U.S. patent application number 17/215650 was filed with the patent office on 2022-01-20 for can body maker and frame for drive mechanism.
This patent application is currently assigned to Universal Can Corporation. The applicant listed for this patent is G&P Inc., Universal Can Corporation. Invention is credited to Tatsuya HANAFUSA, Hideyuki HIRAMATSU, Naoyuki YAGUCHI.
Application Number | 20220016690 17/215650 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005511038 |
Filed Date | 2022-01-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220016690 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
HANAFUSA; Tatsuya ; et
al. |
January 20, 2022 |
CAN BODY MAKER AND FRAME FOR DRIVE MECHANISM
Abstract
A can body maker includes a ram shaft extending in a front-rear
direction, a punch disposed at a front end portion of the ram
shaft, a reciprocating linear motion mechanism connected to a rear
end portion of the ram shaft to reciprocate and linearly move the
ram shaft in the front-rear direction, a die having a through hole
into which the punch is inserted, a cup holding mechanism which
presses a cup-shaped body against an end face in which the through
hole of the die opens, and a cup holder drive mechanism that
oscillates the cup holding mechanism in the front-rear direction,
wherein the cup holder drive mechanism has a cam structure and is
disposed directly below the cup holding mechanism.
Inventors: |
HANAFUSA; Tatsuya; (Tokyo,
JP) ; YAGUCHI; Naoyuki; (Makinohara-shi, JP) ;
HIRAMATSU; Hideyuki; (Kikugawa-shi, JP) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Universal Can Corporation
G&P Inc. |
Tokyo
Tokyo |
|
JP
JP |
|
|
Assignee: |
Universal Can Corporation
Tokyo
JP
G&P Inc.
Tokyo
JP
|
Family ID: |
1000005511038 |
Appl. No.: |
17/215650 |
Filed: |
March 29, 2021 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B21D 51/2692 20130101;
B21D 22/28 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B21D 51/26 20060101
B21D051/26; B21D 22/28 20060101 B21D022/28 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 20, 2020 |
JP |
2020-123738 |
Jul 20, 2020 |
JP |
2020-123739 |
Claims
1. A can body maker comprising: a ram shaft extending in a
front-rear direction; a punch disposed at a front end portion of
the ram shaft; a reciprocating linear motion mechanism connected to
a rear end portion of the ram shaft to reciprocate and linearly
move the ram shaft in the front-rear direction; a die having a
through hole into which the punch is inserted; a cup holding
mechanism pressing a cup-shaped body against an end face in which
the through hole of the die opens; and a cup holder drive mechanism
that oscillates the cup holding mechanism in the front-rear
direction, wherein the cup holder drive mechanism has a cam
structure and is disposed directly below the cup holding
mechanism.
2. The can body maker according to claim 1, further comprising: a
gear transmitting a rotational driving force around a rotation axis
of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism to the cup holder
drive mechanism.
3. The can body maker according to claim 1, wherein the cup holder
drive mechanism has a cam which is rotated, an oscillation unit
oscillated by being in contact with the cam, and a pair of arms
disposed on both sides of the ram shaft and oscillate together with
the oscillation unit to move the cup holding mechanism back and
forth.
4. The can body maker according to claim 1, wherein the cup holding
mechanism has a cup holder sleeve, and a biasing unit allowing the
cup holder sleeve to be biased forward with air pressure.
5. The can body maker according to claim 1, further comprising: a
bearing supporting the ram shaft to be slidable in the front-rear
direction, wherein the cup holder drive mechanism is disposed
directly below the bearing.
6. The can body maker according to claim 1, further comprising:
bearings supporting the ram shaft to be slidable in the front-rear
direction, wherein a pair of the bearings are provided at an
interval in the front-rear direction, and wherein the pair of
bearings are integrally formed.
7. A frame for a drive mechanism provided in a can body maker
having a ram shaft which has a punch provided at a front end
portion thereof, a die in which a through hole into which the punch
is inserted is formed and a cup-shaped body extruded by the punch
is passed through the through hole to perform drawing processing
and ironing processing on the cup-shaped body, a cup holder which
presses the cup-shaped body against an end face of the die, and a
drive mechanism reciprocating the ram shaft, to house the drive
mechanism, wherein the drive mechanism has a reciprocating linear
motion mechanism reciprocating the ram shaft, wherein the
reciprocating linear motion mechanism has a housing in a
cylindrical shape, and wherein the frame for a drive mechanism is
formed by side plates, a bottom plate, a front plate, and a back
plate being integrally fixed to each other, and a circular opening
surrounding a circumferential surface of the housing to house the
reciprocating linear motion mechanism is integrally formed in the
back plate.
8. The frame for a drive mechanism according to claim 7, wherein
the drive mechanism has a cup holder drive mechanism reciprocating
the cup holder, and wherein the cup holder drive mechanism is
supported between the front plate and the back plate.
9. The frame for a drive mechanism according to claim 8, wherein a
gear transmitting a rotational force of the reciprocating linear
motion mechanism to the cup holder drive mechanism is rotatably
formed in the reciprocating linear motion mechanism.
10. The frame for a drive mechanism according to claim 7, wherein
the back plate extends upward more than the front plate.
11. The frame for a drive mechanism according to claim 7, wherein a
part of the front plate is attachably and detachably formed.
12. The frame for a drive mechanism according to claim 7, wherein
an extension portion in which the die is disposed is integrally
fixed to an outside of the side plate.
13. A can body maker which includes the frame for a drive mechanism
according to claim 1, comprising at least: the frame for a drive
mechanism; and the reciprocating linear motion mechanism.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority to Japanese
Patent Application No. 2020-123738, filed Jul. 20, 2020 and
Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-123739, filed Jul. 20, 2020,
the contents of all of which are incorporated herein by reference
in their entireties.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a can body maker.
[0003] Further, the present invention relates to a frame for a
drive mechanism to which a drive mechanism for reciprocating a ram
shaft and a cup holder is attached when a cup-shaped body is
subjected to DI processing at the time of manufacturing a DI can,
and a can body maker provided with the frame for a drive
mechanism.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] In the related art, a drawing and ironing (DI) can in a
bottomed tubular shape is known. A DI can is manufactured by a
blank in a disc shape made of an alloy such as aluminum or iron
being subjected to cupping processing, DI processing, or the like.
In cupping processing, a blank is subjected to drawing processing
to form a cup-shaped body. In DI processing, the cup-shaped body is
held by a cup holder and is subjected to drawing and ironing
processing between a punch and a die.
[0005] As a can body maker that performs DI processing on a
cup-shaped body, for example, those described in United States
Patent Application, Publication No. 2018/0272410 and Japanese
Patent No. 6456959 are known. The can body maker includes a ram
shaft extending in a front-rear direction, a punch disposed at a
front end portion of the ram shaft, a reciprocating linear motion
mechanism connected to a rear end portion of the ram shaft to
reciprocate and linearly move the ram shaft in the front-rear
direction, a die having a through hole into which the punch is
inserted, a cup holding mechanism (a cup holder) having a cup
holder sleeve which presses a cup-shaped body against an end face
in which the through hole of the die opens, and a cup holder drive
mechanism that oscillates the cup holding mechanism in the
front-rear direction.
[0006] In United States Patent Application, Publication No.
2018/0272410, a blank holder drive device is connected to a cup
holding mechanism via a coupling device.
[0007] In United States Patent Application, Publication No.
2018/0272410, a cup holding mechanism is oscillated in the
front-rear direction by a servomotor.
[0008] Further, as a can body which is filled with contents such as
beverages and sealed, a two-piece can that includes a DI can in a
bottomed tubular shape having a can wall (a wall) and a can bottom
(a bottom) and a can lid in a disc shape that is wound around and
fastened to an opening end portion of the DI can is known. Further,
a bottle can in which a cap is screwed to an opening end portion of
a DI can that is subjected to die necking processing referred to as
bottle necking and the like after DI processing is also well
known.
[0009] A DI can used for such a can body is formed in a bottomed
tubular shape by a blank in a disc shape obtained by punching a
plate material formed of an aluminum alloy material being subjected
to a cupping process (a drawing process) and a DI process (a
drawing and ironing process).
[0010] In a cupping process, a blank is subjected to cupping
processing (drawing processing) to form a cup-shaped body which is
an intermediate formed body in the process of transitioning from a
blank to a DI can. Further, in a DI process, a punch sleeve is
fitted inside the cup-shaped body, a plurality of dies are fitted
to the outside thereof, and the cup-shaped body is subjected to
drawing and ironing processing between them. That is, the
cup-shaped body is subjected to drawing and ironing (DI) processing
to obtain a DI can.
[0011] In performing DI processing on the cup-shaped body, for
example, a can body maker as described in Japanese Unexamined
Patent Application, First Publication No. 2018-054065 is used. This
can body maker has a reciprocating linear motion mechanism for
linearly reciprocating a ram shaft that supports a punch
sleeve.
[0012] In the related art, such a reciprocating linear motion
mechanism is supported by a division-type frame for a drive
mechanism which sandwiches the reciprocating linear motion
mechanism between a lower frame division body that supports a lower
half of a housing of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism and
an upper frame division body that is provided along an upper half
of the housing of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism.
