JPH08244609A - Driving mechanism of track switching device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To drive a movable frame, which makes a reciprocating motion between fixed tracks, dispensing with space, highly accurately and smoothly. CONSTITUTION: A track switching device 10 includes a movable frame 18 which makes a reciprocating motion by the guidance of the rail 22 of a fixed frame 16. The movable frame 18 has two conveyance body transfer tracks 24a, 24b suspending therefrom. The track switching device 10 includes a driving mechanism 26 on its fixed rail 16. The driving mechanism 26 contains a pair of rotating bodies 30, 30, on which an endless body 28 is hung around, and a rod 32. When the connecting point of a chain 28 with the rod 32 is on the outer end of one of the chain wheels 30, the conveyance body transfer track 24a of the movable frame 18 is formed in line with an entering side fixed track 12a and a discharging side fixed track 14a. When the connecting point of the chain 28 with the rod 32 is on the outer end of the other chain wheel 30, the conveyance body transfer track 24a of the movable frame 18 is formed in line with an entering side fixed track 12b and a discharge side fixed track 14b.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a track switching device for changing the course of a carrier between a fixed track on the entry side and a fixed track on the exit side. More specifically, the present invention relates to a track switching device in which a carrier transfer path of a movable frame is aligned with a fixed track of an entrance side and an exit side by the reciprocating motion of a movable frame guided by a fixed frame. The present invention relates to a drive mechanism capable of accurately aligning tracks with respective fixed tracks.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A traverser is a type of device for changing the course of a carrier from a fixed track on the entrance side to a fixed track on the discharge side, and a movable frame having carrier transfer tracks that can be aligned with respective fixed tracks. To have. For example, in the traverser described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 3-60471, the reciprocating motion of the movable frame is performed using a link mechanism.

[0003]

However, if the stroke of the movable frame is long, the link arm must be made long, and the pivot space of the link arm becomes large.

Further, in order to transfer the carrier from the fixed track to the movable frame, the movable frame must be stopped accurately with respect to the fixed track, but it is difficult to make the pivoting link arm highly accurate. . Therefore, a stopper or the like was indispensable. However, when the movable frame is brought into abutment with the stopper, there is a problem in that the load is collapsed due to the impact at that time.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a track switching device in which a carrier transfer path of a movable frame is aligned with an entrance side and an exit side fixed track by the reciprocating motion of a movable frame guided by a fixed frame. A pair of rotating bodies suspended from each other are provided on the fixed frame so as to be separated from each other in the reciprocating direction of the movable frame, the movable frame is connected to the endless body, and the endless body side connecting point is an outer end of the rotating body. The above-mentioned problem is solved by the drive mechanism in which the carrier transfer trajectory is aligned with the fixed trajectory.

[0006]

When the connection point on the endless body side is located at the outer end of one of the rotating bodies, the carrier transfer trajectory of the movable frame is aligned with the entry-side fixed trajectory. When the carrier is transferred from the approach-side fixed track to the carrier transfer track, the rotating body is activated. The rotating body is manually or electrically driven. When the endless body side connecting point moves on the circumference from the outer end of the rotating body, the movable frame gradually increases the speed. When the endless body side connecting point moves along the tangential straight line part of the rotating body, the movable frame moves at the maximum speed. When the endless body side connecting point enters on the circumference of the other rotating body, the movable frame gradually reduces the speed. If the rotating body is stopped when the endless body side connecting point comes to the outer end of the other rotating body, the carrier transfer trajectory of the movable frame is aligned with the discharge-side fixed trajectory. According to the above configuration, when the endless body side connecting point is near the outer end of the rotating body, even if there is a slight deviation in the stop angular position of the rotating body, the deviation is almost converted into the displacement in the reciprocating direction of the movable frame. Not done. Therefore,
The carrier transfer trajectory and the fixed trajectory can be aligned with high accuracy.

[0007]

[Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a track switching device 1 of a ceiling-suspended transfer device.
0 is shown. The track switching device 10 of the present embodiment is of a traverser type that changes the course of the carrier A between the three entrance side fixed tracks 12a, 12b, 12c and the three discharge side fixed tracks 14a, 14b, 14c. is there. The track switching device 10 may be a floor-laying type transfer device or the like. Further, the track switching device 10 may branch the carrier from one approaching fixed track to a plurality of discharge side fixed tracks.

