JP2020132336A - Telescopic chain and chain mechanism having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a stretchable chain which can be stably expanded and contracted. A telescopic chain 3 includes a plurality of clip portions 6 and a plurality of chain units 7. Each chain unit 7 has a pair of links 71, 71 rotatably connected to a pair of adjacent clip portions 6, and an intermediate link 72 rotatably connected to each of the pair of links 71, 71. Have. The length of the chain unit 71 can be changed by turning the pair of links 71, 71 with respect to the intermediate link 72, and the pair of links 71, 71 mesh with each other. [Selection diagram] Fig. 3

Description

The present invention relates to a telescopic chain and a chain mechanism including the telescopic chain.

Conventionally, a sheet-like material processing device that shrinks (or stretches) a sheet-like material while transferring it has been proposed. Such a sheet-like material processing apparatus includes a pair of left and right endless chains having a large number of clips, and a predetermined sheet-like material is formed by orbiting the endless chains while gripping both edges of the sheet-like material with clips. Transfer in the transfer direction. The endless chain is contractible, and the sheet-like material is contracted (or stretched) by gradually contracting (or stretching) while transferring the sheet-like material.

For example, the endless chain disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured by connecting clip connecting portions for gripping a sheet-like object by a contractable connecting connecting portion, and the connecting connecting portion is connected to an adjacent clip connecting portion. A pair of rotatably connected chain links, an intermediate connection link rotatably connected to these pair of chain links, and a driven roller rotatably supported by the intermediate connection link at a position below the intermediate connection link. To be equipped. Then, when the driven roller is pushed in a predetermined direction by the guide rail, the pair of chain links turn with respect to the intermediate connecting link, and the connecting connecting portion contracts.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-131275

In the endless chain disclosed in Patent Document 1, the amount of rotation of one chain link with respect to the intermediate connection link and the amount of rotation of the other chain link are not always the same, and the expansion and contraction of the connection connection portion is unstable. .. Further, in order to suppress the inclination of the connecting connecting portion caused by the driven roller being pushed by the guide rail, it is necessary to guide the clip connecting portion with the spiral guide groove of the screw.

An object of the present invention is to provide a telescopic chain that can be expanded and contracted stably and a chain mechanism provided with the telescopic chain.

The telescopic chain and the chain mechanism according to the present invention include a plurality of connected portions and a plurality of chain units, and each chain unit is rotatably connected to a pair of adjacent connected portions. Link and an intermediate link rotatably connected to each of the pair of links, and the length of the chain unit can be changed by rotating the pair of links with respect to the intermediate link. The pair of links are in mesh with each other.

The chain mechanism according to the present invention includes a telescopic chain, a guide rail, and a transfer means for transferring the telescopic chain in a predetermined direction. The telescopic chain includes a plurality of connected portions and a plurality of chain units. Each chain unit is provided with a pair of links rotatably connected to a pair of adjacent connected portions, an intermediate link rotatably connected to the pair of links, and rotation to the intermediate link. It has a pair of driven rollers that are freely supported, and the length of the chain unit in the predetermined direction can be changed by turning the pair of links with respect to the intermediate link. The driven rollers are arranged along the predetermined direction, and each of the pair of driven rollers abuts on the guide rail.

According to the telescopic chain and the chain mechanism according to the present invention, since the pair of links are meshed with each other, the swivel amount of one link with respect to the intermediate link can always be equal to the swivel amount of the other link, and the expansion and contraction can be performed. The chain can be expanded and contracted stably.

According to the chain mechanism according to the present invention, the telescopic chain is transferred in the predetermined direction with a pair of driven rollers arranged in a predetermined direction in contact with the guide rail, so that the posture of the telescopic chain can be stabilized. ..

The simplified plan view of the sheet-like material processing apparatus provided with the chain mechanism which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3 is a plan view of a sheet-like material transfer device included in the sheet-like material processing device of FIG. It is a figure which shows the endless chain in the extended state provided in the sheet-like material transfer apparatus shown in FIG. 2, (a) is the sectional view taken along line IIIa-IIIa of FIG. 2, and (b) is seen from the direction of arrow IIIb of FIG. The arrow view, (c) is a plan view showing a chain unit included in an endless chain. 3A and 3B are views showing a contracted state of the endless chain, FIG. 2A is a sectional view taken along line IVa-IVa of FIG. 2, an arrow view seen from the direction of arrow IVb of FIG. 2, and FIG. 3C is a chain unit. Top view showing. The figure which shows the modification of the endless chain which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, the chain mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The chain mechanism according to this embodiment is used, for example, in the sheet-like material processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG.