PATENT DOCUMENTS
[0013] [Patent Document 1] United States Patent Application,
Publication No. 2018/0272410
[0014] [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent No. 6456959
[0015] [Patent Document 3] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application,
First Publication No. 2018-054065
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0016] In the can body maker of the related art, it is required to
improve the forming accuracy of a can, to suppress the occurrence
of a defective can, and to improve the production efficiency of a
can. Further, in the can body maker of the related art, the cup
holder drive mechanism may have a cam structure. In this case, the
cup holder drive mechanism is disposed apart from the cup holding
mechanism in a left-right direction orthogonal to a front-rear
direction. Specifically, this cup holder drive mechanism is
connected to the cup holding mechanism via a plurality of shafts
continuously provided in the left-right direction, joint members
connecting these shafts, a pair of arms that move the cup holding
mechanism back and forth, and the like. For this reason, connection
portions between the shafts and the joint members may be loosened,
or the long shaft may be twisted. That is, there is a possibility
that loss in a force transmitted from the cup holder drive
mechanism to the cup holding mechanism may occur, or a load acting
on the pair of arms may become uneven, which may affect component
life.
[0017] A first object of the present invention is to provide a can
body maker capable of improving the forming accuracy of a can,
suppressing the occurrence of a defective can, and improving the
production efficiency of a can, and a frame for a drive mechanism
of the can body maker.
[0018] A second object of the present invention is to provide a can
body maker capable of suppressing the loss in a force transmitted
from the cup holder drive mechanism to the cup holding mechanism to
be small and extending component life.
[0019] Further, since the division type frame for a drive mechanism
of the related art is configured to fix the reciprocating linear
motion mechanism by two frame division bodies being fastened such
that the reciprocating linear motion mechanism is sandwiched
therebetween, there is a problem that the attachment accuracy of
the reciprocating linear motion mechanism is likely to deteriorate
and the shake or the like of the ram shaft is likely to increase.
When the shake of the ram shaft increases, it is difficult to
secure the forming accuracy of a can.
[0020] Further, at the time of maintenance of the reciprocating
linear motion mechanism, it is necessary to go through inconvenient
processes such as removing the upper frame division body to expose
the reciprocating linear motion mechanism and then suspending and
taking out the reciprocating linear motion mechanism, and thus
there is a problem that the maintainability also deteriorates.
[0021] The present invention is made in consideration of such
circumstances. A third object of the present invention is to
provide a frame for a drive mechanism capable of improving the
attachment accuracy of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism
and facilitating maintenance of the reciprocating linear motion
mechanism, and a can body maker including the frame for a drive
mechanism.
[0022] A can body maker according an aspect of the present
invention includes a ram shaft extending in a front-rear direction,
a punch disposed at a front end portion of the ram shaft, a
reciprocating linear motion mechanism connected to a rear end
portion of the ram shaft to reciprocate and linearly move the ram
shaft in the front-rear direction, a die having a through hole into
which the punch is inserted, a cup holding mechanism pressing a
cup-shaped body against an end face in which the through hole of
the die opens (which has a cup holder sleeve, for example), and a
cup holder drive mechanism that oscillates the cup holding
mechanism in the front-rear direction, wherein the cup holder drive
mechanism has a cam structure and is disposed directly below the
cup holding mechanism.
[0023] In the can body maker of the present invention, since the
cup holder drive mechanism has a cam structure, it is easy to
synchronize the reciprocating linear motion mechanism that moves
the ram shaft back and forth with the cup holder drive mechanism.
Since the cup holder drive mechanism is disposed directly below the
cup holding mechanism (the cup holder), a distance between these
mechanisms can be suppressed to be short. To connect the cup holder
drive mechanism and the cup holding mechanism, it is not necessary
to continuously provide a plurality of shafts between the
mechanisms or to use a joint member or the like as in the related
art. According to the present invention, the number of the
components can be reduced and the manufacturing cost can be
reduced. Further, the size of the member connecting the cup holder
drive mechanism and the cup holding mechanism can be suppressed to
be small.
[0024] According to the present invention, it is possible to
suppress the occurrence of loss in the force transmitted from the
cup holder drive mechanism to the cup holding mechanism. The power
for driving the cup holder drive mechanism can be reduced,
resulting in a reduction in energy. Further, it is easy to equalize
a load acting on each member that connects the cup holder drive
mechanism and the cup holding mechanism, and it is possible to
suppress the occurrence of variation in component life of each
member, and as a result, to extend the component life. Since the
cup holding mechanism which is moved back and forth by the cup
holder drive mechanism stably presses the cup-shaped body against
the end face of the die, the forming accuracy of the can is well
maintained. The structure of the can body maker is simplified, and
an outer shape thereof can be kept to be compact.
[0025] According to the present invention, it is possible to
improve the forming accuracy of the can, to suppress the occurrence
of a defective can, and to improve the production efficiency of the
can.
[0026] Preferably, the above-described can body maker further
includes a gear transmitting a rotational driving force around a
rotation axis of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism to the
cup holder drive mechanism.
[0027] In this case, loss in the power transmission is suppressed
to be smaller than that in the configuration in which the
rotational driving force of the reciprocating linear motion
mechanism is transmitted to the cup holder drive mechanism via, for
example, a belt or the like. In addition, the can body maker can be
configured more compactly.
[0028] In the above-described can body maker, preferably, the cup
holder drive mechanism has a cam which is rotated (for example,
around a first central axis extending in a left-right direction
orthogonal to the front-rear direction), an oscillation unit
oscillated (for example, around a second central axis parallel to
the first central axis) by being in contact with the cam, and a
pair of arms disposed on both sides of the ram shaft (for example,
in the left-right direction) and oscillate (for example, around the
second central axis) together with the oscillation unit to move the
cup holding mechanism back and forth.
[0029] In this case, the rotation (for example, around the first
central axis) which is input to the cup holder drive mechanism is
converted into the oscillation (for example, around the second
central axis) by the cam and the oscillation unit, and the
oscillation is output from the pair of arms. The pair of arms are
disposed on both sides of the ram shaft (for example, in the
left-right direction) and act evenly on the cup holding mechanism.
As a result, the cup holding mechanism stably presses the
cup-shaped body against the end face of the die, and the forming
accuracy of the can is stably ensured.
[0030] In the above-described can body maker, preferably, the cup
holding mechanism has a cup holder sleeve and a biasing unit (for
example, which is provided between the cup holder sleeve and a pair
of rods connected to the pair of arms) which allows the cup holder
sleeve to be biased forward with air pressure.
[0031] In this case, the cup holding mechanism biases the cup
holder sleeve forward by the biasing unit with the air pressure,
and thus pressure (cup holding pressure) with which the cup holder
sleeve presses the cup-shaped body against the end face of the die
is stabilized from the initial stage of the operation of the
machine. Further, according to above-described configuration of the
present invention, the cup holding pressure is easily adjusted as
compared with the case in which the cup holder sleeve is biased
forward with, for example, hydraulic pressure.
[0032] Preferably, the above-described can body maker further
includes a bearing supporting the ram shaft to be slidable in the
front-rear direction, wherein the cup holder drive mechanism is
disposed directly below the bearing.
[0033] In this case, since the cup holding mechanism, the bearing,
and the cup holder drive mechanism are disposed adjacent to each
other in the up-down direction, the can body maker can be
configured more compactly.
[0034] Preferably, the above-described can body maker further
includes bearings supporting the ram shaft to be slidable in the
front-rear direction, wherein a pair of the bearings are provided
at an interval in the front-rear direction, and wherein the pair of
bearings are integrally formed.
[0035] In this case, the pair of bearings, that is, a front bearing
and a rear bearing, can be easily aligned, and the centering work
at the time of assembly or the like can be omitted or simplified.
Since the straightness of the ram shaft is maintained well, the
forming accuracy of the can is stably ensured.
[0036] A frame for a drive mechanism according an aspect of the
present invention is provided in a can body maker having a ram
shaft which has a punch provided at a front end portion thereof, a
die in which a through hole into which the punch is inserted is
formed and a cup-shaped body extruded by the punch is passed
through the through hole to perform drawing processing and ironing
processing on the cup-shaped body, a cup holder which presses the
cup-shaped body against an end face of the die, and a drive
mechanism reciprocating the ram shaft, to house the drive
mechanism, wherein the drive mechanism has a reciprocating linear
motion mechanism reciprocating the ram shaft, wherein the
reciprocating linear motion mechanism has a housing in a
cylindrical shape (for example, the reciprocating linear motion
mechanism is housed in a housing in a cylindrical shape), and
wherein the frame for a drive mechanism is formed by side plates
(for example, one side plate and another side plate), a bottom
plate, a front plate, and a back plate being integrally fixed to
each other, and a circular opening surrounding a circumferential
surface of the housing to house the reciprocating linear motion
mechanism is integrally formed in the back plate.
