WO2024062834A1

WO2024062834A1 - Bending machine

Info

Publication number: WO2024062834A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/030509
Authority: WO
Inventors: 英人山田
Original assignee: 株式会社アマダ
Priority date: 2022-09-21
Filing date: 2023-08-24
Publication date: 2024-03-28
Also published as: JP2024044552A

Abstract

A bending machine (1) comprises: a lower table (12) including a lower die holder (18); an upper table (14) which includes an upper die holder (20) and which moves vertically relative to the lower table (12); a shutter (24) for opening and closing a target region from a lower side of the upper table (14) including the upper die holder (20) to an upper side of the lower table (12) including the lower die holder (18); a shutter drive mechanism (28) for moving the shutter (24) in opening and closing directions; and a detecting unit (30) which is provided on a lower edge portion of the shutter (24) when the shutter (24) moves in the closing direction, for detecting interference between the shutter (24) and an object.

Description

bending machine

The present disclosure relates to a bending machine.

For bending machines such as press brakes, there is a known technology in which an automatic die exchange device automatically exchanges the die using a device. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a press brake that includes a shutter that moves vertically on the front side of an upper table. According to this shutter, when the automatic die exchange device is performing a die exchange operation, it is possible to restrict entry of objects into the target area where the die is to be exchanged.

It is necessary to open and close the shutter every time the mold is replaced, so manually opening and closing the shutter places a heavy burden on the operator. Therefore, it is desired to automate the opening and closing of the shutter.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-22645

When automating the opening and closing of the shutter, especially when automating the closing operation, consideration must be given to prevent the shutter from interfering with objects. Bending machines are equipped with optical safety devices to detect interference between the mold and objects other than the workpiece during bending. However, since the shutter is located in front of the table on which the mold is mounted, it is difficult to monitor the area around the shutter with safety equipment. That is, in order to automate the closing operation of the shutter, specifications that take into account interference between the shutter and the object are required.

One aspect of the present disclosure is a bending machine that includes a lower table having a lower die holder to which a lower die can be attached in the left-right direction, an upper table having an upper die holder to which an upper die can be attached so as to face the lower die and that moves up and down relative to the lower table, a shutter that opens and closes a target area from the underside of the upper table including the upper die holder to the upper side of the lower table including the lower die holder, a shutter drive mechanism that moves the shutter in opening and closing directions that include an opening direction that opens the target area and a closing direction that blocks the target area, and a detection unit that is provided on the edge of the tip side of the shutter when the shutter moves in the closing direction and detects interference between the shutter and an object.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a detection unit that detects interference with an object is provided at the edge on the tip side of the shutter. Thereby, even when the shutter closes automatically, interference between the shutter and an object can be appropriately detected.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, since interference between the shutter and an object can be detected, specifications useful for automatic closing of the shutter can be provided.

FIG. 1 is a front view schematically showing the configuration of a bending machine according to the present embodiment, and is a diagram showing a state in which the shutter is open. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of the bending machine according to this embodiment, illustrating a state in which the shutter is closed. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the main parts of the shutter. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the main parts and detection unit of the shutter when the shutter is viewed from the rear side. FIG. 5A is a diagram illustrating the detection unit. FIG. 5B is a diagram illustrating the detection unit. FIG. 6A is a diagram illustrating the main parts of the center guide member. FIG. 6B is a diagram illustrating the main parts of the side guide member. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example of the shutter.

Hereinafter, a bending machine according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view schematically showing the configuration of a bending machine according to the present embodiment, and is a diagram showing a state in which the shutter is open. FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing the configuration of the bending machine according to the present embodiment, with the shutter closed. In the following description, the left-right direction, front-back direction, and up-down direction are used as definitions of directions. The left-right direction and the front-back direction correspond to two directions perpendicular to each other in the horizontal direction, and the up-down direction corresponds to the vertical direction. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the front side of the page corresponds to the front direction, and the back side of the page corresponds to the rear direction. However, these directions are only used for convenience in explaining the configuration of the bending machine.