The sheet-like material processing device 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a pair of sheet-like material transfer devices (hereinafter, simply referred to as “transfer devices”) 2 and 2 and heating means (not shown), and the transfer devices 2 and 2 are provided. The sheet-like material S is transferred in the predetermined transfer direction D2 by sandwiching both side edges in the width direction D1. The transfer path of the sheet-like object S defines a first transfer area R1, a speed change area R2, and a second transfer area R3 in order from the upstream side of the transfer direction D2, and the sheet-like object S is the first transfer area R1. Is transferred at the first speed, is decelerated from the first speed to the second speed in the shift range R2, and is transferred at the second transfer range R3 at the second speed. Since the transfer devices 2 and 2 have substantially the same configuration except that they are symmetrical, only one transfer device 2 will be described here, and the description of the other transfer device 2 will be omitted.

The transfer device 2 includes an endless chain 3, an orbiting means (transfer means) 4 for orbiting the endless chain 3, and a guide rail 5 for guiding the endless chain 3, and these endless chains 3 and the orbiting means. The chain mechanism is composed of 4 and the guide rail 5.

With reference to FIG. 2, the orbiting means 4 rotationally drives a pair of sprockets 41, 42 (upstream sprockets 41 and downstream sprockets 42) arranged along the transfer direction D2, and the respective sprockets 41, 42. The motors M1 and M2 are provided, and the endless chain 3 is meshed with the sprockets 41 and 42 and hung between the sprockets 41 and 42. The guide rail 5 has a first guide rail 51, a second guide rail 52, and a third guide rail 53 (see FIG. 3A). When the sprockets 41 and 42 are rotationally driven in a predetermined direction by the drive motors M1 and M2, the endless chain 3 moves (orbits) along the guide rail 5 in a predetermined circumferential direction D3. In the attached drawings, "inside" means the inside of the area surrounded by the endless chain 3, and "outside" means the outside.

As shown in FIG. 2, the endless chain 3 is a telescopic chain configured to be selectively contractible in the length direction, and includes a plurality of clip portions (connected portions) 6 and a plurality of chain units 7. , And each chain unit 7 connects a pair of adjacent clip portions 6, 6 to each other.

With reference to FIG. 3A, each clip portion 6 includes a support portion 61, a clip means 62 supported by the support portion 61, and driven rollers 63, 64, 65. The clip means 62 sandwiches the side edge of the sheet-like object S, sandwiches the side edge of the sheet-like object S at a predetermined clip position P1 (FIG. 2), and sandwiches the side edge of the sheet-like object S at a predetermined clip-out position P2 (FIG. 2). ), The sheet-like object S is released. The driven rollers 63 to 65 abut on the first guide rail 51, whereby the clip portion 6 moves along the first guide rail 51.

With reference to FIGS. 3 (b) and 3 (c), each chain unit 7 has a pair of interlocking links 71, 71 and an intermediate link 72 connected to the pair of links 71, 71. A pair of driven rollers 74,74 rotatably supported by the intermediate link 72 are provided.

Each link 71 has a first link member 71a, a second link member 71b located below the first link member 71a, and a gear 71c (a missing tooth gear in this embodiment). The first and second link members 71a and 71b are rotatably connected to the support portion 61 of the adjacent clip portion 6 via the swivel shaft S1. Further, the first and second link members 71a and 71b and the gear 71c rotate integrally about the swivel shaft S1. The gear 71c of one link 71 and the gear 71c of the other link 71 are meshed with each other.

The intermediate link 72 includes a first intermediate link member 72a and a second intermediate link member 72b arranged so as to face each other, and the second intermediate link member 72b is arranged below the first intermediate link member 72a with a space L1. Has been done. These first and second intermediate link members 72a and 72b have a predetermined length in a direction perpendicular to the circumferential direction D3, and are rotatably mounted on a pair of swivel shafts S2 and S2.

In such a configuration, when one link 71 turns about one turning shaft S2 by a predetermined amount, the other link 71 that meshes with the one link 71 rotates about the other turning shaft S2 by the same amount in the opposite direction. In this way, the turning amounts of the pair of links 71, 71 with respect to the intermediate link 72 are always equal.

The driven rollers 74 and 74 are in contact with the second guide rail 52, are arranged between the first and second intermediate link members 72a and 72b along the circumferential direction D3, and are centered on the rotation axes S3 and S3. It is said to be rotatable. The height dimension L2 of each driven roller 74 is substantially equal to the distance L1 between the first intermediate link member 72a and the second intermediate link member 72b in the vertical direction D4.

