JP7572021B1 - Separation distance adjustment means and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a distance adjustment means that can easily adjust the distance at a mounting support point where a manufacturing device is mounted on a base in increments of 0.01 mm, and a method for manufacturing the distance adjustment means.
[Solution] A separation distance adjustment means 1 consisting of a top plate portion 10, a base portion 20, an oil tank portion 30, and a pressure adjustment means 40 is interposed between the base and the work, and the pressure adjustment oil filled in the oil tank portion is pressurized by the pressure adjustment means, causing the top plate portion to bulge within its elastic range, making it possible to adjust the separation distance between the base and the work in increments of 0.01 mm. Furthermore, the top plate portion is provided with stripe-like grooves 11 that function as adhesion prevention means, so that adhesion is prevented between the top plate portion and the work, even if the top plate portion is polished smoothly with high precision.
[Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act [Publication via website] (Website 1) Website name: INTERMOLD 2024 (35th Mold Processing Technology Exhibition) / Mold Exhibition 2024 website Posting address: https://www.intermold.jp/outline/search_2024_detail/70/ Posting date: April 1, 2024 (Website 2) Website name: Shippo Mold Industry's Instagram Posting address: https://www.instagram.com/shippo_kanagata/p/C57IbGdP22R/? img_index = 1 Date of publication: April 19, 2024 (Website 3) Website name: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun website Posting address: https://www. nikkan. co. jp/spaces/view/0076097 Date of publication: May 2, 2024 (Website 4) Website name: Kanagata Shinbun ONLINE Posting address: https://kanagata-shimbun. com/202404_sippoukanagata_jyaki/ Date of publication: May 6, 2024 (Website 5) Website name: Shippo Kanagata Kogyo YouTube channel Posting address: https://www. youtube. com/watch? v=-haW4Gbcw2s Date of publication: May 13, 2024 (Website 6) Website name: INTERMOLD Nagoya/Mold Exhibition Nagoya website Publication address: https://www.intermold. jp/nagoya/outline/search_2024_detail/41/ Publication date: June 3, 2024 [Publication release] (Publication 1) Publisher: Mold Newspaper Co., Ltd. Publication name: Mold Newspaper (April 10, 2024 issue) Publication date: April 10, 2024 (Publication 2) Publisher: The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun Co., Ltd. Publication name: The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun (May 2, 2024 issue) Publication date: May 2, 2024 [Publication through exhibition] (Exhibition 1) Exhibition name: INTERMOLD 2024 (35th Mold Processing Technology Exhibition) / Mold Exhibition 2024 Exhibition date: April 17, 2024 (Exhibition 2) Exhibition name: INTERMOLD Nagoya / Mold Exhibition Nagoya Exhibition date: June 26, 2024

The present invention relates to a distance adjustment means for adjusting the distance between manufacturing equipment that requires high installation accuracy and a base when the manufacturing equipment is installed on the base, and a method for manufacturing the distance adjustment means. In particular, the present invention relates to a distance adjustment means and a method for manufacturing the distance adjustment means that can easily adjust the distance at the installation support point where the manufacturing equipment is installed on the base in increments of 0.01 mm.

In order to manufacture products with high precision using manufacturing equipment (hereafter referred to as the workpiece), it is necessary to install the workpiece in a stable installation state so that distortion does not occur in the workpiece. In recent years, it has become necessary to install the workpiece with high installation precision not only for heavy objects such as molds, but also for manufacturing equipment for electronic components, such as silicon wafers, which require high product precision, or for manufacturing equipment through which fluids flow inside.

Specifically, the workpiece must be placed in contact with the base at multiple installation support points, with the distance between the workpiece and the base adjusted at each installation support point. Conventionally, the workpiece was lifted with a screw jack and the distance between the workpiece and the base at the installation support point was adjusted. However, when lifting the workpiece with a screw jack, play occurs in the helical thread, which creates the problem that the distance cannot be adjusted with high precision.

To install a workpiece on a base with high level accuracy, the workpiece is placed on the base and adjusted so that it is nearly level. If the workpiece is heavy, it is hoisted with a crane and the level is adjusted by inserting a thin metal plate (hereafter referred to as a shim plate) into the gap at the installation support point where the workpiece contacts the base.

When the workpiece is heavy, such as a mold, it is necessary to adjust the distance between the mold and the base by inserting shim plates at each of the multiple installation support points, which takes time and effort. Specifically, a crane operator and a shim plate inserter must work together as a pair to raise and lower the workpiece using a crane at each installation support point and insert shim plates into the gap between the mold and the base to adjust the distance between the mold and the base.

In order to install the workpiece horizontally without distorting it, it was necessary to adjust the thickness and number of shim plates at all installation support points, and it was sometimes necessary to replace shim plates at installation support points that had already been installed, which took time and effort to install the workpiece horizontally.

In particular, when high accuracy is required for the horizontal installation of the workpiece, the distance between the workpiece and the base may need to be adjusted in increments of 0.01 mm. If the workpiece is heavy, it is temporarily placed horizontally by hoisting it with a crane so that the top surface of the workpiece is roughly horizontal, and then shims are inserted into the gaps between the workpiece and the base at each installation support point where the workpiece and the base come into contact.

The temporary horizontal state of the workpiece's top surface had to be adjusted by lifting the workpiece again with a crane and changing the thickness or number of shim plates at the position of one of the installation support points. In addition, when the workpiece was lifted and lowered onto the base, horizontal position shifts were likely to occur, making it very difficult to adjust the distance between each installation support point with high precision, for example to 0.01 mm increments.

