JPH10324237A - Traveling guide system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce friction as much as possible so as to prevent vibration even if a system is used for a long time, and to surely roll a roller during linear/curve traveling without its sliding on a guide rail so as to make smooth relative movement. SOLUTION: A contact relationship between a guide rail 1 and a guide roller 20 for relative guiding is set in such a manner that the guiding part 3 of the guide rail 1 is composed of a guiding projection 4 triangular-shaped in section for sharply closing upper and lower slopes 4a and 4b in both side faces of a rail constituting member 2 and guiding flat surfaces 5 and 5 adjacent to the base part of this guiding projection 4. For the guide roller 20, two rollers 25 have inclined edges 25a in their opposing peripheral side parts. At least two are provided at a small space sandwiching the guiding projection 4 by being supported on one axis so as to be contacted with at least one of the guiding flat surfaces 5 and 5 and being pressed from both sides of the guide rail 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a travel guide system, and more particularly, to a guide roller and a guide rail that contacts and relatively guides the guide roller in a straight line, a curved line, or a combination thereof. The present invention relates to a operable traveling guide system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Hitherto, friction and runout have been regarded as the most important fundamental problems for a traveling guide system in various processing machines, automatic machines, transporting devices, and the like. For example, in British Patent No. 681412, when guiding one member relative to another member, a protruding edge portion, which is inclined on both upper and lower surfaces and protrudes in opposite directions, is provided on one member in parallel, and the other is provided on the other member. A plurality of pairs of rollers are provided on the member, and the inclined surfaces (concave edges) formed by chamfering the inclined protruding edge portions to the edges of the two rollers of each set are provided on the entire surface. The two members are brought into contact with each other to form a contact relationship between the two members.

[0003]

In such a system,
Only one contact member is guided relative to the other member only by the contact relationship in which the concave edge portion is entirely engaged with the protruding edge portion. Will happen. In particular, when the two members move relative to each other, the protruding edge portion due to the double-sided inclination strongly penetrates into the concave edge portions of the two rollers of each set, and the rollers do not roll on the protruding edge portions and slide. Often occurs, which results in very high friction and, consequently, rapid wear and high runout.

When the guide rail is a long running line composed of a combination of a straight line and a curved line, the carrier must move along the guide rail unless the connection structure between the straight and curved portions of the guide rail is made fine. In this case, the joint cannot be moved smoothly, and the joint is often loosened, leading to early failure. Further, when the carrier travels along the curved portion of the guide rail, the carrier roller is pressed against one side of the guide rail by centrifugal force, so that the carrier roller often slides without being able to normally roll on the guide rail. As a result, the friction becomes extremely large, the wear is accelerated, and the resulting run-out increases.

[0005] For this reason, a traveling line having a guide rail in which a straight portion and a curved portion are combined is generally used together with a complicated mechanism to move the carrier when moving from the straight portion to the curved portion. We have not yet achieved a satisfactory situation, for example, by adopting a method of temporarily stopping and transferring.

Further, to solve the above-mentioned problems, a traveling guide system capable of smooth traveling including a combination of straight lines and curves that is highly accurate, durable, and usable without noise is provided. There is a demand for an inexpensive product that is easy to operate and maintain.

According to the present invention, such problems can be solved, friction can be minimized, run-out can be prevented even when used for a long time, and traveling can be performed not only in a straight line portion but also in a curved portion. Roller does not slide on the guide rail,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a traveling guide system that can reliably roll and perform smooth relative movement.

[0008]

The traveling guide system according to the present invention, which is configured to achieve the above object, comprises a traveling means having a relative guide structure between a guide rail and a guide roller. The guide portion of the guide rail is composed of a guide surface parallel to both side surfaces in the width direction of the rail constituent member, and upper and lower guide surfaces intersecting the guide surface. Either the upper or lower peripheral side surface of the peripheral surface is axially supported so as to be rotatable in contact with the guide portion of the guide rail, and the guide roller thus configured is mounted on the guide rail on both sides in the width direction of the guide rail. At least two sets of the guide rollers are arranged on both side surfaces so that the guide rails are sandwiched between the peripheral surfaces thereof.

[0009] In the present invention, the guide rail has a pair of guide surfaces which are substantially square in cross section and are parallel to each other in opposite directions, and two pairs of flat lanes which are parallel to each other in opposite directions.
In the middle of the two pairs of lanes, there are parallel ridges protruding in opposite directions, and at least one pair of guide rollers for this guide rail is arranged on both sides of the guide rail so as to sandwich the pair of guide surfaces. Preferably, the guide rails are in contact with each other so as to be in contact with at least one surface of the parallel protruding ridge of the guide rail. Further, the guide rail has a guide groove having a substantially rectangular cross-section and having guide surfaces parallel to each other in opposite directions, and the opposing surfaces of the guide groove are inclined at an angle opening outward. , At least one pair of guide rollers is disposed on both sides of the guide rail so as to sandwich the guide surface of the guide groove, and is in contact with at least one of the opposed inclined surfaces of the guide groove of the guide rail. It is preferable that the configuration be abutted. This makes it possible to easily obtain a highly accurate traveling guide system with extremely low friction between the guide rail, the guide roller, and the relative moving portion with high accuracy.