The endless chain 3 further includes a connecting portion 8 that connects a pair of adjacent chain units 7, 7 to each other. The connecting portion 8 includes a connecting member 81 rotatably connected to the swivel shafts S1 and S1 and a driven roller 82 rotatably supported by the connecting member 81, and the driven roller 82 hits the third guide rail 53. I'm in contact.

In such a configuration, when the driven rollers 74 and 74 are pushed in the direction of arrow A by the second guide rail 52, each link 71 turns around the turning shafts S1 and S2 with respect to the clip portion 6 and the intermediate link 72. As shown in FIG. 3, the pair of links 71 and 71 are arranged in series in the circumferential direction D3, and as shown in FIG. 4, the pair of links 71 and 71 are changed to a folded state. In this way, the pitch (interval) of the clip portion 6 in the circumferential direction D3 can be changed between the maximum pitch Pt1 and the minimum pitch Pt2, and the amount of change in the pitch depends on the shrinkage rate of the sheet-like object S and the like. Is set arbitrarily.

The guide rail 5 selectively contracts and expands the endless chain 3 (more specifically, the chain unit 7), and as described above, the first guide rail 51 and the second guide rail 52 , And a third guide rail 53. The first guide rail 51 guides the clip portion 6 of the endless chain 3, the second guide rail 52 guides the intermediate link 72 of the endless chain 3, and the third guide rail 53 guides the connecting portion 8 of the endless chain 3. invite. More specifically, with reference to FIG. 2, the first guide rail 51 is an annular rail arranged along the circumferential path of the endless chain 3, and the clip portion 6 has the driven rollers 63 to 65 as the first guide rail. By abutting on 51, it moves in the circumferential direction D3 while being guided by the first guide rail 51. The third guide rail 53 is also an annular rail and extends in parallel with the first guide rail 51.

The second guide rail 52 is an end-shaped rail extending from the downstream side of the upstream sprocket 41 in the circumferential direction D3 to the lower position of the downstream sprocket 42, and is a distance from the guide rails 51 and 53 in the width direction D1. It is configured so that it can be set arbitrarily. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the guide rails 51 and 53 extend in parallel with the guide rails 51 and 53 in the first transfer area R1 and move toward the downstream side in the transfer direction D2 in the shift range R2. In the second transfer area R3, it extends in a direction closer to the guide rails 51 and 53 than in the first transfer area R1 and extends in parallel with the guide rails 51 and 53. After that, the second guide rail 52 is inclined and extended in a direction away from the guide rails 51 and 53 toward the downstream side of the transfer direction D2, and then extends in parallel with the guide rails 51 and 53 again.

Then, the endless chain 3 is moved by the upstream sprocket 41 with the chain unit 7 fully extended, and passes through the first transfer region R1 while maintaining this state. Next, when the chain unit 7 approaches the speed change range R2 from the first transfer range R1, the driven rollers 74 and 74 come into contact with the inner side surface of the second guide rail 52 and move along the second guide rail 52. Therefore, as the second guide rail 52 approaches the first and third guide rails 51 and 53 in the shift range R2, the driven rollers 74 and 74 also approach the first and third guide rails 51 and 53 (arrow A in FIG. 3). The distance between the clip portions 6 is gradually reduced by being pushed in the direction). In the second transfer region R3, the distance between the clip portions 6 is maintained in a reduced state, and then as the second guide rail 52 moves away from the first and third guide rails 51 and 53, the chain is tensioned by the endless chain 3 itself. The unit 7 is stretched, and the distance between the clip portions 6 is gradually increased.

In this way, the chain unit 7 is expanded and contracted by changing the relative position of the second guide rail 52 with respect to the first and third guide rails 51 and 53, and the interval of the clip portion 6 is changed.

As described above, in the present embodiment, since the pair of links 71, 71 are meshed with each other, the turning amount of one link 71 with respect to the intermediate link 72 and the turning amount of the other link 71 are equal to each other. Therefore, the endless chain 3 (chain unit 7) can be contracted / extended while maintaining a stable posture without using a screw or the like. The pair of links 71, 71 may be meshed over a predetermined angle range from the angle position shown in FIG. 3 where the interval between the clip portions 6 is maximum to the angle position shown in FIG. 4 where the interval is minimum. The gear 71c may be a missing tooth gear as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, or an all-tooth gear having gear teeth on the entire circumference.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the pair of driven rollers 74, 74 are arranged side by side in the circumferential direction D3, the behavior of the telescopic chain 3 can be stabilized as compared with the case where a single driven roller is used. That is, when a single driven roller 74 is used, the intermediate link 72 may rotate around the rotation axis S3 of the driven roller 74 and the posture of the chain unit 7 may become unstable, as in the present embodiment. By arranging the pair of driven rollers 74 and 74 side by side in the circumferential direction D3, there is no possibility that the intermediate link 72 turns around the rotation axes S3 and S3 of the driven rollers 74 and 74, and the posture of the chain unit 7 is stabilized. ..