The adjustment work of inserting shim plates requires a long period of time for the crane to be occupied, and it is time-consuming and laborious. Against this background, there was a demand for a means of adjusting the distance between the workpiece and the workpiece, which can easily adjust the inclination of the workpiece with high precision without having to adjust the height with shim plates.

Patent Document 1 discloses a flat jack technology that can make the jack lower than a cylindrical hydraulic jack. According to the technology described in this document, by supplying pressurized oil from a hydraulic unit to the airtight flat pouch that makes up the flat jack, it is possible to lift an object even in a low installation space that supports a bridge or the like.

However, according to the technology described in Patent Document 1, an airtight flat bag body having a bulge in the front-to-rear direction is formed by welding an upper thin plate and a lower thin plate, each of which is bent into a predetermined shape, to a side plate. This makes manufacturing time-consuming, and depending on the shape of the bottom surface of the heavy object being supported, the bulge in the front-to-rear direction may bulge unevenly, making it difficult to adjust the installation with high precision.

Patent Document 2 discloses technology for a jack device that can raise and lower heavy objects with high precision in foundation construction, bridge construction, and the like. According to the technology described in this document, the claws that are inserted under the heavy object are molded integrally with the lifting frame, and the lifting frame and the claws are raised and lowered together by a piston rod that is raised and lowered by a hydraulic cylinder, thereby raising and lowering the heavy object placed on the claws.

However, according to the technology described in Patent Document 2, a claw part, which is raised and lowered integrally with the lifting frame, is raised and lowered by a hydraulic cylinder to raise and lower a heavy load. The lifting frame, which is integral with the claw part, tilts, causing the workpiece to tilt, which not only makes it difficult to achieve high accuracy, but also increases the height of the jack device, making it unsuitable for cases where the gap between the workpiece and the base is narrow.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-285995 Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-2590

The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a distance adjustment means and a method for manufacturing the distance adjustment means that can easily adjust the distance between the workpiece to be placed and the base in increments of 0.01 mm. More specifically, the problem is to provide a distance adjustment means that can easily adjust the placement state of the workpiece with high precision without having to adjust the height by inserting a shim plate.

The first aspect of the present invention is a distance adjustment means for adjusting the distance between a base and a workpiece, the distance adjustment means comprising a base, a top plate, an oil tank, and a pressure adjustment means, the top plate being made of a bendable flat plate and having a streaky groove with an open end that divides the top surface into a plurality of sections, the oil tank being sandwiched between the base and the top plate to form an oil tank and filled with pressure adjustment oil, the pressure adjustment means comprising a cylindrical path from the side of the base to the oil tank, and a pressure adjustment lid inserted into the cylindrical path from the side of the base, the pressure adjustment means being adjusted by the male screw of the pressure adjustment lid being threaded forward and backward. The piston arranged in the cylindrical passage is advanced and retreated via a bearing ball in contact with the lid and the piston, adjusting the pressure of the pressure-adjusting oil sealed in the cylindrical passage and the oil tank, and adjusting the bulging height of the top plate. The streaky groove functions as a means for preventing adhesion between the top plate and the workpiece. The bearing ball facilitates the piston's retreat to the pressure-adjusting lid when the oil tank is depressurized. The pressure of the pressure-adjusting oil is adjusted by the threaded advance and retreat, and even if the bulging height is adjusted, the piston follows the retreat of the male screw, and the top plate and the workpiece are not adhered to each other.

According to the first invention, the top plate of the distance adjustment means interposed between the base and the workpiece is deformed by hydraulic pressure and bulges upward, adjusting the distance between the workpiece and the base. Therefore, even when installing the workpiece with high precision, it is not necessary to use a crane to separate the workpiece from the base and to insert a shim plate into the gap between the workpiece and the base to adjust the distance of the workpiece. The distance adjustment means has a flat plate with a curveable top plate so that no part of it bulges unevenly. A circular shape is preferable so that the top plate can bulge smoothly, but it may also be a donut or horseshoe shape, and is not limited to this.

In the present invention, after the workpiece is lifted by a crane and positioned at a specified horizontal position, the pressure of the pressure adjustment oil is adjusted by the pressure adjustment means while checking the clearance between the workpiece and the base, and the top plate portion constituting the clearance adjustment means is expanded within its elastic range. This makes it easy to adjust the clearance even when high accuracy is required in 0.01 mm units.

Depending on the workpiece, the surface that comes into contact with the workpiece top plate may be polished smooth to adjust the separation distance with high precision. However, when two surfaces that have been smoothly finished with high precision are brought into close contact, a strong adhesion force may occur that makes them difficult to separate. For this reason, the top plate is provided with strip-like grooves as a means to prevent adhesion to the workpiece.

The striated grooves constituting the adhesion prevention means need only be arranged so that the top plate portion of the distance adjustment means is divided into multiple portions, and the number and shape of the striated grooves are not limited. Even if the top plate portion of the distance adjustment means is machined with high flatness accuracy, the striated grooves allow air to circulate between the top plate portion and the workpiece, preventing adhesion between the distance adjustment means and the workpiece. According to the first invention, the distance between the base and the workpiece can be adjusted with high accuracy in units of 0.01 mm, and an unprecedented effect is achieved in that the distance adjustment means does not adhere to the workpiece even if the workpiece is heavy.