According to the present invention, the contact relationship between the guide rail and the guide roller for relative guidance is such that the guide portion of the guide rail has a cross section in which the upper and lower inclined surfaces are closed at both sides of the rail constituent member at an acute angle. It is composed of a triangular guide ridge and a guide plane adjacent to the base of the guide ridge, and the guide roller has an inclined surface provided on the peripheral side on the opposite side of the two rollers, and The guide rail is supported uniaxially so as to contact the guide plane and at least one inclined surface of the guide protrusion with the guide protrusion interposed therebetween, and at least two of the guide rails are sandwiched from both sides. It is characterized by being provided as a set. By doing so, a stable traveling guide system with a small gap in the guide portion between the guide roller and the guide rail can be obtained.

The guide rail has a substantially rectangular cross section and has a pair of guide surfaces parallel to each other in opposite directions, two pairs of flat guide surfaces parallel to each other in opposite directions, and a pair of guide surfaces in the two pairs. A carrier running along such a guide rail, which is provided with parallel ridges projecting in opposite directions to each other, has one base member and a support member having a base end fixed to the base member and suspended therefrom. And at least two sets of guide rollers supported by a shaft, these guide rollers contact peripheral surfaces with parallel guide surfaces in guide portions on both sides in the width direction of the guide rail, and the guide rollers in the guide portions It is preferable that the roller peripheral edge is disposed in contact with one of the upper and lower guide surfaces intersecting with the parallel guide surfaces. This allows the carrier to run smoothly along the guide rail.

Further, according to the present invention, the carrier traveling along the guide rail is provided on a lower surface of the base member, the roller supporting frame being supported at the center by a pivot shaft on the base member and rotatable around the axis. The roller support frame is provided with a plurality of guide rollers, each having a required interval, and two sets of guide rollers abutting against the guide surface of the guide rail so that the guide rail can be pinched and rolled from both sides in the width direction. It is good to be arranged in. By doing so, the carrier can be smoothly run along the guide rail in which the straight and curved lines are combined.

In the present invention, the guide rail is
A member having teeth (rack) engraved on the side surface is integrally attached to one of the planes in the opposite direction having no guide portion, and the carrier traveling along such a guide rail is And two sets of roller supporting frames, which are rotatably supported on the lower surface of the base member around a center thereof by a pivot shaft, are provided at a required interval. A pair of guide rollers are disposed so as to be in contact with the guide surface of the guide rail and to pinch and roll the guide rail from both sides in the width direction, and to a support shaft of one guide roller in one roller support frame. A gear that meshes with the rack provided with the guide rails is fixed, and a gear that meshes with an idle gear attached to the pivot shaft of the roller support frame is fixed. The drive is mounted on the base member such that the output shaft is located at an intermediate position between the pivot shaft positions of the roller support frame, and a drive gear attached to the output shaft of the drive is engaged with the idle gear to generate power. Preferably, the configuration is transmitted. In this case, the vehicle can be self-propelled along a guide rail combined with straight lines and curves by a rack provided with guide rails by a drive unit equipped with a carrier, which has an advantage that it can be conveniently used for various industrial facilities. . The roller support frame of the carrier is provided with a skirt that covers the outside of the guide roller to be incorporated, thereby preventing foreign substances from being caught from the outside and other obstacles, thereby improving safety.

Further, in the guide rail, the rack engraved member attached to the rail constituent member may be provided with a rack on one side or both sides of the side surface.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, specific embodiments of a travel guide system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a part of the most basic mode of a guide rail and a carrier used in the traveling guide system of this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG. 1 and shows only one guide roller in cross section. FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view showing a main part of the guide rail. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a connecting portion of the guide rail. FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part showing a relationship between a guide rail and a guide roller.

The traveling guide system shown in these figures is basically composed of one linear guide rail and a carrier which travels on the linear guide rail and conveys an object.
The carrier is connected to an external driving device (not shown), and the object is attached to the carrier.

