JPH0553683B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to an air skating device, for example,
It relates to equipment that supports and moves precision machines such as machine tools and printing machines during assembly and inspection work.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, as this type of air skating device, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 146914/1983 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1987-
As described in Publication No. 100783, the central part of an elastic diaphragm for air bearing is arranged on a boss or plate-shaped mounting body provided at the center of the skate body, and the outer peripheral edge of this diaphragm is is airtightly connected to the outer peripheral edge of the skate body, and a load plate that is in contact with the lower center of the diaphragm is fixed to the mounting body with bolts, and there is a space between the load plate and the mounting body. A structure is known in which the center portion of the diaphragm is airtightly sandwiched.

When in use, objects such as precision instruments are mounted on the top of the skate body, and when transporting objects, air is forced into the diaphragm, and this air enlarges the diaphragm. At the same time, the air exhausted from this diaphragm forms an air bearing for transportation between the diaphragm and the base, and also improves horizontal accuracy during processes such as assembly and inspection of transported objects. The load plate of the skate body is lowered onto the secured base, and the skate body is supported by this load plate.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) In the above structure, since the center portion of the elastic diaphragm is sandwiched between the load plate and the mounting body, it is difficult to maintain the horizontal position during each process such as assembling and inspecting the transported object. When the load plate is lowered onto the base where accuracy is ensured, the clamping part at the center of the diaphragm is elastically deformed and flexed by the weight of the conveyed object on the skate body, and the high levelness required in each of these processes is achieved. Accuracy may not be maintained.

That is, during each process such as assembly and inspection of a transported object, the transported object may be required to have extremely high horizontal accuracy, for example, a horizontal accuracy of S=20/1000 or higher.

However, when assembling and inspecting conveyed items through assembly operations, the weight of the conveyed items is relatively light at the beginning of the assembly process, but as the process progresses, the weight gradually increases. As the process progresses, the load on the air skates that supported this conveyed object gradually increases.
This load is not always evenly distributed and applied to the air skate, but rather is often applied as an uneven load, so fluctuations in this load can cause The air skates are elastically deformed and bent, and the required high horizontal accuracy cannot be obtained even when lowered onto the base where horizontal accuracy is ensured. There is a problem in that it is necessary to adjust the horizontal accuracy for each process.

Therefore, the present invention was made in view of these problems, and it is possible to always maintain high horizontal accuracy without being affected by load fluctuations, thereby achieving high precision in assembly processes, inspection processes, etc. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an air skating device that allows assembly work and inspection work to be performed, and allows the desired work to be performed efficiently without having to adjust horizontal accuracy for each process. It is.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The air skating device of the present invention includes a skate body having a center boss having a load receiving portion formed on the upper surface and a base plate horizontally attached to the lower surface, and the base plate of the skate body. an annular diaphragm provided at the lower part of the skate body, the outer periphery of which is airtightly joined to the outer periphery of the base plate, a guide hole formed in the center, and a plurality of air discharge holes opened in the inner part; An engagement protrusion located at the lower part of the base plate and having an engagement surface on the upper part that passes through the guide hole of the diaphragm and engages with the lower surface of the base plate; and an outer peripheral part of the engagement protrusion. a load plate having an annular engagement surface that engages with the opening edge of the guide hole and an annular groove formed in the annular engagement surface; An O-ring that airtightly presses the opening edge of the guide hole against the lower surface of the base plate, and an O-ring that secures the load plate to the lower surface of the center boss via the base plate and engages the load plate with the lower surface of the base plate. The present invention includes a bolt that engages the engagement surface of the mating protrusion and press-fits the O-ring to the opening edge of the guide hole of the diaphragm.

(Function) In the air skating device of the present invention, a load plate is disposed on the lower surface of the center boss of the skate body via a base plate, and the engaging protrusion of the load plate is inserted into the guide hole of the diaphragm. By tightening a bolt from the load plate to the center boss, the load plate is coupled to the lower surface of the base plate with the bolt.

