JPH1113714A - Cylinder for regulating position of work - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate a need to increase the length of a cylinder for regulating a position by length equivalent to the length of a lock mechanism like a conventional type even when the lock mechanism is arranged and perform positioning of a work from an extremely low position. SOLUTION: In a cylinder 30 for regulating a position wherein a cylinder for regulating the position of a work (w) moves the work (w) by means of a gas pressure and the work (w) is held in a given position, the cylinder comprises a cylinder part 40; a guide rod 46 positioned in the inside axial direction of the cylinder part 40 and having one side fixed at the wall part of the cylinder part; a piston part 50 provided in an axial direction with a guide hole 51 in which the guide rod 46 is contained and which is moved in the cylinder part with a gas pressure exerted thereon; and a lock mechanism 60 mounted on the piston part 50 and holding the piston part 50 at the guide rod 46 in a relatively non-movable state. Thereby, when the piston part 50 is moved, the lock mechanism 60 is prevented from disturbing movement of the piston part 50.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a work position adjusting cylinder for moving a work by gas pressure and holding the work at a predetermined position.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A mechanism combining an air cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, and both cylinders is generally used as a mechanism for moving a workpiece and holding the workpiece at a predetermined position. Since the hydraulic cylinder uses a hydraulic pressure having no compressibility as a drive source, it has good responsiveness and can hold a heavy workpiece at a predetermined position with high accuracy. However, since it is necessary to have a hydraulic pressure generating device (a hydraulic pump, a hydraulic tank, etc.) for each equipment, the equipment becomes large and the equipment cost increases. It is also necessary to take measures against oil leakage to protect the environment.

On the other hand, the air cylinder does not need to have an air source for each equipment, so that the equipment does not become large and the equipment cost is low. It is also advantageous in environmental protection. However, since air has compressibility, when a heavy work is lifted and lowered, if the air cylinder is suddenly stopped, the air bounces and the positioning accuracy of the work is reduced. In addition, it is necessary to prevent the work from lowering due to a natural leak of air. In order to solve this problem, a lock mechanism that locks the piston portion of the air cylinder at that position while the air cylinder is stopped is preferably used.

FIG. 7 shows a typical example of an air cylinder provided with the lock mechanism. The air cylinder 2 has a cylinder portion 6, and the cylinder portion 6 has a piston 4.
p is stored in a state where it can be moved up and down. The piston 4
A piston rod 4r is fixed coaxially to the upper surface of p, and an elevating table 4t for mounting the workpiece w is fixed to the upper end of the piston rod 4r. A lock mechanism 8 for holding the piston rod 4r immovable relative to the cylinder part 6 is mounted on the upper part of the cylinder part 6. Therefore, the compressed air is supplied to the pressure receiving chamber 6s of the cylinder portion 6, the piston portion 4p is moved up and down to a predetermined height, and then the lock mechanism 8 is operated to position the work at a predetermined position. it can.

[0005]

However, according to the air cylinder 2, the lock mechanism 8 must be mounted at a position that does not hinder the vertical movement of the piston 4p. This is a value obtained by adding the length K of the lock mechanism 8 to the stroke L of the second stroke.
Therefore, the lower limit position of the lifting table 4t on which the work w is placed is also increased by the length K of the lock mechanism 8. Therefore, there is a problem that, for example, when the worker performs an assembling operation on the work w, the workability is deteriorated by the higher the lower limit position. Further, even when the air cylinder 2 is used sideways, the length of the air cylinder 2 is increased by the length of the lock mechanism 8, so that a larger installation space is required.

In view of the above, the invention according to claim 1 of the present invention has a structure in which the overall length of the position adjusting cylinder does not become long even when the lock mechanism is mounted, so that the position adjusting cylinder can be positioned as low as possible when installed vertically. It is an object of the present invention to provide a position adjusting cylinder that enables positioning of a workpiece and that does not require a large installation space even when installed horizontally. In addition, in addition to the object of the invention described in claim 1, when the locking mechanism is operated by a gas, the invention described in claim 2 includes a movable pipe that supplies gas to the locking mechanism. The purpose is to eliminate the need and simplify the gas supply mechanism.

