JP7573387B2 - Frame for drive mechanism, can forming device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a frame for a drive mechanism on which a drive mechanism for reciprocating a ram shaft and a cup holder is attached when DI processing a cup-shaped body in the manufacture of DI cans, and a can forming device equipped with the same.

As a can body in which beverages or other contents are filled and sealed, a two-piece can is known that is equipped with a cylindrical DI can with a bottom having a can wall and a can bottom, and a disk-shaped can lid that is fastened to the open end of the DI can. Also well known is a bottle can, in which a cap is screwed onto the open end of a DI can (a can that has been subjected to die-necking, also known as bottlenecking, after DI processing).

The DI cans used for these can bodies are formed into a bottomed, cylindrical shape by subjecting a disk-shaped blank punched out of a sheet of aluminum alloy material to a cupping process (drawing process) and a DI process (drawing and ironing process).

In the cupping process, the blank is cupped (drawn) to produce a cup-shaped body, which is an intermediate body in the process of transforming the blank into a DI can. In the DI process, a punch sleeve is fitted inside the cup-shaped body and multiple dies are fitted to the outside, and the cup-shaped body is drawn and ironed between them. In other words, the cup-shaped body is subjected to DI (Drawing & Ironing) processing to produce a DI can.

To perform DI processing on the cup-shaped body, for example, a can forming apparatus as described in Patent Document 1 is used. This can forming apparatus has a reciprocating linear motion mechanism for linearly reciprocating a ram shaft that supports a punch sleeve.
Conventionally, such reciprocating linear motion mechanisms have been supported by a split-type drive mechanism frame that sandwiches the reciprocating linear motion mechanism between a lower frame section that supports the lower half of the housing of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism, and an upper frame section that is arranged along the upper half of the housing of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism.

JP 2018-054065 A

However, conventional split-type frames for drive mechanisms are configured to secure the reciprocating linear motion mechanism by fastening two frame halves together so that the reciprocating linear motion mechanism is sandwiched between them, which can lead to issues such as poor installation accuracy for the reciprocating linear motion mechanism and large wobble in the ram shaft.

In addition, when performing maintenance on the reciprocating linear motion mechanism, it is necessary to remove the upper frame section to expose the reciprocating linear motion mechanism, and then hang and remove the mechanism, which is a time-consuming process, and this also creates the issue of poor maintainability.

The present invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and aims to provide a frame for a drive mechanism that can improve the mounting accuracy of a reciprocating linear motion mechanism and facilitate maintenance of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism, as well as a can forming device equipped with the same.

The frame for a drive mechanism of the present invention is provided in a can forming apparatus having a ram shaft having a punch provided at a front end thereof, a die having a through hole through which the punch is inserted and through which a cup-shaped body extruded by the punch is passed to perform drawing and ironing of the cup-shaped body, a cup holder which presses the cup-shaped body against an end face of the die, and a drive mechanism which reciprocates the ram shaft, and is a frame for a drive mechanism which houses the drive mechanism, wherein the drive mechanism includes a reciprocating linear motion mechanism which reciprocates the ram shaft, and a die having a through hole through which the punch is inserted and which performs drawing and ironing of the cup-shaped body extruded by the punch, a cup holder which presses the cup-shaped body against an end face of the die, and a drive mechanism which reciprocates the ram shaft. and a cup holder drive mechanism for reciprocating a cup holder , the cup holder drive mechanism being supported between a front panel and a rear panel, the reciprocating linear motion mechanism being housed in a cylindrical housing, the cup holder drive mechanism being mechanically connected to the reciprocating linear motion mechanism and driven in sync with it, the drive mechanism frame being formed by integrally fixing one and the other side panels, a bottom panel, a front panel, and a rear panel, and the rear panel having a circular opening integrally formed therein that surrounds the periphery of the housing and houses the reciprocating linear motion mechanism.

