JPH1054406A - Slide cylinder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To accurately move a driven part and improve the durability of guide means, by setting the center line of a cylinder whose driven part is reciprocated along the guide means and the center line of a stopper by which the terminal position of the movement of the driven part is regulated, in a manner that they are mutually located adjacently and mutually parallel, respectively in the same driving part. SOLUTION: In a cylinder 4, a driven part is linearly reciprocated along guide means by supply of compressed air. A stopper 4 adjustably regulates the terminal position of the movement of the driven part. The center line O1 of the cylinder 3 and the center line O2 of the stopper 4 are so set that they are mutually located adjacently and mutually parallel in the same driving part 5. Therefore, distance between the center line O1 of the cylinder 3 and the center line O2 of the stopper 4 can be set shorter. Hereupon, when the stopper 4 is operated, a moment in a direction different greatly from the proper thrust vector of the cylinder 3 may not be applied to the guide means, and a moment generated is diminished. Thus, the driven part can be accurately moved, and the durability of the guide means can be improved.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fluid pressure actuator used for an industrial robot or the like, and more particularly to a slide cylinder in which a driven part, which is one of components, slides by supplying a fluid pressure. In this slide cylinder, an object to be mounted such as a work or a tool is mounted on a driven part, and the driven part is reciprocated linearly by supplying a fluid pressure to transfer the object to be mounted.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in FIGS. 7 to 10, in a conventional slide cylinder, a cylinder (not shown) for linearly reciprocating a driven portion 51 along a guide means 52 by supplying compressed air is provided. A stopper 54 is provided in the driving unit 53, and a stopper 54 that adjustably regulates the movement end position of the driven unit 51 is bolted to an outer side surface of the driving unit 53.

Therefore, assuming that the driven portion 51 formed in a table and having a flat mounting surface for mounting an object to be mounted needs to have a certain large width w, the center line O _{1 of the} cylinder and the center line O _{1 of the} cylinder are required. The distance L between the center line O ₂ of the stopper 54 and the center line O ₂ is inevitably set to be large. When the stopper receiver 56 provided on the driven portion 51 comes into contact with the stopper 54 on the driving portion 53 side during operation, the cylinder Thrust of stopper 5
It acts on the guide means 52 as a large moment about the four centers. Therefore, when the stopper 54 is actuated, a moment in a direction greatly different from the original thrust direction of the cylinder acts on the guide means 52. If the magnitude of this moment exceeds the allowable range of the guide means 52, the guide means 52 And the guide function is impaired.

In the above-mentioned conventional slide cylinder, a position detecting means 57 comprising a magnetic proximity switch for detecting the position of the driven portion 51 and sending a signal to the outside is bolted 58 to the external side opposite to the driving portion 53. To be
There is a problem that the entire slide cylinder becomes large.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above, the present invention does not apply a moment in a direction largely different from the original thrust direction of the cylinder to the guide means when the stopper is operated, and the generated moment is small. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a slide cylinder in which the movement of the driven portion is accurate and the durability of the guide means can be improved.

In addition, it is another object of the present invention to provide a slide cylinder that does not increase in size as a whole despite the provision of position detecting means for detecting the position of the driven portion.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a slide cylinder according to the present invention, wherein a center line of a cylinder for linearly reciprocating a follower along a guide means by supplying compressed air. The center line of the stopper that adjustably regulates the movement end position of the driven portion is set to be adjacent to each other and parallel to each other in the same driving portion.

In the slide cylinder according to a second aspect of the present invention, a cylinder is formed in the driving section, and a driven section movably connected to the driving section in the axial direction via guide means is supplied with compressed air. A slide cylinder which is displaced relative to the drive unit, wherein a through hole is formed adjacent to the cylinder in an axial direction of the drive unit, and the slide cylinder communicates with the through hole and opens to the outside toward the driven unit. By forming a long hole, at least one end of the through hole is provided with a stopper that can be displaced in the axial direction, and the driven portion is provided with a stopper receiver that penetrates from the long hole to the through hole, thereby moving the driven portion. The end position is regulated to be adjustable.

In the slide cylinder according to a third aspect of the present invention, in the slide cylinder according to the second aspect, the stopper is provided with position detecting means for detecting the position of the stopper receiver and transmitting a signal to the outside.

[0010] Like the slide cylinder according to the first aspect of the present invention having the above structure, the center line of the cylinder for linearly reciprocating the driven portion along the guide means by the supply of compressed air, and the movement of the driven portion. If the center line of the stopper that adjustably regulates the end position is set to be adjacent and parallel to each other in the same drive unit, regardless of the size of the width of the table-like driven unit, the cylinder And the distance between the center line of the stopper and the center line of the stopper can be set smaller than before.

Further, the slide cylinder according to the second aspect of the present invention having the above structure operates as follows.