Then, the engagement surface of the engagement protrusion of the load plate is directly engaged with the lower surface of the base plate through the guide hole of the diaphragm, and there is a gap between the annular engagement surface of the load plate and the lower surface of the base plate. The opening edge of the guide hole of the diaphragm is clamped, and the O-ring provided in the annular groove is pressed and crimped against the opening edge of the guide hole of the diaphragm by this load plate, and this O-ring and the base plate The opening edge of the guide hole of the diaphragm is held between the bottom surface of the diaphragm and the opening edge of the guide hole of the diaphragm is hermetically pressed and secured.

As a result, the load plate, base plate, and center boss of the skate body are directly engaged with each other, and the load plate and base plate are integrally connected without the interposition of a diaphragm that elastically deforms due to load fluctuations. be combined. Therefore, the set high horizontal accuracy is always maintained, and the airtightness and expansion/contraction properties of the diaphragm are reliably maintained.

(Example) Hereinafter, one example of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings.

1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a skate body, and this skate body 1 has a cylindrical metal center boss 2, and a load receiving portion 3 is recessed in the upper surface of the center boss 2. An annular top plate 5 is horizontally fitted into the locking step 4 formed on the outer periphery of the upper end of the center boss 2 through an engagement hole 6 in the center thereof. It is locked in place. Further, a circumferential side plate 7 is vertically connected downward from the circumferential edge of the upper plate 5.

Further, an annular metal mounting board 8 is fixed horizontally and integrally to the lower end of the peripheral side plate 7 at its outer periphery. A connecting portion 11 protruding from the lower end of the center boss 2 is fitted into the connecting portion 11.
An opening edge of the insertion hole 9 is integrally fixed to a stepped portion 10 formed on the outer circumference of the insertion hole 9 . The lower surface of the connecting portion 11 of the center boss 2 and the lower surface of the mounting board 8 are formed on the same plane and horizontally.

Furthermore, a base plate 12 made of metal such as aluminum and formed into a disk shape is horizontally superimposed and fixed to the lower surface of the connecting portion 11 of the center boss 2 and the lower surface of the mounting board 8. An air introduction hole 13 is opened on one side of the mounting board 8 , and an exhaust port 15 of a conduit 14 airtightly fixed to one side of the mounting board 8 is communicated with the air introduction hole 13 . Inlet port 16
is provided protrudingly from one side of the peripheral side plate 7. Also,
A spring pin 18 protruding from the other side of the mounting board 8 is inserted into an insertion hole 17 formed on the other side of the base plate 12 .

Reference numeral 19 denotes a diaphragm, and the diaphragm 19 is formed into an annular shape from an elastically deformable member such as rubber, and its outer peripheral edge 20 is integrally and airtightly connected to the lower outer peripheral edge of the base plate 12 by a connector 21. A guide hole 22 having a size approximately corresponding to the size of the lower surface of the center boss 2 is formed in the center of the diaphragm 19, and a plurality of air discharge holes are formed in the inner side of the diaphragm 19. A hole 23 is opened.

Furthermore, 24 is a load plate, and this load plate 24 is formed of metal into a disk shape, and an engagement protrusion 25 that is inserted into the guide hole 22 of the diaphragm 19 is formed on the upper part of the load plate 24. Part 2
An engagement surface 27 that engages with the horizontal lower surface 26 of the base plate 12 is horizontally formed on the upper surface of the base plate 5 . Further, an annular engagement surface 29 that engages with the lower surface of the opening edge 28 of the guide hole 22 of the diaphragm 19 is horizontally formed on the outer circumference of the engagement protrusion 25 of the load plate 24. Amen 2
9 is formed with an annular groove 30 having an open upper surface. Further, a horizontal support surface 32 is formed on the lower surface of the load plate 24 and is horizontally supported by a horizontal upper surface formed on the upper surface of the base 31 .