The track switching device 10 has a fixed frame 16 and a movable frame 18. The movable frame 18 reciprocates for a predetermined stroke by the rollers 20 provided at four places being guided by the rails 22 of the fixed frame 16. The movable frame 18 suspends two carrier transfer tracks 24a and 24b. For example, the carrier A transferred from the entrance-side fixed track 12b to the carrier transfer track 24b exits to the discharge-side fixed track 14c after the movable frame 18 moves.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the track switching device 10 has a drive mechanism 26 on the fixed frame 16. The drive mechanism 26 reciprocates the movable frame 18.
The drive mechanism 26 includes a pair of rotating bodies 3 around which an endless body 28 is suspended.
It has 0 and 30. The drive mechanism 26 also includes the endless body 2
It has a rod 32 connecting 8 to the movable frame 18.
In the case of this embodiment, the endless body 28 is a chain, but may be a belt or the like. Further, the rotating body 30 is a chain wheel, but may be a pulley or the like.

The rotating bodies 30, 30 are axially supported on the fixed frame 16 while being separated from each other in the reciprocating direction of the movable frame 18. Then, the tensioner chain wheel 34, which is a tensioning means, eliminates the looseness of the chain 28. One chain wheel 30 (on the right side in the figure) has a pulley 36 coaxially with the rope 3 driven by an operator.
Driven via 8.

The connecting portion between the chain 28 and the rod 32 is
It is composed of a pin 40 and a striker 42 of the chain 28. This connecting portion forms an endless body side connecting point. on the other hand,
The connecting portion 44 between the rod 32 and the movable frame 18 is composed of a tip fitting 48 having a long hole 46 formed therein. This connecting part 4
4 forms a connection point on the movable frame side.

When the connecting point between the chain 28 and the rod 32 is at the outer end of one of the chain wheels 30 (right side in the figure), the carrier transfer path 24a of the movable frame 18 is fixed to the entrance side fixed track 1
2a and discharge side fixed track 14a. The fine adjustment of the movable frame 18 is performed using the elongated hole 46. By determining the stop position of the movable frame 18 at the outer end of the chain wheel 30, it is possible to absorb the error in the reciprocating direction of the movable frame 18 even if a rotation error occurs in the chain wheel 30. At this time, it is preferable to adjust the height of the tip fitting 48 to keep the rod 32 parallel to the movable frame 18. This configuration is suitable for error absorption. It is also possible to provide the stopper 50 on the fixed frame 16 and bring the striker 42 at the connecting point of the chain 28 and the rod 32 into contact with the stopper 50 to stop the movable frame 18 at an appropriate position.

The other chain wheel (left side in the drawing) 30 is pivotally supported on a flange 52 whose position can be adjusted in the reciprocating direction of the movable frame 18. When the connecting point between the chain 28 and the rod 32 is at the outer end of the other chain wheel 30, the carrier transfer track 24a of the movable frame 18 is aligned with the entrance-side fixed track 12b and the discharge-side fixed track 14b. Movable frame 18
The fine adjustment of is performed by utilizing the long hole 54. With this configuration, the movable frame 18 can be positioned after the movement. Keeping the rod 32 parallel to the movable frame 18 and providing the stopper 56 on the flange 52 are effective for setting the right chain wheel 3
Same as 0.

When the stop positions of the movable frame 18 are sequentially determined as described above, the chain 28 is loosened.
The looseness can be eliminated by adjusting the tightener chain wheel 34. The stroke of the movable frame 18 is uniquely determined as the distance between the outer ends of the chain wheels 30 and 30.

By adopting such a drive mechanism 26, the parts for reciprocating the movable frame 18 can be integrated in a relatively space-saving manner, and the chain wheel 30 can be set at the start / stop position of the movable frame 18. Even if some error occurs, the error hardly appears as a displacement of the movable frame 18 in the reciprocating direction, so that the fixed track and the transfer track can be reliably and easily made without strictly managing the stopping accuracy of the chain 28. Can be aligned. However, the movable frame 18
By maintaining the rod 32 in parallel with the movable frame 18 and providing the stoppers 50 and 56 at the start / stop position of 1, the accuracy of the stop position can be improved. Also,
Since the chain 28 gradually changes the speed of the movable frame 18 at the time of starting and stopping the chain 28, there is little risk that the loaded articles on the movable frame 18 will fall.

