Patent Publication Number: US-11040388-B2

Title: Roll cutter device

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to a roll cutter device which pulls a blanked material out of a thin plate material or applies boring to a thin plate-shaped sheet. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     A roll cutter device is known, for example, which performs processing, such as putting a notch of a required shape, in a sheet-shaped work printed with a label or the like (Patent Document 1, for example). Generally, the roll cutter device passes a sheet material or the like between a cutter roll formed with a cutting blade and a receiving roll, or between a pair of cutter roils each formed with a cutting blade, and drivingly rotates the cutter roll, etc., or corotates the cutter roll, etc. in accordance with the passage of the work between the rolls, thereby performing processing on the work continuously. 
     With the conventional roll cutter device, the width of the sheet-shaped work is determined by the axial length of the roll. By using long rolls, a wide work can be continuously processed. The use of the long rolls, however, makes it necessary to deal with deflection or the like, and requires upsizing of the device because of weight. The use of the long rolls, moreover, necessitates the replacement of the rolls, if the cutting blade or a part of a functional site is damaged, for example. 
     With the roll cutter device in current use, therefore, there are limits to the width of the work which can be processed without the use of an extensive device. 
     PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS 
     Patent Documents 
     Patent Document 1: JP-A-2004-66431 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Problems to be Solved by the Invention 
     The present invention has been accomplished in the light of the foregoing circumstances. It is an object, of the invention to provide a roll cutter device which can process a wide thin plate material without using an extensive device. 
     Means for Solving the Problems 
     A roll cutter device of the present invention according to a first aspect, aimed at attaining the above object, is characterized in that it is equipped with a roll unit composed of a pair of rolls, at least one of the rolls being formed with a cutting blade, and an adjustment means for adjusting an interaxial distance of the pair of rolls, a thin plate material is passed between the pair of rolls, and a plurality of the roll units are provided in the axial direction of the rolls so that the central axes of the rolls are on straight lines in the axial direction. 
     With the present invention according to the first aspect, a plurality of the roll units each having a pair of rolls are present in the axial direction, so that the width of a thin plate material which can be processed can be increased without the need to make the rolls long. Moreover, the interaxial distance of the pair of rolls can be adjusted individually by the adjustment means. Thus, different types of processing can be performed in the width direction and, even in the event of damage or the like caused to any of the rolls, it can be dealt with by handling only the defective roll. Furthermore, weight reduction of the rolls can be realized by shortening one of the rolls. Even if the thickness of the thin plate material is small, therefore, the rolls can be corotated easily. 
     A combination of a cutter roll formed with a cutting blade and a receiving roll is applied as the pair of rolls, whereby the roll cutter device for performing blanking can be constituted. Alternatively, a pair of cutter rolls each formed with a cutting blade is applied as the pair of rolls, whereby the roll cutter device for boring fine holes can be constituted. A work with a thickness of the order of 0.005 mm to 0.1 mm can be used as the thin plate material. 
     It becomes possible, therefore, to perform processing on a thin plate material having a large width, without rendering the device extensive. 
     A roll cutter device of the present invention according to a second aspect is the roll cutter device according to the first aspect, characterized in that it is equipped with a second roll unit composed of a pair of second rolls, at least one of the second rolls being formed with a second cutting blade, and a second adjustment means for adjusting an interaxial distance of the pair of second rolls, the thin plate material is passed between the pair of second rolls, and the second roll unit is disposed on at least one of an upstream side and a downstream side of the roll units in the passing direction of the thin plate material and disposed at a position such that first roll units and the second roll units are in different widthwise regions that extend in the passing direction of the thin plate material. 
     Thus, the plurality of the first roll units and the second roll units can be arranged in different regions in the width direction of the thin plate material. That is, at least three of the roll units can be arranged, and the width of the thin plate material that can be processed can be rendered larger. 
     A roll cutter device of the present invention according to a third aspect is the roll cutter device according to the second aspect, wherein a plurality of the second roll units are provided in the axial direction of the second rolls so that the central axes of the second roils are on straight lines in the axial direction. 
     With the present invention according to the third aspect, the plurality of roll units and the plurality of second roll units can be arranged in the width direction of the thin plate material. Consequently, the width of the thin plate material that can be processed can be rendered even larger. 