Further, an insertion hole 35 is formed in the center of the load plate 24 and communicates with a screw hole 33 formed in the center of the center boss 2 and a through hole 34 formed in the center of the base plate 12. A conical recess 3 is provided at the bottom of the insertion hole 35.
6 are formed in communication. Then, the insertion hole 3
5 and the through hole 34 to the screw hole 33, and a bolt 37 is inserted and screwed into the screw hole 33,
A conical head 38 of this bolt 37 is accommodated within the recess 36 without protruding onto the horizontal support surface 32.

Reference numeral 39 denotes an O-ring, and this O-ring 39 is an elastically deformable member formed in an annular shape with a size that can be inserted into the annular groove 30 of the load plate 24, and the cross-sectional shape of this O-ring 39 is is larger than the depth of the annular groove 30, that is, has a size that projects upwardly from the horizontal upper surface 29 when inserted into the annular groove 30;
It is formed with a cross-sectional shape smaller than the width of.

In this structure, first, the O-ring 3 is inserted into the annular groove 30 of the load plate 24.
9 is set, the engaging protrusion 25 of the load plate 24 is inserted into the guide hole 22 of the diaphragm 19, and the engaging surface 27 of the engaging protrusion 25 is brought into contact with the lower surface 26 of the base plate 12. .

In this state, the load plate 2
When the bolt 37 is deeply screwed into the screw hole 33 of the center boss 2 of the skate body 1 through the recess 36 and insertion hole 35 of the base plate 12 and the through hole 34 of the base plate 12, the head 38 of the bolt 37 will be inserted into the load plate 24. The engagement surface 27 of the engagement protrusion 25 of the load plate 24 is deeply accommodated in the recess 36 of the load plate 24 without protruding into the horizontal support surface 32 of the base plate 12.
The load plate 2 is engaged with the lower surface portion 26 in a direct surface contact state without intervening the diaphragm 19, and the load plate 2 is connected to the lower surface portion of the center boss 2 by the bolt 37 via the base plate 12.
4 are directly fixedly connected together, and the horizontal support surface 32 of this load plate 24 is set horizontally.

Further, when the load plate 24 is integrally connected to the base plate 12 by tightening the bolts 37, the lower surface of the base plate 12 and the load plate 24 The O-ring 39 is held between the annular engaging surface 29 of the load plate 24 and set in the annular groove 30 by the bottom 30a of the annular groove 30 of the load plate 24. is strongly pressed toward the opening edge 28 of. The opening edge 28 of the guide hole 22 of the diaphragm 19 is supported in pressure contact with the lower surface of the base plate 12 by this O-ring 39, and the O-ring 39 is shaped into an elliptical shape within the annular groove 30 by the pressing force. At the same time, the opening edge 28 of the guide hole 22 of the diaphragm 19 is strongly pressed against the base plate 12 by the repulsive force of the O-ring 39, and the lower surface of the base plate 12 and the O-ring 39 cause the diaphragm to The opening edge 28 of the guide hole 22 of No. 19 is clamped. Therefore, the guide hole 22 of the diaphragm 19
The opening edge 28 of the diaphragm 19 is hermetically pressed against the base plate 12, and an air chamber 40 is formed between the diaphragm 19 and the base plate 12.

In this way, the metal load plate 2
4. The base plate 12 and the center boss 2 of the skate body 1 are directly connected to each other without intervening the diaphragm 19 which is affected by load fluctuations. The set high horizontal accuracy is always maintained, and the airtightness and expansion/contraction properties of the diaphragm 19 are reliably maintained, but the diaphragm 19 has a bulge 41 in contact with the base 31 at the lower part of its outer periphery. It is shaped like a ring.

Next, in use, depending on the type and size of the conveyed object W such as a precision machine, for example,
Air skating devices are arranged at four locations on the base 31 so as to support the four corners of the transported object W, and the transported object W is placed on each of the air skating devices. In this case, each air skating device is The load plate 24 is horizontally supported on the base 31 by the horizontal support surface 32, and as shown in FIGS. The lower end of the leveling bolt 42 is engaged and supported, and each leveling bolt 42
The conveyed object W is set horizontally by adjusting the movement forward and backward, and each leveling bolt 42 is locked in the set state by a lock nut 43.