That is, the cylinder of the drive unit is operated by the supply and discharge of the compressed air, and the driven unit is displaced along the guide means. The driven part stops when the stopper receiver provided in the driven part comes into contact with the stopper provided in the through hole of the driving part. At this time, a moment acts on the guide means by the thrust of the cylinder with the center of the stopper as a fulcrum. However, since the stopper is arranged adjacent to the cylinder, the generated moment is small. In addition, since the stopper is built in the drive unit, the width of the guide means can be set wider by the space required for installing the stopper, and the performance of the guide means is improved.

In addition, in the slide cylinder according to the third aspect of the present invention having the above structure, the stopper is provided with position detecting means for detecting the position of the stopper receiver and sending a signal to the outside. Therefore, there is no need to provide a position detecting unit outside the driving unit.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. This embodiment is a common embodiment of the inventions according to claims 1 to 3 of the present application.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, a center line O ₁ of a cylinder 3 for linearly reciprocating the driven unit 1 along guide means 2 by supplying compressed air, and a movement end position of the driven unit 1 Center line O _{2 of} the stopper 4 that regulates so that it can be adjusted
Are set adjacent to each other and parallel to each other in the same drive unit 5, so that the center line O _{1 of the} cylinder 3 and the center line O _{1 of the} cylinder 3 regardless of the width w of the driven unit 1 having a table shape. the distance L between the center line O ₂ of the stopper 4 is set smaller than conventional. As shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. 6, the driving unit 5 has a substantially convex shape when viewed from the axial direction, and integrally includes a lower wide portion 5a and an upper narrow portion 5b. A driven portion 1 having a substantially inverted concave shape is attached to the driving portion 5 from above in the figure. The width of the driving unit 5 and the width L of the driven unit 1 are set to be substantially the same.
Also both the drawings in shown the slide cylinder as has a substantially symmetrical shape in its entirety to the left and right width of the center line O ₂ also drive unit 5 of the center line O ₁ and stopper 4 of the cylinder 3 Below the narrow portion 5b, they are arranged substantially symmetrically left and right. The upper surface of the driven portion 1 in both figures is a planar mounting surface on which a workpiece such as a work or a tool is mounted.

On both side surfaces of the narrow portion 5b of the driving portion 5 and on both inner surfaces of the concave portion 1a of the driven portion 1 opposed thereto, round grooves 6, 7 are formed in the axial direction so as to be opposed to each other and parallel to each other. A required number of balls 8 are interposed in the round grooves 6 and 7 to constitute the above-described guide means 2, and the driven unit 1 is axially moved relative to the drive unit 5 via the guide means 2. They are connected so as to be relatively displaceable. Normally, the inner walls of the round grooves 6 and 7 and the ball 8 are polished, so that a high precision and smooth relative displacement is possible.

Two through holes 9 and 10 are formed in the drive unit 5 adjacent to each other and parallel to each other in the axial direction. The lower through hole 9 in FIG. The stopper 4 is inserted into the through hole 10.
Slots 11, 1 are formed in the surface of the narrow portion 5 b of the drive unit 5 on the driven unit 1 side.
2 are formed adjacent to each other and parallel to each other in the axial direction. One long hole 11 communicates with one through hole 9 and the other long hole 12 communicates with the other through hole 10. ing.

Two shaft members (also referred to as connecting members) 13 and 14 hang down in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction adjacent to each other and parallel to each other on the drive unit 5 side of the driven unit 1. The member 13 is connected to one of the through holes 9 through one of the long holes 11.
And the other shaft member 14 is
Through the other through hole 10. The other shaft member 14 operates as a stopper receiver.

One end of the through hole 9 is closed by end members 15 and 16, respectively, and a pair of pistons 17 and 18 are inserted into the one through hole 9.
3 is inserted so as to be freely movable in the axial direction. Further, a pair of pressure chambers 19, 20 are defined in one through hole 9 by the pair of pistons 17, 18, and communicate with the drive unit 5 to the pressure chambers 19, 20 as shown in FIG. A pair of piping ports 21 and 22 are provided. When compressed air is supplied to the piping port 21 on the left side in FIG. 1, the compressed air is introduced into the pressure chamber 19 on the left side in FIG. 5, and a pair of pistons 17 and 18 and one shaft member 13 are provided.
Move rightward at the same time, and the driven part 1 hanging down one shaft member 13 also moves rightward at the same time. When the compressed air is discharged and compressed air is supplied to the right piping port 22 in FIG. 1, the compressed air is introduced into the right pressure chamber 20 in FIG. 5, and a pair of pistons 17, 18 and one shaft member are provided. 13 moves to the left at the same time, and one shaft member 1
The follower 1 hanging down 3 also moves to the left at the same time. Openings communicating with the respective through holes 9 and 10 are provided on the bottom surface of the drive unit 5 within a range where the compressed air does not escape and the operation of the cylinder 3 is not hindered.