The bending machine 1 includes a lower table 12 having a lower mold holder 18 to which a lower mold 2 can be mounted along the left-right direction, and an upper mold 4 to which the upper mold 4 can be mounted so as to face the lower mold 2. An upper table 14 that includes an upper mold holder 20 and moves vertically relative to the lower table 12; and a lower table 12 that includes a lower mold holder 18 from below the upper table 14 that includes the upper mold holder 20. A shutter 24 that opens and closes the target area up to the upper side, a shutter drive mechanism 28 that moves the shutter 24 in the vertical direction including the upper direction that opens the target area and the lower direction that blocks the target area, and A detection unit 30 is provided at the lower edge 24b of the shutter 24 when moving in the direction, and detects interference between the shutter 24 and an object.

Next, details of the bending machine 1 will be explained. The bending machine 1 is, for example, a press brake, and is a processing machine that performs a bending process on a plate-shaped work W such as a sheet metal by cooperation of a lower mold 2 and an upper mold 4.

The bending machine 1 includes a pair of side plates 10, a lower table 12, an upper table 14, and a table drive mechanism 16.

The pair of side plates 10 are spaced apart in the left-right direction. A lower table 12 extending in the left-right direction is provided at the lower part of the pair of side plates 10, and an upper table 14 extending in the left-right direction is provided at the upper part of the pair of side plates 10. The upper table 14 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction. A table drive mechanism 16 is provided above each side plate 10 to move the upper table 14 in the vertical direction. The table drive mechanism 16 is, for example, a hydraulic cylinder, but may also be a servo motor. The upper table 14 only needs to be movable relative to the lower table 12, and the bending machine 1 is configured to move the lower table 12 in the vertical direction while the upper table 14 is fixed. It's okay.

A lower mold holder 18 that removably holds a lower mold 2 such as a die is provided above the lower table 12. A holder groove for inserting the shank portion (base portion) of the lower mold 2 is formed in the lower mold holder 18 along the left-right direction. The lower mold holder 18 has a clamp mechanism for fixing the lower mold 2.

An upper die holder 20 is provided below the upper table 14 to detachably hold an upper die 4 such as a punch. The upper die holder 20 has a holder groove formed along the left-right direction into which the shank portion (base portion) of the upper die 4 is inserted. The upper die holder 20 has a clamp mechanism for fixing the upper die 4.

A die storage device 6 is provided adjacent to the right side of the bending machine 1. The die storage device 6 has an apparatus housing 60 for storing a plurality of lower dies 2 and a plurality of upper dies 4. An opening is provided on the front of the apparatus housing 60, and a door 61 that can be opened and closed is provided at the opening.

The mold storage device 6 has a plurality of lower mold stockers that hold one or more lower molds 2, and the plurality of lower mold stockers are lined up in the front-rear direction. The mold storage device 6 has a lower mold station that is movable in the vertical and longitudinal directions. The lower mold station selects any lower mold stocker from among the plurality of lower mold stockers and moves the selected lower mold stocker in the vertical and front-back directions to a predetermined lower mold exchange position. Can be positioned. The lower mold exchange position is set at a position adjacent to the right side of the lower mold holder 18.

Furthermore, the mold storage device 6 includes a plurality of upper mold stockers that hold one or more upper molds 4, and an upper mold station that is movable in the vertical direction and the front-back direction. The configurations of the upper mold stocker and upper mold station are similar to those of the lower mold stocker and lower mold station.

As shown in FIG. 1, the bending machine 1 includes left and right lower

mold exchange units

55L, 55R, and left and right upper

mold exchange units

56L, 56R. Note that the lower

mold exchange units

55L, 55R, the left and right upper

mold exchange units

56L, 56R, and a lower guide 57 and an upper guide 58, which will be described later, are schematically illustrated only in FIG.