The guide rail 1 is a rail component 2 having a rectangular cross section (square), and has a triangular cross section at both sides in the width direction at its intermediate portion, which vertically closes the upper and lower inclined surfaces 4a and 4b at an acute angle. The guide ridge 4 and the flat portions (flat lanes) 5 and 5 adjacent to the base of the guide ridge 4 are formed symmetrically in opposite directions, and the guide ridge 4 and the flat portion 5 adjacent to the base are formed. , 5 constitute the guide portion 3 of the guide roller over the entire length of the rail component 2 in the longitudinal direction. The rail component 2 is provided with a large number of mounting holes 7 at a predetermined pitch in the longitudinal direction from the upper surface, which does not have the guide portion, to the lower surface. An auxiliary member 8 is integrally attached by a fastening member 9 (for example, a hollow stud) through the attachment hole 7. The width of the auxiliary member 8 is always smaller than the width between the guide portions 3 and 3 of the rail component 2.

At the base of the guide ridges 4 of the two guide portions 3 in the guide rail 1, a thin groove 6 is provided over the entire length at the intersection of the inclined surface 4a and the inclined surface 4b with each plane portion 5. It is provided. The narrow groove 6 has a role as a lubricating oil reservoir and a role to enhance the effect that the guide roller is effectively brought into contact with and guided by the guide portion 3.

As shown in FIG. 4 at both ends of the guide rail 1 (for example, 1 m to 3 m), the guide rail 1 is required to be connected to the rail on the back side of the end of the rail component 2. The length auxiliary member 8 is shortened so that the end faces of both rail components 2 are abutted, and the length of the auxiliary member 8 attached to the rail component 2 is substantially the same as the length of the auxiliary member 8 over the shortened portion. A joint piece 8D having a cross-sectional dimension is fitted, and an attachment hole 7 'provided at an end of the rail constituent member 2, 2 and a screw hole 7 ", 7" provided in the joint piece 8D are fastened to a fastening member. (Eg, bolts) so that they can be connected. In this connection portion, the two rail components 2, 2 are correctly connected with their end faces in close contact with each other, so that the carrier can travel smoothly when traveling. If the height of the rail component 2 is large, it may be connected by a key on the back side (not shown).

Next, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the carrier 10 traveling along the guide rail 1 is mounted on a square base member 11 having an appropriate thickness.
The guide rollers 20, which are guided in contact with the left and right guide portions 3, 3, are provided on both sides by two sets of support shafts 21 hanging downward at required intervals. The base member 11 usually has a flat upper surface.
Then, the screw portion 21a provided at the end portion is fastened by the nut 22, and the support shaft 21 of the guide roller 20 is attached.

As shown in FIG. 2, the guide roller 20 is provided on a support shaft 21 provided with a flange portion 21b which is applied to the lower surface of the base member 11 to determine that the guide roller 20 is vertically supported by the fastening force. It is rotatably supported as a set. As is clear from the drawing, the structure is such that a plurality of balls are incorporated therein to form a bearing structure in which the inner and outer races can roll freely, and the peripheral portion 25a of the roller 25 is chamfered on two opposing sides. The peripheral surface of the guide rail 1 comes in contact with the inclined surface 4a and the inclined surface 4b of the guide ridge 4 so that the peripheral surface thereof comes into contact with each flat portion 5 of the base adjacent to the guide ridge 4. In this state, the spacer 26 is interposed between the two rollers 25, 25, so that the two rollers 2
The leading end of the guide ridge 4 of the guide rail 1 between the rollers 5 and 25 is in a free state without any contact, and the rotating outer ring of the rollers 25 and 25 of each set excludes the peripheral edge 25a. The part normally rolls on the flat part 5 (flat lane) adjacent to the guide ridge 4. In addition,
A retaining screw 27 for retaining is attached to the end of the support shaft 21.

The guide rollers 20 thus arranged are arranged in such a manner as to sandwich the guide rail 1 in two sets from the left and right in the width direction of the guide rail 1 so as to be in contact with the two guide portions 3 and 3. . The guide roller 20 attached to the carrier 10 includes a support shaft 21 of one of the plurality of sets disposed on both sides of the guide rail 1.
A is an eccentric shaft, and by rotating this eccentric support shaft 21A by a required amount, the guide rollers 20, 20 facing each other across the guide rail 1 and the guide portion 3 of the guide rail 1 (the guide protrusion 4 and the guide flat surface). 5) It is possible to adjust the state of contact with and to set a correct guidance state.

By doing so, the guide roller 2
In the case of No. 0, as described above, the rollers 25, 25 in pairs are supported on the support shaft 21 at a small interval, so that the peripheral surface of the roller 25 contacts the guide plane 5 as described above. When the guide rail 1 is set so as to be guided by being sandwiched between the other guide rollers 20 facing each other from both sides, the inclined edges 25a of the two rollers 25, 25 of each guide roller 20 are formed by the guide ridges. 4 is not strongly tightened, and at least one of the upper and lower rollers 25, 25 is brought into contact with the inclined surface 4a (4b) of the guide ridge 4. It will be guided normally without lifting during running. In other words, the lateral acting force when the carrier 10 travels is received by the contact surface between the peripheral surface of the roller 25 and the guide plane 5 of the guide rail 1, and the vertical acting force is applied to the inclined surface 4a of the guide ridge 4. (4b) is received on the contact surface between the inclined edge 25a of the roller 25 and the vehicle is guided in a normal posture. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the contact relationship between the guide portion 3 of the guide rail 1 and the roller 25
The carrier 10 is not only engaged by a small contact area 5a, but also by a normal rolling relation with a relatively large contact area of the roller with respect to the guide plane 5 adjacent to the guide ridge 4, so that the carrier 10 can be moved. Since it is guided over the guide rails, the friction is very low, so that the carrier 10
Smooth running can be continuously performed without vibration.

