JP7509158B2 - Conveyor - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a conveying device that conveys chips generated by machining.

In processes such as cutting, turning, and grinding of workpieces, conveyors are used to collect chips generated by the process. Such conveyors transport chips by moving hinges and scrapers (cleats) attached to the chain from a position where the chips are received to a height where they are dropped into a collection box.

In addition, in the above processing, coolants such as lubricating oils are sometimes used to suppress wear and cool the contact points between the machine tool's tools (such as blades) and the workpiece, and to remove chips from the processing area. Used coolant is discharged from the machine tool as turbid coolant containing chips, and after the chips are removed by a conveyor, it is stored in a storage tank. If necessary, fine chips that could not be captured by the conveyor are removed from the turbid coolant using a filter built into the conveyor or a filtration device attached to the storage tank. The coolant stored in the storage tank is then supplied again to the machine tool by a pump attached to the storage tank.

In addition, turbid coolant is continuously dumped from the machine tool into the conveyor case that houses the conveyor. As a result, some cutting chips are suspended by the flow of turbid coolant. Such chips are difficult to collect because they cannot be captured by the hinge belt or scraper (cleats).

Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus in which a drum structure, whose outer periphery is formed by a filter net, is placed inside a casing (conveyor case) as a filtering device. In this apparatus, floating chips are captured by the filter net of the drum structure, and high-pressure gas is sprayed from a gas spray pipe installed inside the drum structure, causing the captured chips to scatter and fall onto a stopper surface installed on the inner surface of the casing, and then discharged to the outside.

However, in such devices, the collected floating chips are discharged to the outside at a low position where the drum structure is located near the bottom of the casing, while the chips captured by the conveyor belt are transported to the high position described above and dropped into a collection box that is relatively large and tall. This means that the discharged chips need to be collected in two locations, a high position and a low position, and chip collection cannot be performed easily.

To address these inconveniences, Patent Document 2 discloses an apparatus having a secondary filtration tank in which a drum filter is placed as a filtration device next to a primary filtration tank in which a hinge belt conveyor is placed. In this apparatus, chips captured on the surface of the drum filter are washed down a return groove by backwash water from a backwash nozzle, and are transported to the hinge belt conveyor by a spiral conveyor installed in the return groove. This allows floating chips captured by the drum filter to be collected by the hinge belt conveyor.

Utility Model Registration No. 3194550 Patent No. 5395528

However, the device disclosed in Patent Document 2 has a large and complicated structure in which the drum filter is placed in a secondary filtration tank separate from the hinge belt conveyor of the primary filtration tank, and the cutting chips are transported by a spiral conveyor. For this reason, there are problems with the device in terms of installation space and cost, making it difficult to put into practical use.

One aspect of the present invention aims to efficiently collect floating chips using a small and simple configuration.

In order to solve the above problems, a conveying device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a frame that stores turbid coolant containing chips, a looped conveying belt that is arranged within the frame and conveys chips captured from the turbid coolant to a discharge position that is higher than the receiving position where the turbid coolant is input, a filter drum that is rotatably arranged within the loop of the conveying belt and filters the turbid coolant using a filter provided on the outer periphery, a capture section that captures chips in the turbid coolant on the outer periphery of the filter drum as the filter drum rotates, an injector that sprays coolant toward the filter from the inside of the filter drum to scatter the chips captured in the capture section, an outlet section that receives the scattered chips together with the coolant and guides them to the outside of the frame, and a flow path that uses the flow of coolant to flow the chips guided to the outside of the frame toward the conveying surface of the conveying belt.

According to the above configuration, chips floating in the turbid coolant are captured as the filter drum rotates and sent to the position where the injector injects the coolant. The chips are then blown away by the injector together with the coolant and thrown onto the conveying surface of the conveyor belt via the outlet section and flow path. As a result, the chips are conveyed by the conveyor belt to the discharge position. Therefore, the floating chips are not collected via a path other than the conveyor belt. Also, because only the flow path is provided outside the frame, the conveyor device can be constructed small and simple.

In the conveying device, the conveying belt has a scraping member on the conveying surface that scrapes off chips that accumulate on the bottom surface of the frame, and moves between a scraping area where the chips are scraped off by the scraping member, a conveying area where the scraped off chips are conveyed to the discharge position, and a return area between the conveying area and the scraping area, and the flow path may flow into the conveying surface of the conveying belt moving in the return area.

According to the above configuration, when the chips that are poured onto the conveying surface in the return area reach the scraping area, they are scraped off by the scraping member together with the chips that have accumulated on the bottom surface of the frame, and are transported by the conveying belt through the conveying area to the discharge position. This allows the floating chips to be efficiently collected.

