JP4981537B2 - Liquid supply device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid supply apparatus such as a lubricating oil supply apparatus that supplies lubricating oil to a bearing of a spindle device in a machine tool, for example.

  In a lubricating oil supply apparatus which is an example of a liquid supply apparatus, when supplying lubricating oil to a bearing or the like provided in a spindle device of a machine tool, a very small amount of about 0.0005 ml to 0.01 ml / shot is supplied. Preferably, it is desired by consumers. Therefore, a lubricating oil supply device (for example, disclosed in Patent Document 1) that can supply a minute amount of lubricating oil by providing a dedicated high-performance lubricating oil pump has been devised.

JP 2001-315041 A

  However, in the above lubricating oil supply device, a dedicated lubricating oil pump that can supply a very small amount of lubricating oil is very complicated and expensive, so the configuration of the entire lubricating oil supplying device including the lubricating oil pump is also complicated. And there is a problem that it becomes expensive.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and is intended to provide a liquid supply apparatus that can supply a minute amount of liquid with a simple configuration and can reduce the cost of the entire apparatus. To do.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 of the present invention is a liquid supply apparatus for supplying liquid discharged from a supply pump to a predetermined supply position via a supply path, wherein the supply The path is at least one of a plurality of supply pipes having the same pipe resistance, and a distributor for distributing liquid is interposed between the supply pump and the plurality of supply pipes, and the distributor Accordingly, the liquid in which the supply pump is discharged evenly distributed to each of the supply pipe, through the supply path, while supplying the dispensed liquid as a small amount from the liquid supply pump is discharged to the predetermined supply position The distributor is provided with opening / closing means for opening and closing each supply pipe, and by changing the number of supply pipes in the open state, the amount of liquid distributed to each open supply pipe can be adjusted. characterized in that it was.
The invention according to claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the supply pipe that is not led to the supply position is connected to a liquid tank that supplies liquid to the supply pump, and the liquid distributed in the supply pipe is supplied. The liquid is reduced to the liquid tank.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the supply path is at least one of a plurality of supply pipes having the same pipe line resistance, and the liquid is distributed between the supply pump and the plurality of supply pipes. The liquid dispensed by the supply pump is evenly distributed to each supply pipe by the distributor, and the distributed liquid that is smaller than the liquid discharged by the supply pump is supplied via the supply path. It was made to supply to a predetermined supply position. Therefore, for example, even if a conventional supply pump with a discharge capacity of only 0.01 ml / shot is adopted, a small amount of liquid such as 0.00125 ml / shot can be supplied by dividing into 8 equal parts. Therefore, the configuration can be simplified and the cost of the apparatus can be reduced.
Further, the distributor is provided with opening / closing means for opening and closing each supply pipe, and the amount of liquid distributed to each open supply pipe can be adjusted by changing the number of supply pipes to be opened. Yes. Therefore, the supply amount of the liquid to the supply position can be easily finely adjusted as necessary, and a highly versatile liquid supply apparatus can be obtained.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the supply pipe that is not led to the supply position is connected to the liquid tank that supplies the liquid to the supply pump, and the liquid distributed in the supply pipe is reduced to the liquid tank. As a result, liquid consumption can be minimized and energy saving can be achieved.

  Hereinafter, a liquid supply apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, a lubricating oil supply apparatus that supplies the lubricating oil (liquid) to the bearing 1 provided in the spindle device of the machine tool will be described using the liquid supply apparatus as an example of the lubricating oil supply apparatus.

[Example 1]
First, a first embodiment of the lubricating oil supply apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional explanatory view in the axial direction of a rolling bearing 1 to be supplied with lubricating oil provided in the main shaft device, and FIG. 2 is a lubricating oil supply portion of the lubricating oil supply device of the first embodiment. It is explanatory drawing shown about.
Reference numeral 9 denotes a housing of a spindle device of a machine tool such as a vertical machining center. In the housing 9, four rolling bearings (hereinafter simply referred to as bearings) 1 serving as predetermined supply positions can freely rotate the spindle 8. I support it. Each bearing 1 is arranged concentrically and supports an inner ring 2 and an outer ring 5 that support the main shaft 8 in a housing 9, a plurality of balls 3 as rolling elements sandwiched between the inner ring 2 and the outer ring 5, A plurality of balls 3 are held in the circumferential direction, and a ring-shaped cage 4 that positions relative positions of the balls 3 is provided. Further, a tapered nozzle 7 is provided in the vicinity of the bearing 1, and the lubricating oil is supplied into the bearing 1 by ejecting the lubricating oil from the nozzle 7. It is possible to prevent seizure.