When transporting the object W, air is forced into the conduit 14 by an air supply device (not shown) connected to the inlet 16, and this air is supplied to the exhaust port 1.
5 and the air chamber 40 via the air introduction hole 13.
The diaphragm 19 expands and the skate body 1 and the transported object W are floated, and the air is carried out between the base 31 and the diaphragm 19 from each air discharge hole 23 of this diaphragm 19, and this air As a result, an air bearing is formed between the base 31 and the bulging portion 41 of the diaphragm 19, and the object W is smoothly transported to the next process by this air bearing.

In addition, during processes such as assembly and inspection of transported items W,
The low plate 24 of each skate body 1 is supported downwardly on the base 31 by its horizontal support surface 32, but in this case, the metal load plate 24, base plate 12 and center boss 2 of the skate body 1 are directly integrated. Since they are connected and maintain high horizontal accuracy, process operations such as precision assembly and inspection can be performed accurately. Moreover, even if the weight of the transported object W increases and the load changes as the process progresses, each process can be performed accurately with high horizontal precision without being affected by these loads.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, the load plate is fixed to the lower surface of the center boss of the skate body via the base plate, and the engagement surface of the engagement protrusion of the load plate is directly engaged with the lower surface of the base plate. The mounting position of the load plate supported on the base is placed on the lower surface of the skate body that supports the load without interposing an elastically deformable diaphragm between the lower surface and the engagement surface of the engagement protrusion of the load plate. The skates can be reliably connected without any fluctuations, so the skates can always maintain high horizontal accuracy without being affected by changes in the load on the skates, making it easy to use during the assembly process, inspection process, etc. Highly accurate assembly work and inspection work can be performed, and desired work can be performed efficiently and accurately without adjusting horizontal accuracy for each process. Additionally, at the same time as the load plate is connected, the opening edge of the diaphragm's guide hole can be easily and reliably connected airtight using an O-ring, allowing the air chamber to be connected without affecting the horizontal accuracy of the skate body. Can be easily configured. Therefore, it is possible to provide an air skating device that can ensure high horizontal accuracy with a simple configuration.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention, in which Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the air skating device, Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the circled portion of the same, and Fig. 3 is a side view showing an example of the state of use. be. 1...Skate body, 2...Center boss, 3
...Load receiver, 12...Base plate, 19...
... diaphragm, 22 ... guide hole, 23 ... air discharge hole, 24 ... load plate, 25 ... engaging protrusion, 26 ... lower surface part of base plate, 27 ...
...Engagement surface of the engagement protrusion, 28... Opening edge of the guide hole, 29... Annular engagement surface, 30... Annular groove, 3
7...Bolt, 39...O-ring.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A skate body having a center boss having a load receiving portion formed on the upper surface and a base plate horizontally attached to the lower surface; an annular diaphragm that is airtightly coupled to the outer periphery, has a guide hole in the center, and has a plurality of air discharge holes in the inner part; and a lower part of the base plate, located below the center boss of the skate body. an engagement protrusion provided on the upper part thereof that has an engagement surface that passes through the guide hole of the diaphragm and engages with the lower surface of the base plate, and an outer periphery of the engagement protrusion that engages with the opening edge of the guide hole. a load plate having an annular groove formed in the annular engagement surface, and an opening edge of the guide hole of the diaphragm provided in the annular groove of the load plate; O to be airtightly crimped against the bottom surface.
a ring, which fixes the load plate to the lower surface of the center boss via the base plate, engages the engagement surface of the engagement protrusion of the load plate with the lower surface of the base plate, and engages the opening edge of the guide hole of the diaphragm; An air skating device comprising: a bolt for crimping the O-ring on the portion of the air skating device.