Then, both guide portions 3, 3 of the guide rail 1 are provided.
Are provided with narrow grooves 6 at the intersections of the guide ridges 4 and the guide planes 5, respectively. If the guide surfaces (4a, 4b and 5) are preliminarily coated with lubricating oil, Lubricating oil is stored in the thin groove 6 and can serve as a supplement of lubricating oil to the guide surface, and can prevent abrasion of the rail due to rolling of each guide roller 20 of the guided carrier 10, and vibration. Is also prevented, and a function that can withstand long-term use is exhibited.

The guide rail 1 can be manufactured by drawing or rolling the rail component 2 from carbon steel or other metal material. The guide section 3 is preferably finished by polishing if necessary. The guide rail 1 has a simple shape, and has a guide plane (flat lane) 5 and a thin groove 6 for clearly defining a boundary line, which is convenient for drawing, rolling, and finishing. High members can be obtained at low cost. In the above-mentioned embodiment, the auxiliary member is added to be flat, but if necessary, the rail component alone may have a cross section having the required strength.

The guide rails shown in FIG. 6 and FIG.
Basically, it is the same as described above. In this guide rail 1A, an auxiliary member 8A provided on the side surface of the rail component 2 with the rack 30 attached thereto is fastened by hollow studs 9 at a required pitch and integrally combined. Note that the same reference numerals are given to the same structures as those of the above-described embodiment, and description thereof will be omitted (the same applies hereinafter). This guide rail 1A
In the same manner as in the previous embodiment, a guide ridge 4 having a triangular cross section which closes the upper and lower inclined surfaces 4a, 4b at an acute angle on both sides in the width direction in the cross section and a base of the guide ridge 4 are provided. Adjacent guide planes 5 and 5 are formed symmetrically and continuously in the longitudinal direction, and their guide ridges 4 and guide planes 5 are formed.
A thin groove 6 is formed at a position intersecting with 5 to form the guide portion 3. The width of the auxiliary member 8A including the rack 30 is smaller than that of the rail component 2. Even with the guide rail 1A provided with such a rack 30, the connection of the rail is performed by matching the joint pitch (not shown) of the rack 30 with the tooth pitch in advance in the manner illustrated in FIG. Use one that has dimensions determined so that

The embodiment shown in FIG. 8 is composed of a carrier 10 that runs with the guide rail 1A as a guide. The carrier 10 is substantially the same as the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, but includes a drive shaft 41, a pinion 42 provided at one end thereof, and a drive motor 45. The carrier 10 has a drive motor 45 mounted on the upper surface of the base member 11A. Power is transmitted by meshing a gear 46 attached to an output shaft of the drive motor 45 with a gear 43 attached to an upper end of the drive shaft 41. You. Drive shaft 4
The pinion 42 attached to 1 meshes with the rack 30 attached to the guide rail 1A, and is driven by the drive motor 45 to run on its own and convey the object to be mounted on the carrier 10.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 9 is a carrier basically similar to that shown in FIG. 8, except that one of the guide roller assemblies has one roller 25 and a pinion 44 instead of a pair of rollers. With In this embodiment, the guide roller assembly 20a has an inclined edge 45a corresponding to the inclined surface 4b of the guide ridge 4 of the guide rail 1A on the side of the pinion 44 facing the roller 25.
It has. The power of the carrier 10 is transmitted from a mounted driving motor 45 to a driving shaft 47 of a guide roller assembly 20 a having a pinion 44 through a gear train (meshing between a gear 45 a of a motor output shaft and a gear 48 at an end of the driving shaft 47). It is transmitted and self-propelled by the drive of the pinion 44 meshing with the rack 30.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 10 is basically the same as that shown in FIG. 8, except that the rail component 2 and the auxiliary member 8A having the rack 30 are integrally combined. Is not fixed to the support structure, and the frame 50 of the carrier 10B is fixed to the support structure. Therefore, the guide rail 1A with the rack 30 passes through the carrier. in this case,
The guide roller 20 may have its support shaft supported at both upper and lower ends by a frame 50 by a carrier (a driving device in this example). In this way, the stability can be improved. When the moving range or the length of the guide rail 1A is long, a guide roller 20 for fixing a support shaft end to a support structure in the middle is arranged in a manner similar to that of the carrier 10 described above. It is arranged to guide the guide rail.

