Table circulation guide device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10351350-B2
Application number	US-201816019744-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2018
Priority date	Jul 5, 2017
Publication date	Jul 16, 2019
Grant date	Jul 16, 2019

Abstract

This table circulation guide device includes sliders and carriage attached to a table. In a working area, the table is guided by the sliders straddling straight track rails. In a non-working area, the table is guided by the carriages traveling on a curved track rail. An endless circulation circuit is formed by the straight track rails and the curved track rail. In the working area of the circuit, the table travels via the sliders straddling the straight track rails. In the non-working area of the circuit, the table travels via the carriages located between the sliders.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A table circulation guide device comprising:
a bed; a circuit composed of a pair of sets of straight rails fixedly disposed in linear motion guide regions which are working areas on the bed and a pair of sets of curved rails fixedly disposed in curved motion guide regions which are non-working areas on the bed; and a table which circulates and moves along the circuit,
wherein the sets of straight rails each include at least one pair of straight track rails which are disposed in parallel to each other such that the straight track rails are located on inner and outer sides of the circuit and extend in a traveling direction, and the sets of curved rails each include at least a single curved track rail, one of the curved track rails of the sets of curved rails extending from points between first end portions of the inner-side and outer-side straight track rails, and the other curved track rail extending from points between second end portions of the inner-side and outer-side straight track rails,
wherein the circuit is an endless circulation circuit which is formed by the inner-side and outer-side straight track rails and the curved track rails and along which the table can circulate and move, and
wherein a plurality of sliders and a pair of carriages are attached to an under surface of the table, wherein the sliders are disposed on opposite sides of the table in a widthwise direction of the table, straddle the inner-side and outer-side straight track rails, respectively, and slide on the inner-side and outer-side straight track rails, respectively, and
wherein the pair of carriages are disposed between the sliders to be located at forward and rear positions in the traveling direction and travels on the curved track rails.

2. A table circulation guide device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the sliders includes:
a casing which has second raceway grooves respectively facing first raceway grooves formed on opposite side surfaces of the corresponding straight track rail and return passages extending along the second raceway grooves;
end caps which are disposed on opposite end faces of the casing and which have arc-shaped traveling direction changing passages which establish communication between the return passages and load-carrying races formed between the first raceway grooves and the second raceway grooves; and
rolling elements which roll in circulating passages each composed of the load-carrying race, the return passage, and a pair of the traveling direction changing passages.

3. A table circulation guide device according to claim 2 , wherein each of the carriages includes:
a connecting plate which is rotatably attached to the table via a turning bearing; and a pair of rollers which are rotatably attached to the connecting plate such that they are spaced from each other in a widthwise direction of the connecting plate,
wherein the rollers have respective engaging grooves through which the rollers are rotatably and slidably supported by wedge shaped projection portions provided on opposite side surfaces of the curved track rail and extending in a longitudinal direction, and
wherein the turning bearing is a cross roller bearing which includes an outer ring fixed to one of the table and the connecting plate, an inner ring fixed to the other of the table and the connecting plate, and cylindrical rollers which roll between a raceway surface of the outer ring and a raceway surface of the inner ring.

4. A table circulation guide device according to claim 3 , wherein the circuit includes:
two pairs of the inner-side and outer-side straight track rails which extend straight on the bed;
straight guide rails each of which is disposed between a pair of the inner-side and outer-side straight track rails to extend therealong and on which the carriages travel;
two pairs of inner-side and outer-side curved guide rails on which the sliders slide, one pair of the inner-side and outer-side curved guide rails being connected to the first end portions of the inner-side and outer-side straight track rails, respectively, and the other pair of the inner-side and outer-side curved guide rails being connected to the second end portions of the inner-side and outer-side straight track rails, respectively; and
the curved track rails on which the carriages travel, one of the curved track rails being connected to first end portions of the straight guide rails, and the other of the curved track rails being connected to second end portions of the straight guide rails.

5. A table circulation guide device according to claim 4 , wherein the inner-side and outer-side curved guide rails are disposed on the inner and outer sides of the curved track rails and are connected to the corresponding end portions of the inner-side and outer-side straight track rails through first rail connecting portions; and the straight guide rails are each disposed between the corresponding inner-side and outer-side straight track rails and are connected to opposite end portions of the curved track rails through second rail connecting portions.

6. A table circulation guide device according to claim 4 , wherein first clearances are formed between each of the curved guide rails and the second raceway grooves of the casing of each slider, and second clearances are formed between the wedge shaped projection portions of each of the straight guide rails and the engaging grooves of the rollers of each of the carriages.

7. A table circulation guide device according to claim 6 , wherein in each of the first rail connecting portions through which the straight track rails are connected to the curved guide rails, the corresponding end portion of the corresponding straight track rail is tapered such that the straight track rail is narrowed gradually, whereby the size of clearances between the straight track rail and the second raceway groove of the casing of the slider increases gradually and becomes approximately equal to that of the first clearances; when the slider reaches each of the end portions of the straight track rail, due to the clearances, the rolling elements enter a free state; and then the slider is guided to the curved guide rail.

8. A table circulation guide device according to claim 6 , wherein in each of the second rail connecting portions through which the curved track rails are connected to the straight guide rails, the wedge shaped projection portions of the corresponding end portion of the corresponding straight guide rail is tapered such that the thickness of the wedge shaped projection portions increases toward the corresponding curved track rail, whereby the size of the second clearances between the wedge shaped projection portions of each of the straight guide rails and the engaging grooves of the rollers of each of the carriages decreases gradually; at each of the opposite end portions of the straight guide rail, the second clearances between the wedge shaped projection portions of the straight guide rail and the engaging grooves of the rollers of the carriage disappear; the wedge shaped projection portions of the curved track rail engage with the engaging grooves of the rollers of the carriage; and the carriage travels on the curved track rail while being guided by the curved track rail.

9. A table circulation guide device according to claim 4 , wherein shims for height adjustment are disposed between a top surface of the bed and the lower surfaces of the straight track rails which support the sliders; and each of the curved guide rails has an arc-shaped base portion having a height corresponding to the height of the shims, and an arc-shaped guide portion which protrudes from an upper surface of the arc-shaped base portion into a space between the raceway

Assignees

• Nippon Thompson Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nara Tsuguyoshi
• Matsui Masashi
• Sato Daisuke

Classifications

• B65G54/02

  electrostatic, electric, or magnetic · CPC title

• B65G35/06 Primary

  comprising a load-carrier moving along a path, e.g. a closed path, and adapted to be engaged by any one of a series of traction elements spaced along the path (effecting drive at two or more points spaced along the length of an endless conveyor B65G23/32) · CPC title

• F16C2326/58

  Conveyor systems, e.g. rollers or bearings therefor · CPC title

• F16C29/045

  having rolling elements journaled in one of the moving parts · CPC title