The left and right lower

mold exchange units

55L and 55R exchange the lower mold 2 between the lower mold holder 18 and the mold storage device 6. Specifically, the left and right lower

mold exchange units

55L, 55R move the lower mold 2 from the lower mold stocker positioned at the lower mold exchange position to the lower mold holder 18, and move the lower mold 2 to the lower mold holder 18. The positioning of the lower mold 2 is performed. The left and right lower

mold exchange units

55L and 55R are provided on the rear side of the lower table 12. A lower guide 57 extending in the left-right direction is provided on the rear side of the lower table 12. The individual lower

mold exchange units

55L, 55R can move in the left-right direction along the lower guide 57.

The configurations of the left and right upper

mold exchange units

56L, 56R, and the upper guide 58 are similar to the configurations of the left and right lower

mold exchange units

55L, 55R, and the lower guide 57 described above.

The bending machine 1 has a control device 100. The control device 100 is a device that controls the operation of the bending machine 1. The control device 100 is, for example, a computer such as an NC (Numerical Control) device. A computer is mainly composed of a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory, and various interfaces. Memory and various interfaces are connected to the hardware processor via a bus.

A predetermined computer program is installed on the computer. The computer executes a plurality of functions included in the control device 100 by the hardware processor executing the computer program.

One of the features of this embodiment is that the bending machine 1 includes an upper cover 22, a shutter 24, and a detection unit 30. The upper cover 22 and the shutter 24 are arranged on the front side of the upper table 14.

The upper cover 22 is located on the front side of the upper table 14. The upper cover 22 is a cover that covers the front side of the shutter 24 in the open position, which will be described later.

The shutter 24 is a plate-like member and has a rectangular shape that is long in the left-right direction when viewed from the front. The shutter 24 is provided with a transparent window portion 25 through which the target area behind the shutter 24 can be viewed.

The shutter 24 is attached to a fixedly disposed base plate (not shown) and is located on the front side of the upper table 14. The base plate is provided with a guide rail extending in the vertical direction, and the rear surface of the shutter 24 is provided with a guide that moves along the guide rail. The shutter 24 can be moved in the vertical direction by being guided by the guide rail.

The shutter 24 opens and closes a target area including from the lower side of the upper table 14 to the upper side of the lower table 12. This target area includes the area where the lower mold 2 and the upper mold 4 are exchanged by the left and right lower

mold exchange units

55L, 55R and the left and right upper

mold exchange units

56L, 56R, respectively. When replacing the lower mold 2 and the upper mold 4, the upper table 14 is at the highest position.

The shutter 24 reciprocates in the vertical direction between an open position located above and a closed position located below. When the shutter 24 is in the open position, the area of interest is open (see Figure 1). When the shutter 24 moves downward (closed direction) from the open position, the shutter 24 reaches the closed position. When the shutter 24 is in the closed position, the region of interest is occluded by the shutter 24. Further, the shutter 24 moves upward (opening direction) from the closed position and reaches the open position.

A shutter drive mechanism 28 that moves the shutter 24 in the vertical direction is provided on the base plate. The shutter drive mechanism 28 is, for example, a pneumatic cylinder. The shutter drive mechanism 28 is controlled by a control device 100. The control device 100 receives signals output from an upper end switch that detects that the shutter 24 has reached the open position, and a lower end switch that detects that the shutter 24 has reached the closed position.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the main parts of the shutter. A shielding plate 26 is provided at the left end of the shutter 24. This shielding plate 26 opens and closes a sensor opening 52a provided in a side guide 52, which is a casing that covers the left side of the bending machine 1, by moving up and down in conjunction with the shutter 24.

The bending machine 1 is equipped with an angle sensor unit (not shown) for detecting the bending angle of the workpiece W. The angle sensor unit is moved along a sensor guide 50 extending in the left-right direction by, for example, an electric actuator such as a servo motor. When not in use, the angle sensor unit is housed within the side guide 52. During use, the angle sensor unit can freely move on the sensor guide 50 by passing through the sensor opening 52a provided in the side guide 52. Note that, in FIG. 1, the illustration of the sensor guide 50 is omitted.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the main parts of the shutter and the detection unit when the shutter is viewed from the rear side. The detection unit 30 detects interference between the shutter 24 and an object. The detection unit 30 is provided at a lower edge (hereinafter referred to as "shutter lower edge") 24b of the upper edge 24a and lower edge 24b of the shutter 24. That is, the detection unit 30 is provided at the edge on the tip side of the shutter 24 when the shutter 24 moves downward.