According to the combination in which the guide rail 1A is moved by the fixed drive unit as described above, it is effective to employ a mechanism for operating the guide rail to operate the target.

FIG. 11 is basically the same as that shown in FIG. 1 and FIG.
Reference numeral 0A denotes a wide base member 11a, which runs on a pair of guide rails 1P connected by a wide auxiliary member 8B.

Each of the guide rails 1P, 1P has a guide portion 3 on only one surface thereof, and the guide ridges 4 of both guide rails 1P project in opposite directions to be in a parallel relationship. Such an embodiment is particularly suitable for transporting wide objects. Note that, even in such a type in which the guide rails are separated and arranged in parallel, although not shown, the guide rail 1A with a rack as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is arranged on one side. The object can be transported by self-propelled by a carrier equipped with a drive motor.

FIG. 12 shows a curved guide rail, which is basically the same as that shown in FIG. 3, except that the whole is represented by 1C, and a central portion 60 which draws an arc and both ends thereof are formed. And a linear extension 61 formed integrally. This curved guide rail 1C can be easily manufactured by machining.

The curved guide rail 1C can connect the linear extensions 61 at both ends to another linear guide rail or a similar linear extension of a curved guide rail. Thus, no matter how long the guide rail is a combination of straight and curved guide rails, and no matter how long, it is not necessary to make a straight to curved rail joint over the entire length of the guide rail, a straight to straight rail Only joints may be included. In short, straight-to-straight rail joints can be more accurate than straight-to-curve rail joints, and guide rails that do not include straight-to-curve rail joints have a loose play when passing through the joint. Since there is no possibility of failure due to being caught or caught, it is possible to travel smoothly on a guide rail in which a combination of a linear guide rail and a curved guide rail is traveled, similarly to traveling on a linear guide rail.

The curved guide rail can be formed in a semicircular shape not shown. Even in this case, it can be manufactured by machining. Of course, since it has straight extensions at both ends of the semicircular center, it is possible to prevent both ends from being excessively opened after manufacturing, which is convenient for measuring the radius of the semicircular center after manufacturing, and with other rails. Connection accuracy can be increased.

Since the carrier 10 or 10A is in contact with the guide roller 20 against the guide portion 3 of the guide rail (1, 1A, etc.) as described above, the rollers 25, 25 of these guide roller assemblies are In the guide part 3, the inclined surfaces 4a and 4b of the guide ridge 4 and the inclined edge 25
a, and the leading end of the guide ridge 4 enters the gap between the rotating wheels of the rollers 25, 25 and engages with any part. When the vehicle travels along the curved guide rail 1C as described above, it is excessively pressed against one side of the guide rail by centrifugal force, and the guide ridge 4 is brought into contact with both rollers 25. , 25 can be reliably avoided.
The centrifugal force at this time is received by the flat lane (guide plane 5), and a normal state can be maintained. Therefore,
Even if a travel path is constructed that combines the aforementioned curved guide rails and straight guide rails, the guide rollers roll reliably on the rails, so friction is extremely small, and the carrier is light and noiseless on the guide rails. You can run.

FIG. 13 shows a state in which a curved guide rail 1F and a linear guide rail 1B are combined and a rack 30 is attached to one side as an auxiliary member. The rails are basically similar to those of FIGS. 3, 4, 6, 7, and 12 described above, and are connected to each other to form a part of a series of travel guidelines.

Each linear guide rail 1B is integrally connected with an auxiliary member 8A having a rack 30 on one side surface, and each curved guide rail 1F is connected to an auxiliary member 8B having a gear 31a on one side surface and having a central portion formed into an arc. They are joined together.
At both ends of the curved guide rail 1F, a straight extension 71 (FIG. 1)
4) is formed integrally, and the linear guide rail 1B side auxiliary member 8A is formed with the linear extension portion 73 longer than the pair of linear guide rails 1B.
The auxiliary member 8B of the curved guide rail 1F is shorter than the linear extension 71. The length of the extended portion 73 of the auxiliary member 8A on the side of the straight guide rail 1B substantially matches the length of the short portion of the auxiliary member 8B of the curved guide rail 1F.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 14, the extension of the auxiliary member 8A on the side of the linear guide rail 1B is superimposed on the linear extension 71 of the curved guide rail 1F, and the mounting holes 35 corresponding to the two are inserted into the curved guide rail 1F. A screw hole 36 is provided in the extension of the auxiliary member 8A on the side of the linear guide rail 1B in the linear extension 71 of 1F, and a knock hole 37 is provided in both of them.
Screw and tighten the dowel hole.
Can be integrally connected by driving and connecting a knock pin. When connecting the curved guide rail 1F to the linear guide rail 1B or the curved guide rails, the connection between the auxiliary members 8A and 8B provided with the rack 30 (gear 31a) always includes the gear 31a on the curved guide rail 1F side.
It is important to provide a portion that is in a linear state and to be connected by a joint piece with a rack in order to smoothly drive the carrier during traveling.