On the other hand, the lubricating oil supply device for supplying the lubricating oil to the bearing 1 has a lubricating oil tank 27 in which the lubricating oil is stored and a discharge capacity of 0.01 ml / shot that has been generally used conventionally. Supply pump 25, eight lubricating oil supply pipes 31 to 38 for supplying the lubricating oil discharged from the supply pump 25 to the bearing 1, etc., and for distributing the lubricating oil to the respective lubricating oil supply pipes 31 to 38 The distributor 21 is provided. Each of the lubricating oil supply pipes 31 to 38 is formed so as to have the same pipe resistance, and is connected to a distributor 21 connected to the supply pump 25 via an oil feeding path 28. Further, the distributor 21 is provided with opening / closing control devices (opening / closing means) 26 and 26 for opening and closing the lubricating oil supply tubes 31 to 38, and four lubricating oil supply tubes are provided by one opening / closing control device 26. 31-38 can be opened and closed simultaneously. Accordingly, when all the lubricating oil supply pipes 31 to 38 are opened, the lubricating oil (0.01 ml / shot) discharged from the supply pump 25 is 1/8 each (0.00125 ml / Shot) and sent to the lubricating oil supply pipes 31-38. On the other hand, when the open / close control device 26 is operated to close the lubricating oil supply pipes 35 to 38, for example, the lubricating oil (0.01 ml / shot) discharged from the supply pump 25 is 1 by the distributor 21. / 4 (0.0025 ml / shot) and distributed to each of the lubricating oil supply pipes 31-34.
Of the eight lubricating oil supply pipes, only the lubricating oil supply pipes 31 to 34 (supply paths) are connected to the four bearings 1 of the spindle device, and the other lubricating oil supply pipes 35 to 38 are provided as lubricating oil tanks. The lubricating oil guided to 27 and sent via the distributor 21 is reduced to the lubricating oil tank 27. The supply operation of the supply pump 25 is controlled by a control device (not shown) such as an NC control device so that the supply operation is performed every predetermined time (for example, 20 to 480 sec).

The supply of the lubricating oil to the bearing 1 in the lubricating oil supply device will be described.
When the supply pump 25 is operated according to an operation command from the control device, 0.01 ml of lubricating oil is discharged to the distributor 21 per shot. Here, in the distributor 21, when all the lubricating oil supply pipes 31 to 38 are opened, the lubricating oil is equally divided into eight, and 0.00125 ml of lubricating oil is sent to the respective lubricating oil supply pipes 31 to 38. Among these, the lubricating oil sent to the lubricating oil supply pipes 31 to 34 is ejected from the tip of the nozzle 7 provided in the vicinity of each bearing 1 and supplied into each bearing 1. The lubricating oil sent to the lubricating oil supply pipes 35 to 38 is returned to the lubricating oil tank 27.
On the other hand, when the lubricating oil supply pipes 35 to 38 are closed by the opening / closing control device 26, the lubricating oil is equally divided into four and sent to the lubricating oil supply pipes 31 to 34. Then, 0.0025 ml of lubricating oil is ejected from the tip of each nozzle 7 and supplied into each bearing 1.

According to the lubricating oil supply apparatus configured as described above, after distributing the lubricating oil sent from the supply pump 25 by the distributor 21 to the plurality of lubricating oil supply pipes 31 to 38, only the necessary amount is given to the bearing 1 or the like. Can be supplied. Therefore, even if the supply pump 25 having a discharge capacity of 0.01 ml / shot which is generally used from the past is adopted, a very small amount of lubricating oil supply of 0.00125 ml / shot can be realized, and the structure is simple. And cost reduction of the apparatus can be achieved.
Further, since unnecessary lubricating oil sent out from the supply pump 25 is reduced again to the lubricating oil tank 27, the consumption amount of the lubricating oil can be minimized and energy saving can be achieved.
Furthermore, since the distributor 21 is provided with the opening / closing control devices 26 and 26 for opening and closing the lubricating oil supply pipes 31 to 38, the amount of lubricating oil per shot to the lubricating oil supply pipe in the open state is adjusted. be able to. Therefore, the supply amount of the lubricating oil to each bearing 1 can be finely adjusted as necessary, and the versatility is high.

[Example 2]
Next, a second embodiment of the lubricating oil supply device will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a lubricating oil supply unit of the lubricating oil supply apparatus of the second embodiment. In addition, the lubricating oil supply apparatus of 2nd Example shall supply lubricating oil to the main shaft apparatus which has the four bearings 1 like the lubricating oil supply apparatus of 1st Example.

  The lubricating oil supply apparatus according to the second embodiment is configured to supply a lubricating oil tank 45, a supply pump 43 having a discharge capacity of 0.01 ml / shot, and a lubricating oil discharged from the supply pump 43 to the bearing 1 and the like. Five lubricating oil supply pipes 51 to 55 and a distributor 41 for distributing the lubricating oil to the respective lubricating oil supply pipes 51 to 55 are provided. The distributor 41 is provided with flow rate adjusting valves 47, 47,... As flow rate adjusting means. The flow rate adjusting valves 47, 47,. The flow rate can be adjusted for each of the lubricating oil supply pipes 51 to 55. Of the five lubricating oil supply pipes, the lubricating oil supply pipes 51 to 54 (supply paths) are connected to the four bearings 1 of the spindle device, and the lubricating oil sent via the distributor 41 is used. It is ejected from the tip of the nozzle 7 and supplied into each bearing 1. On the other hand, the remaining lubricating oil supply pipe 55 is led to the lubricating oil tank 45, and reduces the sent lubricating oil into the lubricating oil tank 45. In the lubricating oil supply device of the second embodiment, it is not necessary for the five lubricating oil supply pipes 51 to 55 to have the same pipe line resistance.