[0037] According to the frame for a drive mechanism of the present
invention, the frame for a drive mechanism for attaching the
reciprocating linear motion mechanism thereto is integrally formed,
and the reciprocating linear motion mechanism is housed in a
circular opening capable of housing the reciprocating linear motion
mechanism and is fixed thereto. In the present invention, the
attachment accuracy of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism
can be improved as compared with the frame for a drive mechanism of
the related art which is constituted by the division bodies
obtained by dividing one into a plurality. As a result, it is
possible to suppress vibration during the operation of the
reciprocating linear motion mechanism and the shake of the
reciprocating motion of the ram shaft, and thus it is possible to
perform the drawing and ironing processing on the cup-shaped body
with high accuracy. Further, it is possible to remove the
reciprocating linear motion mechanism from the circular opening
without dividing the frame for a drive mechanism, and thus the
maintainability is excellent.
[0038] According to the present invention, it is possible to
improve the forming accuracy of the can, to suppress the occurrence
of a defective can, and to improve the production efficiency of the
can.
[0039] Further, in the present invention, the drive mechanism may
have a cup holder drive mechanism reciprocating the cup holder, and
the cup holder drive mechanism may be supported between the front
plate and the back plate.
[0040] Further, in the present invention, a gear transmitting a
rotational force of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism to
the cup holder drive mechanism may be rotatably formed in the
reciprocating linear motion mechanism.
[0041] Further, in the present invention, the back plate may extend
upward more than the front plate.
[0042] Further, in the present invention, a part of the front plate
may be attachably and detachably formed.
[0043] Further, in the present invention, an extension portion in
which the die is disposed may be integrally fixed to an outside of
the side plate (for example, the one side plate).
[0044] A can body maker according an aspect of the present
invention which includes the frame for a drive mechanism described
above includes at least the frame for a drive mechanism, and the
reciprocating linear motion mechanism.
[0045] According to the can body maker of one aspect of the present
invention, it is possible to improve the forming accuracy of a can,
to suppress the occurrence of a defective can, and to improve the
production efficiency of a can.
[0046] According to the can body maker of one aspect of the present
invention, it is possible to suppress loss in a force transmitted
from the cup holder drive mechanism to the cup holding mechanism to
be small and to extend component life.
[0047] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is
possible to provide a frame for a drive mechanism capable of
improving the attachment accuracy of the reciprocating linear
motion mechanism and facilitating maintenance of the reciprocating
linear motion mechanism, and a can body maker including the frame
for a drive mechanism.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0048] FIG. 1 is a schematic view schematically showing a can body
maker according to a first embodiment.
[0049] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a part of a
configuration of the can body maker.
[0050] FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view showing a cup holder
drive mechanism, a cup holding mechanism, and a bearing unit of the
can body maker.
[0051] FIG. 4A is a side view illustrating an operation of the cup
holder drive mechanism and the cup holding mechanism of the can
body maker.
[0052] FIG. 4B is a side view illustrating an operation of the cup
holder drive mechanism and the cup holding mechanism of the can
body maker.
[0053] FIG. 4C is a side view illustrating an operation of the cup
holder drive mechanism and the cup holding mechanism of the can
body maker.
[0054] FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration view showing an example
of a can body maker according to a second embodiment.
[0055] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of a
reciprocating linear motion mechanism.
[0056] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an example of the cup
holder drive mechanism.
[0057] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a frame for a drive
mechanism according to the second embodiment of the present
invention.
[0058] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the frame for a drive
mechanism in a state in which the reciprocating linear motion
mechanism and the cup holder drive mechanism (a cam mechanism) are
fixed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
First Embodiment
[0059] A can body maker 101 of a first embodiment of the present
invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0060] As shown in FIG. 1, the can body maker 101 of the present
embodiment is a DI can manufacturing apparatus in which a
cup-shaped body W which is a workpiece is subjected to DI
processing to obtain a DI can 1100.
[0061] First, the DI can 1100 will be described.
[0062] The DI can 1100 has a bottomed tubular shape. The DI can
1100 is used for a can body such as a two-piece can or a bottle can
which is filled with contents such as beverages and sealed. In the
case of the two-piece can, the can body includes the DI can 1100
and a can lid in a disc shape which is wound around and fastened to
an opening end portion of the DI can 1100. In the case of the
bottle can, the can body includes a bottle can body obtained by
subjecting the DI can 1100 to necking processing, screw processing,
or the like, and a cap which is screwed to the opening end portion
of the bottle can body.
[0063] The DI can 1100 is formed in a bottomed tubular shape by a
blank in a disc shape obtained by punching a plate material such as
a material formed of an aluminum alloy being subjected to a cupping
process (a drawing process) and a DI process (a drawing and ironing
process). Specifically, in the case of the two-piece can, for
example, the DI can 1100 is manufactured through a plate material
punching process, a cupping process, a DI process, a trimming
process, a printing process, an inner surface coating process, a
necking process, and a flanging process in that order.
[0064] In the process of manufacturing the DI can 1100, the blank
is subjected to drawing processing (cupping processing) by a
cupping press and is formed into the cup-shaped body W. That is,
the cup-shaped body W is an intermediate formed body manufactured
in the process of transitioning from the blank to the DI can 1100
in the cupping process. The cup-shaped body W is in a bottomed
tubular shape having a circumferential wall height (a length in a
can axial direction) smaller than that of the DI can 1100 and a
diameter larger than that of the DI can 1100.
[0065] Next, the can body maker 101 will be described.
[0066] The can body maker 101 is used in the DI process. The can
body maker 101 performs DI processing, that is, drawing
(re-drawing) and ironing processing, on the cup-shaped body W to
form the DI can 1100 having a circumferential wall height larger
than that of the cup-shaped body W and a diameter smaller than that
of the cup-shaped body W. Further, in the above DI process, the can
body maker 101 forms the can bottom of the DI can 1100 into a dome
shape. That is, in the present embodiment, the can 1100 formed by
the can body maker 101 is the DI can 1100.
[0067] The can body maker 101 includes a ram shaft 103 extending in
an axial direction centered on a central axis O, a punch 102, a
reciprocating linear motion mechanism 104, a bearing unit 150, a
die 108 having a through hole 107 into which the punch 102 is
inserted, a cup holding mechanism (a cup holder) 130 having a cup
holder sleeve 131 which presses the cup-shaped body W against an
end face 109 in which the through hole 107 of the die 108 opens, a
cup holder drive mechanism 110, a gear 120, and a dome former 106
that sandwiches the can bottom of the DI can 1100 between the punch
102 and the dome former to form the can bottom of the DI can 1100
into a dome shape.
[0068] The central axes O of the ram shaft 103, the punch 102, the
bearing unit 150, the through hole 107 of the die 108, the cup
holder sleeve 131, and the dome former 106 are disposed coaxially
with each other. In the present embodiment, the central axis O
which is a common axis of these members extends in a horizontal
direction.
[0069] Further, the can body maker 101 includes a cup feeder (not
shown) which supplies the cup-shaped body W on the end face 109 of
the die 108, a receiving seat (not shown) which holds the
cup-shaped body W on the end face 109, a can transport mechanism
(not shown) which transports the formed DI can 1100 to the outside
of the machine, an air discharge mechanism (not shown) which
discharges air from an air discharge hole that opens in at least
any of a tip end face and an outer circumferential surface of the
punch 102 to separate the DI can 1100 from the punch 102, a drive
source (not shown) such as a drive motor, and a device frame (a
frame for a drive mechanism) that appropriately supports each of
the above-described constituent elements of the can body maker
101.
[0070] In the present embodiment, a direction in which the central
axis O extends (an X-axis direction) is referred to as a front-rear
direction. That is, in an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system shown in
each drawing, the front-rear direction corresponds to the X-axis
direction. The front-rear direction is a predetermined direction
among horizontal directions. In the front-rear direction, the die
108 and the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 104 are disposed
at different positions from each other. In the front-rear
direction, a direction from the reciprocating linear motion
mechanism 104 toward the die 108 (a -X side) is referred to as a
front side, and a direction from the die 108 toward the
reciprocating linear motion mechanism 104 (a +X side) is referred
to as a rear side. The front-rear direction may also be called an
axial direction. In this case, the front side is one side in the
axial direction, and the rear side is another side in the axial
direction.
[0071] Among directions orthogonal to the front-rear direction, a
vertical direction (a Z-axis direction) is referred to as an
up-down direction. In each drawing, a +Z side is an upper side and
a -Z side is a lower side.
[0072] A direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction among the
horizontal directions, that is, a direction orthogonal to the
front-rear direction and the up-down direction (a Y-axis
direction), is referred to as a left-right direction. In each
drawing, the +Y side is a right side and the -Y side is a left
side.
[0073] The ram shaft 103 has a shaft shape extending in the
front-rear direction. The ram shaft 103 is supported by the bearing
unit 150 to be slidable in the front-rear direction.
[0074] The punch 102 is disposed at a front end portion of the ram
shaft 103. The punch 102 has a cylindrical or columnar shape and
extends in the front-rear direction.
[0075] The reciprocating linear motion mechanism 104 has a ram
shaft connecting portion 104a. The reciprocating linear motion
mechanism 104 converts a rotational driving force around a rotation
axis C which is input from a drive source (not shown) into a
reciprocating linear motion in the front-rear direction and outputs
the reciprocating linear motion to the ram shaft connecting portion
104a. The ram shaft connecting portion 104a is connected to a rear
end portion of the ram shaft 103. That is, the reciprocating linear
motion mechanism 104 is connected to the rear end portion of the
ram shaft 103 to reciprocate and linearly move the ram shaft 103 in
the front-rear direction.
