JPS6142695Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The present invention relates to a clamping device for holding and fixing a given object in a predetermined position when processing the object, and in particular, it relates to a clamping device for holding and fixing a predetermined object in a predetermined position. The present invention relates to a clamping device that clamps an object by rotating the object, and which allows the object to be easily attached to and removed from a clamping position.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, so-called clamping devices have been known that position and fix a sheet metal part or the like to a predetermined position as a target object to be subjected to processing such as welding or press working.

This type of device has a fixed clamp member with a fixed clamp surface and a support member in the middle because its structure is simple and can be manufactured at relatively low cost, and it does not require much installation space. A movable clamp member is rotatably supported, has a movable clamping surface cooperating with the fixed clamping surface at one end, and has a movable member connected to the other end so as to be relatively rotatable. a movable member is rotated forward by the forward motion of the movable member to clamp an object between the movable member and the fixed member, and is rotated backward by the backward motion of the movable member to clamp the object between the movable member and the fixed member; Many products have been adopted that are designed to release

However, in the conventional clamp device as described above, the support member that rotatably supports the movable clamp member is provided in a fixed position with respect to the fixed clamp member, so that the movable clamp member does not move in the unclamped state. There is a drawback that the posture becomes a hindrance to loading/unloading of the object with respect to the fixed clamp member (for example, when the fixed member is provided facing upward, the posture stands higher than the fixed member).

The present invention was developed against this background, and its purpose is to improve the loading of an object onto the fixed clamp member in a clamp device including the fixed clamp member and the movable clamp member as described above. /An object of the present invention is to provide a clamping device that facilitates unloading work.

The gist of the present invention is that, in the above-mentioned clamp device, the supporting member is movable in a direction substantially parallel to the moving direction of the movable member, and the supporting member is moved in the forward direction of the movable member by a spring. and transmits the backward movement of the moving member to the supporting member to resist the urging force of the spring between the supporting member and the moving member at least in the final stage of the moving member's retreating process. and a mechanical interlocking device for moving the movable clamp member in substantially the same direction as the movable member, the movable clamp surface of the movable clamp member being moved by the forward movement component of the movable member as the movable clamp member rotates back. The movable clamp member is not only removed from the position facing the fixed clamp surface due to a motion component in a direction away from and perpendicular to the fixed clamp surface, but also so that the entire movable clamp member is retracted substantially in the retraction direction of the movable member. It's what I did.

In a clamping device having such a configuration, the movable clamp is moved in accordance with the backward movement of the moving member by cooperation between a spring that biases the supporting member and a mechanical interlocking device that transmits the backward movement of the moving member to the supporting member. Not only is the member rotated back, but the movable clamp member is moved in substantially the same direction as the retracting direction of the movable member at least in the final stage of the retracting process, so that the movable clamp in the unclamped state The member will be retracted to a position where interference with the object can be easily avoided. Therefore, the loading/unloading work of the object becomes much easier than that of the conventional apparatus, and the work efficiency is significantly improved.

Further, in the present invention, since the support member is biased in the forward direction of the movable member by the spring, when the movable member is moved forward to clamp the object, the movable clamp member is automatically advanced to a predetermined position by the elastic force of the spring, and at least the final stage of the forward movement of the movable clamp member is performed in this position, and the movable clamping surface holds the object against the fixed clamping surface. This means that it can be clamped from almost perpendicular directions. That is, the simple configuration of the spring and the mechanical interlocking device facilitates the loading/unloading operation to the clamp position, and furthermore, the clamping/unclamping can be performed only by the forward/backward movement of the movable member. The advantages of the conventional device are maintained. Furthermore, the manufacturing cost of the device can be kept relatively low due to its simple configuration.

Hereinafter, two or three embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

First, FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the clamp device according to the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 2 denotes a clamp block fixed to the upper end of a base 4, which is a stationary member. Together with 4, it constitutes a fixed clamp stand 6. The clamping block 2 is provided with a horizontal fixed clamping surface 8 at its upper end and serves as a fixed clamping member.