FIG. 4 shows a drive mechanism using a rotating body 62 which is rotationally driven by a motor 60. The configuration different from the above embodiment is a rotating body driving motor 60 mounted on the fixed frame 64, and a limit switch 66 provided in place of the stopper of the fixed frame 64.

In the present invention, since the movable frame is stopped when the connecting point between the rod and the endless body is at the outer end of the rotating body, even if there is some error in the stop position of the rotating body, the error is It is difficult to convert the displacement in the reciprocating direction of the movable frame. Therefore, without using an expensive servo motor,
The movable frame can be stopped at a predetermined position.
Further, when the inverter is used, many limit switches must be installed, but the present invention does not require many limit switches. In the present invention, the motor can be controlled simply by turning on and off the pair of limit switches 66, 66, and the control is simple and easy. Further, when the movable frame 68 stops, the connecting point is at the outer end of the rotating body, so the horizontal component force acting on the endless body from the movable frame at that time becomes 0, and the motor should be stopped with a slight brake. You can The chain may be reciprocating or rotating.

If the rod 70 is configured to be in a horizontal posture and parallel to the movable frame 68 at the start / stop position of the movable frame 68, even if a load is applied to the movable frame 68 in its reciprocating direction. The force to rotate the rotating body does not act on the rotating body from the endless body, and the rod 70 serves as a stopper. More preferably,
If the endless body is reciprocated so as to use only the upper half of the locus without circulating operation and the connecting point between the rod 70 and the endless body is tilted down and stopped, the self-weight of the rod 70 is reduced. The movable frame 68 is prevented from reciprocating at its respective stop positions.

[0019]

According to the present invention, the movable frame, which is reciprocated by being guided by the fixed frame, is driven by being connected to the endless body suspended by the pair of rotating bodies, so that the arm of the link mechanism is large. Trajectory switching can be done without the need for space. For example, if a chain and a sprocket are provided along the fixed frame, the drive mechanism can be housed in the dead space. Then, when the endless body side connecting point is at the outer end of the rotating body, the movable frame is connected to the endless body so that the carrier transfer trajectory of the movable frame is aligned with the fixed trajectory. Even if it occurs, the error is hardly converted into the displacement of the movable frame in the reciprocating direction, the stop position of the movable frame is easily managed and set, and the course of the carrier can be smoothly changed. In addition, the endless body side connection point starts and stops along the circumference of the rotating body from the outer end of the rotating body, so the speed change of the movable frame occurs gently and it is possible to prevent collapse of the loaded items on the movable frame. You can

According to the second aspect of the present invention, a connecting portion for adjusting the position in the reciprocating direction is provided at the movable frame side connecting point connecting the movable frame to the endless body, and the rotating portion is provided between the fixed frame and the rotating body. Since the connecting portion for adjusting the position of the body in the reciprocating direction of the movable frame is provided, it is easy to adjust the stop position of the movable frame.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of a drive mechanism of a track switching device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front view of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a front view of another embodiment of the drive mechanism of the track switching device according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 track switching device 12, 14 fixed track 16 fixed frame 18 movable frame 24 carrier transfer track 26 drive mechanism 28 chain (endless body) 30 chain car (rotating body) 32 rod

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A track switching device in which a carrier transfer path of a movable frame is aligned with a fixed track of an entrance side and an exit side by a reciprocating motion of a movable frame guided by a fixed frame, and a pair of rotating bodies suspending an endless body. Are provided on the fixed frame so as to be separated from each other in the reciprocating direction of the movable frame, connect the movable frame to the endless body, and when the endless body side connection point is at the outer end of the rotating body, the carrier transfer trajectory Is aligned with the fixed track. 2. A connecting portion for adjusting the position of the movable frame in the reciprocating direction is provided at a connecting point on the movable frame side where the movable frame is connected to the endless body, and the connecting portion is provided between the fixed frame and the rotating body. The drive mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising a connecting portion that adjusts the position of the rotating body in a reciprocating direction of the movable frame.