[0076] The bearing unit 150 is disposed between the reciprocating
linear motion mechanism 104 and the die 108 in the front-rear
direction. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the bearing unit 150 has a
tubular shape extending in the front-rear direction. The bearing
unit 150 includes a bearing 105 that supports the ram shaft 103 to
be slidable in the front-rear direction. That is, the can body
maker 101 includes a bearing 105. A pair of bearings 105 are
provided at intervals in the front-rear direction. The pair of
bearings 105 are integrally formed with the bearing unit 150. Of
the pair of bearings 105, one bearing 105 located on the front side
is a front bearing 105F, and another bearing 105 located on the
rear side is a rear bearing 105R. The front bearing 105F and the
rear bearing 105R have a structure of a fluid bearing that is
called, for example, a hydrodynamic bearing or a hydrostatic
bearing.
[0077] As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of dies 108 are provided
side by side in the front-rear direction. Each of the plurality of
dies 108 has a through hole 107 having a circular cross section
which penetrates the die 108 in the front-rear direction. The
plurality of dies 108 have one redrawing die 108A and a plurality
of ironing dies 108B located on the front side of the redrawing die
108A. Although not separately shown, a pilot ring is disposed on
the front side of each ironing die 108B. By the pilot ring being
provided, it is possible to prevent the punch 102 from coming into
contact with each ironing die 108B due to the impact when the DI
can 1100 is removed from (passed through) each ironing die 108B
during forming.
[0078] Further, at the time of forming, a coolant liquid is
supplied to the redrawing die 108A and each ironing die 108B for
lubrication and cooling.
[0079] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cup holding mechanism 130 has
the cup holder sleeve 131, a pair of rods 132 connected to a pair
of arms 115 of the cup holder drive mechanism 110 which will be
described later, and a biasing unit 133 which is provided between
the cup holder sleeve 131 and the pair of rods 132 and allows the
cup holder sleeve 131 to be biased forward with air pressure.
[0080] The cup holder sleeve 131 has a cylindrical shape extending
in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the punch 102 and
the ram shaft 103 are inserted into the cup holder sleeve 131 in
the front-rear direction. The cup holder sleeve 131, the punch 102,
and the ram shaft 103 are relatively slidable in the front-rear
direction. The cup holder sleeve 131 can press a bottom wall of the
cup-shaped body W against the end face 109 facing the rear side of
the redrawing die 108A. The cup holder sleeve 131 is inserted into
the cup-shaped body W disposed on the end face 109 of the die 108
and presses the bottom wall of the cup-shaped body W against the
end face 109 for support.
[0081] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the pair of rods 132 are disposed
on both sides of the ram shaft 103 in the left-right direction with
the ram shaft 103 sandwiched therebetween. Each rod 132 extends in
the front-rear direction. In the present embodiment, a front side
portion including at least the front bearing 105F of the bearing
unit 150 is located between the pair of rods 132.
[0082] The rod 132 has a rod body 132a and a roller follower (a
roller) 132b.
[0083] The rod body 132a has a shaft shape or a tubular shape and
extends in the front-rear direction. The rod bodies 132a of the
pair of rods 132 are parallel to each other. The rod body 132a is
supported by, for example, a ball spline or a dry bearing to be
slidable in the front-rear direction.
[0084] The roller follower 132b projects from the rod body 132a in
the left-right direction. The roller follower 132b is rotatable
around a roller follower axis extending in the left-right direction
and is supported by the rod body 132a. An arm 115 which will be
described later is connected to the roller follower 132b.
[0085] The biasing unit 133 has a substantially cylindrical shape.
The punch 102 and the ram shaft 103 are inserted into the biasing
unit 133 in the front-rear direction. The biasing unit 133, the
punch 102, and the ram shaft 103 are relatively slidable in the
front-rear direction.
[0086] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the biasing unit 133 includes a
rod attachment portion 133a, a cup holder sleeve attachment portion
133b, and an airbag 133c.
[0087] The rod attachment portion 133a is a cylindrical housing
centered on the central axis O. The rod attachment portion 133a is
attached to the rod 132. A rear wall of the rod attachment portion
133a is fixed to a front end portion of the rod body 132a.
[0088] The cup holder sleeve attachment portion 133b has an annular
plate shape centered on the central axis O. The cup holder sleeve
attachment portion 133b is disposed on the front side of the rod
attachment portion 133a. The cup holder sleeve attachment portion
133b is attached to a rear end portion of the cup holder sleeve
131. The cup holder sleeve attachment portion 133b and the cup
holder sleeve 131 can be slidably moved in the front-rear direction
with respect to the rod attachment portion 133a.
[0089] The airbag 133c is an annular shape centered on the central
axis O. The airbag 133c is sandwiched between a rear wall of the
rod attachment portion 133a and the cup holder sleeve attachment
portion 133b in the front-rear direction. The airbag 133c can
internally hold the air supplied from an air supply means (not
shown). The airbag 133c is made of rubber, for example, and is
elastically deformable.
[0090] When the rod attachment portion 133a is pushed toward the
front side by the rod 132 that moves back and forth, the biasing
unit 133 biases the cup holder sleeve 131 toward the front side via
the airbag 133c and the cup holder sleeve attachment portion 133b.
That is, the biasing unit 133 biases the cup holder sleeve 131
forward with air pressure and an elastic restoring force of the
airbag 133c. Accordingly, the cup-shaped body W is held by the cup
holder sleeve 131 in a state of being pressed against the end face
109 of the die 108 to be in close contact therewith.
[0091] As shown in FIG. 1, the cup holder drive mechanism 110
oscillates the cup holding mechanism 130 in the front-rear
direction. Specifically, the cup holder drive mechanism 110
converts the rotational driving force transmitted from a drive
source (not shown) via the reciprocating linear motion mechanism
104 and the gear 120 into a reciprocating motion in the front-rear
direction and transmits the reciprocating motion to the cup holding
mechanism 130. Accordingly, the cup holder drive mechanism 110 has
a stroke length different from that of the ram shaft connecting
portion 104a and reciprocates and linearly moves the cup holding
mechanism 130 in the front-rear direction to be synchronized with
the back and forth movement of the ram shaft connecting portion
104a.
[0092] The cup holder drive mechanism 110 has a cam structure
synchronized with the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 104.
The cup holder drive mechanism 110 is disposed directly below the
cup holding mechanism 130. Specifically, the cup holder drive
mechanism 110 is disposed adjacent to a lower side of at least a
part of the rod 132 of the cup holding mechanism 130. When seen in
the up-down direction, the cup holding mechanism 130 and the cup
holder drive mechanism 110 overlap each other. The cup holder drive
mechanism 110 is disposed directly below the bearing unit 150. That
is, the cup holder drive mechanism 110 is disposed directly below
the bearing 105. When seen in the up-down direction, the bearing
105 (the bearing unit 150) and the cup holder drive mechanism 110
overlap each other. In the present embodiment, "overlapping each
other (when seen in a certain direction)" means that two members
are disposed such that at least a part of one member overlaps at
least a part of another member when seen in a certain direction
such as the up-down direction, for example.
[0093] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cup holder drive mechanism
110 has a cam shaft 111 centered on a first central axis J1
extending in the left-right direction, a cam 112, an oscillation
shaft 113 centered on a second central axis J2 parallel to the
first central axis J1, an oscillation unit 114, and a pair of arms
115.
[0094] The first central axis J1 and the second central axis J2 are
disposed apart from each other. In the present embodiment, the
second central axis J2 is located on the front side and the upper
side of the first central axis J1. Each of an axial direction in
which the first central axis J1 extends and an axial direction in
which the second central axis J2 extends corresponds to the
left-right direction.
[0095] In the following description, a direction orthogonal to the
first central axis J1 is referred to as a first radial direction (a
radial direction). In the first radial direction, a direction
closer to the first central axis J1 is referred to as an inner side
in the first radial direction, and a direction away from the first
central axis J1 is referred to an outer side in the first radial
direction.
[0096] A direction of orbiting around the first central axis J1 is
referred to as a first circumferential direction.
[0097] A direction orthogonal to the second central axis J2 is
referred to as a second radial direction (a radial direction). In
the second radial direction, a direction closer to the second
central axis J2 is referred to as an inner side in the second
radial direction, and a direction away from the second central axis
J2 is referred to an outer side in the second radial direction.
[0098] A direction of orbiting around the second central axis J2 is
referred to as a second circumferential direction.
[0099] As shown in FIG. 2, the cam shaft 111 has a shaft shape or a
tubular shape and extends in the left-right direction. Although not
particularly shown, the cam shaft 111 is supported by bearings held
in the device frame to be rotatable in the first circumferential
direction. Although not particularly shown, the cam shaft 111 is
supported by a front plate and a back plate of the device frame
(the frame for a drive mechanism) via bearings.