The detection unit 30 includes a detection frame 32, a plurality of

guide members

34a and 34b, and a pair of

detection bodies

36 and 38. As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, seven guide members are illustrated as the plurality of

guide members

34a and 34b.

The detection frame 32 is arranged at the lower edge 24b of the shutter. The detection frame 32 extends along the shutter lower edge 24b and is provided over the entire area of the shutter lower edge 24b. The detection frame 32 is suspended from a mounting base 27 fixed to the lower side of the shutter 24 via

guide members

34a and 34b. The lower edge 32a of the detection frame 32 is located below the shutter lower edge 24b. That is, when the shutter 24 is moving downward, the detection frame 32 interferes with the object before the shutter lower edge 24b. Thereby, when an object exists in the target area, the object can be appropriately detected.

The above-mentioned shielding plate 26 is fixed to the detection frame 32. In addition to the function of opening and closing the sensor opening 52a of the side guide 52, the shielding plate 26 also has the function of detecting interference between the shielding plate 26 and an object present in the sensor opening 52a.

The plurality of

guide members

34a and 34b guide the vertical movement of the detection frame 32, and move the detection frame 32 relative to the shutter lower edge 24b. The plurality of

guide members

34a, 34b are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction. The guide member 34a is provided at the center of the detection frame 32 (hereinafter referred to as "center guide member 34a"). On the other hand, the guide members 34b are arranged at symmetrical positions that are line symmetrical about the guide member 34a (hereinafter referred to as "side guide members 34b"). In this embodiment, a total of three sets of left and right side guide members 34b located at symmetrical positions are arranged.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating the detection unit. FIG. 5A shows the state of the detection unit 30 during normal times, and FIG. 5B shows the state of the detection unit 30 when an object interferes. Since the center guide member 34a and the side guide members 34b have basically the same configuration, the following description will focus on the side guide members 34b.

The side guide member 34b includes a base portion 340, a shaft 342, a linear bush 344, a stopper 346, and a hinge pin 348.

The pedestal portion 340 is fixed to the lower edge 32a of the detection frame 32 with bolts or the like. The pedestal section 340 connects the lower end of the shaft 342 to the detection frame 32.

The shaft 342 is guided by a linear bush 344 and moves in the vertical direction. The linear bush 344 is fixed to the mounting base 27. Since the mounting base 27 is fixed to the shutter 24, the shaft 342 moves up and down relative to the shutter 24. Therefore, the detection frame 32 connected to the lower end of the shaft 342 also moves up and down relative to the shutter 24.

The shaft 342 is provided with a pressing member (not shown) such as a spring. The base portion 340 is pressed downward by a pressing member. Along with this, the detection frame 32 fixed to the pedestal section 340 is also pressed downward. Note that the detection frame 32 receives not only the pressing force from the pressing member but also a downward force due to its own weight.

FIG. 6A is a diagram explaining the main parts of the center guide member, and FIG. 6B is a diagram explaining the main parts of the side guide member. The base portion 340 is a box-shaped member with an upper surface, and the upper surface of the base portion 340 is provided with a shaft opening 340a into which the lower end of the shaft 342 is inserted. A round bar-shaped hinge pin 348 is inserted into the lower end of the shaft 342 so as to be perpendicular to the shaft 342. The hinge pin 348 supports the shaft 342 so that it can rotate.

Hinge openings

340b and 340c are provided in a pair of wall surfaces facing each other in the front and back that constitute the pedestal section 340, respectively. The hinge pin 348 is inserted through a pair of

hinge openings

340b and 340c, and both ends of the hinge pin 348 are supported by the pair of

hinge openings

340b and 340c.