[0007]

The above object is achieved by a work position adjusting cylinder having the following features. In other words, the work position adjusting cylinder according to claim 1 is a work position adjusting cylinder that moves a work by gas pressure and holds the work at a predetermined position. A guide rod, which is positioned in the axial direction and one side of which is fixed to the wall of the cylinder portion, and a guide hole for accommodating the guide rod is provided in the axial direction. It has a piston part that moves inside the part, and a lock mechanism that is mounted on the piston part and holds the piston part in a state that it cannot move relative to the guide rod.

According to the present invention, since the guide rod fixed to the cylinder is accommodated in the guide hole of the piston, the guide rod slides in the guide hole when the piston moves in the cylinder. When the piston portion stops and the lock mechanism operates, the piston portion is held in a state in which the piston portion cannot move relative to the guide rod, so that the piston portion is held at the stop position in the cylinder portion. For this reason, no bouncing or the like occurs even when the cylinder is suddenly stopped, such as when lifting or lowering a heavy workpiece. Further, it is possible to prevent the workpiece from lowering due to natural gas leak. Further, since the lock mechanism is mounted on the piston, the lock mechanism does not hinder the movement of the piston when the piston moves. Therefore, even if the lock mechanism is provided, it is not necessary to increase the cylinder length of the position adjusting cylinder by the length of the lock mechanism as in the related art. Therefore, when the work position adjusting cylinder is installed vertically, the work can be positioned from a position as low as possible, and when it is installed horizontally, a large installation space is not required.

The invention described in claim 2 is the first invention.
In the cylinder for adjusting the position of the work described in (1), a pressure receiving member provided in the lock mechanism and configured to release a locked state of the lock mechanism when a predetermined pressure is applied, and formed in an axial direction of the guide rod. And
A through hole communicating with the outside of the cylinder portion, a gap formed in a sliding portion between the guide rod and the guide hole, and a through hole formed in the piston portion and passing through the through hole, the guide hole, and the gap of the guide rod. And a gas passage for guiding the introduced gas to the pressure receiving member of the lock mechanism.

According to the present invention, it is possible to apply gas pressure to the pressure receiving member of the lock mechanism from the outside of the position adjusting cylinder through the through hole of the guide rod, the guide hole, the gap between the guide rod and the guide hole, and the gas passage. it can. That is, it is possible to reliably apply gas pressure to the lock mechanism that moves together with the piston from outside the position adjusting cylinder,
The lock mechanism can be reliably controlled from outside the position adjusting cylinder. Further, since a movable pipe or the like for applying gas pressure to the lock mechanism is not required, the gas supply mechanism can be simplified.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A work position adjusting cylinder according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. The position adjusting cylinder according to the present embodiment relates to a height adjusting cylinder for changing the height of an engine, which is a work, in accordance with the physique of an operator in an engine assembly line. Here, FIG.
FIG. 2 is a pipe connection diagram of a work position adjusting cylinder according to the present embodiment, FIGS. 2 and 3 are longitudinal sectional views of the work position adjusting cylinder, and FIG. 4 is a lock mechanism of the work position adjusting cylinder. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a carriage provided with a work position adjusting cylinder, and FIG. 6 is an overall view of an engine assembly line.

As shown in FIG. 6, an engine assembling line 10 allows an operator to assemble parts into the engine w at a predetermined position while continuously sending a plurality of trolleys 20 on which one engine w is mounted. The carriage 20 is housed in a groove 12 provided in the line 10. A rail 14 is laid in the groove 12, and the carriage 20 can move along the rail 14.