[0100] The cam 112 is fixed to an outer circumferential portion of
the cam shaft 111. The cam 112 is rotated around the first central
axis J1 together with the cam shaft 111. As shown in FIG. 3, the
cam 112 has a plate shape extending in a direction perpendicular to
the first central axis J1. An outer circumferential surface of the
cam 112 facing the outer side in the first radial direction has
different positions in the first radial direction in respective
portions in the first circumferential direction. A distance in the
first radial direction from the first central axis J1 to the outer
circumferential surface of the cam 112 gradually changes in the
first circumferential direction.
[0101] A pair of cams 112 are provided at intervals in the
left-right direction. The pair of cams 112 are disposed on both
sides of the central axis O in the left-right direction with the
central axis O sandwiched therebetween when seen in the up-down
direction. Of the pair of cams 112, one cam 112 located on the
right side (the +Y side) of the central axis O is a forward cam
112A, and another cam 112 located on the left side (-Y side) of the
central axis O is a backward cam 112B. The forward cam 112A and the
backward cam 112B are disposed such that their angular positions,
that is, their phases around the first central axis J1, are
different from each other. The forward cam 112A and the backward
cam 112B are preferably common products (same members) having the
same shape.
[0102] The oscillation shaft 113 has a shaft shape or a tubular
shape and extends in the left-right direction. The oscillation
shaft 113 is supported by a bearing 119 held in the device frame
(not shown) to be rotatable in the second circumferential
direction. Although not particularly shown, the oscillation shaft
113 is supported by the front plate and the back plate of the
device frame (the frame for a drive mechanism) via the bearing
119.
[0103] The oscillation unit 114 is fixed to an outer
circumferential portion of the oscillation shaft 113. As shown in
FIG. 4C, the oscillation unit 114 is oscillated (rotated) around
the second central axis J2 together with the oscillation shaft 113
by being in contact with the cam 112. The oscillation unit 114 has
an oscillation plate 114a and a cam follower 125.
[0104] The oscillation plate 114a is attached to the outer
circumferential portion of the oscillation shaft 113. As shown in
FIG. 2, the oscillation plate 114a has a plate shape extending in a
direction perpendicular to the second central axis J2. The
oscillation plate 114a overlaps the central axis O when seen in the
up-down direction. As shown in FIG. 4C, in the present embodiment,
the oscillation plate 114a has a substantially V shape when seen in
the left-right direction. The oscillation plate 114a has a pair of
protrusions 114b disposed apart from each other in the second
circumferential direction. Each protrusion 114b protrudes toward
the outer side in the second radial direction.
[0105] As shown in FIG. 3, the cam follower 125 projects from the
oscillation plate 114a in the left-right direction. The cam
follower 125 is rotatable around a cam follower axis extending in
the left-right direction and is supported by the oscillation plate
114a. An outer circumferential surface of the cam follower 125 is
in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the cam
112.
[0106] A pair of cam followers 125 are provided on a surface of the
oscillation plate 114a facing the right side (+Y side) and a
surface of the oscillation plate 114a facing the left side (-Y
side). The pair of cam followers 125 are disposed on both sides of
the central axis O in the left-right direction with the central
axis O sandwiched therebetween when seen in the up-down direction.
Of the pair of cam followers 125, one cam follower 125 projecting
from the surface of the oscillation plate 114a facing the right
side is a forward cam follower 125A, and another cam follower 125
projecting from the surface of the oscillation plate 114a facing
the left side is a backward cam follower 125B.
[0107] As shown in FIG. 4C, the forward cam follower 125A and the
backward cam follower 125B are disposed at different positions in
the second circumferential direction. The forward cam follower 125A
protrudes to the right side from one protrusion 114b of the pair of
protrusions 114b, which is located on the upper side. The backward
cam follower 125B protrudes to the left side from another
protrusion 114b of the pair of protrusions 114b, which is located
on the lower side. Specifically, the forward cam follower 125A is
located above a virtual straight line (not shown) passing through
the first central axis J1 and the second central axis J2 when seen
in the left-right direction. The backward cam follower 125B is
located below the virtual straight line when seen in the left-right
direction.
[0108] An outer circumferential surface of the forward cam follower
125A is in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the
forward cam 112A. An outer circumferential surface of the backward
cam follower 125B is in contact with an outer circumferential
surface of the backward cam 112B.
[0109] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the arm 115 is fixed to the outer
circumferential portion of the oscillation shaft 113. The arm 115
has a plate shape extending in a direction perpendicular to the
second central axis J2. The arm 115 protrudes toward the upper side
from the oscillation shaft 113. The arm 115 extends in the up-down
direction. The arm 115 is oscillated (rotated) around the second
central axis J2 together with the oscillation shaft 113.
[0110] The pair of arms 115 are disposed on both sides of the ram
shaft 103 in the left-right direction with the ram shaft 103
sandwiched therebetween (see FIG. 1). That is, the pair of arms 115
are disposed on both sides of the ram shaft 103 when seen in the
up-down direction. The pair of arms 115 are disposed on both sides
of the oscillation unit 114 in the left-right direction with the
oscillation unit 114 sandwiched therebetween. In other words, the
ram shaft 103 and the oscillation unit 114 are located between the
pair of arms 115 in the left-right direction. A distance in the
left-right direction between one arm 115 of the pair of arms 115
which is located on the right side and the oscillation plate 114a
is the same as a distance in the left-right direction between
another arm 115 of the pair of arms 115 which is located on the
left side and the oscillation plate 114a. That is, the oscillation
unit 114 is disposed at the same distance from the pair of arms 115
in the left-right direction.
[0111] As shown in FIG. 4C, an upper end portion of the arm 115 is
connected to the roller follower 132b. Specifically, a U-shaped
recess that penetrates the arm 115 in the left-right direction and
opens toward the upper side is formed in the upper end portion of
the arm 115, and a roller follower 132b is disposed in the recess
to be sandwiched in the front-rear direction. The arm 115
reciprocates and linearly moves the cup holding mechanism 130 in
the front-rear direction via the roller follower 132b. That is, the
pair of arms 115 oscillate around the second central axis J2
together with the oscillation unit 114 and the oscillation shaft
113 to move the cup holding mechanism 130 back and forth.
[0112] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C, when the cam 112
rotates around the first central axis J1, the distance in the first
radial direction from the first central axis J1 to the outer
circumferential surface of the cam 112 changes in the first
circumferential direction, and thus the position of the cam
follower 125 in contact with the cam 112 around the second central
axis J2 changes, and the oscillation unit 114, the oscillation
shaft 113, and the pair of arms 115 rotate in the second
circumferential direction.
[0113] More specifically, when the forward cam 112A rotates in the
first circumferential direction from the state shown in FIG. 4A, a
distance in the first radial direction between a contact portion
between the forward cam 112A and the forward cam follower 125A and
the first central axis J1 gradually increases, and thus the forward
cam follower 125A rotates in a predetermined direction
(counterclockwise in FIG. 4A) around the second central axis J2,
and accordingly, the oscillation unit 114, the oscillation shaft
113, and the pair of arms 115 rotate in the predetermined direction
around the second central axis J2.
[0114] As a result, the pair of arms 115 move the cup holding
mechanism 130 toward the front side via the roller followers 132b
in the order shown in FIGS. 4B and 4C.
[0115] Further, when the backward cam 112B rotates in the first
circumferential direction from the state shown in FIG. 4C, a
distance in the first radial direction between a contact portion
between the backward cam 112B and the backward cam follower 125B
and the first central axis J1 gradually increases, and thus the
backward cam follower 125B rotates in a direction opposite to the
predetermined direction (clockwise in FIG. 4C) around the second
central axis J2, and accordingly, the oscillation unit 114, the
oscillation shaft 113, and the pair of arms 115 rotate in a
direction opposite to the predetermined direction around the second
central axis J2.
[0116] As a result, as shown in FIG. 4A, the pair of arms 115 move
the cup holding mechanism 130 toward the rear side via the roller
followers 132b.
[0117] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in the present embodiment, each
of the pair of arms 115 has a cover 115a. The cover 115a is
detachably provided on the upper end portion of the arm 115. The
cover 115a covers the recess of the arm 115 and the roller follower
132b in the left-right direction.
[0118] As shown in FIG. 2, the gear 120 transmits the rotational
driving force around the rotation axis C of the reciprocating
linear motion mechanism 104 to the cup holder drive mechanism 110.
A plurality of gears 120 are provided. The plurality of gears 120
have a first gear 121 attached to the reciprocating linear motion
mechanism 104, a second gear 122 attached to the cup holder drive
mechanism 110, and a third gear 123 that meshes with the first gear
121 and the second gear 122.
[0119] The first gear 121 has an annular plate shape centered on
the rotation axis C. The first gear 121 outputs the rotational
driving force around the rotation axis C of the reciprocating
linear motion mechanism 104 to the outside of the reciprocating
linear motion mechanism 104.
[0120] The second gear 122 has an annular plate shape centered on
the first central axis J1 parallel to the rotation axis C. The
second gear 122 is fixed to an end portion (a right end portion) of
the cam shaft 111 in the left-right direction.
[0121] The number of teeth of the first gear 121 and the number of
teeth of the second gear 122 are the same. As a result, the
reciprocating linear motion mechanism 104 and the cup holder drive
mechanism 110 can operate in synchronization with each other.