As shown in FIG. 6A, in the case of the center guide member 34a, the pair of hinge openings 340b are formed in a circular shape along the outer shape of the round bar-shaped hinge pin 348. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6B, in the case of the side guide member 34b, the pair of hinge openings 340c are formed in an oval shape that is laterally elongated along the left-right direction.

As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the stopper 346 is provided at the upper end of the shaft 342. The stopper 346 prevents the shaft 342 from falling off the linear bush 344. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the detection frame 32 is also maintained at a constant position with respect to the shutter lower edge 24b.

As shown in FIG. 4, the pair of

detection bodies

36 and 38 are sensor units that detect the relative movement of the detection frame 32 with respect to the shutter lower edge 24b. The pair of

detection bodies

36 and 38 are arranged near the left and right ends of the shutter 24 and the detection frame 32, respectively, with the center of the shutter 24 and the detection frame 32 as the center.

As shown in Figures 5A and 5B, one of the detectors 36 is attached to the mounting base 27. The other detector 38 is attached to a stopper 346 that is integrated with the detector frame 32.

As shown in FIG. 5A, in the normal state of the detection unit 30, the pair of

detection bodies

36 and 38 are arranged so that the distance between them becomes a predetermined reference distance. When one sensing body 36 moves away from the other sensing body 38, the positional relationship between the pair of sensing

bodies

36, 38 changes, and thus the sensor signals output from the pair of sensing

bodies

36, 38 change. The control device 100 detects that the detection frame 32 has moved relative to the shutter lower edge 24b through a signal change in the sensor signal.

Hereinafter, the operations of the shutter 24 and the detection unit 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6B. First, as shown in FIG. 1, it is assumed that the shutter 24 is in the open position as an initial state. When the control device 100 determines the start of the mold exchange operation, the control device 100 controls the shutter drive mechanism 28 to move the shutter 24 downward. The control device 100 may determine whether to start a mold replacement operation based on an operation signal input in response to an operation from an operator, or may determine whether to start a mold replacement operation based on a predetermined trigger condition being met. The start of the exchange operation may be determined autonomously.

A detection unit 30 is provided at the lower edge 24b of the shutter. As shown in FIG. 5A, the detection frame 32 exists at the initial position under the weight of the detection frame 32 and the pressing force of the pressing member. At this time, the pair of

detection bodies

36 and 38 are located at a position separated by a reference distance.

On the other hand, when an object is present in the path of the shutter 24, the detection frame 32 of the detection unit 30 hits the object. The detection frame 32 receives a reaction force from the object, and moves upward from the initial position against its own weight and the pressing force of the pressing member. In other words, the detection frame 32 moves upward relative to the lower edge 24b of the shutter.

In conjunction with the upward movement of the detection frame 32, the shaft 342, the stopper 346, and the other detection body 38 also move upward in conjunction with each other. As the other detection body 38 moves away from the one detection body 36, the distance between the pair of

detection bodies

36, 38 becomes greater than the reference distance. This causes a change in the sensor signal output from the pair of

detection bodies

36, 38.

Furthermore, the shielding plate 26 is fixed to the detection frame 32. Therefore, when a foreign object is present in the sensor opening 52a of the side guide 52, the detection frame 32 moves up via the shielding plate 26. As a result, the sensor signals output from the pair of sensing

bodies

36 and 38 change.

Here, with reference to FIG. 4, the movement of the detection frame 32 when it interferes with an object will be explained. It is assumed that the interfering object is located at a position offset to the left or right from the center position of the detection frame 32. In this case, a reaction force from the object is applied to the left or right side of the detection frame 32. As shown in FIG. 6B, the pair of hinge openings 340c in the side guide member 34b are formed in an oval shape that is laterally elongated along the left-right direction. This oval shape allows the base portion 340 fixed to the detection frame 32 to move relative to the hinge pin 348 in the left-right direction. Thereby, the detection frame 32 can take an obliquely inclined posture such that the end on the side where the object is present rises. At this time, the sensor signals output from the pair of sensing

bodies

36 and 38 on the raised end side change. Since the pair of

detection bodies

36 and 38 are located at positions unevenly distributed to the left and right of the center position, they can react even to a slight inclination of the detection frame 32.

