described above. It becomes possible to do.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, even when the opening is defined in the housing of the actuator, the shape of the housing is formed into a substantially prismatic shape so that the corner is It becomes thicker than the part. As a result, it is possible to secure the rigidity of the housing as compared with the conventional housing in which the opening is defined in the cylindrical housing.

Further, the housing can be easily attached to another member through the flat side surface portion of the housing having a substantially prismatic shape.

Further, since the opening is linearly defined from the one end to the other end of the housing, there is an advantage that the stroke length of the engaging member sliding on the opening can be increased.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an actuator according to a conventional technique, FIG. 2 is a partially omitted perspective view showing an actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are diagrams of an actuator according to the embodiment of the present invention. Partially omitted cross-sectional explanatory views, FIGS. 5 and 6 are cross-sectional explanatory views of the cooling means of the actuator, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional explanatory view showing an actuator according to another embodiment of the present invention. 20 ...... actuator 22 ...... housing, 24, 26 ...... cylindrical body 28 ...... guide bar, 30 ...... rod member 32a to 32c ...... circumferential groove, 34a to 34c ...... coil 36 ...... engaging member, 42a ... 42d …… Fin 44 …… Fan

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A housing having a first cylindrical body made of a non-magnetic material and a second cylindrical body made of a magnetic material, the housing being formed of a substantially prismatic body and having a hole defined along the axial direction. A rod member that is mounted with a coil, generates an electromagnetic action with the magnetic body by passing an electric current through the coil, and is relatively driven in the hole based on an electromagnetic force generated under the electromagnetic action. An opening communicating with the hole and linearly defined from one end of the housing to the other end of the housing along the longitudinal direction; and one end provided on the outer periphery of the rod member. An engaging member formed to be exposed to the outside from the opening defined in the housing, and an actuator. 2. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein
An actuator characterized in that a guide bar fixed to the housing and for guiding the rod member is provided. 3. The actuator according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a cooling means for cooling at least one of the rod member and the guide bar. 4. The actuator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that mounting means is provided on an exposed portion of the engaging member.