JPH06344166A - Vertical claw retractable work clamp device for laser beam machine - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] For laser processing machines in which it is easy to adjust the mutual operation timings of the upper and lower claws and the operating times of each, and the plate thickness of the workpiece to be gripped is not limited. Obtain the upper and lower claw retractable clamp device. [Structure] The upper claw 6 and the lower claw 7 are configured to include a drive mechanism that operates independently. Further, as a drive mechanism of the upper claw 6, the upper claw 6 is configured to move upward and then move away from the workpiece.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement of a work clamp device having a retracting mechanism for the entry of a machining head of a laser beam machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 4 is a plan view of a table portion in a general laser beam machine, and FIGS. 5 and 6 show a conventional retractable work clamp device shown in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-284493. The side view drawn by is shown. In each drawing, 1 is a workpiece, 2 is a processing head for focusing and irradiating laser light, 3 is a work support pin having a needle-like tip, 31
Is a retractable work clamp device, 6 is an upper claw of a grip portion of the retractable work clamp device 31, 7 is a lower claw thereof, 29 is a work lifter that is equipped with a number of ball bearings, and operates in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface, 30 Is a positioning device which is fixed according to the processing reference position of the table, 32 is the upper claw 6,
Pins G and 33, which are fulcrums of the lower claw 7, are cylinders that are driving parts of the retractable work clamp device 31, 33a is a piston rod protruding from the cylinder 33, and 34 is a U-shaped member fixed to the tip of the piston rod 33a. Is a holder, 35 is a roller rotatably fixed to each U-shaped end of the holder 34, and 36 is a proximity switch.

Next, the operation will be described. The work piece 1 is placed on the work support pin 3, the work piece 1 is held by the retractable work clamp device 31 as shown in FIG. 5, and then the laser beam focused by the working head 2 is applied to the work piece 1. While irradiating, the processing head 2 and the processing machine table portion are moved to perform processing such as cutting. Further, when the machining head 2 approaches the upper claw 6 which is the grasping portion of the retractable work clamp device 31 which grasps the workpiece 1 during machining, the grasping state is released as shown in FIG. Avoid collisions by allowing The relative position between the machining head 2 and the retractable work clamp device 31 is determined by the sensor 3
6. Detect from drive system and control system. As for the operation of the retractable work clamp device 31, by moving the cylinder rod 33a from the state of FIG. 6 in the direction of arrow D, the upper claw 6 and the lower claw 7 rotate about the pin G32 as a fulcrum. The operation for this rotation is performed by the roller 35 attached to the holder 34 acting on the upper claw 6 and the lower claw 7. At that time, the lower claw 7 is returned to the return state earlier than the upper claw 6. It is designed to let you.

[0004]

Since the conventional retractable work clamp device is constructed as described above, the upper claw 6,
In order to arbitrarily change the operation timing of each lower claw 7 and the time required for the retracting operation, it is necessary to replace the claw having a shape corresponding to the desired timing or operation time each time, which is very complicated. In addition, since the distance between the rotating shafts of the upper and lower claws 6 and 7 is a fixed structure, there is a limit to the plate thickness of the workpiece that can be gripped (the surface of the workpiece cannot be held). There was a point.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is easy to adjust the mutual operation timings of the upper and lower claws and the respective operation times, and the workpiece can be grasped. It is an object of the present invention to obtain an upper and lower claw retracting type clamp device for a laser processing machine, which is less restricted by the plate thickness.

[0006]

An upper and lower claw retractable work clamp device according to a first aspect of the present invention separately comprises a drive mechanism required for each operation of an upper claw and a lower claw.

The upper and lower claw retractable work clamp device according to a second aspect of the present invention is the upper and lower claw retractable work clamp device according to the first aspect of the present invention when the upper claw drive mechanism is used to release the gripping of the workpiece. The upper claw is linearly moved upward, and then is moved by the mechanism so as to move away from the workpiece.