As described above, the joint portion of the rail is connected to the auxiliary member 8A.
By covering the rails, not only the rail connection accuracy can be improved, but also a strong rail joint can be easily made. The curved guide rail can be similarly formed even when it has a semicircular curved portion.

In the traveling guideline in which the linear portion and the curved portion are combined as described above, as the carrier 10D traveling along the guide rail, as shown in FIGS. 15 to 18, the guide roller assemblies 20b and 20c are used.
(As shown by the above-mentioned guide roller 20, it means that two rollers 25, 25 are incorporated in one support shaft)
Are pivoted at the center of the lower part of the base member 11D.
1 and 52 supported by roller support frames 53 and 54 that are rotatably supported around their axes, and are provided at two locations at required intervals.

The carrier 10D is mounted on the upper surface of a rectangular base member 11D having a required size such that a drive motor 45 is disposed so that its output shaft 45a is located at a center position. Therefore, a watermark hole 11e into which a gear 45b attached to the output shaft 45a of the drive motor 45 can be inserted is provided at the center of the base member 11D. The mounting holes 48 of the pivot shafts 51 and 52 are separated from the center position by a required distance at the same distance in the front-rear direction (during running).
1D, and pivot shafts 51, 52 are rotatably suspended downward from bearing shaft mounting holes 48 by bearings 49, 49, respectively. A roller support frame 53 for driving is suspended from the one pivot shaft 51 with its upper surface center supported. A driven roller support frame 54 is suspended from the other pivot shaft 52 with the center of the upper surface supported.

The roller supporting frame 53 for driving is rotatably contacted with the lower surface of the base member 11D with a base member 11D and a sheet-shaped slide bearing member 55 interposed therebetween. The guide roller assemblies 20b and 20c are vertically suspended with their axes parallel to the pivot 51. One of the guide roller assemblies 2
As shown in FIG. 17, the roller support shaft 56 of 0c has an intermediate portion supported by a bearing 56 'and a gear 57a at the upper portion.
A pinion 57b that meshes with the rack 30 provided with a guide rail is attached to the lower portion, and the bearing 5 at the intermediate portion is provided.
The roller 25 which contacts the rail guide 3 is supported below the support 6 '. And the roller support shaft 5
The idler gear 51a supported by the pivot 51 is engaged with the upper gear 57a.
The pinion 57b is driven by the meshing between the drive gear 45b attached to the output shaft 45a of the above and projecting downward from the watermark hole 11e and the idle gear 51a. A space is formed above the roller support frame 53 to receive the gear 57a above the roller support shaft 56 and the idle gear 51a. The other roller assembly 20b has a support shaft 2 similar to the guide roller 20 (see FIG. 2) of the carrier 10 described above.
Rollers 25 are supported by the roller 1. Each roller 25 of the two roller assemblies 20b, 20c is associated with and engaged with the guide portion of the guide rail as described above.

The driven roller support frame 54 is similar to the drive roller support frame 53 in that the base member 1
1D and a slide bearing member 55 are interposed therebetween so as to be rotatable in contact with the lower surface of the base member 11D. At a required interval, two sets of guide roller assemblies 20b have their axes parallel to the pivot shaft 52 and are suspended. Has been established. Rollers 25, 25 in these guide roller assemblies 20b
Are engaged with and guided by the guide portions 3 and 3 of the guide rails 1B and 1F, similarly to the rollers described above.

Both the driving roller supporting frame 53 and the driven roller supporting frame 54 are provided with skirt portions 53 ', 54' on both sides to protect the rotating portion from contact with the outside. . Therefore, it is possible to prevent foreign substances from entering from outside during traveling, and to prevent the operator from touching the rotating part depending on the place of use, thereby ensuring safety.

The carrier 10D thus constructed has a pinion 57b incorporated in the driving roller support frame 53 by the activation of the driving motor 45 mounted on the base member 11D.
Is driven and driven. And, for example, FIG.
When the vehicle travels on a traveling path in which straight and curved guide rails are combined as shown in FIG. 3, two sets of roller support frames 53 and 54 each incorporating a roller assembly are connected to the base member 11D by pivot shafts 51 and 52. Because it is attached, in the curved part, its pivot 51,
The roller support frames 53 and 54 are rotated with reference to 52, and can move without difficulty along the guide rails 1B and 1F.