     Effects of the Invention 
     The roll cutter device of the present invention makes it possible to perform processing on a thin plate material having a large width, without rendering the device extensive. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an external view of a roll cutter device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of the roll cutter device according to the embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a view taken on line IV-IV in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a view taken on line III-III in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic view illustrating an example of processing. 
     
    
    
     MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     The roll cutter device of the present invention is equipped with a roll unit which is composed of a pair of rolls and an adjustment means for adjusting the interaxial distance of the pair of rolls, and which passes a thin plate material (sheet material) between the pair of rolls. Three of the roll units are provided in the axial direction of the rolls so that the central axes of the rolls are on a straight line in the axial direction. 
     A second roll unit is provided on the downstream side of the roll units in the passing direction of the sheet material. The second roll unit is composed of a pair of second rolls, and a second adjustment means for adjusting the interaxial distance of the pair of second rolls. Two of the second roll units are arranged at positions including a range where there are none of the roll units, namely, at positions including the spaces between the roll units, in the passing direction of the sheet material. 
     Hence, two sets of the two roll units each having the pair of rolls are present in the axial direction, and two of the second roll units each having the pair of second rolls are present in the axial direction at positions displaced from the positions of the roll units. That is, the roll units and the second roll units are arranged zigzag in the width direction of the sheet material. Consequently, the width of the thin plate material which can be processed can be rendered great without the need to make any one of the rolls long. 
     The roll cutter device of the present invention will be described concretely based on  FIGS. 1 to 4 . 
       FIG. 1  shows the schematic status of a state in which a sheet material is being processed by the roll cutter device according to an embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 2  shows the status, in a plan view, of the roll cutter device in a state in which a top board and a ceiling frame are omitted.  FIG. 3  shows the status, in a front view, of the roll cutter device (the status as viewed along arrowed line IV-IV in  FIG. 2 ).  FIG. 4  shows the status, in a side view, of the roll cutter device (the status as viewed along arrowed line III-III in  FIG. 2 ). 
     As shown in the drawings, a base  2  of a roll cutter device  1  is provided with a front frame  3  of a framework and a rear frame  4  of the framework. The front frame  3  and the rear frame  4  are configured to have a pair of gate-shaped frame bodies  3   a ,  4   a  connected together by connecting frames  3   b ,  4   b . Three roll units  5  are provided between the frame bodies  3   a  of the front frame  3 . Two second roll units  6  are provided between the frame bodies  4   a  of the rear frame  4 . 
     Two sets of the roll units  5  are provided in the axial direction of the rolls so that the central axes of the rolls are on a straight line in the axial direction. A width direction of the cutter devices is divided into a plurality of adjacent widthwise regions (X 1 , X 2 , X 3 , . . . ) that extend in the passing direction along the length of the roll cutter device. Two of the second roll units  6  are arranged in the width direction of a sheet material  7  at such positions that any one of the two second roll units  6  includes the space between the roll units  5  in the passing direction (indicated by an arrow in  FIG. 1  and in  FIG. 2 ) of the sheet material  7 . That is, the roll units  5  and the second roll units  6  are arranged zigzag in the width direction of the sheet material  7 . 
     The roll units  5  are provided with front top boards  11  fixed to the frame bodies  3   a  of the front frame  3 . The front top board  11  is provided with a pair of upper metal frames  12 , and an upper roll  13  equipped with a cutting blade is rotatably supported between the upper metal frames  12 . On the base  2  is provided a pair of lower metal frames  14  opposite to the upper metal frames  12 , and a receiving roll  15  is rotatably supported between the lower metal frames  14 . 
     The roll unit  5  has the upper roll  13  and the receiving roll  15  constituting a pair of rolls. The central axes of the upper rolls  13  and the receiving rolls  15  of the three roll units  5  are arranged to be on straight lines, respectively, in the axial direction. 
     The upper roll  13  is supported by the upper metal frames  12  to be ascendable and descendable, and the upper and lower positions of the upper roll  13  with respect to the upper metal frames  12  are adjusted by front adjustment screw members  16 . In other words, the interaxial distance between the upper roll  13  and the receiving roll  15  (interaxial distance of the pair of rolls) is adjusted by the front adjustment screw members  16  (adjustment means). 
     The second roll units  6  are provided with rear top boards  21  fixed to the frame bodies  4   a  of the rear frame  4 . The rear top board  21  is provided with a pair of upper metal frames  22 , and an upper roll  23  equipped with a cutting blade is rotatably supported between the upper metal frames  22 . On the base  2  is provided a pair of lower metal frames  24  opposite the upper metal frames  22 , and a receiving roll  25  is rotatably supported between the lower metal frames  24 . 