The upper and lower claw retractable work clamp device according to a third aspect of the present invention is the upper and lower claw retractable work clamp device according to the second aspect of the present invention, which further comprises an adjusting mechanism for adjusting the amount of linear movement of the upper claw. It is provided.

The upper and lower claw retractable work clamp device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the upper and lower claw retractable work clamp device according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein at least one of the upper claw and the lower claw is covered. An adjustment mechanism is provided to control the time required for the retracting operation for the workpiece and the gripping operation for the workpiece.

Furthermore, the upper and lower claw retractable work clamp device according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the upper and lower claw retractable work clamp device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein A mechanism for adjusting the height of the contact surface is provided.

[0011]

The upper and lower claw retractable work clamp device according to the first aspect of the present invention makes it possible to operate the upper claw and the lower claw at different operation timings or operation times.

Further, the upper and lower claw retractable work clamp device according to the second aspect of the present invention can hold the surface of a plate thickness up to the amount of linear movement of the upper claw.

Further, in the work clamp device for retracting the upper and lower pawls according to the third aspect of the present invention, the amount of vertical movement of the upper pawl can be variably adjusted to adjust the retracting operation time of the upper pawl.

In the upper and lower claw retracting clamp device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the time required for the retracting and returning operations of the upper and lower claws or the operation timing of the upper and lower claws can be variably adjusted.

Furthermore, in the work clamp device for retracting upper and lower pawls according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the height of the contact surface of the lower pawl with the workpiece can be adjusted according to the height position of the lower surface of the workpiece.

[0016]

【Example】

Example 1. An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. In each figure, 1 is the workpiece,
Reference numeral 2 is a processing head, 3 is a work support pin that supports the workpiece 1 on a table, 4 is a cylinder for an upper claw whose movable portion operates in the directions of arrows A and B, and 4a is a movable portion of the cylinder. Cylinder rods, 5 are cylinders for lower claws having the same movement direction as the cylinders 4 for upper claws, 5a are cylinder rods that are movable parts of the cylinders, 6 are upper claws, 7 are lower claws, 8
Is a narrow part of the upper claw attached to the upper claw 6, 9 is a narrow part of the lower claw attached to the lower claw 7, 10 is a link A for retracting the upper claw 6, and 11 is the upper claw 6 and the link A10. Pins A and 12 connecting with the upper claw bracket fixed to the cylinder rod 5a that is a movable part of the upper claw cylinder 4, 13 is a pin B connecting the link A10 and the upper claw bracket 12,
Reference numeral 4 denotes a roller that is always in contact with the link A10 and serves as a guide; 15 is a roller mounting bracket that fixes the roller 14 and is adjustable in the directions of arrows A and B; 16 is a stationary fixing roller mounting bracket 15; It is a screw.

Reference numeral 17 denotes a tension coil spring that keeps the link A in contact with the roller 14 at all times and guides the upper claw 6 to the retracting operation, and 18 fixes the upper claw narrow portion 8 to the upper claw 6 for adjustment. Upper nail narrow portion adjusting screw, 19 is upper nail narrow portion 8 and upper nail 6
A female screw 20 for preventing backlash and a link B for transmitting the vertical movement of the cylinder rod 4a, which is a movable part of the lower claw cylinder 4, to the lower claw 7, and a link 21 for moving the lower claw cylinder 5 Is attached to the cylinder rod 5a and transmits a force to the link B20, 22 is a pin C serving as a fulcrum of the link B20, and 23 is attached to the clevis 21.
The pins D and 24, which are the power points of the link B20, are the link B20.
Is a point of action of the lower claw 7, and a pin E serving as a fulcrum of the lower claw 7 is a pin F that serves as a fulcrum of the lower claw 7, and a stopper 27 that determines the posture of the lower claw 7 that performs a retracting operation by rotation is returned. A stopper adjusting screw for fixing the stopper 26, and 28 is a cylinder 4 for the upper claw and a cylinder 5 for the lower claw.
Is a speed controller for adjusting the flow rate of the fluid used.