According to the lubricating oil supply device of the second embodiment configured as described above, the lubricating oil fed from the supply pump 43 by the flow rate adjusting valves 47, 47,. After the flow rate is adjusted and distributed for every ~ 55, it can be supplied to the bearing 1 or the like. Therefore, even if the supply pump 43 that has a discharge capacity of 0.01 ml / shot, which is generally used in the past, is adopted, a very small amount of lubricating oil supply of 0.0002 ml / shot can be realized by adjusting the flow rate adjustment valve 47. Therefore, the configuration can be simplified and the cost of the apparatus can be reduced.
Further, like the lubricating oil supply device of the first embodiment, unnecessary lubricating oil sent out from the supply pump 43 is reduced again to the lubricating oil tank 45, so that the consumption of lubricating oil is minimized. Can save energy.
In addition, since the lubricating oil supply amount can be easily adjusted for each supply position by the flow rate adjusting valves 47, 47,.

  The configuration related to the liquid supply apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the mode described in the above embodiment, and the configuration related to the configuration of the liquid supply unit, the number and position of the nozzles, the configuration related to the liquid supply position, etc. The present invention can be appropriately changed as necessary without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  For example, in the first embodiment, the open / close control device is configured to open and close the lubricating oil supply pipes every four. However, the lubricating oil supply pipe may be configured to be openable and closable for each one, and is necessary. Otherwise, it is possible to configure the lubricating oil supply device without providing the opening / closing control device. The opening / closing control device may be controlled to open / close by a manual opening / closing operation, or may be controlled to open / close by a control device that controls the supply pump.

Further, the number of lubricating oil supply pipes connected to the distributor is not limited to five or eight described in the above embodiment, and can be changed as appropriate, and can be changed according to the number of supply positions. The number of lubricating oil supply pipes leading to the supply position (ie not returning to the lubricating oil tank) can also be changed. Furthermore, the discharge capacity of the supply pump is not limited to that described in the above embodiment, and various types can be adopted. According to the present invention, it is not necessary to employ an expensive supply pump that can supply a minute amount.
Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the supply pump is configured to perform the discharge operation every predetermined time. However, instead of performing the discharge operation every predetermined time, in order to determine whether or not it is necessary to supply the lubricant to the supply position. If it is determined that it is necessary to supply lubricating oil based on a detection signal obtained from the detection means (for example, a temperature sensor, an acceleration sensor, etc. are provided in the vicinity of the bearing, and a detection value equal to or greater than a predetermined value) The supply pump may be configured to perform a discharge operation when the above is detected.
In addition, the liquid supply device of the present invention is not limited to the one that supplies lubricating oil to the bearings of the spindle device of the machine tool as described in the above embodiment, but the reagent used in the biochemical automatic analyzer A dispenser / diluter (in this case, a liquid to which a reagent is supplied) may be used.

It is a longitudinal cross-sectional explanatory view to the axial direction of the rolling bearing used as the supply object of the lubricating oil with which the main axis | shaft apparatus was equipped. It is explanatory drawing shown about the lubricating oil supply part of the lubricating oil supply apparatus of 1st Example. It is explanatory drawing shown about the lubricating oil supply part of the lubricating oil supply apparatus of 2nd Example.

Explanation of symbols

  1 .... Bearing 2 .... Inner ring 3 .... Ball 4 .... Cage 5 ... Outer ring 7 ... Nozzle 8 ... Spindle 9 ... Housing 21, 21 ... Distributor 25 , 43 .. Supply pump, 26 .. Opening / closing control device, 27, 45 .. Lubricating oil tank, 28 .. Oil supply passage, 31-38, 51-55 .. Lubricating oil supply pipe, 47. .

Claims (2)

A liquid supply apparatus for supplying liquid discharged from a supply pump to a predetermined supply position via a supply path,
The supply path is at least one of a plurality of supply pipes having the same line resistance, and a distributor for distributing liquid between the supply pump and the plurality of supply pipes is interposed,
The distributor equally distributes the liquid discharged from the supply pump to each supply pipe, and distributes the distributed liquid, which is smaller than the liquid discharged from the supply pump, to the predetermined supply position via the supply path. On the other hand supplies,
The distributor is provided with opening / closing means for opening and closing each supply pipe, and by changing the number of supply pipes to be opened, the amount of liquid distributed to each supply pipe in the open state can be adjusted. The liquid supply apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned.   2. The liquid according to claim 1, wherein a supply pipe that is not led to a supply position is connected to a liquid tank that supplies liquid to a supply pump, and the liquid distributed in the supply pipe is reduced to the liquid tank. Feeding device.

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