In addition, the pressure of the oil tank section connected to the cylindrical path section is adjusted by moving the pressure adjustment lid that covers the cylindrical path section forward and backward. Because the pressure adjustment lid is screwed into the cylindrical path section, the pressure of the pressure adjustment oil sealed in the cylindrical path section and the oil tank section can be adjusted and the bulging height of the top plate section can be determined simply by adjusting the screwing angle of the pressure adjustment lid. This provides the effect that the bulging height of the top plate section, in other words the distance between the workpiece and the base, can be determined simply by screwing the pressure adjustment lid forward and backward, making it easy to adjust the distance.

Furthermore, the piston arranged in the cylindrical passage section is advanced and retreated by the screwing and retreating of the male screw that constitutes the pressure adjustment lid, via a bearing ball that is in contact with the pressure adjustment lid and the piston. This provides an advantageous effect not found in conventional technology in that when the pressure adjustment lid is screwed and retreated to release the pressure in the oil tank section, it is easy to make the piston retreat into the pressure adjustment lid.

The second invention of the present invention is the distance adjustment means of the first invention, characterized in that the oil tank portion is cut to form a flat cavity inside the base, and the top plate portion is formed by laser sintering metal powder and is integrally formed around the periphery of the base.

According to the second invention, the oil tank portion is formed in the base by cutting, and then the top plate portion covering the base is formed by laser sintering metal powder, thereby manufacturing the distance adjustment means. This allows the oil tank portion and the top plate portion to be formed in a variety of shapes. In addition, since only the top plate portion needs to be formed by laser sintering, the overall processing time of the distance adjustment means can be shortened, and it can be manufactured with high manufacturing efficiency.

The third invention of the present invention is a distance adjustment means according to the first or second invention, characterized in that the top plate, the oil tank, and the base are overlapped to form a doughnut shape having a central through hole, and the distance adjustment means is engaged through the central through hole with a locking portion protruding horizontally from either the workpiece or the base wall, thereby adjusting the horizontal distance between the workpiece and the base wall.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the distance adjustment means is formed in a doughnut shape with a central through hole. The distance adjustment means can be engaged by passing a locking portion protruding horizontally from either the base wall portion or the workpiece through the central through hole. This has the effect of allowing the workpiece to be set at a predetermined position with high horizontal accuracy.

The fourth invention of the present invention is a distance adjustment means according to the first or second invention, characterized in that the top plate, the oil tank, and the base are overlapped to form a horseshoe shape having an open end, and the distance adjustment means is inserted from the open end into a claw portion protruding horizontally from either the workpiece or the base wall, and is removably hooked thereon, thereby adjusting the horizontal distance between the workpiece and the base wall.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the distance adjustment means is formed in a horseshoe shape with an open end. The distance adjustment means is inserted from the open end into a claw portion that protrudes horizontally from either the base wall portion or the workpiece, and is removably hooked. After adjusting the horizontal position, the pressure applied by the pressure adjustment means is removed to return the top plate portion to a flat surface, and the open end is pulled out from the claw portion, thereby removing the distance adjustment means. This provides the effect of allowing the distance adjustment means to be reused.

The fifth invention of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a distance adjustment means for adjusting the distance between a base and a workpiece, the distance adjustment means comprising a base, a top plate portion made of a bendable flat plate body and having streaky grooves with open ends that divide the top surface into a plurality of sections, an oil tank portion sandwiched between the base and the top plate portion to form an oil tank and filled with pressure adjustment oil, a cylindrical path portion extending from the side of the base to the oil tank portion, and a pressure adjustment lid inserted into the cylindrical path portion from the side of the base, The piston disposed in the cylindrical passage portion is advanced and retreated by the advance and retreat of the male screw constituting the pressure adjustment lid via a bearing ball in contact with the pressure adjustment lid and the piston, thereby adjusting the pressure of the pressure adjustment oil sealed in the cylindrical passage portion and the oil tank portion and adjusting the bulging height of the top plate portion, the streak groove functions as a means for preventing adhesion between the top plate portion and the workpiece, and the bearing ball is a separation distance adjustment means for facilitating the retreat of the piston to the pressure adjustment lid when the pressure of the oil tank portion is released. The method includes a first step of cutting the base, a second step of forming the top plate portion, and a third step of filling the oil tank portion with pressure regulating oil, in which the oil tank portion, a cylindrical path portion extending from the oil tank portion to a side surface of the base, and an air vent hole extending from the oil tank portion to a bottom surface of the base are cut in the first step, the top plate portion is formed integrally with the base from an outer periphery of a top portion of an outer periphery wall of the oil tank portion toward the inside by laser sintering metal powder in the second step, and the third step is formed by cutting the cylindrical path portion or the front The pressure adjustment oil is injected into the oil tank through the vent hole, the piston and the bearing ball are then inserted in order into the cylindrical passage, the pressure adjustment lid is brought into contact with the bearing ball and temporarily screwed in, and the vent hole blocking lid is temporarily screwed in to the vent hole, and while the pressure adjustment lid is first fully screwed in, all the air is released from the pressure adjustment oil sealed in the cylindrical passage through the gap between the vent hole and the vent hole blocking lid, and then the vent hole blocking lid is fully screwed in.

According to the fifth invention, in the first step, a base having an oil tank and a cylindrical passage is formed by cutting, and in the second step, a top plate is formed by laser sintering. This allows the base to be shaped as desired, and a thin top plate that can be expanded hydraulically can be integrally formed on the base with high manufacturing efficiency. In addition, in the third step, after the oil tank is filled with pressure-adjusting oil, a piston and a bearing ball are placed in the cylindrical passage in that order, and the pressure adjustment lid is brought into contact with the bearing ball. The pressure adjustment lid and the vent hole blocking lid are then temporarily tightened, and the pressure adjustment lid is further tightened for final tightening, while the air remaining in the oil tank is completely vented through the temporarily tightened vent hole blocking lid, and the vent hole blocking lid is then permanently tightened.