In particular, the transmission of power to the drive-side support shaft 56 is performed by connecting the output shaft 45 a of the drive motor 45 to the carrier 1.
0D, and from the output shaft 45a to the pivot 51
The pinion 5 via the upper idle gear 51a and the gear 57a
7b, the power is always transmitted under the same conditions regardless of whether it reaches a straight portion or a curved portion, and lightly and in combination with the smooth rolling of the roller with respect to the guide rail.
This allows the vehicle to travel smoothly and carry the object.

In the above description, the rack 30 (gear 31a) is provided with the rack attached to the guide rail.
Is provided only on one side. For example, FIG.
As shown by, a rack 30 (gear) may be provided on both sides of the auxiliary member regardless of whether it is straight or curved. In this case, although not shown, for the pinion provided on the carrier side and its driving unit, the above-described driving method is adopted for one rack, and the other rack is separately driven by a motor or a clutch. For example, a method of switching and driving by interposing such as can be adopted. Of course, it is also possible to simultaneously drive on both sides.

The relationship between the guide rails 1 (1B and others) and the guide rollers 20 (20a, 20b, 20c) is such that the guide ridges 4 are adjacent to the guide ridges 4 in opposite directions to the opposite sides of the rail components. Although the description has been given of the case where the guide portion 3 including the guide planes 5 and 5 is provided, the guide ridge 4B in this case, as shown in FIG. 4c. Even with such a configuration, a gap is formed between the rollers 25, 25 of the guide roller assembly, and the peripheral surfaces of the rollers 25 roll against the parallel guide planes 5, 5 of the guide rails. Only a slight contact with the guide surface 4c serves to prevent the guide surface 4c from shifting up and down, and a smooth running can be achieved.

Further, the guide rail 1G is similar to that of FIG.
As shown in the figure, grooved guides 3B are provided in opposite directions of the rail constituent member 2B, and these guides 3B
Has a guide plane 5B and upper and lower opposing guide faces 5c and 5d intersecting with the guide plane 5B. The guide roller assembly 20e attached to the carrier 10 includes a roller 2 having one end formed with an inclined edge 25e 'on a support shaft 25b whose base end is fixed to the base member 11B.
5e is supported, the outer peripheral surface thereof is brought into contact with the guide plane 5B to roll, and the inclined edge 25e 'of the roller 25e is brought into contact with at least one of the guide surfaces 5c and 5d to reduce axial displacement. It is configured to be able to rotate while preventing it.

Even with such a combination of the guide rail 1G and the roller 25e, the guide rollers are engaged with the guide portions 3B provided on both sides in the width direction of the guide rail 1G, and the opposite parallel guide portions are provided. By rolling the guide roller 3 along the guide roller 3, the carrier 10 can run smoothly without causing run-out.

According to the gist of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 22, the tips of the guide projections 4 'projecting in opposite directions in the width direction of the guide rail 1 are flattened.
The guide surfaces 4e are parallel to each other, and the peripheral surfaces of the small guide rollers 26 are caused to roll on the guide surfaces 4e, and the inclined surfaces 4a and 4b of the guide ridges 4 have inclined edges of the rollers 25. By bringing the 25a into contact, run-out can be prevented.

As described above, in the embodiment according to the present invention, if a geared guide rail having a curved portion is employed, for example, the carrier can be continuously moved from straight traveling to curved traveling by an automatic machine or the like. This is effective because it is possible to operate the driving operation, which has conventionally been performed by a two-step or three-step switching operation, without continuously switching. In addition, a guideway without such a gear can arbitrarily form a traveling path having such curves.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a part of the most basic mode of a guide rail and a carrier used in a travel guide system of the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG. 1, showing only one guide roller in cross section.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating a main part of a guide rail.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a connecting portion of a guide rail.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part showing a relationship between a guide rail and a guide roller.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a part of a guide rail provided with a rack.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG.

FIG. 8 is an embodiment view showing a cross section of a main part of a motor-driven carrier and a guide rail.

FIG. 9 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is an end view of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a plan view of a curved guide rail according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a bottom view of a straight and curved guide rail and an auxiliary member with a rack according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is an enlarged view showing the connection between the straight and curved guide rails in FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a bottom view of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. 15;

FIG. 18 is a sectional view taken along the line YY of FIG. 15;

FIG. 19 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 22 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1G, 1F, 1P Guide rails 2, 2A, 2B, rail components 3, 3B Guides 4, 4 'Guide protrusions 4a, 4b Slope of guide protrusions 5, 5B , 4e Guide plane 6 Narrow groove 7, 7 'Mounting hole 8, 8A, 8B Auxiliary member 8D Joint piece 7 ", 36 Screw hole 9 Hollow stud 10, 10A, 10B, 10D Carrier 11, 11A, 11D, 11a' Base member 11a watermark hole 20 guide roller 20 ', 20a, 20b, 20c, 20e guide roller assembly 21, 21b, 25b, 26, 41, 47, 56 support shaft 21A eccentric support shaft 25 roller 25a, 25e inclination of roller Edge 27, 42, 44, 46, 57b Pinion 30 Rack 31a Gear 43, 48, 57a Gear 45 Drive motor 46, 45a Kinematic gear 50 frames 51, 52 pivot shaft 51a idle gear 53 driving the roller support frame 54 roller support frame 53 for driven ', 54' roller support frame skirt