According to the drive mechanism frame of the present invention, the drive mechanism frame for mounting the reciprocating linear motion mechanism is made into an integrated unit, and is housed and fixed in a circular opening capable of housing the reciprocating linear motion mechanism. This improves the mounting accuracy of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism compared to conventional drive mechanism frames consisting of multiple divided bodies. This reduces vibrations during operation of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism and the wobble of the reciprocating motion of the ram shaft, making it possible to perform drawing and ironing on the cup-shaped body with high accuracy.

In addition, in the present invention, the housing may be provided with a rotatable gear that transmits the rotational force of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism to the cup holder drive mechanism.

In the present invention, the rear panel may extend upward beyond the front panel.

In the present invention, the front panel may be partially removable.

In the present invention, an extension on which the die is disposed may be integrally fixed to the outer side of one of the side panels.

The can forming apparatus of the present invention is a drive mechanism for a can forming apparatus equipped with the drive mechanism frame described in each of the above items, characterized in that it has the drive mechanism frame and the reciprocating linear motion mechanism.

The present invention provides a frame for a drive mechanism that can improve the installation accuracy of a reciprocating linear motion mechanism and facilitate maintenance of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism, and a can forming device equipped with the same.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a can forming apparatus. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a reciprocating linear motion mechanism. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of a cup holder driving mechanism. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a frame for a drive mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a drive mechanism frame to which the reciprocating linear motion mechanism and the cup holder drive mechanism (cam mechanism) are fixed.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention, a frame for a drive mechanism and a drive mechanism for a can forming device equipped with the same, with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiment shown below is specifically described to provide a better understanding of the gist of the invention, and does not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. Also, the drawings used in the following description may show essential parts enlarged for the sake of convenience in order to make the features of the present invention easier to understand, and the dimensional ratios of each component may not necessarily be the same as in reality.

First, the DI can made from the cup-shaped body W will be described.
DI cans are used for can bodies (two-piece cans and bottle cans) in which beverages or other contents are filled and sealed. In the case of a two-piece can, the can body comprises a cylindrical DI can with a bottom and a disk-shaped can lid that is wrapped around the open end of the DI can. In the case of a bottle can, the can body comprises a DI can (which has been subjected to die-necking, also known as bottle necking, after DI processing) and a cap that is screwed onto the open end of the DI can. The "DI" in DI can is an abbreviation for Drawing & Ironing.

DI cans are formed into a bottomed tubular shape by subjecting a disk-shaped blank punched out of an aluminum alloy sheet to a cupping process (drawing process) and a DI process (drawing and ironing process). Specifically, in the case of a two-piece can, for example, DI cans are manufactured through the sheet punching process, cupping process, DI process, trimming process, printing process, painting process, necking process, bottom reforming process, and flanging process in this order.

Next, the can forming apparatus will be described.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a can forming apparatus.
The can forming apparatus 100 is used in the above-mentioned DI process, and applies DI processing (drawing (redrawing) and ironing) to the cup-shaped body W to form it into a DI can.

In Figure 1, the can forming device 100 is used in the above-mentioned DI process, and performs DI processing (drawing (redrawing) and ironing) on the cup-shaped body W to form it into a DI can U. The can forming device 100 includes a ram shaft 103 having a punch sleeve 102 at its front end, a reciprocating linear motion mechanism (ram shaft drive mechanism) 11 that reciprocates the ram shaft 103 along the axial direction O of the ram shaft 103, bearings 105 (105F, 105R) that support the ram shaft 103 so that it can reciprocate in the axial direction O, a die 108 (108A, 108B) that has a through hole 107 through which the punch sleeve 102 is inserted, a cup pressing mechanism 101 that includes a cup holder 106 that is inserted into a cup-shaped body W arranged on an end face 108a facing rearward in the axial direction O of the die 108 and presses the bottom wall of the cup-shaped body W against the end face 108a, and a biasing means 115 that is located rearward in the axial direction O from the bearing 105 (front bearing 105F) and can bias the cup holder 106 with air pressure.