On the other hand, reference numeral 10 denotes a clamp lever as a movable clamp member, which is composed of a longitudinal arm 12 and a clamp block 14 fixed to one end of the arm. Object 1 such as sheet metal parts jointly
A movable clamping surface 18 for clamping the arm 12 is formed, while a first connecting portion 20 protruding from the intermediate portion of the arm 12 is fixed to the upper end of a main shaft 22 serving as a supporting member. In a second connecting portion 26 rotatably supported by the main shaft connecting portion 24 and formed at the end of the arm 12 opposite to the clamp block 14,
A rod connecting portion 3 is fixed to the upper end of a piston rod 30 as a moving member via a link 28.
2 for relative rotation. Main shaft 2 above
2 and the piston rod 30 are provided parallel to each other in the vertical direction, and each is movable in its longitudinal direction.

That is, a bracket 36 and a cylinder 38 having a through hole 34 are fixed to the lower part of the base 4, and the main shaft 22 passes through the through hole 34 on the side near the lower end thereof, and the main shaft 22 passes through the through hole 34 on the side near the lower end thereof. The piston rod 30, together with the piston 41 and the cylinder 38, constitutes an air cylinder 42.

An engagement plate 46 that constitutes a mechanical interlocking mechanism together with an engagement plate 44 (to be described later) is fixed to the lower end of the rod connecting portion 32 that is fixed to the piston rod 30. The main shaft 22 passes through it. In the clamped state, the engagement plate 44 is fixed by a screw 50 so as to be located a predetermined distance below the engagement plate 46 of the main shaft 22, and between the engagement plate 44 and the bracket 36 and A first compression spring 52 and a second compression spring 54 are provided between the engagement plate 46 and the main shaft connecting portion 24, respectively, to constantly bias the main shaft 22 upward. Note that the main shaft adjustment nut 58 attached to the threaded portion 56 at the lower end of the main shaft 22 is for regulating the final upward movement position of the main shaft 22, and by providing such a device, It can be used for objects with different thicknesses. Furthermore, ports 62 provided in the pressure chambers on both sides of the air cylinder 42 separated by the piston 41 are each connected to an air supply device (not shown).

Next, the operation of the clamp device having the above configuration will be explained.

First, in the clamped state shown by the solid line in FIG.
0 is controlled to advance upward, while the main shaft 22 is raised by the urging force of the compression springs 52 and 54 to a position where it is regulated by the main shaft adjustment nut 58.

When an unclamping command is issued from a control device (not shown) in such a clamped state, air is supplied to the rod side pressure chamber and the piston rod 30 of the air cylinder 42 is retracted downward. In the initial stage of this unclamping operation, the piston rod 3 is moved from the position shown by the solid line to the position shown by the imaginary line in FIG.
0 is being retracted, the backward movement of the piston rod 30 is not transmitted to the main shaft 22, so the main shaft 22 is still stopped at the solid line position by the biasing forces of the compression springs 52 and 54, and only the clamp lever 10 is It will be rotated around the center of rotation to the position shown by the imaginary line. That is, the movable clamp surface 18 of the clamp block 14 is moved to the fixed clamp surface by a motion component in the direction opposite to the retracting direction of the piston rod 30 as the clamp lever 10 rotates back (in this case, clockwise). 8 and moves to a position away from the fixed clamping surface 8 to the right due to a rightward motion component perpendicular to this movement.

When the piston rod 30 is further retreated from the position shown by the imaginary line in FIG. In order to push this down against the urging force of the compression spring 52, the main shaft 22 is moved downward at the same speed as the retraction speed of the piston rod 30. That is, the clamp lever 10
is the first with respect to the piston rod 30 and the main shaft 22.
The upper end of the clamp lever 10 is moved downward at the same speed while maintaining the relative positional relationship shown by the imaginary lines in the figure, and in the final stage of the unclamping operation, the upper end of the clamp lever 10 as shown in FIG. is retracted to a position equal to or lower than the fixed clamp surface 8. In such a state, the work of unloading the object 16 in the lateral direction and the subsequent loading work can be performed without fear of interference with the clamp lever 10, making this work easier.

Next, the transition from the retracted state shown in FIG. 2 to the clamped state shown by the solid line in FIG. 1 will be explained. Even if the piston rod 30 of the air cylinder 42 is moved upward by the clamp command, the main shaft 22 will continue to move upward together with the piston rod 30 due to the urging force of the compression springs 52 and 54 until it reaches the position shown by the imaginary line in FIG. Since the piston rod 30 is moved forward, the piston rod 30, the main shaft 22, and the clamp lever 10 rise while maintaining the same relative relationship.