Female screw members 23 and 24 are attached to both ends of the other through hole 10 by screwing, respectively. A pipe-shaped stopper 4 having a male screw on the outer peripheral surface is provided on the inner periphery of each female screw member 23 and 24. Screwed in the axial direction. The mounting position of the stopper 4 with respect to the female screw members 23 and 24 can be adjusted by changing the screwing amount. By adjusting the screwing amount, the movement end position of the driven portion 1 can be regulated so as to be adjustable. I have. As described above, when the driven portion 1 moves in one of the axial directions due to the supply of the compressed air, the stopper receiver, which is the other shaft member 14 suspended on the driven portion 1, simultaneously moves, and moves in the moving direction. Accordingly, it comes into contact with the tip of one of the stoppers 4, whereby the other shaft member 14, the driven portion 1, the one shaft member 13, and the pair of pistons 17, 1
8 stop at the same time.

A position detecting means 25 comprising a proximity sensor is provided inside each of the pipe-shaped stoppers 4. When the stopper receiver, which is the other shaft member 14, comes into contact with the stopper 4, the position detecting means 25 And sends an electric signal to the outside.

In the slide cylinder having the above structure, the center line O _{1 of the} cylinder 3 for linearly reciprocating the driven portion 1 along the guide means 2 by supplying compressed air.
And the center line O ₂ of the stopper 4 that regulates the movement end position of the driven portion 1 so as to be adjustable is set adjacent to each other and parallel to each other in the same driving portion 5, so that it has a table shape. regardless how the magnitude of the width w of the driven portion 1, a distance L between the center line O ₂ of the center line O ₁ and stopper 4 of the cylinder 3 can be set smaller than conventional. Therefore, when the stopper 4 is operated, a moment in a direction largely different from the original thrust direction of the cylinder 3 does not act on the guide means 2 and the generated moment is small, so that the movement of the follower 1 is accurate, and 2 can provide a slide cylinder capable of improving the durability.

Further, since the stopper 4 is built in the driving section 5, the width of the guide means 2 can be set wider by the space required for installing the stopper 4, and the supporting force is stabilized. The performance of the guide means can be improved. In the above embodiment, a pair of stoppers 4 are provided in the axial direction so as to regulate the movement end position of the driven portion 1 at both ends in the axial direction so as to be adjustable. A configuration may be provided.

Further, since the stopper 4 is provided with the position detecting means 25 for detecting the position of the stopper receiver and sending a signal to the outside, there is no need to provide the position detecting means outside the driving section 5. Therefore, the size of the entire slide cylinder can be reduced.

[0025]

The present invention has the following effects.

That is, first, in the slide cylinder according to the first and second aspects of the present invention, when the stopper is operated, a moment in a direction largely different from the original thrust direction of the cylinder does not act on the guide means. Since the generated moment is small, it is possible to provide a slide cylinder in which the movement of the driven portion is accurate and the durability of the guide means can be improved.

Further, since the stopper is built in the drive section, the width of the guide means can be set wider by the space required for installing the stopper, and the supporting force is stabilized, so that the performance of the guide means is improved. Can be improved.

In addition, in the slide cylinder according to the third aspect of the present invention, since the stopper is provided with position detecting means for detecting the position of the stopper receiver and transmitting a signal to the outside, the driving unit is provided. There is no need to provide a position detecting means outside the device. Therefore, the size of the entire slide cylinder can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a slide cylinder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the same.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line CDEF in FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a front view of a slide cylinder according to a conventional example.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the same.

FIG. 9 is a rear view of the same.

FIG. 10 is a side view of the same.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Follower part 1a Concave part 2 Guide means 3 Cylinder 4 Stopper 5 Drive part 5a Wide part 5b Narrow part 6,7 R groove 8 Ball 9,10 Through hole 11,12 Long hole 13,14 Shaft member 15,16 End member 17 , 18 Piston 19, 20 Pressure chamber 21, 22 Piping port 23, 24 Female thread member 25 Position detecting means

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A center line (O ₁ ) of a cylinder (3) for linearly reciprocating a driven part (1) along guide means (2) by supply of compressed air, and a center line (O) of the driven part (1). A slide cylinder, wherein a center line (O ₂ ) of a stopper (4) for regulating an end position of a movement so as to be adjustable is set to be adjacent to each other and parallel to each other in the same driving section (5). 2. A driven part (1) which constitutes a cylinder (3) in the driving part (5) and is connected to the driving part (5) via a guide means (2) so as to be movable in the axial direction. A slide cylinder that is displaced relative to the drive unit (5) by supply of compressed air, and has a through hole (10) formed adjacent to the cylinder (3) in the axial direction of the drive unit (5). With the through hole (1
A long hole (12) communicating with the driven part (1) and opening to the outside toward the driven part (1); and a stopper (4) displaceable in the axial direction at at least one end of the through hole (10). By providing a stopper receiver penetrating from the elongated hole (12) to the through hole (10) in the driven portion (1),
A slide cylinder wherein the end position of movement of the follower (1) is regulated so as to be adjustable. 3. The slide cylinder according to claim 2, wherein the stopper (4) is provided with position detecting means (25) for detecting the position of the stopper receiver and sending a signal to the outside.