If the interfering object is unevenly distributed on either the left or right side, the reaction force applied from the object needs to be sufficiently large in order to raise the entire detection frame 32. On the other hand, according to the method of this embodiment, by tilting the detection frame 32 diagonally, it is possible to raise the end portion of the detection frame 32 even with a small force. Thereby, even in the case where the reaction force applied from the object is small, the detection frame 32 can smoothly move upward.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6A, the pair of hinge openings 340b in the center guide member 34a are formed in a circular shape along the outer shape of the hinge pin 348. Since the center guide member 34a exists at the center position, even if the detection frame 32 is tilted diagonally, the movement of the pedestal portion 340 in the left-right direction is sufficiently small. Therefore, the pair of hinge openings 340b in the center guide member 34a do not have to be formed in an oval shape that is laterally elongated in the left-right direction.

In addition, since the center guide member 34a restricts the horizontal movement of the pedestal portion 340, it is possible to restrict horizontal movement of the detection frame 32 in the left-right direction. When the detection frame 32 moves horizontally in the left-right direction, the relative distance between the pair of

detection bodies

36 and 38 shifts. Therefore, even though the detection frame 32 has not moved upward, the distance between the pair of

detection bodies

36 and 38 ends up being larger than the reference distance. As a result, there is a possibility that the sensor signals output from the pair of

detection bodies

36 and 38 may change. In this regard, according to the center guide member 34a of this embodiment, the shape of the pair of hinge openings 340b makes it possible to suppress such movement of the detection frame 32 in the left-right direction.

Next, assume that the interfering object is located at the center of the detection frame 32. In this case, a reaction force from the object is applied to the center position of the detection frame 32. Thereby, the detection frame 32 is guided by the center guide member 34a and the seven side guide members 34b, and the entire detection frame 32 moves upward. As a result, the sensor signals output from the pair of sensing

bodies

36 and 38 on both the left and right sides change.

When the control device 100 determines a change in the sensor signals output from the pair of

detection bodies

36 and 38 due to interference with an object, the control device 100 controls the shutter drive mechanism 28 to reverse the moving direction of the shutter 24 and move it upward. and move it. When the control device 100 detects that the shutter 24 has reached the open position based on the signal output from the upper end switch, it controls the shutter drive mechanism 28 to stop the movement of the shutter 24.

On the other hand, if there is no change in the sensor signals output from the pair of sensing

bodies

36 and 38, the control device 100 controls the shutter drive mechanism 28 to continue moving the shutter 24 downward. When the control device 100 detects that the shutter 24 has reached the closed position based on the signal output from the lower end switch, the control device 100 controls the shutter drive mechanism 28 to stop the movement of the shutter 24.

When the shutter 24 reaches the closed position, a mold exchange operation is performed by the left and right lower

mold exchange units

55L, 55R and the left and right upper

mold exchange units

56L, 56R. When the desired lower mold 2 and upper mold 4 are placed in the lower mold holder 18 and the upper mold holder 20, the mold exchange operation is completed.

When the control device 100 determines that the mold replacement operation is completed, the control device 100 controls the shutter drive mechanism 28 to move the shutter 24 upward. When the control device 100 detects that the shutter 24 has reached the open position based on the signal output from the upper end switch, it controls the shutter drive mechanism 28 to stop the movement of the shutter 24.

Through the series of operations described above, the opening and closing operations of the shutter 24 are completed.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, a detection unit that detects interference with an object is provided at the edge on the tip side of the shutter. Thereby, even when the shutter closes automatically, interference between the shutter and an object can be appropriately detected.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a detection unit 30 that detects interference between the shutter 24 and an object is provided at the lower edge portion 24b of the shutter. The detection unit 30 can appropriately detect interference between the shutter 24 and an object when the shutter 24 moves downward. Thereby, specifications useful for automatically opening and closing the shutter 24 can be provided.