Therefore, even if the oil tank is filled with grease, which has a higher viscosity than oil and is less likely to leak, no gas remains in the oil tank. This makes it easy to adjust the separation distance by screwing the pressure adjustment lid back and forth, and also provides the effect of allowing separation distance adjustment means of any planar shape to be manufactured with high manufacturing efficiency.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the distance between the base and the workpiece can be adjusted with high accuracy in units of 0.01 mm, and the distance adjustment means does not adhere to the workpiece even if the workpiece is heavy, which are unprecedented effects. In addition, the distance between the workpiece and the base can be determined simply by screwing the pressure adjustment lid forward and backward, which is an advantage in that the distance can be easily adjusted. Furthermore, when the pressure adjustment lid is screwed back and forth to release the pressure in the oil tank, the piston can easily follow the pressure adjustment lid, which is an advantageous effect not found in the prior art.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the oil tank portion and the top plate portion can be formed in a variety of shapes, and the distance adjustment means can be manufactured with high manufacturing efficiency.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to place the workpiece at a predetermined position with high horizontal accuracy.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, there is an effect that the separation distance adjusting means can be reused.
- According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is easy to adjust the separation distance by screwing the pressure adjustment lid back and forth, and it has the effect of being possible to manufacture separation distance adjustment means of any planar shape with high manufacturing efficiency.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a distance adjustment means (first embodiment). FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the bulge of a top plate portion (first embodiment). FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for adjusting the horizontal installation accuracy of the workpiece (Example 1). FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a first step of cutting the base portion (Example 1). FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a second step of laser sintering the metal powder that constitutes the top plate portion (Example 1). FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a polishing process for polishing a top plate portion (Example 1); FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the third step of filling with grease (Example 1). 13 is a specific example of a doughnut-shaped distance adjustment means (Example 2). 13 is a specific example of a horseshoe-shaped distance adjustment means (Example 3).

The distance adjustment means, which is interposed between the base and the workpiece and applies pressure with the pressure adjustment means to adjust the distance between the base and the workpiece in increments of 0.01 mm, is composed of a top plate, a base, an oil tank, and the pressure adjustment means. Furthermore, the top plate is provided with stripe-like grooves that function as adhesion prevention means, so that adhesion will not occur between the top plate and the workpiece even if the top plate is polished smoothly with high precision.

In Example 1, the separation distance adjustment means 1 having a short cylindrical shape will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 7. For ease of understanding, the pressure adjustment oil filled in the oil tank portion is not shown in any figures except Figure 7. Figure 1(A) shows an exploded perspective view of the separation distance adjustment means, and Figure 1(B) shows a perspective view of the integrated separation distance adjustment means. Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view explaining the expansion of the top plate portion, with Figure 2(A) showing the state before expansion and Figure 2(B) showing the state after expansion.

Figure 3 shows an explanatory diagram for adjusting the distance between the base and the workpiece to adjust the horizontal placement accuracy of the workpiece. Figure 3(A) shows a provisional horizontal state, and Figure 3(B) shows the state after adjustment. Figures 4 to 7 show process diagrams of a manufacturing method for the distance adjustment means. Figure 4 shows a process diagram of the first process in which the base is machined, Figure 5 shows a process diagram of the second process in which the top plate portion is formed by laser sintering metal powder, Figure 6 shows a process diagram of the polishing process of the top plate portion, and Figure 7 shows a process diagram of the third process in which grease is filled.

The distance adjustment means 1 is composed of a top plate portion 10, a base portion 20, an oil tank portion 30, and a pressure adjustment means 40. The external dimensions and shape of the distance adjustment means 1 are not limited, but Example 1 shows a specific example in which the diameter is approximately 70 mm, the height of the base is approximately 25 mm, and the thickness of the top plate portion is approximately 5 mm, which is suitable for die machining operations.

The metal material of the top plate 10 is preferably, but not limited to, SKD61, an alloy steel for hot work dies specified in the JIS standard G4404 alloy tool steel. The metal material of the base 20 is preferably, but not limited to, SKD61, or S45C, a carbon steel specified in the JIS standard G4051 carbon steel for mechanical structures.

The top plate portion 10 is made of a flat plate that is integral with the base portion 20, and the top surface is provided with lattice-like grooves 11 arranged at intervals of approximately 10 mm to prevent adhesion. The grooves have ends 12 that extend to the side of the top plate portion 10. Air can flow between the workpiece and the top plate portion from the ends 12 of the grooves, and the top surface of the top plate portion 10 is divided into multiple compartments by each groove.

The top surface of the top plate portion 10 is polished to form a plane parallel to the bottom surface of the base portion 20. There are no limitations on the precision of the polishing, but it is preferable that the arithmetic mean roughness Ra, as specified in the JIS standard B0601:2013, is 0.03 μm or more and 0.15 μm or less.

The base 20 is made by cutting a metal cylinder into a short length, and cutting the oil tank 30, the cylindrical passage 41 forming the pressure adjustment means 40, and the air vent hole 31 inside. The oil tank 30, which is filled with pressure adjustment oil, is made of a flat circular recess formed on the upper end surface of the base that contacts the top plate, and forms an oil tank sandwiched between the base 20 and the top plate 10. The diameter and depth of the oil tank are not limited and may be determined according to the diameter and height of the base, the diameter of the cylindrical passage, etc. In addition, it is preferable to provide a curved portion 33 at the corner between the bottom surface of the oil tank and the outer peripheral wall 32, as this makes it easier to vent the air from the oil tank.