     The second roll unit  6  has the upper roll  23  and the receiving roll  25  constituting a pair of rolls. The central axes of the upper rolls  23  and the receiving rolls  25  of the two second roll units  6  are arranged to be on straight lines, respectively, in the axial direction. 
     The upper roll  23  is supported by the upper metal frames  22  to be ascendable and descendable, and the upper and lower positions of the upper roll  23  with respect to the upper metal frames  22  are adjusted by rear adjustment screw members  26 . In other words, the interaxial distance between the upper roll  23  and the receiving roll  25  (interaxial distance of the pair of rolls) is adjusted by the rear adjustment screw members  26  (adjustment means). 
     As the adjustment means, it is possible to apply not only the adjustment screw members, but also other mechanisms, for example, mechanisms for elevating and lowering the upper roll  13  ( 23 ) by putting in and taking out wedge members, as long as they are mechanisms for adjusting the upper and lower positions of the upper roll  13  ( 23 ) relative to the upper metal frames  12  ( 22 ). 
     As shown mainly in  FIG. 1 , upper gears  17  are provided at the ends of the upper rolls  13  of the three roll units  5 , and a front transmission shaft  31  is rotatably supported by the front frame  3 . Opposite the upper gears  17 , front transmission gears  32  are provided at the front transmission shaft  31 . A front belt  33  is looped between the upper gear  17  and the front transmission gear  32 . That is, the front transmission shaft  31  is rotated, whereby the three upper rolls  13  are synchronously rotated via the front transmission gears  32 , the front belts  33 , and the upper gears  17 . 
     Upper gears  27  are provided at the ends of the upper rolls  23  of the two second roll units  6 , and a rear transmission shaft  3   b  is rotatably supported by the rear frame  4 . Rear transmission gears  36  are provided at the rear transmission shaft  35  opposite the upper gears  27 , and a rear belt  37  is looped between the upper gear  27  and the rear transmission gear  36 . That is, the rear transmission shaft  35  is rotated, whereby the two upper rolls  23  are synchronously rotated via the rear transmission gears  36 , the rear belts  37 , and the upper gears  27 . 
     A front shaft gear  34  is provided at the end of the front transmission shaft  31 , while a rear shaft gear  38  is provided at the end of the rear transmission shaft  35 . An interlocking belt  35  is stretched between the front shaft gear  34  and the rear shaft gear  38 , and the front transmission shaft  31  and the rear transmission shaft  35  are rotated in synchronism via the interlocking belt  39 . That is, the upper rolls  13  of the three roll units  5  and the upper roils  23  of the two second roll units  6  are rotated in synchronization. 
     In the above-described roll cutter device  1 , the sheet material  7  is passed between the upper roll  13  and the receiving roll  15  of the roll unit  5  and between the upper roll  23  and the receiving roll  25  of the second roll unit  6 . For example, the take-up driving of the sheet material  7  corotates the upper rolls  13 ,  23  and the receiving rolls  15 ,  25  accordingly. Since the upper rolls  13 ,  23  and the receiving rolls  15 ,  25  are corotated as above, the upper rolls  13  of the three roll units  5  and the upper rolls  23  of the two second roll units  6  are rotated in synchronization, whereby all the rolls are simultaneously rotated in an interlocked manner. 
     Since all the rolls are simultaneously rotated in an interlocked manner, blanking is performed, with 5 types of cutting blades being provided in the width direction of the sheet material  7 . That is, blanking can be carried out for the wide sheet material  7  which can be subjected to 5 types of blanking operations in the width direction. 
     A shown in  FIG. 5 , for example, the upper roll  13  of the roll units  5  are formed with a round cutting blade  41  of a round shape, a square cutting blade  42  of a square shape, and a star cutting blade  43  of a star shape, respectively. On the other hand, the upper rolls  23  of the second roll units  6  are formed with a hexagon cutting blade  45  of a hexagonal shape, and a triangle cutting blade  46  of a triangular shape, respectively. By passing the sheet material  7  through the roll units  5  and the second roll units  6 , round, square, star, hexagonal, and triangular blanked materials are obtained from the sheet material  7 . 
