JPH0218802Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Technical field] The present invention relates to a swinging cylinder that is capable of both linear motion and swinging, and in particular, by reducing the size of the swinging cylinder part and concentrating the air pressure supply ports. This invention relates to a swing cylinder that can be easily operated.

[Background technology]

For example, as the automation of various types of automatic working machines and machine tools progresses through robotization, and higher precision and multi-functionality are required, pneumatic cylinders are required not only to move back and forth, but also to oscillate. Swing cylinders have been proposed in which the

However, in such conventional swing cylinders, ports for supplying air pressure in the swing cylinder section are distributed, making the piping tube for supplying air pressure complicated, and depending on the installation conditions, it may be difficult to supply air pressure. Moreover, since joints are required between the main body and the cylinders on both sides, the piston of the swinging cylinder cannot move close to the position of the pinion, leading to problems such as an increase in size.

[Purpose of invention]

An object of the present invention is to provide a swing cylinder that allows the size of the swing cylinder portion to be reduced.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a swing cylinder that can easily supply air pressure to the swing cylinder portion by concentrating the supply ports.

[Summary of the idea]

In the present invention, a rod is attached to the piston that reciprocates within the cylinder so that it can swing freely around the central axis, and a swinging force is applied to the rod from the swinging cylinder section via a rack and pinion. Therefore, the structure of the cylinder section is simplified by using a tube, and the air pressure from the supply and exhaust port of the main body is transferred to the inside of the tube through the air passage between the tube and the head cover that closes the end of the tube. The air is supplied to the air chamber defined by the piston to operate the rack and pinion mechanism.As a result, the size of the swinging cylinder part is reduced, and the inner surface of the tube becomes the inner surface of the cylinder, so it is possible to make the cylinder by cutting etc. The accuracy of the inner surface and the roughness of the finished surface are simple and easy, and since the outer surface of the tube serves as an air passage, it is possible to easily supply air pressure.

〔Example〕

FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 are a front sectional view, a plan view, and a side sectional view, respectively, showing an embodiment of the swing cylinder according to the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a block-shaped cylinder body, and this body 1 includes a cylinder tube 3 whose one end is closed by a head cover 2, a pair of cylinder tubes 6a whose both ends are covered with head covers 4 and 5, 6b is attached.

Inside the cylinder tube 3, a piston 8 to which a magnet 7 is attached is provided so as to be able to freely slide in the axial direction.A bolt 12 is attached to the end face of the piston 8 to fix the magnet 7 via a retainer 9, a bumper 10, and a washer 11. is screwed in. Also, 7
Stroke sensors a and 7b detect the stroke position of the magnet 7. Note that the head cover 2 around the bolt 12 accommodates the head of the bolt 12 and also accommodates the port 24b.
A recess 13 is provided through which compressed air is supplied and discharged. In addition, 14 is a piston packing provided on the outer periphery of the piston 8, and 15 is a wear ring.

On the other hand, a recess 16 is provided on the right end surface of the piston 8, and a cup-shaped fitting 17 is screwed into this recess 16. A spherical bearing serving as a rotational connection member is disposed in which a ball receiving portion 19 that slidably receives the ball receiving portion 18 is fitted.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a piston rod capable of swinging and direct movement. One end of this rod 20 passes through the center of the fixture 17, and its tip passes through the center of a ball portion 18. This ball portion 18 is inserted into the rod by a nut 21. It is fixed to the end of 20. Note that the ball receiving portion 19 is fixed to the fixture 17 so as not to fall off. In other words, due to the swinging of the rod 20, the ball portion 1
8 is configured to freely slide within the ball receiving portion 19. Note that 22 is a bumper attached to the end surface of the fixture 17. Reference numeral 23 denotes an air chamber provided in the cylinder tube 3 between the piston 8 and the main body 1, and air pressure is supplied and discharged through a port 24a and a through hole 25 provided in the main body 1.

Two bearings 26, 2 are located approximately at the lower center of the main body 1.
Case 28 and rod bush 29 through 7
are provided at a constant gap so as to be able to swing freely but not be displaced in the axial direction, and the rod 20 is supported by these so as to be able to freely slide in the axial direction. 3
0 is a pinion attached to the rod 20 in the above-mentioned gap so as to be able to swing integrally with the rod 20 and to be freely displaceable in the axial direction. 31 is a rod packing that seals the gap between the case 28 and the rod 20; 32
is a fixture for the rod packing 31. 28a is a gasket that seals the gap between the main body 1 and the case 28.