The pressure adjustment means 40 consists of a cylindrical path 41 that extends from the oil tank 30 to the side of the base 20, and a pressure adjustment lid 42 that is inserted into the cylindrical path from the side opening. The pressure adjustment lid 42 may comprise a male screw 43 that threads back and forth within the cylindrical path 41, and a piston 44 that slides within the cylindrical path. Here, a bearing ball 45 is interposed between the male screw and the piston, which makes it easier for the piston to follow the threading back of the male screw when the pressure in the oil tank is released.

One end of the cylindrical passage 41 opens into the oil tank 30, and the other end opens into the side of the base. The cylindrical passage 41 has a thick female thread 47 that screws the male thread 43 forward and backward from the side opening 46 to the desired depth, and a thin diameter section 48 that slides the piston 44 beyond the female thread 47 (see FIG. 1). The male thread 43 gets caught in a step 49 between the female thread 47 and the thin diameter section 48 and cannot screw further, so the oil tank 30 is only pressurized within the elastic range of the top plate.

The male screw 43 has a hexagonal hole 50 at the end on the side opening 46 side into which a hexagonal wrench is inserted to rotate it, and a recess 51 (see FIG. 2) at the end on the oil tank side that comes into surface contact with the bearing ball 45. The piston 44 has a first groove 54 on the oil tank side for mounting an O-ring 52 and an auxiliary ring 53, and a second groove 56 on the side opening side for mounting a second O-ring 55. The auxiliary ring 53 is an auxiliary part that improves the pressure resistance of the O-ring 52, and prevents the O-ring 52 from falling off the first groove 54 when pressurized.

The O-rings 52 and 55 are preferably made of well-known fluororubber, which has excellent oil resistance. The auxiliary ring 53 is preferably made of well-known polytetrafluoroethylene, which has excellent sliding properties. The bearing ball 45 is interposed between the male thread 43 and the piston 44 so as to make point contact with the center of the rear end of the piston. In addition, a recess 58 is provided near the side opening 46 on the inner surface of the cylindrical path portion 41, into which the anti-detachment shaft 57 of the pressure adjustment lid 40 is inserted and fixed.

One end of the air vent hole 31 opens into the oil tank 30, and the other end opens into the bottom surface of the base 20. The air vent hole 31 has a second female thread 34 from the bottom opening to the desired depth (see FIG. 2). The air vent hole 31 opens near a corner of the bottom surface of the oil tank so that air can be easily vented from the oil tank 30 when filling with grease. After filling with grease, an air vent hole blocking cover 35 having a male thread on its outer periphery is screwed onto the second female thread 34 to block the air vent hole 31.

Grease 36, which serves as pressure adjusting oil, is also filled into the cylindrical passage 41 and the air vent hole 31 to prevent gas from being mixed into the oil tank 30 (see FIG. 7). The type of grease is not limited and may be soap-based or non-soap-based grease. In Example 1, lithium soap grease is used.

Here, a specific example of the adjustment work for the horizontal installation accuracy will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The workpiece processing device 101 is equipped with a horizontal measuring machine 102 that measures the horizontal installation accuracy of the workpiece 100. The horizontal measuring machine can be moved in three axial directions by a moving device 103.

After the workpiece 100 is fixed in a provisionally horizontal state, the probe 104 of the level measuring machine is moved horizontally while in contact with the top surface of the workpiece to measure the horizontal installation accuracy of the workpiece (see FIG. 3(A)). If the top surface of the workpiece is not set horizontally, the level measuring machine is stopped at the installation support point position where the height of the workpiece top surface is the lowest, based on the value displayed on the display panel of the level measuring machine 102. For example, if the installation support point on the left side of the workpiece is lower than the installation support point on the right side, the level measuring machine is stopped at the installation support point 105 on the left side of the workpiece.

Next, the pressure adjustment lid of the distance adjustment means 1 at the installation support point 105 on the left side is tightened with a hexagonal wrench or the like to pressurize the oil tank and expand the top plate. At this time, the screwing angle of the pressure adjustment lid can be adjusted while checking the numerical value on the display panel of the level measuring device 102, so it is easy to adjust the distance between the workpiece 100 and the base 200 with high precision (see Figure 3 (B)).

Next, the manufacturing method of the distance adjustment means 1 will be described with reference to the process diagrams shown in Figures 4 to 7. Figure 4 shows the first process of cutting the base, Figure 5 shows the second process of laser sintering the top plate, Figure 6 shows the polishing process, and Figure 7 shows the third process of filling with grease. Note that in Figure 5, for ease of understanding, only Figure 5(A) shows the metal powder spread evenly on the base, and Figure 5(B) and subsequent figures show only the laser sintered metal powder.

In the first step, a cylinder that forms the base 20 is cut out to a height of approximately 25 mm. A flat cavity with a circular cross section that forms the oil tank 30 is cut into the upper end surface of the cut-out base, aligned with the central axis of the base 20 (see Figure 4 (A)). The corners of the bottom surface of the oil tank are curved 33 to avoid sharp corners.

Next, a non-through hole 59 forming a cylindrical path and a through hole 37 forming an air vent are cut from the oil tank 30 toward the bottom surface of the base 20 (see FIG. 4B). The non-through hole and the through hole are aligned along the center line of the base 20. Then, a side hole 60 is cut along the center line of the base so as to connect to the non-through hole 59 from the side surface of the base (see FIG. 4C).