As shown in FIG. 5A, the carriage 20 has a rectangular plate-like carrier 22. When the carriage 20 is placed on the rail 14, the upper surface of the carrier 22 is The height is equal to the floor 16 of the engine assembly line 10. A connector 24 for supplying compressed air is mounted at the center of the lower side of the loading platform 22, and an external connector 26 (see FIG. 5B) is connected to the connector 24. The connector 24 is provided with connection holes P1 and P2, and the external connector 26 is fixed with nozzles N1 and N2 inserted into the connection holes P1 and P2. In addition,
An air pipe is connected to each of the nozzles N1 and N2 from an air source device (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 5 (B), the external connector 26 has a structure that can be connected to the connector 24 by the action of a connecting cylinder 27, and a support base 28 that allows the connecting cylinder 27 to move in parallel with the carriage 20. Mounted on Further, the support base 28 is provided with the support base 2.
A synchronizing cylinder 29 for attaching and synchronizing the carriage 8 and the carriage 20 is attached. Here, when the support base 28 moves in synchronization with the carriage 20, the rodless cylinder 25 receives a force in the direction of returning to the original position. Therefore, when the connection between the carriage 20 and the support gantry 28 is released, the support gantry 28 is returned to the original position by the return force of the rodless cylinder 25.

At the center of the upper surface 22 of the carriage 20, a height adjusting cylinder 30 is installed vertically (FIG. 5A).
reference). The height adjusting cylinder 30 has a case-shaped cylinder portion 40, as shown in detail in FIG. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the height adjusting cylinder 30 raises the piston portion 50 to the upper limit position. The cylinder portion 40 includes a cylinder body 42 and guide cylinders 44 disposed on both sides of the cylinder body 42. The cylinder body 40 is housed in the cylinder body 40 so that the piston portion 50 can slide up and down. I have. A guide rod 46 is positioned in the cylinder body 42 in the inner axial direction, and the lower end of the guide rod 46 is fixed to the bottom of the cylinder body 42. Further, an inlet port P1 for supplying compressed air into the cylinder body 42 is formed at the bottom of the cylinder body 42 beside the guide rod 46.

On the other hand, a guide hole 51 is formed in the piston portion 50 in the axial direction, and the guide rod 46 is slidably housed in the guide hole 51.
A disk-shaped piston main body 52 is fixed to the lower end of the piston section 50.
The space defined by the cylinder body 42 is a pressure receiving chamber S that receives the pressure of the compressed air. Further, a cylindrical piston case 54 is coaxially fixed on the piston main body 52, and a lock mechanism 60 is positioned on the piston main body 52 inside the piston case 54.

Further, a thick guide block 55 having the guide hole 51 is fixed on the lock mechanism 60 inside the piston case 54. Then, a table 56 for placing a pallet wp for transporting the engine (see FIG. 5A) on the guide block 55 is provided.
Is mounted horizontally. At the lower end of the table 56, an auxiliary guide rod 58 inserted into the guide cylinder 44 of the cylinder section 40 is fixed vertically. Therefore, when the lock mechanism 60 is in the unlocked state,
When compressed air is supplied to the pressure receiving chamber S from the inlet port P1 of the cylinder part 40, the piston part 50
6. By the function of the auxiliary guide rod 58, the table 56
Is held horizontally, the cylinder body 40 of the cylinder section 40 is raised. When the pressure in the pressure receiving chamber S decreases, the piston portion 50 moves down in the cylinder body 42.

A through hole 46k is formed in the guide rod 46 in the axial direction, and an opening on the lower side of the through hole 46k has an inlet port P2 for supplying compressed air.
It has become. A gap 55x (see FIGS. 3 and 4) through which air can pass is formed in a sliding portion between the guide rod 46 and the guide block 55 (guide hole 51).
Further, a lateral through-hole 55t communicating with the gap 55x is formed in the guide block 55 in the radial direction. As shown in FIG. 4, a gap 55y is formed between the guide block 55 and the piston case 54 for communicating the horizontal through hole 55t with the pressure receiving space R of the lock mechanism 60. Therefore, when compressed air is supplied to the inlet port P2, the air pressure is reduced to the through hole 46k and the guide hole 51.
, The pressure receiving space R of the lock mechanism 60 via the gap 55x, the horizontal through hole 55t, and the gap 55y. That is, the horizontal through hole 55t and the gap 55y function as the gas passage of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 4, the lock mechanism 60 has a cylindrical piston guide 62 disposed below the guide block 55.
A guide rod 46 is inserted through the guide rod 46. Further, the piston guide 62 is passed through a sliding hole 64 s of a brake piston 64 that slides up and down inside the piston case 54. Here, the upper surface 64 of the brake piston 64
The space defined by u, the piston case 54 and the guide block 55 is the pressure receiving space R described above.