The can forming apparatus 100 also includes a cup feeder (not shown) that conveys the cup-shaped body W onto the end surface 108a of the die 108, a receiving seat (not shown) that holds the cup-shaped body W on the end surface 108a, a bottom former (can bottom forming die) 110 that faces the punch sleeve 102 from the axial O direction and is disposed at the forward end position of the punch sleeve 102 along the axial O direction to form the can bottom together with the punch sleeve 102, and a can conveyer that conveys the formed DI can U to the outside of the can forming apparatus 100. The punch sleeve 102 includes a mechanism (not shown), a blow-off (air discharge mechanism) 112 that discharges air from an air discharge hole that opens at the front end of the punch sleeve 102 to release the DI can U from the punch sleeve 102, a cup holder drive mechanism (cam mechanism) 12 that is mechanically connected to the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 11 and drives in sync with it to reciprocate the cup holder 106 of the cup holding mechanism 101 in the axial O direction, and a drive source (not shown) such as a drive motor that is connected to the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 11.

The can forming device 100 is formed with a frame 10 for the drive mechanism, which is made up of a frame base 10A to which the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 11 and the cup holder drive mechanism (cam mechanism) 12 are fixed, and an extension 10B on which the die 108 and the bottom former (can bottom forming die) 110 are placed.

In the following description, the central axes of the ram shaft 103, punch sleeve 102, bearing 105, die 108, cup holder 106, and bottom former 110 are arranged coaxially with one another and extend horizontally, and this common axis is referred to as axis O.

Next, the reciprocating linear motion mechanism (ram shaft drive mechanism) 11 will be described.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a reciprocating linear motion mechanism.
The reciprocating linear motion mechanism 11 comprises a housing 21 having an internal gear 23, a first rotating body (rotating shaft) 22, a second rotating body 24 having an external gear 25 that meshes with the internal gear 23, and a ram shaft connection portion (acting portion) 27.

The housing 21, its internal gear 23, and the first rotor (rotating shaft) 22 are centered on the first central axis C1, i.e., are arranged coaxially with the first central axis C1 as a common axis. The second rotor 24 and its external gear 25 are centered on the second central axis C2, i.e., are arranged coaxially with the second central axis C2 as a common axis.
The first central axis C1 and the second central axis C2 are parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other. In this embodiment, the first central axis C1 and the second central axis C2 extend in the horizontal direction.

The housing 21 has a cylindrical outer shape. Note that the cylindrical shape mentioned here does not only mean a cylindrical shape with a perfectly circular cross section, but also includes a cylindrical shape with some flat parts or with protrusions or ridges formed on the outer periphery.

A first rotating body (rotation shaft) 22 of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 11 is connected to a rotation shaft of a motor (not shown) which is a drive source of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 11 .
In the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 11, when a rotational driving force is transmitted from a motor (not shown) to the first rotating body (rotating shaft) 22, the first rotating body (rotating shaft) 22 is rotated about the first central axis C1. Then, the second rotating body 24 supported by the first rotating body 22 is also rotated about the first central axis C1.

At this time, because the external gear 25 of the second rotating body 24 and the internal gear 23 of the housing 21 are meshed with each other, the second rotating body 24 is rotated (revolved) around the first central axis C1 while also rotating (spinning) around the second central axis C2. The ram shaft connecting portion (acting portion) 27 connected to the second rotating body 24 performs a reciprocating linear motion along the horizontal axis S1.

That is, the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 11 converts the rotational driving force input to the first rotating body (rotating shaft) 22 into a reciprocating linear driving force (reciprocating linear motion) and outputs it to the outside via the ram shaft connecting portion (acting portion) 27. Therefore, by connecting the punch sleeve 102 (see FIG. 1) to this ram shaft connecting portion (acting portion) 27 via the ram shaft 103, the punch sleeve 102 can be reciprocated linearly along a predetermined direction (the direction of axis O parallel to the horizontal axis S), and the DI can U can be formed by performing DI processing on the cup-shaped body W using the punch sleeve 102 and the die 108.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of a cup holder driving mechanism.
Cup holder drive mechanism (cam mechanism) 12 has a rotation shaft 32 to which a rotational force is transmitted via a plurality of gears 38, 39 which transmit the rotational force of an interlocking gear 29 fixed to a first rotating body (rotation shaft) 22 of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 11, a cam 33 and a rotating body 34 fixed around this rotation shaft 32, and an action shaft 37 to which a cam 35 and a rotating body 36 which are interlocked with the cam 33 and the rotating body 34, respectively, are fixed. The plurality of gears 38, 39 are rotatably provided inside a frame base 10A which will be described later.