The cylindrical passage portion 41 further has a female thread 47, which is thicker than the side hole, aligned with the axis of the side hole 60 and threaded to the desired depth (see FIG. 4(D)). After the female thread 47 is machined, a recessed hole 58 is machined to insert and fix the anti-pullout shaft 57 (see FIG. 1) of the pressure adjustment lid. The vent hole 31 further has a second female thread 34, which is aligned with the axis of the through hole 37 and threaded to the desired depth.

In the second step, a specific example will be described in which 100 layers of sintered metal layers 70 are laminated to form a top plate portion 10 with an outer peripheral thickness of approximately 5 mm, an inner thickness of approximately 4.5 mm, and a depth of lattice-like stripe grooves 11 of approximately 0.5 mm. The average particle size of the metal powder is not limited, but here SKD61 metal powder with an average particle size of approximately 50 μm is used so that a sintered metal layer of approximately 0.05 mm is formed per layer.

In the second step, the first layer of metal powder 71 that forms the top plate is first spread evenly on the oil tank 30 and outer wall 32 that form the base 20 (see FIG. 5(A)). In the oil tank 30, metal powder 72 that is not to be sintered is spread below the first layer of metal powder to make it flush with the outer wall 31. Then, while moving the laser nozzle 300 horizontally, the metal powder 71 that is spread evenly on the top layer is irradiated with the laser 301 to sinter the metal powder layer by layer.

The metal powder from the first to tenth layers is laser sintered so that the thickness of the top plate 10 gradually decreases from the periphery toward the center of the oil tank (see Figures 5(B) and 5(C)). Specifically, the laser is not irradiated to the metal powder spread evenly on the center side of the oil tank 30 so that each sintered metal layer 70 has a circular ring shape (see Figure 5(B)).

Furthermore, the non-irradiation range of the laser 301 is narrowed as the sintered metal layer 70 is stacked. Specifically, the non-irradiation range of the laser is narrowed so that the sintered metal layer extends from the outer periphery toward the center by about 2 mm to about 3 mm per layer depending on the diameter of the oil tank. Since the extension portion 73 of each layer is short, deformation is unlikely to occur even if the extension portion 73 of each layer, which is in a cantilevered state, is thin, and the top plate portion can be easily formed into a nearly flat plate shape.

In addition, the angle at which the extension portion 73 extends diagonally upward is approximately 1.8 degrees from the horizontal, and since it extends almost horizontally, the bottom side of the top plate portion 10 can be formed almost flat, and the top plate portion 10 can bulge smoothly when the oil tank portion 30 is pressurized.

For the metal powder of the 11th to 90th layers, the laser is irradiated in a circular pattern to form a circular sintered metal layer. For the metal powder of the 90th to 100th layers, a grid-like portion is provided where the laser is not irradiated to form grid-like grooves 11, completing the second process (see Figures 1 and 5(D)).

In the polishing step after the second step, a cloth buff coated with an abrasive is pressed against the top plate 10 while rotating at high speed, and the top surface is polished to a smooth surface so that the arithmetic mean roughness Ra of the top surface is 0.03 μm or more and 0.15 μm or less (see FIG. 6). For example, well-known precision polishing powders of #240 to #3000 are used as the abrasive, and the top surface can be polished to a smooth surface by gradually changing to precision polishing powders of finer grain size.

In the third step, first, while the cylindrical path section 41 and the vent hole 31 are left open, grease 36 is filled into the oil tank section 30 through the cylindrical path section 41 or the vent hole 31. Next, the piston 44 constituting the pressure adjustment lid 42, the bearing ball 45, and the male screw 43 are inserted into the cylindrical path section 41 in that order, and the male screw 43 is screwed into the female screw section 47 of the cylindrical path section. Furthermore, the anti-pullout shaft 57 is inserted and fixed into the recess 58 (see FIG. 7(A)).

Next, the air vent hole blocking lid 35 is temporarily screwed into the air vent hole 31 (see FIG. 7B). At this point, there is a possibility that air bubbles 500 remain inside the separation distance adjustment means 1. Therefore, the pressure adjustment lid 42 is screwed in, the oil tank section 30 is pressurized, and the air bubbles 500 are released from the gap between the second female thread section 34 that forms the air vent hole 31 and the air vent hole blocking lid 35 (see FIG. 7C).

Once it has been confirmed that air bubbles 500 have stopped overflowing from the air vent hole 31, the pressure adjustment lid 42 is screwed back to its initial position, the pressure in the oil tank 30 is released, and then the air vent hole blocking lid 35 is further tightened and screwed on (see FIG. 7(D)). If air is not sufficiently vented and the force required to tighten the pressure adjustment lid 42 has not increased, loosen the air vent hole blocking lid 35 and return it to its partially tightened state (see FIG. 7(B)) to vent air again.

In Example 2, the distance adjustment means 2 having a central through hole 80 for adjusting the horizontal distance between the workpiece 100 and the base wall 201 will be described with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8(A) shows a front view seen from the top plate side. FIG. 8(B) and FIG. 8(C) show vertical cross-sectional views for explaining the adjustment of the horizontal distance. For ease of understanding, FIG. 8(A) shows only the oil tank 30, the cylindrical path 41, and the pressure adjustment lid 42 with dashed lines. In Example 2 and subsequent examples, the same components as in Example 1 are given the same reference numerals and their description is omitted.