However, if the piston rod 30 is moved further forward thereafter, the forward movement of the main shaft 22 is prevented by the stopper effect of the main shaft adjustment nut 58, so that the clamp lever 10 moves the main shaft 22 as shown by the solid line in FIG. At this position, it will be rotated counterclockwise around the center of rotation,
The movable clamping surface 18 clamps the object 16 from a direction perpendicular to the fixed clamping surface 8, ultimately resulting in the clamped state shown in solid lines in FIG.

In this embodiment, since two springs 52 and 54 are used to bias the main shaft 22, the biasing force of the main shaft 22 is equal to that of both springs 5.
Although it is the sum of the elastic forces of springs 2 and 54, the air cylinder 42 only needs to always move against the elastic force of one of the springs, which has the advantage of requiring a small air cylinder. It is also possible to use only one spring 52 or 54.

Next, other embodiments of the present invention will be explained based on FIGS. 3 and 4. Components having the same functions as those in the above embodiments will be denoted by the same reference numerals to indicate correspondence, and explanations will be omitted. do.

As is clear from FIGS. 3 and 4, the clamp device of this embodiment has two main shafts 22 arranged in such a positional relationship that the piston rod 30 is located at the apex of an isosceles triangle. has been done.
An engaging member 64 straddles these two main shafts 22.
An engaging plate 66 is provided at the upper end of the rod connecting portion 32 of the piston rod 30 and extends toward the intermediate portion of the two main shafts 22, and at the lower end of the rod connecting portion 32. A spring press plate 68 is provided which extends parallel to the engagement plate 66 in the same direction.

The engaging member 64 consists of a pair of flange parts 70 fixed to the main shaft 22 and a U-shaped spring accommodating part 72 that hangs downward in the middle thereof.
The front end of a guide rod 76 extending upward from the bottom 74 of the spring accommodating portion 72 is inserted into a hole 78 formed in the spring holding plate 68. Further, a first compression spring 80 is disposed between the spring holding plate 68 and the bottom portion 74 of the spring accommodating portion 72 and is guided by the guide rod 76. Second compression springs 82 are disposed between the engagement members 64 and the flange portions 70, respectively. The elastic force of the first compression spring 80 is set to be slightly smaller than the sum of the elastic forces of the two second compression springs 82 when the clamp lever 10 is in the clamped state shown by the solid line in FIG. and both compression springs 80 and 82.
The elastic modulus of is set so that the ratio of the moving distance of the piston rod 30 to that of the main shaft 22 is 2:1.

Next, the operation will be explained.

When an unclamp command is issued in the clamped state shown by the solid line in FIG. 3, the piston rod 30 is moved backward (downward) while the main shaft 22 is held in the forward (raised) position by the second compression spring 82. , the first compression spring 80 is compressed by the spring retaining plate 68. the result,
The clamp lever 10 is rotated by a small angle as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. The sum of the elastic forces of the two second compression springs 82 becomes equal.

After that, when the piston rod 30 is further retreated, the spring retaining plate 68 is moved to the first compression spring 8.
0, the piston rod 30 is moved so that the engaging member 64, that is, the main shaft 22, has the same elastic force as the first compression spring 80 and the two second compression springs 82. Moves downward at 1/2 the speed. That is, the clamp lever 10 as a whole is retracted downward at 1/2 the speed of the piston rod 30, and is rotated back around the center of rotation at the remaining moving speed of the piston rod 30. . Note that at this time, the movable clamp surface 18 of the clamp lever 10 is closer to the movable clamp surface 1 than the distance from the first connecting portion 20 to the second connecting portion 26.
Since the distance to 8 is slightly larger, it is moved to the right while gradually moving away upward from the fixed clamp surface 8.

Then, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 5, the engagement plate 66 fixed to the piston rod 30 comes into contact with the flange portion 70 of the engagement member 64, and the movable clamp surface 18 moves to the right from the fixed clamp surface 8. After the main shaft 22 is released, the piston rod 30
This allows the robot to move backward at the same speed as the speed at which it is retreating, and finally to the position shown by the imaginary line in FIG. Note that during this period, the clamp lever 10 is held in a fixed position relative to the piston rod 30 and the main shaft 22.