The rod 20 must have a shape that transmits the rocking motion from the pinion 30 and that the rod packing 31 that prevents air pressure from leaking from the air chamber 23 is sufficiently effective, so a square cross section is used in this embodiment.

The lid 33 includes a wave washer 26a for adjusting machining errors in the main body 1, and two bearings 26, 27.
is screwed in to secure it.

34 is a rack meshed with the pinion 30, and the rack 34 is positioned relative to the pinion 30 and in the circumferential direction within the cylinder tube 6 by a rack guide 34a and a positioning pin 34b, and is capable of movement only in the axial direction. . At both ends of this rack 34 are the cylinder tubes 6
A pair of pistons 35 and 36 sliding inside a and 6b
is installed. These pistons 35,
Air chambers 37 and 38 are provided between the head cover 36 and the head covers 4 and 5 to receive and discharge air pressure. Air pressure is supplied and discharged from two ports 49 and 50 through the outer surface of the cylinder tube 6 and the head covers 4 and 5.
It communicates with air chambers 37 and 38 through a gap between the inner surface of Rod packings 39, 40 and wear rings 41, 42 are provided on the outer periphery of each piston 35, 36.
is installed. 43 and 44 are screws that adjust the amount of movement of each piston 35 and 36. 4
Numerals 5 and 46 are magnets provided integrally with the pistons 35 and 36, and a position sensor 45 is provided on the head covers 4 and 5 to detect the positions of the magnets 45 and 46.
a, 46a are provided.

By the way, the cylinder tubes 6a and 6b are tubes made of stainless steel with smooth inner peripheral surfaces, and these two stainless steel tubes are inserted from both sides of the block-shaped main body 1.
At this time, there is a sufficient gap between the outer surfaces of the cylinder tubes 6a, 6b and the inner surfaces of the cap-shaped head covers 4, 5 as a passage for supplying and discharging air pressure. Furthermore, the ends of each stainless steel tube are covered with cap-shaped head covers 4 and 5, and these head covers 4 and 5 are fixed to the main body 1. Therefore, the inner ends of the cylinder tubes 6a and 6b made of stainless steel tubes can be positioned near the pinion 30 without creating a joint with the main body 1.

Further, a notch is provided in a part of the outer end of the cylinder tubes 6a, 6b to prevent the entire circumference of the outer end surface from coming into close contact with the head covers 4, 5.

Air pressure is supplied to and discharged from the air chambers 37 and 38 through the main body 1.
The air pressure supply/discharge ports 49, 50 provided on the top surface are communicated through the through holes 51, 52, the gaps between the cylinder tubes 6a, 6b and the cap-shaped head covers 4, 5, and the notches at the outer ends of the cylinder tubes 6a, 6b. ing. Therefore, three ports 24, 49, and 50 are provided in a concentrated manner on the upper surface of the main body 1.

Next, the operation of the swing cylinder of this embodiment will be explained.

In the swinging cylinder of this embodiment, the direct motion position of the rod is obtained by detecting the amount of sliding of the piston 8 in the cylinder tube 3, and the swinging position of the rod is obtained in the cylinder tubes 6a, 6b of the pistons 35, 36. Obtained by detecting the amount of oscillation. First, air pressure is supplied to either the recess 13 or the air chamber 23 in the cylinder tube 3, and when the other air pressure is released, the piston 8 slides inside the cylinder 3, and the piston rod 20 moves toward the case 28 and the rod bush. It slides while being supported by 29 and is displaced in the forward or backward direction in the axial direction.

On the other hand, when air pressure is supplied to either one of the air chambers 37, 38 in the cylinder tubes 6a, 6b and the other air pressure is released, the pistons 35, 36 slide in the cylinder tubes 6a, 6b in the forward direction or Displaced in the backward direction. Due to this displacement operation, the rack 34 also moves in the same direction, causing the pinion 30 meshing with this rack to swing. This rocking of the pinion 30 causes the piston rod 20 to rock as well. As a result, the rod 20 can perform rotational motion and linear motion separately, or perform rocking linear motion in which the rod 20 moves linearly while swinging. Therefore, if this swing cylinder is used in an automatic working machine such as a robot, it is possible to automatically perform complicated work that requires direct motion and swing motion.