The distance adjustment means 2 is formed in such a way that the top plate portion 10, the base portion 20, and the oil tank portion 30 are each formed along a doughnut shape having a central through hole 80 (see FIG. 8). The central through hole 80 forming the locking means is sized to allow the locking portion 202 protruding from the base wall portion 201 to be inserted therethrough (see FIG. 8(B)). The outer peripheral walls 32, 32 forming the oil tank portion 30 stand along the inner and outer circles of the base portion 20, respectively.

The top plate portion 10 is formed by laser sintering so as to be integral with the top portions of the respective outer peripheral walls 32, 32. In addition, the bottom surface side of the top plate portion is made thinner toward the midpoint between the inner and outer circles of the top plate portion so that the plate thickness becomes thinner from the periphery of the top plate portion 10 toward the inside, making laser sintering easier (see FIG. 8(B)).

The cylindrical path portion 41 is formed at a position shifted laterally from the center line of the top plate portion 10 (see FIG. 8(A)). The streak grooves consist of a first streak groove 13 formed concentrically and a second streak groove 14 formed radially. The end of the second streak groove 14 is open to the side surface of the top plate portion.

When adjusting the distance between the workpiece 100 and the base wall 201, the distance adjustment means 2 is first engaged with the engaging portion 202 protruding horizontally from the base wall 201 through the central through hole 80 that constitutes the engaging means (see FIG. 8(B)). The workpiece 100 is temporarily placed in contact with the top plate 10 of the engaged distance adjustment means 2 (see FIG. 8(C)). A known three-dimensional measuring machine or the like is used to measure the deviation between the installation reference position (see the dashed line in FIG. 8(C)) and the position where the workpiece 100 is temporarily placed.

When the workpiece 100 does not match the installation reference position, the top plate 10 of the distance adjustment means 2 is expanded to push out the workpiece and adjust the horizontal distance between the base wall 201 and the workpiece 100 so as to eliminate misalignment and tilt of the workpiece. Note that the workpiece may be provided with a through hole, and the length of the locking portion extending from the base wall may be set to the length that protrudes from the central through hole, so that both the distance adjustment means 2 and the workpiece are locked to the locking portion.

In addition, the locking portion may protrude horizontally from the workpiece. In this case, the central through-hole of the distance adjustment means 2 is inserted into the locking portion that is already attached to the workpiece, and then the workpiece is temporarily placed so that the distance adjustment means 2 is in contact with the base wall.

In the third embodiment, a horseshoe-shaped distance adjustment means 3 for adjusting the horizontal distance between the workpiece and the base wall is described with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9(A) shows a front view seen from the top plate side. FIG. 9(B) shows a vertical cross-sectional view explaining the adjustment of the horizontal distance.

Figure 9(C) shows the state in which the separation distance adjustment means is detached. In Figure 9(A), only the oil tank section 30, the cylindrical path section 41, and the pressure adjustment lid 42 are shown in dashed lines. In Figure 9(B), the horizontal installation reference position of the workpiece is shown in dashed lines.

In Example 3, a specific example is described in which the base wall 201 is provided with a claw 203 protruding in the horizontal direction, and the distance adjustment means 3 is detachably attached to the claw. The distance adjustment means 3 has a top plate 10, a base 20, and an oil tank 30 each formed in a horseshoe shape, and has an open end 90 that functions as an attachment/detachment means (see FIG. 9(A)). The cylindrical path 41 extends from the side of the base 20 to the position of the left-right symmetry axis of the oil tank 30 (see the dashed line in FIG. 9(A)) so that the oil tank 30 can be pressurized equally on the left and right.

Next, with reference to Figures 9(B) and 9(C), the attachment and detachment of the distance adjustment means 3 and the adjustment of the distance will be described. First, the open end 90 is hooked onto the claw portion 203 to attach the distance adjustment means 3 to the base wall portion 201 (see Figure 9(B)). As in Example 2, the side of the workpiece 100 is abutted against the top surface of the distance adjustment means 3 to temporarily install it, and the deviation from the workpiece installation reference position (see the dashed line in Figure 9(B)) is measured.

When the position where the workpiece is temporarily placed is deviated from the reference placement position, the top plate 10 of the distance adjustment means 3 is expanded to adjust the horizontal distance between the workpiece 100 and the base wall 201 so as to eliminate the positional deviation of the workpiece. When reusing the distance adjustment means 3, the pressure adjustment cover 42 is loosened by unscrewing it to release the pressure, returning the top plate 10 to a flat state, and the open end 90 is pulled out from the claw 203 (see FIG. 9(C)). It goes without saying that the claw 203 may be provided on the workpiece.

(others)
In this embodiment, an example was described in which only the top plate was formed by laser sintering metal powder, but it goes without saying that the base may also be formed by laser sintering metal powder. In addition, it goes without saying that the top plate may be formed by cutting, and the base and top plate may be joined by heating at a temperature below the melting point of the base material and applying a pressure that does not cause plastic deformation by diffusion bonding as specified in JIS standard Z3001-2. In the case of diffusion bonding, it is preferable to flatten the bottom side of the top plate as well.
In the present embodiment, the pressure adjusting oil is grease. However, the pressure adjusting oil is not limited to grease and may be hydraulic oil.
The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered restrictive. The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above description but is indicated by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