     The rolls of the roll units  5  and the second roll units  6  are independent of each other, so that they can be made lightweight and they do not undergo a great push pressure. Even if the sheet material  7  is extremely thin, therefore, a pulling force for causing corotation does not become too high, and the upper rolls  13 ,  23  as well as the receiving rolls  15 ,  25  can be corotated without damage to the extremely thin sheet material  7 . 
     If the single upper roll has 5 types of cutting blades, the roll must be so lengthy that the entire device will be upsized and lead to a great push pressure. In the case of an extremely thin sheet material  7 , therefore, its strength does not withstand the tensile force for causing corotation, and the sheet material  7  may be damaged. With the above-described roll cutter device  1 , the rolls are free from a great push pressure. Thus, the upper rolls  13 ,  23  and the receiving rolls  15 ,  25  can be corotated without, damage to the extremely thin sheet material  7 . Consequently, the roll cutter device can achieve blanking of a plurality of types (e.g., 5 types) of shapes without the need to use a mechanism for driving the rolls. 
     Assume, for example, that 5 types of cutting blades are formed in the single upper roll. It is conceivable here, for example, that the round cutting blade  41 , square cutting blade  42 , star cutting blade  43 , hexagon cutting blade  45 , and triangle cutting blade  46  in  FIG. 5  are formed in the single roll. In this case, if one of the cutting blades (for example, the round cutting blade  41  in  FIG. 5 ) is damaged, the upper roll needs to be replaced, even when any of the cutting blades (for example, the square cutting blade  42 , star cutting blade  43 , hexagon cutting blade  45 , or triangle cutting blade  46  in  FIG. 5 ) remains undamaged. With the aforementioned roll cutter device  1 , if one of the cutting blades is damaged, it is sufficient to replace only the faulty upper roll. 
     By using the above-mentioned roll cutter device  1 , blanking can be performed on the sheet material  7  by means of five types of cutting blades (for example, the round cutting blade  41 , square cutting blade  42 , star cutting blade  43 , hexagon cutting blade  45 , and triangle cutting blade  46  in  FIG. 5 ), and the five types of blanking operations can be carried out in the width direction of the sheet material  7 . 
     Hence, it becomes possible to apply blanking to the sheet material  7  with a large width (thin plate material), without using an extensive device. 
     The foregoing embodiment illustrates the roll cutter device  1  employing a combination of the upper roll  13  or  23  (cutter roll) formed with the cutting blade, and the receiving roll  15  or  25  as a pair of rolls for performing blanking. However, the roll cutter device can be configured to be one employing a pair of roll cutters formed with cutting blades as a pair of rolls for boring fine holes at points where the cutting blades intersect. The roll cutter device in this case can handle a work with a thickness of the order of 0.005 mm to 0.1 mm as the thin plate material. 
     The above embodiment, moreover, describes the roll cutter device as a device equipped with the three roll units  5  and the two second roll units  6 . However, the roll cutter device can be equipped with two of the roll units  5  and one of the second roll units  6 . Besides, the roll cutter device can be equipped with four or more of the roll units  5  and three or more of the second roll units  6 . 
     Furthermore, the configuration in which the upper rolls  13 ,  23  and the receiving roils  15 ,  25  are corotated by take-up driving of the sheet material  7  has been taken as an example for illustration. However, it is acceptable to adopt a configuration in which the upper rolls  13 ,  23  (receiving roils  15 ,  25 ) are driven. In this case, the plurality of upper rolls  13 ,  23  can be driven in unison by connecting a motor or the like to the front transmission shaft  31  or the rear transmission shaft  35  shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     The present invention can be utilized in the industrial field of a roll cutter device for taking a blanked material out of a thin plate material, or for boring a thin plate-shaped sheet. 
     EXPLANATIONS OF LETTERS OR NUMERALS 
     
         
         
           
               1  Roll cutter device 
               2  Base 
               3  Front frame 
               4  Rear frame 
               5  Roll unit 
               6  Second roll unit 
               7  Sheet material 
               11  Front top board 
               12 ,  22  Upper metal frame 
               13 ,  23  Upper roll 
               14 ,  24  Lower metal frame 
               15 ,  25  Receiving roll 
               16  Front adjustment screw member 
               17 ,  27  Upper gear 
               21  Rear top board 
               26  Rear adjustment screw member 
               31  Front transmission shaft 
               32  Front transmission gear 
               33  Front belt 
               34  Front shaft gear 
               35  Rear transmission shaft. 
               36  Rear transmission gear 
               37  Rear belt 
               38  Rear shaft gear