The lower surface 64d of the brake piston 64 has a tapered ring 6 coaxial with the brake piston 64.
6 are attached. The taper ring 66 is a cylindrical member, and its inner wall surface is provided with a taper such that the inner diameter decreases downward. An outer spring receiver 66u is fixed to an upper portion of the outer surface of the tapered ring 66. The upper end of the brake spring 63 urged by the outer spring receiver 66u to push up the tapered ring 66 and the brake piston 64 is supported. Have been. Therefore, when the compressed air is supplied to the pressure receiving space R and the descending force of the brake piston 64 becomes larger than the pushing force of the brake spring 63, the brake piston 64 and the taper ring 66 are displaced downward. Conversely, when the pressure receiving space R is opened to the atmosphere and the pushing force of the brake spring 63 becomes larger than the descending force of the brake piston 64, the brake piston 64 and the taper ring 66 are displaced upward.

A plurality of steel balls 67 are positioned inside the tapered ring 66 while being supported by a ball retainer 68. The ball retainer 68 includes a positioning spring 6 supported by an inner spring receiver 66n of the tapered ring 66.
8b, and is held in a state (lower limit position) in contact with the upper surface 52u of the piston main body 52. The steel ball 6 supported by the ball retainer 68
7 is always in contact with the inner wall surface of the tapered ring 66. When the tapered ring 66 is displaced upward with respect to the steel ball 67, the steel ball 67 is displaced radially inward of the guide rod 46 by the action of the taper.

Inside the ball retainer 68 and the steel ball 67, a brake shoe holder 69h for holding a brake shoe 69b is positioned in contact with the steel ball 67. The brake shoe 69b is the guide rod 4
A member for stopping the movement of the piston portion 50 with respect to 6 by using a frictional force. The member is formed into a shape obtained by equally dividing a cylinder in a circumferential direction, and is arranged in close contact with the guide rod 46 around the guide rod 46. Also, the brake shoe holder 69h
Is a member that supports the brake shoe 69b and transmits the pressing force from the steel ball 67 evenly to the brake shoe 69b, and is also formed into a shape obtained by equally dividing a cylinder in the circumferential direction. Further, the brake shoe holder 69h
Is restricted from above and below by the lower surface of the piston guide 62 and the upper surface 52u of the piston main body 52, and has a structure that does not shift in the vertical direction.

With the above structure, when compressed air is supplied to the pressure receiving space R, the brake piston 64 and the tapered ring 66 are displaced downward against the force of the brake spring 63,
The pressing force of the tapered ring 66 against the steel ball 67 is reduced. As a result, the force with which the brake shoe 69b presses the guide rod 46 is reduced, and the locked state of the lock mechanism 60 is released. Conversely, when the pressure receiving space R is opened to the atmosphere, the brake piston 64 and the tapered ring 66 are pushed up by the force of the brake spring 63, and the steel ball 67 is pressed radially inward by the tapered ring 66. Thereby, the pressing force of the steel ball 67 is reduced to the brake shoe holder 69.
h, the brake shoe 69b is pressed against the guide rod 46. Therefore, the lock mechanism 60 is held in the locked state. That is, the brake piston 64 functions as the pressure receiving member of the present invention.