1, 2, 3... separation distance adjustment means,
10: top plate portion, 20: base portion, 30: oil tank portion, 40: pressure adjustment means,
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11... Lattice-like striped groove, 12... End part, 13... First striped groove, 14... Second striped groove,
31: Air vent hole; 32: Outer wall; 33: Curved portion;
34: second female screw portion; 35: vent hole blocking cover; 36: grease; 37: through hole;
41: Cylindrical path portion; 42: Pressure adjustment cover; 43: Male screw;
44: piston; 45: bearing ball; 46: side opening; 47: female thread portion;
48: thin-diameter portion, 49: step, 50: hexagonal hole, 51: recess, 52: O-ring,
53: auxiliary ring; 54: first groove portion; 55: O-ring; 56: second groove portion;
57: retaining shaft; 58: recess; 59: non-through hole; 60: lateral hole;
70: Metal sintered layer, 71: Metal powder, 72: Metal powder not to be sintered, 73: Extension portion,
80... Central through hole, 90... Open end,
100: workpiece; 101: processing device; 102: horizontal measuring device; 103: moving device;
104 ... probe, 105 ... left side installation support point,
200... base, 201... base wall portion, 202... locking portion, 203... claw portion,
300...laser nozzle, 301...laser, 400...cloth buff, 500...air bubble

Claims (5)

A distance adjustment means for adjusting the distance between the base and the workpiece,
The separation distance adjustment means comprises a base portion, a top plate portion, an oil tank portion, and a pressure adjustment means,
The top plate portion is made of a bendable flat plate body and has a strip-like groove with an open end that divides the top surface into a plurality of sections,
The oil tank portion is sandwiched between the base portion and the top plate portion to form an oil tank and is filled with pressure regulating oil,
the pressure adjustment means includes a cylindrical path portion extending from a side surface of the base portion to the oil tank portion, and a pressure adjustment lid inserted into the cylindrical path portion from a side surface of the base portion,
The piston disposed in the cylindrical passage portion is advanced and retreated by the threaded engagement of the male screw constituting the pressure adjustment lid via a bearing ball in contact with the pressure adjustment lid and the piston, thereby adjusting the pressure of the pressure adjustment oil sealed in the cylindrical passage portion and the oil tank portion and adjusting the bulging height of the top plate portion.
The streak-like groove functions as a means for preventing adhesion between the top plate portion and the workpiece,
The bearing ball facilitates the retraction of the piston into the pressure adjusting lid when the oil tank section is depressurized,
The pressure of the pressure adjusting oil is adjusted by the screw advance/retraction, and even if the bulging height is adjusted, the piston follows the retreat of the male screw, and the top plate portion and the workpiece are not fixed to each other.
A distance adjustment means. The oil tank portion is cut to form a flat cavity inside the base portion,
The top plate portion is formed by laser sintering metal powder and is integrally formed around the base portion.
2. The distance adjusting means according to claim 1. The top plate portion, the oil tank portion, and the base portion are overlapped to form a doughnut shape having a central through hole,
The distance adjustment means is engaged with a locking portion protruding horizontally from either the workpiece or the base wall portion through the central through hole, and adjusts the horizontal distance between the workpiece and the base wall portion.
3. The distance adjusting means according to claim 1 or 2. The top plate portion, the oil tank portion, and the base portion are overlapped to form a horseshoe shape having an open end,
The separation distance adjustment means is inserted from the open end into a claw portion protruding horizontally from either the workpiece or the base wall portion, and is removably hooked onto the claw portion, thereby adjusting the horizontal separation distance between the workpiece and the base wall portion.
3. The distance adjusting means according to claim 1 or 2. A method for manufacturing a distance adjustment means for adjusting a distance between a base and a workpiece, comprising the steps of:
the pressure adjusting means includes a base, a top plate portion made of a bendable flat plate body and having streaky grooves with open ends that divide the top surface into a plurality of sections, an oil tank portion sandwiched between the base and the top plate portion to form an oil tank and filled with pressure adjusting oil, a cylindrical path portion extending from the side surface of the base to the oil tank portion, and a pressure adjusting lid inserted into the cylindrical path portion from the side surface of the base, and a pressure adjusting means including a pressure adjusting lid inserted into the cylindrical path portion from the side surface of the base, the pressure adjusting lid being threadedly engaged with and retreated by a male screw forming the pressure adjusting lid, and the piston disposed in the cylindrical path portion is advanced and retreated via a bearing ball in contact with the pressure adjusting lid and the piston, thereby adjusting the pressure of the pressure adjusting oil sealed in the cylindrical path portion and the oil tank portion and adjusting the bulging height of the top plate portion, the streaky grooves function as a means for preventing adhesion between the top plate portion and the workpiece, and the bearing balls facilitate the retreat of the piston into the pressure adjusting lid when the pressure in the oil tank portion is released;
The method includes a first step of cutting the base portion, a second step of forming the top plate portion, and a third step of filling the oil tank portion with pressure regulating oil,
In a first step, the oil tank portion, a cylindrical path portion extending from the oil tank portion to the side surface of the base portion, and an air vent hole extending from the oil tank portion to the bottom surface of the base portion are machined,
In a second step, the top plate portion is formed integrally with the base portion from the outer periphery of the top portion of the outer periphery wall of the oil tank portion to the inside by laser sintering of metal powder;
In a third step, the pressure adjusting oil is injected into the oil tank from the cylindrical path portion or the air vent hole, and then the piston and the bearing ball are sequentially inserted into the cylindrical path portion, the pressure adjusting lid is brought into contact with the bearing ball and temporarily screwed, and an air vent hole blocking lid is temporarily screwed to the air vent hole, and while the pressure adjusting lid is first fully screwed, all air is released from the pressure adjusting oil sealed in the cylindrical path portion through a gap between the air vent hole and the air vent hole blocking lid, and then the air vent hole blocking lid is fully screwed.
A method for manufacturing a distance adjusting means.

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