[0122] The third gear 123 is disposed between the first gear 121
and the second gear 122. The third gear 123 has an annular plate
shape centered on a third gear axis (not shown) extending in the
left-right direction. In the illustrated example, an outer diameter
of the third gear 123 is smaller than an outer diameter of each of
the first gear 121 and the second gear 122. The number of teeth of
the third gear 123 is smaller than the number of teeth of each of
the first gear 121 and the second gear 122.
[0123] As shown in FIG. 1, the dome former 106 is a tooling for
forming the can bottom of the DI can 1100. The dome former 106 has
a substantially cylindrical shape extending in the front-rear
direction. When the punch 102 is disposed at a forward end position
in the front-rear direction, the dome former 106 faces the punch
102 in the front-rear direction.
[0124] The DI processing of the cup-shaped body W by the can body
maker 101 of the present embodiment is performed as follows.
[0125] First, the cup-shaped body W which is a workpiece is
disposed between the punch 102 and the redrawing die 108A in a
posture in which a cup axis (a can axis) extends in the front-rear
direction and the opening the cup-shaped body W is directed to the
rear side. The bottom wall of the cup-shaped body W faces the end
face 109 of the redrawing die 108A.
[0126] The cup holder sleeve 131 of the cup holding mechanism 130
and the punch 102 are moved forward with respect to the cup-shaped
body W. Then, while the cup holder sleeve 131 presses the bottom
wall of the cup-shaped body W against the end face 109 of the
redrawing die 108A to perform a cup pressing operation, the punch
102 pushes the cup-shaped body W into the through hole 107 of the
redrawing die 108A, and thus the cup-shaped body W is subjected to
redrawing processing.
[0127] By the redrawing processing, the cup-shaped body W is formed
to have a small diameter and has a large length in a cup axial
direction (that is, the front-rear direction). The ironing
processing is performed while the cup-shaped body W is further
pushed in by the punch 102 and is sequentially passed through the
through holes 107 of the plurality of ironing dies 108B. That is,
the circumferential wall of the cup-shaped body W is ironed and
stretched to increase a height of the circumferential wall and
reduce a thickness of the circumferential wall and thus a DI can
1100 having a bottomed tubular shape is formed. The DI can 1100 is
cold-work-hardened by the circumferential wall being ironed to have
an increased strength.
[0128] The DI can 1100 subjected to the ironing processing is
extruded toward the front side from the through hole 107 of the die
108 by the punch 102. Then, a bottom portion of the DI can 1100 (a
portion that becomes the can bottom) is sandwiched and pressed
between the punch 102 and the dome former 106, and thus the bottom
portion of the DI can 1100 is formed into a dome shape.
[0129] In the can body maker 101 of the present embodiment
described above, since the cup holder drive mechanism 110 has a cam
structure, it is easy to synchronize the reciprocating linear
motion mechanism 104 that moves the ram shaft 103 back and forth
with the cup holder drive mechanism 110. Since the cup holder drive
mechanism 110 is disposed directly below the cup holding mechanism
130, a distance between these mechanisms 110 and 130 can be
suppressed to be short. To connect the cup holder drive mechanism
110 and the cup holding mechanism 130, it is not necessary to
continuously provide a plurality of shafts between the mechanisms
110 and 130 or to use a joint member or the like as in the related
art. According to the present embodiment, the number of the
components can be reduced and the manufacturing cost can be
reduced. Further, the size of the member connecting the cup holder
drive mechanism 110 and the cup holding mechanism 130 can be
suppressed to be small.
[0130] According to the present embodiment, it is possible to
suppress the occurrence of loss in the force transmitted from the
cup holder drive mechanism 110 to the cup holding mechanism 130.
The power for driving the cup holder drive mechanism 110 can be
reduced, resulting in a reduction in energy. Further, it is easy to
equalize a load acting on each member that connects the cup holder
drive mechanism 110 and the cup holding mechanism 130, and it is
possible to suppress the occurrence of variation in component life
of each member, and as a result, to extend the component life.
Since the cup holding mechanism 130 which is moved back and forth
by the cup holder drive mechanism 110 stably presses the cup-shaped
body W against the end face 109 of the die 108, the forming
accuracy of the DI can 1100 is well maintained. The structure of
the can body maker 101 is simplified, and an outer shape thereof
can be kept to be compact.
[0131] According to the present embodiment, it is possible to
improve the forming accuracy of the can 1100, to suppress the
occurrence of a defective can, and to improve the production
efficiency of the can 1100.
[0132] Further, in the present embodiment, the can body maker 101
includes the gear 120 that transmits the rotational driving force
around the rotation axis C of the reciprocating linear motion
mechanism 104 to the cup holder drive mechanism 110.
[0133] In this case, loss in the power transmission is suppressed
to be smaller than that in the configuration in which the
rotational driving force of the reciprocating linear motion
mechanism 104 is transmitted to the cup holder drive mechanism 110
via, for example, a belt or the like. In addition, the can body
maker 101 can be configured more compactly.
[0134] Further, in the present embodiment, the rotation around the
first central axis J1 which is input to the cup holder drive
mechanism 110 is converted into the oscillation around the second
central axis J2 by the cam 112, the oscillation unit 114, and the
like, and the oscillation is output from the pair of arms 115. The
pair of arms 115 are disposed on both sides of the ram shaft 103 in
the left-right direction and act evenly on the cup holding
mechanism 130. As a result, the cup holding mechanism 130 stably
presses the cup-shaped body W against the end face 109 of the die
108, and the forming accuracy of the DI can 1100 is stably
ensured.
[0135] Further, in the present embodiment, the cup holding
mechanism 130 biases the cup holder sleeve 131 forward by the
biasing unit 133 with the air pressure and the elastic restoring
force, and thus pressure (cup holding pressure) with which the cup
holder sleeve 131 presses the cup-shaped body W against the end
face 109 of the die 108 is stabilized from the initial stage of the
operation of the machine. Further, according to the present
embodiment, the cup holding pressure is easily adjusted as compared
with the case in which the cup holder sleeve 131 is biased forward
with, for example, hydraulic pressure unlike the case of the
present embodiment.
[0136] Further, in the present embodiment, the cup holder drive
mechanism 110 is disposed directly below the bearing 105 (the
bearing unit 150).
[0137] In this case, since the cup holding mechanism 130, the
bearing 105, and the cup holder drive mechanism 110 are disposed
adjacent to each other in the up-down direction, the can body maker
101 can be configured more compactly.
[0138] Further, in the present embodiment, the pair of bearings 105
of the bearing unit 150 are integrally formed.
[0139] In this case, the pair of bearings 105, that is, the front
bearing 105F and the rear bearing 105R, can be easily aligned, and
the centering work at the time of assembly or the like can be
omitted or simplified. Since the straightness of the ram shaft 103
is maintained well, the forming accuracy of the DI can 1100 is
stably ensured.
[0140] The present invention is not limited to the above-described
embodiment, and the configuration can be changed without departing
from the gist of the present invention, for example, as will be
described below.
[0141] The cam structure included in the cup holder drive mechanism
110 is not limited to the configuration described in the
above-described embodiment. For example, the shape of the cam 112,
the disposition of the cam followers 125, the respective numbers of
the cams 112 and the cam followers 125, the shape of the
oscillation unit 114, and the like may be different from the
above-described embodiment.
[0142] In the present invention, respective configurations which
are described in the above-described first embodiment, the second
embodiment which will be described later, a modification example,
and the like may be combined with each other, and addition,
omission, and replacement of a configuration, other changes, and
the like are possible without departing from the gist of the
present invention. Further, the present invention is not limited to
the embodiments and the like, but is limited to only the
claims.
Second Embodiment
[0143] Hereinafter, the frame for a drive mechanism 210 according
to the second embodiment to which the present invention is applied,
a can body maker 2100 provided with the same, and a drive mechanism
of the can body maker 2100 will be described with reference to the
drawings. The embodiments which will be shown below are
specifically described to better understand the gist of the
invention and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise
specified. In addition, the drawings which will be used in the
following description may be shown with the main parts being
enlarged for convenience to make the features of the present
invention easy to understand, and the size ratios of the respective
components are not always the same as the actual ones.
[0144] First, a DI can which is made from a cup-shaped body W will
be described.
[0145] The DI can is used for a can body (a two-piece can or a
bottle can) which is filled with contents such as beverages and
sealed. In the case of the two-piece can, the can body includes a
DI can in a bottomed tubular shape and a can lid in a disc shape
which is wound around and fastened to an opening end portion of the
DI can. In the case of a bottle can, the can body includes a DI can
subjected to so-called die necking processing referred to as bottle
necking and the like after DI processing and a cap that is screwed
to an opening end portion of the DI can. The "DI" of the DI can is
an abbreviation for drawing and ironing.
[0146] The DI can is formed in a bottomed tubular shape by a blank
in a disc shape obtained by punching a plate material formed of an
aluminum alloy material being subjected to a cupping process (a
drawing process) and a DI process (a drawing and ironing process).
Specifically, in the case of the two-piece can, for example, the DI
can is manufactured through a plate material punching process, a
cupping process, a DI process, a trimming process, a printing
process, a coating process, a necking process, a bottom reforming
process, and a flanging process in that order.
[0147] Next, the can body maker 2100 will be described.