Further, since the driven rollers 74 are arranged between the pair of intermediate link members 72a and 72b, the length dimension L2 of each driven roller 74 in the vertical direction D4 is substantially the same as the distance L1 between the intermediate link members 72a and 72b. The contact area of each driven roller 74 with respect to the second guide rail 52 increases. As a result, when the driven roller 74 is pushed in the arrow A direction by the second guide rail 52, the chain unit 7 can be prevented from tilting with respect to the vertical direction D4, and the sheet-like object S can be transferred more stably. Can be done.

The chain mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Is.

For example, the chain unit 7 may include a pair of driven rollers 174a and 174b as shown in FIG. 5 instead of the driven rollers 74 shown in FIG. 3A. In this case, the driven roller 74 was used by arranging one driven roller 174a close to the upper intermediate link member 72a and arranging the other driven roller 174b close to the lower intermediate link member 72b. The same effect as in the case can be obtained.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the sheet-like material S is contracted in the longitudinal direction has been described as an example, but the present invention uses a sheet-like material processing device for stretching the sheet-like material S in the longitudinal direction and a sheet-like material S. It can also be used in a sheet-like material processing apparatus that stretches or contracts in the width direction D1.

1 Sheet-like material processing device 2 Sheet-like material transfer device 3 Endless chain (expandable chain)
5 Guide rail 6 Clip part (connected part)
7 Chain unit 51 1st guide rail 52 2nd guide rail 71 Link 71c Gear 72 Intermediate link 74,174 Driven roller D1 Width direction D2 Transfer direction D3 Circumferential direction (predetermined direction)
D4 Vertical direction S1, S2 Swivel shaft S Sheet-like object

Claims (6)

A plurality of connected portions and a plurality of chain units are provided.
Each chain unit has a pair of links rotatably connected to a pair of adjacent connected portions, and an intermediate link rotatably connected to each of the pair of links.
The length of the chain unit can be changed by turning the pair of links with respect to the intermediate link.
A telescopic chain characterized in that the pair of links are meshed with each other. Each of the pair of links is a telescopic chain including a link member rotatably connected to the intermediate link and a gear that swings integrally with the link member with respect to the intermediate link. The telescopic chain according to claim 1, a guide rail, and a transfer means for transporting the telescopic chain in a predetermined direction are provided.
The telescopic chain further comprises a pair of driven rollers rotatably supported by the intermediate link.
The pair of driven rollers are arranged along the predetermined direction.
The telescopic chain is a chain mechanism characterized in that the pair of driven rollers are transferred in a state of being in contact with the guide rail. The intermediate link has a pair of intermediate link members arranged so as to face each other, and the pair of driven rollers are provided between the pair of intermediate link members.
The chain mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the length of each of the pair of driven rollers in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction is substantially equal to the distance between the pair of intermediate link members. The telescopic chain according to claim 1, a guide rail, and a transfer means for transporting the telescopic chain in a predetermined direction are provided.
The telescopic chain further comprises a pair of driven rollers rotatably supported by the intermediate link.
The intermediate link has a pair of intermediate link members arranged so as to face each other in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction.
The pair of driven rollers are provided between the pair of intermediate link members.
One of the pair of driven rollers is placed close to one of the pair of intermediate link members, and the other of the pair of driven rollers is placed close to the other of the pair of intermediate link members.
A chain mechanism characterized in that each of the pair of driven rollers abuts on the guide rail. A telescopic chain, a guide rail, and a transfer means for transporting the telescopic chain in a predetermined direction are provided.
The telescopic chain includes a plurality of connected portions and a plurality of chain units.
Each chain unit is rotatably supported by a pair of links rotatably connected to a pair of adjacent connected portions, an intermediate link rotatably connected to the pair of links, and the intermediate link. With a pair of driven rollers,
By turning the pair of links with respect to the intermediate link, the length of the chain unit in the predetermined direction can be changed.
The pair of driven rollers are arranged along the predetermined direction.
A chain mechanism characterized in that each of the pair of driven rollers abuts on the guide rail.

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