When a clamp command is issued after the object 16 has been unloaded and loaded in the retracted state shown by the imaginary line in FIG. It is raised at the same speed as the piston rod 30 by the biasing force of the second compression spring 82.
After reaching the position shown by the solid line in FIG. The clamp lever 10 finally clamps the object 16 newly set between it and the clamp block 2 in the clamping state shown by the solid line in FIG. 3.

As described above, in the clamp device of this embodiment, the main shaft 22 is moved forward simultaneously with the forward rotation of the clamp lever 10, and the main shaft 22 is moved backward simultaneously with the backward rotation of the clamp lever 10. This has the advantage that the space above the clamp lever 10 is narrower than the clamp device described above.

In this embodiment, the speed ratio when the main shaft 22 and the piston rod 30 move relative to each other is set to 1.
Although it is set as pair 2, it is not limited to this, and it is of course possible to set other relative speed relationships. Furthermore, even if not all parts of the clamp lever 10 are necessarily retracted below the fixed clamp surface 8, it is sufficient that the clamp lever 10 can be retracted to an extent that does not impede loading/unloading of the object 16.

Furthermore, in the two embodiments described above, the fixed clamping member is a single component, namely the clamping block 2.
Although the movable clamp member was constructed from two components, namely the arm 12 and the clamp block 14, the number and shape of these components can be changed arbitrarily depending on the surrounding circumstances. In addition to intervening the link 12 as a relatively rotatable connection means between the lever lever 10 and the piston rod 30, an elongated hole is formed in the arm 12, and a pin or the like that can slide in the elongated hole is interposed. Other methods can also be adopted. Furthermore,
The arm 12 and the piston rod 30 are directly connected rotatably, and the bracket 36 that slidably holds the main shaft 22 and the air cylinder 42 are not fixed, but one of them can be rotated relative to the other. You may also attach it. Furthermore, the moving member and the drive device for moving the moving member can also be changed into various shapes and structures.

Furthermore, clamping an object does not mean simply clamping the object between a fixed clamp surface and a movable clamp surface in order to fix the object, but also involves performing some processing on the object during the clamping process such as hemming. It also refers to the case of applying some kind of processing in a pinched state such as spot welding.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and can be implemented with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention. .

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a clamping state of an embodiment of the clamping device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a retracted state which is the final stage of the unclamping operation. 3 is a diagram showing a clamping state of another embodiment of the clamping device according to the present invention, FIG. 4 is a view in the direction of arrows, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a retracted state of the device shown in FIG. FIG. 2: Clamp block (fixed clamp member),
6: Fixed clamp base, 8: Fixed clamp surface, 1
0: Clamp lever (movable clamp member), 1
8: Movable clamp surface, 22: Main shaft, 28: Link, 30: Piston rod, 34: Through hole, 3
6: Bracket, 38: Cylinder, 42: Air cylinder, 44, 46, 66: Engagement plate, 52, 8
0: first compression spring, 54, 82: second compression spring, 58: main shaft adjustment nut, 64:
Engagement member, 68: Spring holding plate, 70: Flange portion, 72: Spring housing portion, 76: Guide rod.

Claims (1)

[Scope of claim for utility model registration] A fixed clamp member having a fixed clamp surface,
The intermediate part is rotatably supported by a support member, and one end has a movable clamp surface cooperating with the fixed clamp surface, and the movable member connected to the other end so as to be relatively rotatable is moved forward. and a movable clamp member which is rotated forward to clamp an object between the fixed clamp member and which is rotated back and released by retraction of the movable member. , the support member is movable in a direction substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the movable member, is biased in the forward direction of the movable member by a spring, and has a space between the support member and the movable member; mechanical interlocking that transmits the backward motion of the moving member to the support member and moves it in substantially the same direction as the moving member against the biasing force of the spring at least in the final stage of the moving member's retreating process; An apparatus is provided in which the movable clamping surface is moved away from the fixed clamping surface by a component of movement in the forward direction of the movable member upon return rotation of the movable clamping member and by a component of movement in a direction perpendicular thereto. A clamp device characterized in that the movable clamp member is not only removed from a position facing a fixed clamp surface, but also the entire movable clamp member is retracted substantially in the retreating direction of the movable member.