In the conveying device, the outlet section may have a receiving plate member that receives the blown chips together with the coolant and drops them, and an inclined groove that is provided below the receiving plate member and is formed so as to slope downward toward the outlet provided in the frame.

The above configuration allows chips to be removed with a simple structure.

In the conveying device, the capture section may be a scooping member provided on the outer periphery of the filtration drum to scoop up chips from the turbid coolant.

The above configuration scoops up the chips, improving the recovery rate of floating chips.

In the transport device, the scooping member may be provided with a plurality of slits.

According to the above configuration, when the scooping member scoops up the chips, the coolant flows out through the slits, so the chips do not flow down along with the coolant as the filter drum rotates. This allows more chips to be scooped up, and therefore the recovery rate of floating chips can be further improved.

In the conveying device, the capture section may be a concave structure provided on the outer periphery of the filtration drum to scoop up chips from the turbid coolant stored in the frame.

The above configuration scoops up the chips, improving the recovery rate of floating chips.

In the transport device, the concave structure may have a frame portion formed in a concave shape and a mesh attached to the frame portion.

According to the above configuration, when the concave structure scoops up the chips, the coolant flows out through the mesh, but the chips are captured by the mesh. This reduces the amount of chips that flow out together with the coolant as the filter drum rotates, allowing more chips to be scooped up. In addition, the concave structure of the mesh increases the outer peripheral area of the filter. This increases the amount of coolant processed per unit time. This makes it possible to further improve the recovery rate of floating chips.

The conveying device may further include a three-dimensional member between the filtration drum and the conveying belt, which is disposed at least below the liquid level of the turbid coolant so as to be adjacent to the capture section of the filtration drum and the conveying belt, and has a three-dimensional shape that occupies the area in question.

The above configuration makes it possible to limit the range in which chips float in the turbid coolant. In addition, by directing the chips into the space between the filter and the three-dimensional member, the capture section can more easily capture the floating chips.

According to one aspect of the present invention, floating chips can be efficiently collected using a small and simple configuration.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a chip transport device according to first and second embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the chip transport device. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a main part of the chip transport device. FIG. 4 is a side view showing a discharge member in the chip transport device. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a drum cleat provided on the filter drum in the chip transport device. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the drum cleat. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the drum cleat. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the arrangement of nozzles in a filter cleaner provided inside the filtration drum. FIG. 6 is a side view showing a main part of a chip transport device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a concave structure provided in the filter drum of the chip conveying device of FIG. 9 . FIG. 2 is a front view showing the concave structure. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the concave structure.

[Embodiment 1]
The following will describe a first embodiment of the present invention with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. FIG.

Figure 1 is a front view showing the chip transport device 100 according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 is a plan view showing the chip transport device 100. Figure 3 is a side view showing the main parts of the chip transport device 100. Figure 4 is a side view showing the discharge member 4 in the chip transport device 100.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the chip conveying device 100 (conveying device) includes a conveyor frame 1 (frame), a conveyor 2, a filter drum 3, an outlet member 4 (outlet section), a flow path structure 5 (flow path), and a three-dimensional member 6.

The chip conveying device 100 conveys chips C contained in the turbid coolant fed from the machine tool M to a discharge position P1 and discharges them, thereby separating them from the turbid coolant. The chip conveying device 100 also scrapes off chips contained in the turbid coolant stored in the conveyor frame 1 and accumulated on the bottom surface 11b of the conveyor frame 1, conveys them to the discharge position P1, and discharges them. The chip conveying device 100 also generates purified coolant that can be reused by filtering and purifying the turbid coolant stored in the conveyor frame 1 with the filter drum 3.

The chip conveying device 100 is installed in a purified coolant storage tank (not shown). The purified coolant storage tank is provided to store the purified coolant discharged from the filter drum 3.

The conveyor frame 1 has a lower frame section 11, an upper frame section 12, and a chip discharge section 13. Within the conveyor frame 1, a conveyor 2 is arranged so as to be capable of circulating and a filter drum 3 is arranged so as to be capable of rotating.

A coolant inlet 11a is formed on the top surface of the lower frame 11 within a predetermined range from one end of the lower frame 11. Cloudy coolant is introduced into the coolant inlet 11a from a machine tool M arranged above the coolant inlet 11a. The lower frame 11 has a bottom surface 11b, and the entire frame forms a cloudy coolant storage tank that stores the cloudy coolant.