Next, the operation of the present invention will be described. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, when the processing head 2 approaches while the workpiece 1 is being gripped, the retracting operation is performed as in the conventional one, but as shown in FIG. First, in the case of the upper pawl 6, the retracting command is received, and the supplied fluid flows into the upper pawl cylinder 4 and pushes the cylinder rod 4a in the direction of arrow A. As a result, the upper claw bracket 12, the link A10, and the upper claw 6 also move in the arrow A direction. The link A10 is pressed against the roller 14 by the action of the tension coil spring 17. Therefore, pin B1
The upper claw 6 only moves in the direction of arrow A until the center of 3 and the center of the roller 14 are at the same height.
When the center of 13 exceeds the center of the roller 14 in the direction of arrow A, the action of the tension coil spring 17 causes the link A10.
Rotates about the pin B13 as a fulcrum. As a result, the upper claw 6 moves in the direction of the arrow C to complete the retracting operation.

On the other hand, in the lower claw 7, the fluid supplied in response to the evacuation command, like the upper claw 6, flows to the lower claw cylinder 5 and pushes the cylinder rod 5a in the direction of arrow A. The link B20 that receives this force rotates about the pin C22 as a fulcrum, and at the same time, the rotational power is transmitted to the lower claw 7 by the pin E24. Therefore, the lower claw 7 rotates about the pin F25 as a fulcrum. This completes the evacuation operation. The return (grasping) operation is the reverse of the above for both the upper claw 6 and the lower claw 7.

Further, when the retracting operation and the returning (grasping) operation are performed, the fluid is supplied to and discharged from the upper claw cylinder 4 and the lower claw cylinder 5, respectively. Since the speed controller 28 for adjusting the flow rate is attached to the piping port of the cylinder 5, the operating speeds of the upper claw 6 and the lower claw 7 can be separately adjusted by adjusting the flow rate of the fluid by the speed controller 28. Can be adjusted.

When the lower claw 7 retracted by the rotation returns to the gripped state again, the lower claw 7 hits the stopper 26. When the stopper 26 is loosened by moving the stopper adjusting screw 27 and moved in the direction of the arrow A, the lower claw narrow portion 9 comes to a position lower than the tip of the work support pin 3 in the lower claw grip state.
Further, when the stopper 26 is moved in the direction of arrow B, it is provided so as to be adjustable in the vertical direction so as to be the reverse of the above. Therefore, the lower surface of the gripping portion of the workpiece 1 has the work support pin 3
If the height of the lower pawl 7 is not the same as that of the lower pawl 7 or if there is an assembly error in the clamp device and the height of the upper surface of the lower pawl narrow portion 9 is not the same as the height of the tip of the work support pin 3, The height of the contact surface with the workpiece 1 can be adjusted in advance so as to obtain the best gripping state.

Furthermore, when the upper claw 6 performs the retracting operation,
As described above, until the center of the pin B13 does not exceed the center of the roller 14 in the direction of arrow A, the upper claw moves only in the direction of arrow A, that is, moves vertically. Also the roller 14
Is provided so that the height can be adjusted by loosening the fixing screw 16 and moving the roller mounting bracket 15 fixing the roller 14 in the directions of arrows A and B. Therefore, by moving the roller mounting bracket 15 in the direction of arrow A, the vertical movement amount of the upper pawl 6 can be increased, and by moving the roller mounting bracket 15 in the direction of arrow B, the vertical movement of the upper pawl 6 can be increased. Since the amount of movement can be reduced, the plate thickness of the workpiece 1 can be easily accommodated, and the retracting operation time of the upper claw 6 can be adjusted easily.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the drive mechanism for independently operating the upper and lower claws is provided, the upper and lower claws can be replaced without replacing the upper and lower claws. The mutual operation timings can be staggered and the operation times can be set arbitrarily, and the shape of the work piece can be easily adjusted (mainly the state of deflection due to the difference in plate thickness, etc.).
Even if there is a difference between the two, it is possible to flexibly deal with the work without hindering the processing.

