JPS60109652A - Device for transmitting motion and altering direction of motion - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify a transmitting device and as well to make it possible to lead rectilinear motion in an arbitrary direction, by utilizing belt-like thin plates made of resilient materials to constitute a transmitting means which is bendable at an arbitrary angle. CONSTITUTION:The intermediate section of a transmitting shaft 2 having one end coupled to a hydraulic cylinder 1, bendable in the direction orthogonal to the motion of the hydraulic cylinder 1, is bent and guided along a guide passage by means of a pair of guide members 31, and therefore, a substance W is transferred. The transmitting shaft 2 is so bent that belt-like thin plates S such as, for example, spring materials, having a resiliency are arcuately curved crosswise thereof, these plates being laminated one upon another.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a device that transmits linear motion such as feed motion while converting the direction thereof.

Since a flexible transmission means such as a rope can be used for the pulling motion, changing the direction of the motion is relatively easy.

However, since linear motion such as feeding motion requires the transmission means to have a certain degree of rigidity in the feeding direction, various conversion mechanisms have generally been proposed.

Among other things, link mechanisms have become widely used because they have advantages such as lower friction loss than other mechanisms, but the link types and their combinations tend to be complicated and require a relatively large installation space. This method has the disadvantage that it requires the following, and in particular, there is a limit to the range of conversion of the direction of movement.

The present invention has been made in view of the insufficiency of the conventional movement direction changing mechanism, particularly the fact that there is a limit to direction changing. We focused on the fact that when it is straightened, straightness retention appears in the longitudinal direction.

The purpose is to provide an innovative motion direction conversion transmission device by laminating these materials and using a transmission means that can be bent at any angle while having the necessary rigidity for movement in the feeding direction.

The following five aspects of the present invention will be explained based on the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view for explaining the principle of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view thereof. That is, one end of a transmission shaft 2 which can be bent orthogonally to the direction of movement is connected to a hydraulic cylinder 1 as a linear motion drive source, and a pair of guide members 31
- The intermediate part of the transmission shaft 2 is bent and guided along the guide path by the guide means 3 consisting of 31, thereby guiding the other end of the transmission shaft 2 to a predetermined working position and moving the object W. ing.

The transmission shaft 2 is constructed by laminating a predetermined number of elastic band-shaped thin plates S, such as spring materials, which are curved in an arc shape toward the center (see FIG. 3). Therefore, the transmission shaft 2 has a predetermined rigidity required as a transmission shaft in the longitudinal direction due to the straight-line retention properties of the arc-shaped cross section of the thin strip S that constitutes it. Since the thin plate S does not lose its flexibility, it can be bent, and when the bending force is released due to the elasticity of the strip-shaped thin plate S, it has the property of returning to its original shape and forming a straight line. Therefore.

When such a transmission shaft 2 is used, the direction of movement can be changed to an arbitrary direction using a guide means 3 that slides in contact with the intermediate portion of the shaft, as shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a specific example in which the direction change transmission device according to the present invention is applied to a pallet exchange device T. Such a pallet changing device attaches a predetermined workpiece on a pallet P, pulls the pallet P in at the IN position, and transfers the pallet P to the cylinder Ilc.
The pallet table C'2 is drawn into the pallet table C'2, a predetermined machining process is completed while the pallet table C'2 is sequentially circulated, and the pallet is sent out of the apparatus T at the OUT position. As can be seen from the drawings, the pallet changing device does not have any space in the direction in which the pallets P are sent out.

Since the feeding distance Mltp is very long, a normal feeding mechanism cannot be used. Therefore, the feeding direction conversion and transmission device according to the present invention is used as the feeding device. That is, the direction of the feed movement from a drive source (9), not shown, is taken to be horizontal or vertical as shown, and the pallet P is sent out of the apparatus T by changing the direction at right angles by the guide means 3.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the guide means 3 includes a convex roller row 32 on the bent side and a concave roller row 32 on the opposite side of the guide path through which the transmission shaft 2 passes. , transmission shaft 2
A chain 35 is arranged on the side surface of the transmission shaft 2 and meshed with a sprocket 34 driven by a drive shaft 33.

Forcibly pass through the guide path to ensure that the transmission shaft 2
It is preferable that the guide means 3 be bent when the guide means 3 is in the horizontal position so that the feeding direction can be changed.

Of course, as shown in FIG. 8, a convex roller array 32 is arranged on one side of the guide path, for example, on the bent side of the transmission shaft 2, and a sliding contact member 31 is arranged on the other side as in FIG. It's okay.

Further, a rank and pinion mechanism or the like may be used as the forced feeding means.

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention.

A driving node of a linkage device with one bendable transmission shaft,
Since it can function as both an intermediate node and a driven node, it not only simplifies the transmission mechanism, but also allows linear motion to be guided in any direction, making it very useful as a motion transmission device that does not require installation space.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above specific examples, and can be modified without changing the gist thereof.

For example, in the specific example, the feed motion was explained.

As long as it is a linear motion, there is no problem even if it is a reciprocating motion.

Further, the direction change is not limited to one time, but it is also possible to change the direction by 180° in a U-shape using two or more guide means as shown in Fig. 9a, or as shown in Fig. 9S. It is also possible to branch the transmission shaft to the left and right to change the transmission direction in various ways. in this way.

The present invention is epoch-making in that it enables a transmission mode that could not be considered with conventional mechanical movement direction changing means.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 are a plan view and a side view for explaining the principle of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a strip-shaped thin plate S, and FIG. 4 is a specific example in which the present invention is applied to a bullet converting device. 5 is a plan view showing the internal structure of the main part, FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line vi-v' in FIG. 5, and FIG.
FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the internal structure of another specific example. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing another movement direction change. ] 1-driving source, 2-transmission shaft, 3-guiding means. Patent Applicant Tsudakoma Kogyo Co., Ltd. Representative Patent Attorney Konihi Toyo” Figure 6 Figure 8 (al (b)

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In a device that transmits linear motion from a fixed drive source 1 to a working position located at an arbitrary angle relative to the drive source 1. As a transmission means, a strip-shaped thin plate S made of an elastic material is curved in an arc shape toward the center thereof. And using a transmission shaft 2 which is made by laminating a predetermined number of them and has rigidity in the longitudinal direction and can be bent orthogonally to the longitudinal direction,
One end of the transmission shaft 2 is connected to the drive source 1, and the transmission shaft 2 is connected to the drive source 1 through a guide means 3 that guides the transmission shaft 2 by bending its intermediate portion at a predetermined angle.
1. A feed motion direction conversion and transmission device, characterized in that the other end is guided to a predetermined working position. ■ A guide roller 32 or 32° where the guide means 3 rolls in sliding contact with at least one of the upper and lower surfaces of the transmission shaft 2.
2. The device according to item 0, further comprising a driving means 33 for forcibly feeding out the bent portion of the transmission shaft 2.