In this embodiment, the detection unit 30 includes a detection frame 32 disposed at the shutter lower edge 24b, and guides movement of the detection frame 32 in the vertical direction to move the detection frame 32 relative to the shutter lower edge 24b. It includes a plurality of

guide members

34a and 34b for movement, and a sensor section that detects that the detection frame 32 has moved relative to the shutter lower edge 24b.

According to this configuration, the detection frame 32 abuts against the object while the shutter 24 is moving downward, thereby causing the detection frame 32 to move upward. At this time, relative movement of the detection frame 32 with respect to the shutter lower edge portion 24b can be detected by the sensor section consisting of the pair of

detection bodies

36 and 38. Thereby, interference with an object can be appropriately detected.

In this embodiment, the detection frame 32 is provided along the shutter lower edge 24b over the entire area of the shutter lower edge 24b, and the plurality of

guide members

34a, 34b are arranged at the center position of the detection frame 32 and the center position. They are arranged at a plurality of sets of symmetrical positions that are line symmetrical about the center.

According to this configuration, since the detection frame 32 is provided over the entire area of the shutter lower edge 24b, interference with an object can be detected over the entire area of the shutter 24. Further, since the plurality of

guide members

34a and 34b are respectively arranged at the central position and a plurality of sets of symmetrical positions, it is possible to guide the vertical movement of the detection frame 32 in a well-balanced manner. This allows the detection frame 32 to rise smoothly when there is interference with an object, so that interference with the object can be appropriately detected.

In this embodiment, each of the plurality of

guide members

34a and 34b includes a shaft 342 that guides the vertical movement of the detection frame 32, a pedestal section 340 that connects the lower end of the shaft 342 to the detection frame 32, and a shaft 342 that guides the vertical movement of the detection frame 32. and a pressing member that presses the detection frame 32 downward.

According to this configuration, the detection frame 32 is pressed downward by the pressing member. When there is no interference with an object, the distance between the detection frame 32 and the shutter lower edge 24b is maintained constant by this pressing force. Thereby, when the shutter 24 opens and closes, it is possible to suppress the detection frame 32 from moving unexpectedly. As a result, false detection by the detection unit 30 can be suppressed.

In this embodiment, each of the plurality of

guide members

34a and 34b has a hinge pin 348 that is inserted through the lower end of the shaft 342 so as to be orthogonal to the shaft 342 and rotatably supports the shaft 342, and the pedestal part 340 is provided with a pair of

hinge openings

340b and 340c that support both ends of the hinge pin 348, and the hinge pin 348 is inserted through the pair of

hinge openings

340b and 340c. In the case of the center guide member 34a arranged at the center position, the pair of hinge openings 340b are formed in a circular shape along the outer shape of the hinge pin 348 in the shape of a round bar. In the case of a plurality of sets of side guide members 34b arranged at symmetrical positions, the pair of hinge openings 340c are formed in an elongated oblong shape along the lower edge 32a of the detection frame 32.

According to this configuration, in the side guide member 34b, since there is a degree of freedom between the hinge opening 340c of the pedestal part 340 and the hinge pin 348, it is possible to allow the pedestal part 340 to move in the left-right direction with respect to the hinge pin 348. can. Thereby, the detection frame 32 can be tilted so that the left end or the right end of the detection frame 32 is raised. When objects are unevenly distributed on the left and right sides of the detection frame 32, the detection frame 32 can be moved upward with a simple force by moving the detection frame 32 in a tilted manner. Thereby, even if the object is unevenly distributed on the left and right sides of the detection frame 32, interference with the object can be detected with high accuracy.

In the present embodiment, the sensor sections are arranged on the left and right sides of the detection frame 32 with the center position as the center.