The action shaft 37 performs a reciprocating linear motion along a predetermined direction (the direction of the horizontal axis S2 in this embodiment) by the rotation of the rotation shaft 32. Two operating shafts 106a, 106a extending from the cup holder 106 are connected to the rotation shaft 32 via the support member 31.
With the above configuration, when a rotational driving force is transmitted from a motor (not shown) to the first rotating body (rotating shaft) 22 of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 11, the rotational force is transmitted from the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 11 to the rotating shaft 32 via a plurality of gears (not shown), and the cup holder driving mechanism 12 causes the cup holder 106 of the cup holding mechanism 101 (see Figure 1) to move reciprocally in the direction of axis O in conjunction with the reciprocating movement of the ram shaft connection portion (acting portion) 27 of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 11.

In addition, the cup holder drive mechanism may be configured to reciprocate the cup holder 106 using a mechanical configuration such as a cam or a rotor, as in this embodiment, or may be configured to reciprocate the cup holder using, for example, a motor or air pressure.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a frame for a drive mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention. Also, Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the frame for a drive mechanism with the reciprocating linear motion mechanism and the cup holder drive mechanism (cam mechanism) fixed thereto.

The drive mechanism frame 10 of this embodiment is composed of a frame base 10A and an extension 10B. The frame base 10A and the extension 10B may be integrally formed from the same member, or may be separate members fixed together and integrated.

The frame base 10A is a box-shaped body made entirely of metal, and has a front panel 41, a bottom panel 42, one side panel 43A, the other side panel 43B, and a back panel 44, with a portion of the front panel 41 being removable. That is, an opening 41A is formed in a portion of the front panel 41, and a cover plate 41B is provided to cover this opening 41A.

The front panel 41, bottom panel 42, one side panel 43A, the other side panel 43B, and back panel 44 are integrally formed, for example, by casting. Note that, in addition to being integrally formed by casting, each of the panels constituting the frame base 10A may also be fixed to each other by screws or welding, and formed integrally as a whole.

The upper part of the rear plate 44 is formed so as to extend upward beyond the front plate 41. In other words, the upper part of the rear plate 44 is formed so as to protrude in a substantially semicircular shape. The rear plate 44 is also formed with a circular opening 46 for mounting the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 11. This circular opening 46 is an opening that extends along the thickness direction of the rear plate 44.

The opening diameter of the circular opening 46 is formed to be larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical housing 21 that constitutes the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 11.

As shown in FIG. 5, the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 11 is attached to the circular opening 46. The reciprocating linear motion mechanism 11 is fitted into the circular opening 46 so that the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical housing 21 contacts the inner peripheral surface of the circular opening 46. The reciprocating linear motion mechanism 11 is then firmly fixed to the frame base 10A via the back plate 44 by fastening the rib 21a formed on the outer peripheral surface of the housing 21 of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 11 to the bolt hole 46c formed on the edge of the front side (opening portion 41A side) of the circular opening 46 with a bolt.

The first rotating body (rotating shaft) 22 of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 11, which is fixed to the back plate 44, is connected to the rotating shaft of a motor (not shown) arranged on the outside of the back plate 44.

The cup holder drive mechanism (cam mechanism) 12 is supported between the front plate 41 and the back plate 44 of the frame base 10A. More specifically, support openings 41a and 41b are formed in the front plate 41, and support openings 44a and 44b are also formed in the back plate 44. Of these, support openings 41a and 44a, and support openings 41b and 44b are formed to face each other on the same central axis.