According to this invention, the drive mechanism for the upper claw is a mechanism for moving the upper claw to move away from the work after the upper claw directly moves upward when releasing the grip of the work. Since it is configured, it is possible to hold the surface of the plate thickness up to the amount of linear movement and to absorb the initial strain of the workpiece.

Further, according to the present invention, since the adjusting mechanism for adjusting the moving amount of the upward movement of the upper claw is provided, the possible gripping plate thickness is increased by adjusting the moving amount of the upward movement. It becomes possible to do that easily. Further, the laser processing machine is often used at a high processing speed when processing a thin plate. That is, unless the upper claw is retracted that much earlier, the possibility of collision with the machining head increases. Therefore, by reducing the amount of movement that moves directly above the upper nail,
There is also an effect that the evacuation operation can be quickly performed easily without adjusting the flow rate of the fluid used in the cylinder.

Further, according to the present invention, since the adjusting mechanism for controlling the time required for the retracting operation of at least one of the upper claw and the lower claw for the workpiece and the gripping operation for the workpiece is provided, the upper claw and the lower claw are provided. There is an effect that the operation of the claw can be adjusted easily and without requiring replacement of parts.

Further, according to the present invention, since the mechanism for adjusting the height of the contact surface of the lower claw with the workpiece is provided, the lower surface of the gripping portion of the workpiece is not the same as the tip height of the work support pin. In some cases, such as when there is an assembly error in the clamp device and the height of the upper surface of the lower jaw is not the same as the height of the tip of the work support pin, depending on the situation, the height of the contact surface of the lower jaw with the workpiece Can be adjusted in advance so as to obtain the best gripping state.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a retracted state of an upper and lower claw retractable clamp device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a state where a workpiece is held by the vertically retractable clamp device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the upper claw portion of the upper and lower claw retractable clamp device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a table portion in a general laser processing machine.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a state in which a workpiece is held by a conventional retractable work clamp device.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing a retracted state of a conventional retractable work clamp device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Workpiece 2 Processing head 3 Work support pin 4 Upper claw cylinder 4a Cylinder rod 5 Upper claw cylinder 5a Cylinder rod 6 Upper claw 7 Lower claw 8 Upper claw narrow part 9 Lower claw narrow part 10 Link A 11 Pin A 12 Upper claw bracket 13 Pin B 14 Roller 15 Roller mounting bracket 16 Fixing screw 17 Tension coil spring 18 Upper claw narrow adjustment screw 19 Set screw 20 Link B 21 Clevis 22 Pin C 23 Pin D 24 pin E 25 pin F 26 Stopper 27 Stopper adjustment Screw 28 Speed controller 29 Work lifter 30 Positioning device 31 Retractable work clamp device 32 Pin G 33 Cylinder 33a Cylinder rod 34 Holder 35 Roller 36 Sensor

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. In an upper and lower claw retractable work clamp device for a laser processing machine, in which an upper claw and a lower claw for gripping a work are respectively retracted as a machining head approaches, the upper claw and the lower claw are independently operated. Upper and lower claw retractable work clamp device for laser beam machine equipped with a drive mechanism to drive. 2. The driving mechanism for the upper claw is configured by a mechanism for moving the upper claw to move away from the work after the upper claw directly moves upward when the gripping of the work is released. The upper and lower claw retractable work clamp device for a laser processing machine according to claim 1. 3. The upper and lower claw retractable work clamp device for a laser processing machine according to claim 2, further comprising an adjusting mechanism for adjusting the amount of movement of the upper claw directly moving. 4. An adjusting mechanism for controlling the time required for the retracting operation of at least one of the upper and lower claws with respect to the work piece and the gripping operation with respect to the work piece. The upper and lower claw retractable work clamp device for a laser beam machine according to any one of 3 above. 5. The upper and lower claw retracting type for a laser processing machine according to claim 1, wherein a mechanism for adjusting the height of the contact surface of the lower claw with the workpiece is provided. Work clamp device.