With this configuration, even if only one of the left and right ends of the detection frame 32 moves upward, the movement of the detection frame 32 can be properly detected. This allows for accurate detection of interference with an object.

In this embodiment, a shielding plate 26 is attached to the left and right ends of the detection frame 32 to open and close a sensor opening 52a, which is a device opening adjacent to the side of the shutter 24.

With this configuration, when the shielding plate 26 interferes with an object and moves upward, the detection frame 32 also moves upward in conjunction with it. This allows the detection unit 30 to detect that an object has interfered with the shielding plate 26 without using a separate sensor.

In this embodiment, the shutter 24 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction.

According to this configuration, the target area can be opened and closed in the vertical direction. Thereby, interference between the vertically moving shutter 24 and an object can be appropriately detected. Note that the moving direction of the shutter is not limited to the vertical direction, but may be the horizontal direction.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a modification of the shutter. In the embodiment described above, the shutter 24 is sized to cover the range of the bending machine 1 in the left and right direction. However, the door 61 of the mold storage device 6 may be unnecessary by expanding the shutter 24 to the right. That is, the shutter 24 may be a full-surface shutter that opens and closes the entire system including the bending machine 1 and the mold storage device 6.

As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described, but the statements and drawings that form part of this disclosure should not be understood as limiting the present invention. Various alternative embodiments, implementations, and operational techniques will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.

The disclosure of the present application is related to the subject matter described in Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-150141 filed on September 21, 2022, and the entire disclosure content thereof is incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

a lower table having a lower mold holder to which the lower mold can be attached along the left-right direction;
an upper table having an upper mold holder to which an upper mold can be attached so as to face the lower mold, and which moves up and down relative to the lower table;
a shutter that opens and closes a target area from the lower side of the upper table including the upper mold holder to the upper side of the lower table including the lower mold holder;
a shutter drive mechanism that moves the shutter in an opening/closing direction including an opening direction that opens the target area and a closing direction that blocks the target area;
a detection unit that is provided at an edge on the tip side of the shutter when the shutter moves in the closing direction and detects interference between the shutter and an object;
A bending machine equipped with
The detection unit includes:
a detection frame arranged at the edge on the distal end side;
a plurality of guide members for guiding movement of the detection frame in the opening/closing direction and moving the detection frame relative to the edge on the distal end side;
a sensor unit that detects relative movement of the detection frame with respect to the edge on the distal end side;
The bending machine according to claim 1, comprising:
The detection frame is
provided along the edge on the tip side, over the entire area of the edge on the tip side,
The plurality of guide members are
The bending machine according to claim 2, wherein the bending machine is arranged at a central position of the detection frame and a plurality of sets of symmetrical positions that are line symmetrical about the central position.
Each of the plurality of guide members is
a shaft that guides movement of the detection frame in the opening/closing direction;
a pedestal portion that connects an end of the shaft to the detection frame;
a pressing member provided on the shaft and pressing the detection frame in the closing direction;
The bending machine according to claim 3, having:
Each of the plurality of guide members is
a hinge pin that is inserted through an end of the shaft so as to be perpendicular to the shaft and rotatably supports the shaft;
The base portion is provided with a pair of hinge openings that support both ends of the hinge pin, and the hinge pin is inserted through the pair of hinge openings,
In the case of the guide member disposed at the central position, the pair of hinge openings are formed in a circular shape along the outer shape of the round bar-shaped hinge pin,
5. The bending process according to claim 4, wherein in the case of the plurality of sets of guide members arranged at symmetrical positions, the pair of hinge openings are formed in an oval shape that is laterally elongated along an edge of the detection frame. Machine.
The bending machine according to claim 5, wherein the sensor sections are arranged on the left and right sides of the detection frame, respectively, with the center position as the center.
The bending machine according to claim 2, wherein a shielding plate for opening and closing a device opening adjacent to the side of the shutter is attached to the left and right ends of the detection frame.
The shutter is
The bending machine according to claim 1, wherein the bending machine is configured to be movable in the vertical direction.