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A traveling means having a relative guide structure between a guide rail and a guide roller, wherein a guide portion of the guide rail includes a pair of guide surfaces parallel to each other in opposite directions in a width direction of the rail constituent member. The guide roller has a shaft so that its peripheral surface and at least one of the upper and lower peripheral portions of the peripheral surface can contact the guide portion of the guide rail and rotate. At least two sets of the supported guide rollers are provided on both sides in the width direction of the guide rails, on both guide portions of the guide rails, so that the guide rollers come into contact with the guide rails and sandwich the guide rails. A travel guide system characterized by being performed. 2. The guide rail has a substantially rectangular cross section, and includes a pair of guide surfaces parallel to each other in opposite directions, two pairs of flat lanes opposite to each other and parallel, and an intermediate portion between the two pairs of lanes. There are parallel ridges protruding in opposite directions, and the guide roller for this guide rail is
At least one pair is disposed on both sides of the guide rail so as to sandwich the pair of guide surfaces, and is abutted so as to contact at least one surface of parallel ridges of the guide rail opposite to each other. The travel guide system according to claim 1, wherein 3. The guide rail is provided with a guide groove having a substantially rectangular cross section and guide surfaces parallel to each other in opposite directions, and the opposing surfaces of the guide groove are inclined at an angle opening outward. The guide roller for this guide rail is
At least one pair is disposed on both sides of the guide rail so as to sandwich the guide surface of the guide groove, and is in abutting relation so as to contact at least one of the opposed inclined surfaces of the guide groove of the guide rail. The traveling guide system according to claim 1, wherein 4. The contact relationship between the guide rail and the guide roller for relative guidance is such that the guide portion of the guide rail has a triangular cross section in which the upper and lower inclined surfaces are closed on both sides of the rail constituent member at an acute angle. The guide roller is composed of a ridge and a flat guide surface adjacent to the base of the guide ridge. The guide roller is provided with an inclined surface on the peripheral side opposite to the two rollers, and is slightly spaced. Is placed uniaxially so as to abut the flat guide surface and at least one inclined surface of the guide ridge with the guide ridge therebetween,
The travel guide system according to claim 1, wherein at least two sets are provided so as to be sandwiched from both sides of the guide rail. 5. The guide rail has a substantially rectangular cross section and has a pair of opposite and parallel guide surfaces, two pairs of opposite and parallel flat guide surfaces, and a pair of guide surfaces. Carriers running along such guide rails with parallel ridges protruding in opposite directions and located in between,
A base member, and at least two sets of guide rollers supported by a support shaft having a base end fixed to the base member and vertically suspended, and these guide rollers are provided on both sides in the width direction of the guide rail. The peripheral surface is brought into contact with a parallel guide surface in the guide portion, and the roller peripheral portion is arranged to contact the upper or lower guide surface intersecting with the parallel guide surface in the guide portion. The travel guide system according to any one of claims 1 to 4. 6. A carrier that travels along the guide rail has a plurality of roller support frames supported on a lower surface of a base member by a pivot shaft at the center thereof and rotatable about the axis. On these roller support frames, two sets of guide rollers are provided so as to be in contact with the guide surfaces of the guide rails at required intervals, and are arranged so as to pinch and roll the guide rails from both sides in the width direction. The travel guide system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: 7. The guide rail has a member having teeth (rack) engraved on a side surface integrally attached to one of planes in opposite directions having no guide portion. Carriers traveling along the guide rails
Two sets of roller support frames are rotatably supported on the lower surface of the base member around the center thereof by a pivot shaft at required intervals, and two sets of these roller support frames are provided at required intervals. Are arranged in such a manner that the guide rollers abut against the guide surfaces of the guide rails and pinch and roll the guide rails from both sides in the width direction. A gear that meshes with the rack provided with the guide rail is fixed, and a gear that meshes with the idle gear attached to the pivot shaft of the roller support frame is fixed. A drive unit is mounted on the base member so as to be positioned, and a drive gear attached to an output shaft of the drive unit meshes with the idle gear to generate power. Running guide system of claim 1, wherein it is configured to be reached. 8. The roller support frame of the carrier,
8. The travel guide system according to claim 6, wherein a skirt for covering the outside of the guide roller to be incorporated is provided. [0001]