The input port P2 communicating with the pressure receiving space R of the lock mechanism 60 is connected to the connection hole P2 of the connector 24 of the carriage 20 by a pipe 72 as shown in FIG. The input port P1 communicating with the pressure receiving chamber S of the height adjusting cylinder 30 is connected to the connection hole P1 of the connector 24 by a pipe 71, and a switching valve 75 is mounted in the pipe 71. . When the pressure receiving portion 75p receives air pressure from the pipe 72, the valve body moves rightward in the figure against the force of the spring 75b, and opens the pipe 71 (see FIG. 1). In addition, the pressure receiving section 7
When 5p receives no air pressure, that is, when the pipe 72 is opened to the atmosphere, the valve body of the switching valve 75 moves leftward in the drawing by the force of the spring 75b, and the pipe 71 is closed.

Here, the pressure of the compressed air supplied to the connection hole P1 can be controlled by an air source device (not shown). By changing the pressure of the compressed air, the height of the piston 50 can be increased. Can be adjusted. That is, when compressed air is supplied from the connection hole P2 to the pressure receiving space R of the lock mechanism 60 and the locked state of the lock mechanism 60 is released, the switching valve 75 opens the pipe 71 by the air pressure of the compressed air. The connection is switched, and the connection hole P1 and the pressure receiving chamber S of the height adjusting cylinder 30 communicate with each other. When the connection holes P2 to the pressure receiving space R are opened to the atmosphere and the lock mechanism 60 is held in the locked state, the switching valve 75
Is switched to close the pipe 71 by the force of the spring 75b, and the pressure receiving chamber S of the height adjusting cylinder 30 is closed.

Next, the operation of the height adjusting cylinder 30 according to the present embodiment will be described in accordance with the movement of the carriage 20. First, when the trolley 20 on which the engine w is mounted moves to a predetermined position, the synchronous cylinder 29 attached to the support gantry 28 (see FIG. 5B) operates, and the trolley 20 and the support gantry 28 Concatenate. As a result, the support base 28 moves together with the carriage 20. Next, the support base 2
8 operates, and the nozzles N1 and N2 of the external connector 26 are connected to the connection holes P of the connector 24 of the truck 20.
1, P2.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 1, the compressed air is supplied to the inlet port P2 of the height adjusting cylinder 30 through the nozzle N2, the connection hole P2, and the pipe 72.
Then, the air pressure of the compressed air flows from the inlet port P2 to the through hole 46k of the guide rod 46, the upper part of the guide hole 51,
It is applied to the pressure receiving space R of the lock mechanism 60 via the gap 55x, the horizontal through hole 55t, and the gap 55y. As a result, the locked state of the lock mechanism 60 is released.

When air pressure is applied to the inlet port P2, the switching valve 75 is switched to open the pipe 71 by the air pressure, and the connection hole P1 and the pressure receiving chamber S of the height adjusting cylinder 30 are communicated ( (See FIG. 1). Thereby, the compressed air is supplied to the inlet port P1 of the height adjusting cylinder 30 via the nozzle N1, the connection hole P1, and the pipe 72. Then, the air pressure of the compressed air is applied from the inlet port P1 to the pressure receiving chamber S, and the piston 50 rises to a height corresponding to the air pressure.

When the engine w is held at a predetermined height by raising the piston portion 50 in this manner, the air from the nozzle N2, the connection hole P2, and the pipe 72 to the pressure receiving space R of the lock mechanism 60 is increased. The passage is opened to the atmosphere, and the lock mechanism 60 is kept in a locked state. Thus, the piston portion 50 of the height adjusting cylinder 30 is held at the stop position. Further, since the inside of the pipe 72 is opened to the atmosphere, the switching valve 75 is switched to close the pipe 71 by the force of the spring 75b, and the pressure receiving chamber S of the height adjusting cylinder 30 is closed.