The rotating shaft 32 of the cup holder drive mechanism (cam mechanism) 12 is supported in the support openings 41a and 44a. The operating shaft 37 of the cup holder drive mechanism (cam mechanism) 12 is supported in the support openings 41b and 44b. As a result, the cup holder drive mechanism (cam mechanism) 12 is supported between the front plate 41 and the back plate 44 of the frame base 10A.

In this embodiment, the extension 10B of the drive mechanism frame 10 is formed to contact the outer surface of one of the side panels 43A that constitute the frame base 10A. This extension 10B may be made of a metal plate or the like, similar to the frame base 10A, and the extension 10B and the frame base 10A are fastened together as a whole by, for example, a bolt or the like.

For example, a cup holder 106, a biasing means 115, and a bottom former 110 (see FIG. 1) are arranged on the upper part of the extension part 10B. These members may be fixed to the upper part of the extension part 10B by, for example, bolts.

The extension 10B does not necessarily have to be formed integrally with the frame base 10A to which the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 11 is attached. In other words, a frame for attaching a die, cup holder, etc., which corresponds to the extension 10B, may be formed adjacent to the frame base 10A as a separate member from the frame base 10A.

As described above, according to the drive mechanism frame 10 of this embodiment, the drive mechanism frame 10 for mounting the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 11 is molded as a single unit and accommodated and fixed in the circular opening 46 capable of accommodating the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 11. This improves the mounting accuracy of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 11 compared to conventional drive mechanism frames consisting of multiple divided bodies. This suppresses vibrations during operation of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 11 and the wobbling of the reciprocating motion of the ram shaft 103, making it possible to perform drawing and ironing on the cup-shaped body with high accuracy.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. This embodiment and its variations are within the scope of the invention and its equivalents as described in the claims, as well as the scope and gist of the invention.

The frame for the drive mechanism of the present invention can improve the mounting accuracy of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism to the frame, thereby suppressing the wobble of the reciprocating motion of the ram shaft and enabling highly accurate drawing and ironing of the cup-shaped body. Therefore, it has industrial applicability.

10 Drive mechanism frame 10A Frame base 10B Extension 11 Reciprocating linear motion mechanism (ram shaft drive mechanism)
12 Cup holder drive mechanism (cam mechanism)
21 Housing 41 Front plate 42 Bottom plate 43A One side plate 43B The other side plate 44 Back plate 46 Circular opening

Claims (6)

A frame for a drive mechanism is provided in a can forming apparatus having: a ram shaft having a punch at a front end thereof; a die having a through hole through which the punch is inserted and through which a cup-shaped body extruded by the punch is passed, thereby performing drawing and ironing of the cup-shaped body; a cup holder that presses the cup-shaped body against an end face of the die; and a drive mechanism that reciprocates the ram shaft, the frame housing the drive mechanism,
the drive mechanism includes a reciprocating linear motion mechanism that reciprocates the ram shaft, and a cup holder drive mechanism that reciprocates the cup holder,
The cup holder drive mechanism is supported between a front panel and a rear panel,
The reciprocating linear motion mechanism is accommodated in a cylindrical housing,
the cup holder drive mechanism is mechanically connected to the reciprocating linear motion mechanism and driven in sync with the reciprocating linear motion mechanism;
The frame for a drive mechanism is characterized in that one and the other side panels, a bottom panel, a front panel, and a rear panel are fixed together, and a circular opening that surrounds the periphery of the housing and accommodates the reciprocating linear motion mechanism is formed integrally with the rear panel. The frame for a drive mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that a gear that transmits the rotational force of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism to the cup holder drive mechanism is formed in the housing so as to be freely rotatable. A frame for a drive mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the rear plate extends above the front plate. A frame for a drive mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a portion of the front panel is formed so as to be removable. A frame for a drive mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that an extension on which the die is disposed is integrally fixed to the outside of one of the side panels. A can forming apparatus comprising the frame for a drive mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A can forming apparatus comprising the drive mechanism frame and the reciprocating linear motion mechanism.

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