By the way, as mentioned above, although the rod 20 moves linearly and oscillates, this oscillation is not transmitted to the piston 8 because the ball portion 18 rotates within the ball receiving portion 19. Therefore, piston 8
moves only in the axial direction within the cylinder tube 3,
It never rotates. Further, the rod 20 is rotatably supported by two bearings 26 and 27, and its rocking is extremely smooth. For this reason, the twisting motion, that is, the rocking motion, of the rod 20 becomes easy.

By the way, since two stainless steel tubes are used for the cylinder tubes 6a and 6b on which the pistons 35 and 36 slide, they can still be brought close to the pinion 30. In other words, when the cylinder was provided integrally with the main body 1 as in the past, there was always a seam between the main body 1 and the cylinder, and it was impossible to form a straight line over almost the entire length. In the example, a stainless steel tube with a straight and smooth surface near the pinion 30 was used, so the ends of the stainless steel tube could be brought close to each other, and the distance between the two pistons 35 and 36 could be set short, resulting in a cylinder The length can be shortened, and the pistons 35 and 36 can also move to the maximum extent possible.

Further, the air passages between the cylinder tubes 6a, 6b and the head covers 4, 5 can be easily obtained by simply providing notches at the outer ends of the cylinder tubes 6a, 6b, and the air pressure can be supplied and discharged through these air passages. Ports 49 and 50 are the above port 24
Since they are centrally provided on the upper surface of the main body 1, the air pressure supply/discharge tubes can be centralized, and the connection can be facilitated, resulting in a more compact structure.

Furthermore, if stainless steel tubes are used as the cylinder tubes 6a and 6b, finishing of the inner surfaces on which the pistons 35 and 36 slide can be omitted, and the cylinders can be obtained at low cost.

By supporting the rod 20 rotatably relative to the piston 8 in this way, the linear motion and rocking motion of the rod 20 becomes light, and when this is used for the arm of a robot, complex movements can be performed without slowing down. In addition to being able to perform the swing motion smoothly, it is possible to shorten the length of the cylinder for the swing motion, reduce the cost, and further reduce the size.

〔effect〕

In this invention, the swinging cylinder section that applies swinging force to the rod is composed of a pair of cylinder tubes made of stainless steel tubes, and a pair of pistons that slide inside the cylinder tubes and are attached to the rack. Since each of the cylinder tubes is installed close to the pinion, the length of the cylinder can be shortened, and the pair of pistons can be moved to the maximum extent, without requiring complicated finishing machining of the cylinder. , can be obtained easily and inexpensively.

In addition, air pressure is supplied and discharged to and from the air chamber made of a stainless steel tube through the air passage between the stainless steel tube and the head cover that covers the end of the tube, so the air passage and ports are centralized. The main body can be made smaller and more compact, and the air pressure can be easily supplied.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view of a swing cylinder according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view, and FIG. 3 is a side sectional view. 1...Body, 3, 6a, 6b...Cylinder tube, 8...Piston, 18...Ball part, 19
... Ball receiving part, 20 ... Rod, 23 ... Air chamber, 26, 27 ... Bearing, 28 ... Case, 29
... Rodbutsuyu, 30 ... Pinion, 35,
36... Piston, 37, 38... Air chamber, 4
9, 50... Supply/discharge port, 51, 52... Through hole.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A piston that reciprocates within a cylinder in response to air pressure, a rod whose one end is rotatably supported via a rotation support member, and a rack and pinion mechanism for transmitting rotation to the rod. The rack-and-pinion mechanism includes a pair of pistons attached to the rack end, and a swinging cylinder section that accommodates the pair of pistons that reciprocate with air pressure, and the swinging cylinder section supplies and discharges air pressure. A swing cylinder comprising a tube extending through a main body having a port, and a head cover closing an end of the tube, and an air passage leading to the supply/discharge port is provided between the tube and the head cover.