In this way, the height adjusting cylinder 30
When the engine w is held at a predetermined height by the
In the process where 0 moves to a predetermined position, parts are assembled to the engine w. When the truck 20 reaches a predetermined position, the external connector 26 is disconnected from the connector 24 of the truck 20 by the connecting cylinder 27, and the connection between the truck 20 and the supporting frame 28 is released by the synchronous cylinder 29. Is returned to the original position by the rodless cylinder 25.

As described above, according to the height adjusting cylinder 30 according to the present embodiment, since the lock mechanism 60 operates with the piston 50 stopped, the piston 5
0 is held at the stop position in the cylinder section 40. For this reason, when the heavy engine w is moved up and down, the height adjusting cylinder 30 is stopped suddenly, and no bouncing or the like occurs. Further, it is possible to prevent the engine w from lowering due to a natural leak of air. Further, since the lock mechanism 60 is mounted on the piston 50, the lock mechanism 60 does not hinder the movement of the piston 50 when the piston 50 moves. Therefore, even if the lock mechanism 60 is provided, the cylinder length of the height adjusting cylinder 30 does not increase by the length of the lock mechanism 60 as in the related art. Therefore, the engine w can be positioned from a position as low as possible.

Further, air pressure may be applied to the brake piston 64 of the lock mechanism 60 from outside the height adjusting cylinder 30 through the through hole 46k of the guide rod 46, the guide hole 51, the gap 55x, and the gas passages 55t and 55y. it can. That is, air pressure can be reliably applied to the lock mechanism 60 that moves together with the piston portion 50 from outside the height adjustment cylinder 30, and the lock mechanism 60 can be reliably controlled from outside the height adjustment cylinder 30. Become. Further, since a movable pipe or the like for applying air pressure to the lock mechanism 60 is not required, the air supply mechanism can be simplified.

[0033]

According to the present invention, even if the lock mechanism is provided, the cylinder length of the position adjusting cylinder does not become longer by the length of the lock mechanism as in the prior art. The work can be positioned from a position as low as possible when installed, and a large installation space is not required even when installed horizontally.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a piping connection diagram of a work position adjusting cylinder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an overall longitudinal sectional view of a work position adjusting cylinder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an overall longitudinal sectional view of a work position adjusting cylinder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of a lock mechanism of a work position adjusting cylinder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a bogie provided with a work position adjusting cylinder according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an overall view of an engine assembly line.

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a conventional work position adjusting cylinder.

[Explanation of symbols]

 w Engine (work) 20 cart 40 cylinder part 46 guide rod 46k through hole 50 piston part 51 guide hole 55x gap 55t lateral through hole (gas passage) 55y gap (gas passage) 60 lock mechanism 64 brake piston (pressure receiving member)

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Hidehito Takahashi 4-2-2 Kinudai, Yawahara-mura, Tsukuba-gun, Ibaraki SMC Corporation (72) Inventor Masayuki Kudo 4-2-2 Kinudai, Yawahara-mura, Tsukuba-gun, Ibaraki SMC Corporation

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A work position adjusting cylinder for moving a work by gas pressure and holding the work at a predetermined position, wherein the cylinder is positioned in an axial direction of a cylinder portion and an inner side of the cylinder portion.
A guide rod, one side of which is fixed to a wall of the cylinder portion, a piston portion having a guide hole in which the guide rod is stored in the axial direction, and moving within the cylinder portion under the pressure of gas, A position adjusting cylinder for a workpiece, comprising: a lock mechanism mounted on the piston portion and holding the piston portion in a state in which the piston portion cannot move relative to the guide rod. 2. The work position adjusting cylinder according to claim 1, wherein the pressure adjusting member is provided on the lock mechanism, and is configured to release a locked state of the lock mechanism when a predetermined pressure is applied. A through hole formed in the axial direction of the guide rod and communicating with the outside of the cylinder portion; a gap formed in a sliding portion between the guide rod and the guide hole; and a guide formed in the piston portion. A position adjusting cylinder for a workpiece, comprising: a gas passage for guiding gas guided through a through hole, a guide hole, and a gap of a rod to a pressure receiving member of the lock mechanism.