[0148] FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration view showing an example
of the can body maker 2100.
[0149] In FIG. 5, the can body maker 2100 is used in the DI process
described above, and the cup-shaped body W is subjected to the DI
processing (drawing (redrawing) and ironing processing) to form a
DI can U. That is, in the present embodiment, the can U formed by
the can body maker 2100 is the DI can U. The can body maker 2100
includes a ram shaft 2103 provided with a punch sleeve (a punch)
2102 at a front end portion, a reciprocating linear motion
mechanism (a ram shaft drive mechanism) 211 that reciprocates the
ram shaft 2103 in an axis 0 direction of the ram shaft 2103, a
bearing 2105 (2105F, 2105R) that supports the ram shaft 2103 to be
reciprocated in the axis O direction, a die 2108 (2108A, 2108B)
having a through hole 2107 through which the punch sleeve 2102 is
inserted, a cup holding mechanism 2101 including a cup holder 2106
that is inserted into the cup-shaped body W disposed on an end face
2108a facing rearward in the axis O direction of the die 2108 and
presses the bottom wall of the cup-shaped body W toward the end
face 2108a, and a biasing means 2115 which is located behind the
bearing 2105 (a front bearing 2105F) in the axis O direction and is
capable of biasing the cup holder 2106 with air pressure.
[0150] Further, the can body maker 2100 includes a cup feeder (not
shown) which transports the cup-shaped body W on the end face 2108a
of the die 2108, a receiving seat (not shown) which holds the
cup-shaped body W on the end face 2108a, a bottom former (a can
bottom forming tooling) 2110 which faces the punch sleeve 2102 in
the axis O direction and is disposed at a forward end position of
the punch sleeve 2102 in the axis O direction to form the can
bottom together with the punch sleeve 2102, a can transport
mechanism (not shown) which transports the formed DI can U to the
outside of the can body maker 2100, a blower (an air discharge
mechanism) 2112 which discharges air from an air discharge hole
that opens in a front end of the punch sleeve 2102 to separate the
DI can U from the punch sleeve 2102, a cup holder drive mechanism
(a cam mechanism) 212 which is mechanically connected to the
reciprocating linear motion mechanism 211 to be driven in
synchronization therewith and reciprocates the cup holder 2106 of
the cup holding mechanism 2101 in the axis O direction, and a drive
source (not shown) such as a drive motor which is connected to the
reciprocating linear motion mechanism 211.
[0151] Then, the can body maker 2100 is provided with a frame for a
drive mechanism 210 including a frame base 210A to which the
reciprocating linear motion mechanism 211 and the cup holder drive
mechanism (the cam mechanism) 212 are fixed and an extension
portion 210B on which the die 2108 and the bottom former (the can
bottom forming tooling) 2110 are placed.
[0152] The central axes of the ram shaft 2103, the punch sleeve
2102, the bearing 2105, the die 2108, the cup holder 2106, and
bottom former 2110 are disposed coaxially with each other and
extend in the horizontal direction. In the present embodiment, this
common axis is referred to as axis O.
[0153] Next, the reciprocating linear motion mechanism (the ram
shaft drive mechanism) 211 will be described.
[0154] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of the
reciprocating linear motion mechanism 211.
[0155] The reciprocating linear motion mechanism 211 includes a
housing 221 having an internal gear 223, a first rotating body (a
rotating shaft) 222, a second rotating body 224 having an external
gear 225 that meshes with the internal gear 223, and a ram shaft
connecting portion (an acting portion) 227.
[0156] The housing 221, the internal gear 223 thereof, and the
first rotating body (the rotating shaft) 222 are centered on the
first central axis C1, that is, are disposed coaxially with each
other with the first central axis C1 as a common axis. The second
rotating body 224 and the external gear 225 thereof are centered on
the second central axis C2, that is, are disposed coaxially with
each other with the second central axis C2 as a common axis.
[0157] The first central axis C1 and the second central axis C2 are
disposed parallel to each other and apart from each other. In the
present embodiment, the first central axis C1 and the second
central axis C2 extend in the horizontal direction.
[0158] An outer shape of the housing 221 is a cylindrical shape.
The cylindrical shape referred to here includes not only a
cylindrical shape having a perfect circular cross section but also
a cylindrical shape having a flat in a part thereof or having
protrusions or ridges formed on an outer circumferential surface
thereof.
[0159] The first rotating body (the rotating shaft) 222 of the
reciprocating linear motion mechanism 211 is connected to the
rotating shaft of a motor (not shown) which is a drive source of
the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 211.
[0160] In such a reciprocating linear motion mechanism 211, when a
rotational driving force is transmitted from a motor (not shown) to
the first rotating body (the rotating shaft) 222, the first
rotating body (the rotating shaft) 222 is rotated around the first
central axis C1. Then, the second rotating body 224 supported by
the first rotating body 222 is also rotated around the first
central axis C1.
[0161] At this time, since the external gear 225 of the second
rotating body 224 and the internal gear 223 of the housing 221 mesh
with each other, the second rotating body 224 is rotated (revolved)
around the first central axis C1 and is also rotated (autorotated)
around the second central axis C2. Then, the ram shaft connecting
portion (the acting portion) 227 connected to the second rotating
body 224 reciprocates and linearly moves in a horizontal axis S1
direction.
[0162] That is, the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 211
converts the rotational driving force input to the first rotating
body (the rotating shaft) 222 into a reciprocating linear driving
force (a reciprocating linear motion) and outputs the reciprocating
linear driving force to the outside via the ram shaft connecting
portion (the acting portion) 227. Therefore, by connecting the
punch sleeve 2102 (see FIG. 5) to the ram shaft connecting portion
(the acting portion) 227 via the ram shaft 2103, it is possible to
reciprocate and linearly move the punch sleeve 2102 in a
predetermined direction (the axis O direction parallel to a
horizontal axis S), and it is possible to form the DI can U by
performing the DI processing on the cup-shaped body W using the
punch sleeve 2102 and the die 2108.
[0163] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an example of the cup
holder drive mechanism 212.
[0164] The cup holder drive mechanism (the cam mechanism) 212 has a
rotating shaft 232 to which a rotational force of an interlocking
gear 229 fixed to the first rotating body (the rotating shaft) 222
of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 211 is transmitted via
a plurality of gears 238 and 239 that transmit the rotational
force, a cam 233 and a rotating body 234 which are fixed around the
rotating shaft 232, and an acting shaft 237 to which a cam 235 and
a rotating shaft 236 which are interlocked with the cam 233 and the
rotating body 234, respectively are fixed. The plurality of gears
238 and 239 are rotatably provided inside or outside the frame base
210A which will be described later.
[0165] The acting shaft 237 rotates around a central axis of the
acting shaft 237 by the rotating shaft 232 being rotated. As a
result, the cup holder 2106 reciprocates and linearly moves in a
predetermined direction (in the example of the present embodiment,
a horizontal axis S2 direction). Two operating shafts 2106a and
2106a extending from the cup holder 2106 are connected to the
acting shaft 237 via a support member 231.
[0166] With the above configuration, when the rotational driving
force is transmitted from a motor (not shown) to the first rotating
body (the rotating shaft) 222 of the reciprocating linear motion
mechanism 211, a rotational force is transmitted from the
reciprocating linear motion mechanism 211 to the rotating shaft 232
via the plurality of gears 229, 238, and 239, and the cup holder
2106 of the cup holding mechanism 2101 (see FIG. 5) is reciprocated
by the cup holder drive mechanism 212 in the axis O direction in
conjunction with the reciprocating of the ram shaft connecting
portion (the acting portion) 227 of the reciprocating linear motion
mechanism 211.
[0167] The cup holder drive mechanism 212 may have a configuration
in which the cup holder is reciprocated by, for example, a motor or
air pressure, in addition to the configuration in which the cup
holder 2106 is reciprocated by the mechanical constituent elements
such as the cam or the rotating body as in the present
embodiment.
[0168] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the frame for a drive
mechanism 210 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Further, FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the frame for a drive
mechanism 210 in a state in which the reciprocating linear motion
mechanism 211 and the cup holder drive mechanism (a cam mechanism)
212 are fixed.
[0169] The frame for a drive mechanism 210 of the present
embodiment includes a frame base 210A and an extension portion
210B. The frame base 210A and the extension portion 210B may be
integrally formed of the same members or may be ones obtained by
fixing separate members to each other to be integrated.
[0170] The frame base 210A forms a box-like body the whole of which
is formed of a metal, and has a front plate 241, a lower plate (a
bottom plate) 242, one side plate 243A, another side plate 243B,
and a back plate 244, and a part of the front plate 241 is
attachably and detachably formed. The front plate 241 has an open
portion 241A and a lid plate 241B. That is, the open portion 241A
is formed in a part of the front plate 241, and the lid plate 241B
covers the open portion 241A.
[0171] The front plate 241, the lower plate 242, one side plate
243A, another side plate 243B, and the back plate 244 are
integrally formed by, for example, casting. In addition to the
integral forming by the casting, these plates constituting the
frame base 210A may be fixed to each other by screws, welding, or
the like to be integrally formed as a whole.
