Patent Publication Number: US-10773294-B2

Title: Clamping mechanism

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention generally relates to a clamping mechanism, and more particularly to a clamping mechanism able to clamp and fix a locating shaft of a die set on a machine. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Dies (e.g. upper and lower dies) mounting on machine and die tools correction are required in mechanical processing in order to prevent die damages caused by shifted or skew die tools during processing. 
     In conventional mechanical punching steps, different punching dies are replaced and unloaded from a machine automatically for small-volume production of a wide range of different items. Although the time for die replacement is saved, the die may be fixed on the machine with shift or skew errors. As a result, the die tools in the dies may be easily impact with each other during automatic punching so as to lead die damages or insufficient production. 
     SUMMARY 
     One object of the present invention is to provide a clamping mechanism able to avoid a die set mounted on a machine with shift or skew errors. 
     The clamping mechanism of the present invention is coupled to a carrier of a machine and provided to clamp a locating shaft of a die set. The locating shaft includes a first pushed portion and a second pushed portion oppositely located on the locating shaft surface. The clamp mechanism includes a cage base, a first pushing block and a second pushing block. The cage base is fixed on the carrier and includes a reference portion, a first guide portion, a second guide portion and an accommodation space. The first and second guide portions are located on both sides of the reference portion respectively, and the accommodation space provided to accommodate the locating shaft is located between the first and second guide portions. There is a first guide opening on the first guide portion and a second guide opening on the second guide portion, the first and second guide openings communicate with the accommodation space respectively. The first pushing block is movably disposed in the first guide opening and includes a first pushing portion. The pushing portion is provided to push a first horizontal pushed surface of the first pushed portion of the locating shaft to allow a top surface of the locating shaft to contact against a mounting surface of the carrier. The second pushing block is movably disposed in the second guide opening and includes a second pushing portion. The second pushing portion is provided to push a first vertical pushed surface of the second pushed portion of the locating shaft to allow a first contacting surface of the locating shaft to contact against a first reference surface of the reference portion. 
     When the locating shaft of the die set is mounted in the accommodation space of the cage base, the clamping mechanism utilizes the first and second pushing blocks to clamp the locating shaft such that the top surface of the locating shaft contacts against the mounting surface of the carrier and the first contacting surface of the locating shaft contacts against the first reference surface of the reference portion. Accordingly, the die set fixed on the carrier will not shift or skew. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective assembly diagram illustrating a clamping mechanism coupled to a carrier in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective exploded diagram illustrating the clamping mechanism coupled to the carrier in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective exploded diagram illustrating the clamping mechanism in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective exploded diagram illustrating the clamping mechanism in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional perspective diagram illustrating the clamping mechanism clamping a locating shaft in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating the clamping mechanism clamping the locating shaft in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective diagram illustrating a first pushing block of the clamping mechanism in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective diagram illustrating the locating shaft. 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional perspective diagram illustrating the clamping mechanism clamping the locating shaft in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective diagram illustrating a second pushing block of the clamping mechanism in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective diagram illustrating the locating shaft. 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective exploded diagram illustrating the clamping mechanism coupled to the carrier in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective exploded diagram illustrating the clamping mechanism coupled to the carrier in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating the clamping mechanism clamping the locating shaft in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 15  is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating the clamping mechanism clamping the locating shaft in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a clamping mechanism  100  of the present invention mounted in a machine, such as, but not limited to, a punching machine (not shown) is connected to a carrier  200  of the machine and provided to clamp a locating shaft  310  of a die set  300 . The locating shaft  310  includes a first pushed portion  311  and a second pushed portion  312  which are oppositely located and recessed on a surface of the locating shaft  310  for clamping the die set  300  stably. The dies set  300  is, but not limited to, a punching die having an upper die  320  and a lower die  330 . The locating shaft  310  may be connected to the upper die  320  or the lower die  330 , or two locating shafts  310  are connected to the upper die  320  and the lower die  330  respectively. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the clamping mechanism  100  provided to clamp the upper die  320  will be described below. The clamping mechanism  100  includes a cage base  110 , a first pushing block  120  and a second pushing block  130 . The cage base  110  is coupled to the carrier  200 , and in this embodiment, the cage base  110  is fixed on a mounting surface  210  of the carrier  200 . The cage base  110  includes a reference portion  111 , a first guide portion  112 , a second guide portion  113  and an accommodation space  114 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 , the first guide portion  112  and the second guide portion  113  are located on both sides of the reference portion  111  respectively, and the accommodation space  114  is located between the first guide portion  112  and the second guide portion  113 . The first guide portion  112  has a first guide opening  112   a  and the second guide portion  113  has a second guide opening  113   a . Referring to  FIGS. 4 to 7 , there is a first blocking flange  112   b  in the first guide opening  112   a  and a second blocking flange  113   b  in the second guide opening  113   a . The first guide opening  112   a  and the second guide opening  113   a  are respectively communicating with the accommodation space  114  which is provided to accommodate the locating shaft  310 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 to 4 , the first pushing block  120  is movably disposed in the first guide opening  112   a . In this embodiment, the first pushing block  120  is able to be moved toward or away from the accommodation space  114  by a power  400 , and the power  400  may be pneumatic cylinder, hydraulic cylinder or motor. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 3 to 9 , the first pushing block  120  has a first pushing portion  121  used to push the locating shaft  310  and a first restricting portion  122 . In this embodiment, the first pushing block  120  is moved by the power  400  to allow the first pushing portion  121  to press on the first pushed portion  311  of the locating shaft  310 , and the first blocking flange  112   b  in the first guide opening  112   a  is provided to block the first restricting portion  122  of the first pushing block  120  so as to prevent the damage to the first pushing block  120  or the locating shaft  310  caused by the first pushing block  120  over-pushing the locating shaft  310 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 5 to 9 , the first pushing portion  121  can push a first horizontal pushed surface  311   a  of the first pushed portion  311  of the locating shaft  310  such that a top surface  313  of the locating shaft  310  contacts against the mounting surface  210  of the carrier  200 . Preferably, there is a first pushing curved surface  121   a  on the first pushing portion  121 , and the first horizontal pushed surface  311   a  is an inclined surface. Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the first pushing portion  121  can utilize the first pushing curved surface  121   a  to push the first horizontal pushed surface  311   a  so as to move the locating shaft  310  toward the carrier  200  and allow the top surface  313  of the locating shaft  310  to contact against the mounting surface  210  of the carrier  200 . Particularly, the locating shaft  310  is also moved toward the second guide portion  113  to allow a second contacting surface  315  of the locating shaft  310  to contact against a second reference surface  113   c  of the second guide portion  113  when the first pushing portion  121  pushes the first horizontal pushed surface  311   a.    
     With reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the second pushing block  130  is movably disposed in the second guide opening  113   a , and in this embodiment, the second pushing block  130  can be moved toward or away from the accommodation space  114  by another power  400 . The power  400  also may be pneumatic cylinder, hydraulic cylinder or motor. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 3, 4, 9 to 11 , there are a second pushing portion  131  and a second restricting portion  132  on the second pushing block  130 , and the second pushing portion  131  is provided to push the locating shaft  310 . The second pushing block  130  in this embodiment is moved by the power  400  to allow the second pushing portion  131  to press the second pushed portion  312  of the locating shaft  310 . Furthermore, the second blocking flange  113   b  in the second guide opening  113   a  can block the second restricting portion  132  of the second pushing block  130  such that the second pushing block  130  will not over push the locating shaft  310  and damages on the second pushing block  130  and the locating shaft  310  are avoidable. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 9 to 11 , the second pushing portion  131  can push a first vertical pushed surface  312   a  of the second pushed portion  312  of the locating shaft  310  to lead a first contacting surface  314  of the locating shaft  310  contacting against a first reference surface  111   a  of the reference portion  111 . Particularly, the second pushing portion  131  has a second pushing curved surface  131   a  and the first vertical pushed surface  312   a  is an inclined surface, as a result, the second pushing portion  131  can push the first vertical pushed surface  312   a  by the second pushing curved surface  131   a  to move the locating shaft  310  toward the reference portion  111  and lead the first contacting surface  314  of the locating shaft  310  to contact against the first reference surface  111   a  of the reference portion  111 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 2, 5 and 9 , the first pushing block  120  and the second pushing block  130  are provided to clamp the locating shaft  310  integrated with the upper die  320  so that the locating shaft  310  can contact against the mounting surface  210  of the carrier  200 , the second reference surface  113   c  of the second guide portion  113  and the first reference surface  111   a  of the reference portion  111  to prevent shift or skew errors of the locating shaft  310  and the die set  300  on the carrier  200 . Consequently, impact between adjacent die tools in the die set or defective production will not occur during automatic punching steps. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 3, 4, 8, 9 and 11 , in order to mount the locating shaft  310  in distinct dies without directional limitation, the first pushed portion  311  is designed to have a second vertical pushed surface  311   b  and the second pushed portion  312  is designed to have a second horizontal pushed surface  312   b . In other words, both of the first pushed portion  311  and the second pushed portion  312  have one horizontal pushed surface and one vertical pushed surface. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 4, 7 to 9 , there is preferably a vertical relief groove  121   b  on the first pushing portion  121  for the second vertical pushed surface  311   b  of the locating shaft  310 , and there is a first included angle A (shown in  FIG. 7 ) defined between the vertical relief groove  121   b  and time first pushing curved surface  121   a . When the first pushing curved surface  121   a  pushes the first horizontal pushed surface  311   a , the vertical relief groove  121   b  is provided to accommodate the second vertical pushed surface  311   b  on the first pushed portion  311  so as to prevent the first pushing portion  121  from impacting the second vertical pushed surface  311   b , that protect the locating shaft  310  and the first pushing portion  120  from damages. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 10 and 11 , the second pushing portion  131  may have a horizontal relief groove  131   b  for the second horizontal pushed surface  312   b  of the locating shaft  310 . As shown in  FIG. 10 , a second included angle B is defined between the horizontal relief groove  131   b  and the second pushing curved surface  131   a . In order to prevent the second pushing portion  131  from impacting the second horizontal pushed surface  312   b , the horizontal relief groove  131   b  is designed to accommodate the second horizontal pushed surface  312   b  of the second pushed portion  312  when the second pushing curved surface  131   a  pushes the first vertical pushed surface  312   a . Accordingly, the damage on the locating shaft  310  or the second pushing block  130  is preventable. 
     Preferably, the first include angle A is substantially equal to the second include angle B for fitting the locating shaft  310 . In addition, the vertical relief groove  121   b  is substantially perpendicular to the first pushing curved surface  121   a  and the horizontal relief groove  131   b  is substantially perpendicular to the second pushing curved surface  131   a.    
     With reference to  FIGS. 12 to 15 , the clamping mechanism  100  provided to clamp the lower die  330  will be described below. The cage base  110  is fixed on the carrier  200 . The first pushing block  120  can push the first horizontal pushed surface  311   a  of the locating shaft  310  to move the locating shaft  310  toward the carrier  200 , lead the top surface  313  of the locating shaft  310  to contact the mounting surface  210  of the carrier  200  and lead the second contacting surface  315  of the locating shaft  310  to contact the second reference surface  113   c  of the second guide portion  133 . The second pushing block  130  can push the first vertical pushed surface  312   a  of the locating shaft  310  to move the locating shaft  310  toward the reference portion  111  and allow the first contacting surface  314  of the locating shaft  310  to contact the first reference surface  111   a  of the reference portion  111 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1, 14 and 15 , the locating shaft  310  integrated to the lower die  330  is clamped by the first pushing block  120  and the second pushing block  130  to contact the mounting surface  210  of the carrier  200 , the second reference surface  113   c  of the second guide portion  113  and the first reference surface  111   a  of the reference portion  111 . As a result, the die set  300  fixed on the carrier  200  with shift or skew errors due to the shifted or skew locating shaft  310  will not occur, and further, damages result from the impact of die tools during automatic punching step or insufficient product productions will not occur. 
     While this invention has been particularly illustrated and described in detail with respect to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art that is not limited to the specific features shown and described and various modified and changed in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.