[0172] An upper portion of the back plate 244 is formed to extend
upward more than the front plate 241. That is, the back plate 244
is formed such that the upper portion protrudes in a substantially
semicircular shape. Thus, a circular opening 246 for attaching the
reciprocating linear motion mechanism 211 is formed in the back
plate 244. The circular opening 246 is an opening extending along a
thickness direction of the back plate 244.
[0173] An opening diameter of the circular opening 246 is formed to
be larger than an outer diameter of the cylindrical housing 221
constituting a part of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism
211.
[0174] As shown in FIG. 9, the reciprocating linear motion
mechanism 211 is attached to such a circular opening 246. The
reciprocating linear motion mechanism 211 is fitted into the
circular opening 246 such that an outer circumferential surface of
the cylindrical housing 221 is in contact with an inner
circumferential surface of the circular opening 246. Then, a rib
221a formed on the outer circumferential surface of the housing 221
of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 211 and a bolt hole
246c formed on an edge of a front side of the circular opening 246
(the open portion 241A side) are fastened with bolts, and thus the
reciprocating linear motion mechanism 211 is firmly fixed to the
frame base 210A via the back plate 244.
[0175] The first rotating body (the rotating shaft) 222 of the
reciprocating linear motion mechanism 211 fixed to the back plate
244 is connected to a rotating shaft of a motor (not shown)
disposed outside the back plate 244.
[0176] The cup holder drive mechanism (the cam mechanism) 212 is
supported between the front plate 241 and the back plate 244 of the
frame base 210A. More specifically, support openings 241a and 241b
are formed in the front plate 241, and support openings 244a and
244b are also formed in the back plate 244. Among these, the
support opening 241a and the support opening 244a, and the support
opening 241b and the support opening 244b are formed on the same
central axis to face each other.
[0177] The rotating shaft 232 of the cup holder drive mechanism
(the cam mechanism) 212 is supported by the support opening 241a
and the support opening 244a. Further, the acting shaft 237 of the
cup holder drive mechanism (the cam mechanism) 212 is supported by
the support opening 241b and the support opening 244b. As a result,
the cup holder drive mechanism (the cam mechanism) 212 is supported
between the front plate 241 and the back plate 244 of the frame
base 210A.
[0178] In the present embodiment, the extension portion 210B of the
frame for a drive mechanism 210 is formed to be in contact with an
outer surface of one side plate 243A constituting a part of the
frame base 210A. Such an extension portion 210B may be formed of a
metal plate or the like, as in the frame base 210A. The extension
portion 210B and the frame base 210A are fastened to be integrally
formed as a whole with, for example, bolts and the like. For
example, the extension portion 210B and the frame base 210A may be
integrally fixed by welding or the like, or may be integrally
formed by casting.
[0179] For example, the cup holder 2106, the biasing means 2115,
the die 2108, the bottom former 2110 (see FIG. 5), and the like are
disposed on an upper portion of the extension portion 210B. Some of
these members (for example, the die 2108 and the bottom former
2110) may be fixed to the upper portion of the extension portion
210B with, for example, bolts and the like.
[0180] The extension portion 210B does not necessarily have to be
integrally formed with the frame base 210A to which the
reciprocating linear motion mechanism 211 is attached. That is, a
frame corresponding to the extension portion 210B, to which a die,
a cup holder, and the like are attached may be formed adjacent to
the frame base 210A as a separate member from the frame base
210A.
[0181] As described above, according to the frame for a drive
mechanism 210 of the present embodiment, the frame for a drive
mechanism 210 for attaching the reciprocating linear motion
mechanism 211 thereto is integrally formed, and the reciprocating
linear motion mechanism 211 is housed in a circular opening 246
capable of housing the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 211
and is fixed thereto. In the present embodiment, the attachment
accuracy of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 211 can be
improved as compared with the frame for a drive mechanism of the
related art which is constituted by the division bodies obtained by
dividing one into a plurality. As a result, it is possible to
suppress vibration during the operation of the reciprocating linear
motion mechanism 211 and the shake of the reciprocating motion of
the ram shaft 2103, and thus it is possible to perform the drawing
and ironing processing on the cup-shaped body W with high accuracy.
Further, it is possible to remove the reciprocating linear motion
mechanism 211 forward from the circular opening 246 without
dividing the frame for a drive mechanism 210, and thus the
maintainability is excellent.
[0182] According to the present embodiment, it is possible to
improve the forming accuracy of the can U, to suppress the
occurrence of a defective can, and to improve the production
efficiency of the can U.
[0183] Further, in the present embodiment, the cup holder drive
mechanism 212 is supported between the front plate 241 and the back
plate 244. In this case, since the cup holder drive mechanism 212
is supported by the frame for a drive mechanism 210 having a high
rigidity in a state in which both ends thereof are supported, the
operating accuracy of the cup holder drive mechanism 212 is stably
improved. Therefore, the cup-shaped body W can be stably pressed by
the cup holder 2106.
[0184] Further, in the present embodiment, the gears 229, 238, and
239 transmit the rotational force of the reciprocating linear
motion mechanism 211 to the cup holder drive mechanism 212. In this
case, it is possible to suppress loss in the force transmitted from
the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 211 to the cup holder
drive mechanism 212 while the can body maker 2100 is compactly
configured. Further, it is possible to stably synchronize the
operation of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism 211 with the
operation of the cup holder drive mechanism 212.
[0185] Further, in the present embodiment, the back plate 244
extends upward more than the front plate 241. In this case, it is
possible to dispose at least a part of the circular opening 246 in
a portion of the back plate 244 protruding upward. It is possible
to easily attach and detach the reciprocating linear motion
mechanism 211 to and from the circular opening 246 while the frame
for a drive mechanism 210 is compactly configured.
[0186] Further, in the present embodiment, a part (the lid plate
241B) of the front plate 241 is attachable to and detachable from
another part. In this case, by removing the lid plate 241B from the
open portion 241A, it is easy to access the inside of the frame for
a drive mechanism 210. Therefore, the workability at the time of
assembling and the maintainability of the can body maker 2100 is
excellent.
[0187] Further, in the present embodiment, the extension portion
210B on which the die 2108 and the bottom former 2110 are disposed
is integrally fixed to the outside of the side plate 243A. In this
case, since the frame base 210A and the extension portion 210B are
integrally fixed to each other, the rigidity of the extension
portion 210B is ensured. Therefore, even if the die 2108 having a
large weight and the bottom former 2110 are disposed on the
extension portion 210B, the forming accuracy of the can U is
maintained well.
[0188] In the above, although one embodiment of the present
invention has been described, 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 additions, omissions, replacements, and changes can be made
without departing from the gist of the invention. This embodiment
and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the
invention, as well as in the scope of the invention described in
the claims and the equivalent scope thereof. That is, for example,
each configuration of the first embodiment may be combined with the
second embodiment.
[0189] According to the can body maker of the present invention, it
is possible to improve the forming accuracy of a can, to suppress
the occurrence of a defective can, and to improve the production
efficiency of a can. Further, it is possible to suppress loss in a
force transmitted from the cup holder drive mechanism to the cup
holding mechanism to be small and to extend component life.
[0190] Further, according to the frame for a drive mechanism of the
present invention, it is possible to improve the attachment
accuracy of the reciprocating linear motion mechanism to the frame,
thereby to suppress the shake of the reciprocating motion of the
ram shaft, and thus it is possible to perform the drawing and
ironing processing on the cup-shaped body with high accuracy.
Further, it is possible to remove the reciprocating linear motion
mechanism from the circular opening without dividing the frame for
a drive mechanism, and thus the maintainability is excellent.
Therefore, the present invention has industrial applicability.
[0191] While preferred embodiments of the invention have been
described and illustrated above, it should be understood that these
are exemplary of the invention and are not to be considered as
limiting. Additions, omissions, substitutions, and other
modifications can be made without departing from the spirit or
scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the invention is not
to be considered as being limited by the foregoing description, and
is only limited by the scope of the appended claims.
EXPLANATION OF REFERENCES
[0192] 101, 2100 Can body maker
[0193] 102, 2102 Punch
[0194] 103, 2103 Ram shaft
[0195] 104, 211 Reciprocating linear motion mechanism (ram shaft
drive mechanism)
[0196] 105, 2105 Bearing
[0197] 107, 2107 Through hole
[0198] 108, 2108 Die
[0199] 109, 2108a End face
[0200] 110, 212 Cup holder drive mechanism (cam mechanism)
[0201] 112 Cam
[0202] 114 Oscillation unit
[0203] 115 Arm
[0204] 120 Gear
[0205] 130 Cup holding mechanism
[0206] 131 Cup holder sleeve
[0207] 132 Rod
[0208] 133 Biasing unit
[0209] 210 Frame for drive mechanism
[0210] 210A Frame base
[0211] 210B Extension portion
[0212] 221 Housing
[0213] 229, 238, 239 Gear
[0214] 241 Front plate
[0215] 242 Lower plate (bottom plate)
[0216] 243A One side plate
[0217] 243B Another side plate
[0218] 244 Back plate
[0219] 246 Circular opening
[0220] 2106 Cup holder
[0221] C Rotation axis
[0222] J1 First central axis
[0223] J2 Second central axis
[0224] O Axis (central axis)
[0225] W Cup-shaped body
* * * * *