The upper frame part 12 is formed to form a closed space that extends upward from the other end side of the lower frame part 11.

The chip discharge section 13 is provided at the upper end of the upper frame section 12. The chip discharge section 13 has a discharge port 13a for discharging the chips C transported by the conveyor 2.

The conveyor 2 has a pair of side chains 21, a conveyor belt 22, a drive sprocket 23, a driven sprocket 24, and a drive motor 25.

The side chain 21 and the conveyor belt 22 are arranged inside the conveyor frame 1. The pair of side chains 21 are arranged parallel to each other at a fixed interval. The side chain 21 is formed in an endless loop shape and is stretched between the driving sprocket 23 and the driven sprocket 24, so that it is driven by the driving sprocket 23 to move in a fixed direction.

The drive sprocket 23 is disposed within the chip discharge section 13, and the driven sprocket 24 is disposed near the end of the lower frame 11 on the coolant inlet 11a side. The drive motor 25 is a motor connected to the drive sprocket 23 and is disposed on the outer surface of the chip discharge section 13.

The conveyor belt 22 is, for example, a belt formed in a loop by connecting multiple hinge plates (not shown) arranged between a pair of side chains 21. Each hinge plate is connected to the side chains 21 at both ends. This allows the conveyor belt 22 to move along a predetermined path together with the side chains 21.

The conveyor belt 22 conveys the chips C on its front conveying surface 22a. The conveyor belt 22 conveys the chips C captured from the turbid coolant to a discharge position P1 that is higher than a receiving position P0 that receives the turbid coolant fed from the machine tool M.

The conveyor belt 22 has multiple belt cleats 22b (scraping members) spaced apart on the conveyor surface 22a. The belt cleats 22b are plate-shaped members that scrape off chips that accumulate on the bottom surface 11b of the lower frame 11.

The conveying belt 22 moves through the scraping area, the conveying area, and the return area in that order. The scraping area is an area where chips C accumulated on the bottom surface 11b of the conveyor frame 1 are scraped off by the belt cleats 22b. The scraping area is an area between a separation position P2 where the conveying belt 22 separates from the filter drum 3, and a reversal position P3 where the conveying direction of the conveying belt 22 is reversed by the driven sprocket 24. The conveying area is an area where the scraped chips are transported to the discharge position P1, and is an area between the reversal position P3 and the discharge position P1. The return area is an area between the conveying area and the scraping area, specifically, an area between the discharge position P1 and the release position P2.

The conveyor belt 22 moves horizontally in the scraping area. In the conveyor area, the conveyor belt 22 moves horizontally in the first half of the section from the driven sprocket 24 to the vicinity of the filtration drum 3, and moves upward at an incline in the second half of the section from the vicinity of the filtration drum 3 to the driving sprocket 23. In the return area, the conveyor belt 22 moves downward at a steeper incline than in the second half of the conveyor area.

The filter drum 3 is rotatably arranged within the loop of the conveyor belt 22 in an area spanning the lower frame 11 and the upper frame 12, and a part of the lower side is immersed in the turbid coolant stored in the lower frame 11. The filter drum 3 has a frame body formed by connecting a pair of ring-shaped members (not shown) with multiple rod-shaped connecting members, and is formed into a drum shape by wrapping the filter 31 tightly around the connecting members of the frame body in a cylindrical shape. The filter 31 is made of a material to which cutting chips tend to adhere, such as a polyester mesh filter, a porous steel plate (punched plate), or a nonwoven fabric.

On the surface of the filter 31, multiple drum cleats 32 (capturing parts, scooping members) are arranged at intervals in the rotation direction of the filtration drum 3. The drum cleats 32 capture the cutting chips C of the turbid coolant by scooping them up on the outer periphery of the filtration drum 3 as the filtration drum 3 rotates. The drum cleats 32 are formed elongated so as to extend in the width direction of the filter 31, and are arranged across almost the entire width of the filter 31. The drum cleats 32 will be described in detail later.

A sprocket 33 that meshes with the side chain 21 of the conveyor 2 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the ring-shaped member of the filtration drum 3. The sprocket 33 meshes with the side chain 21, and the filtration drum 3 is rotated in accordance with the movement of the side chain 21.

The filter drum 3 is supported rotatably on the conveyor frame 1. On both sides of the conveyor frame 1, a discharge port 11e is formed that leads to the inside of the filter drum 3. The purified coolant filtered inside the filter drum 3 is discharged from the discharge port 11e into the purified coolant storage tank described above.

The liquid level L of the turbid coolant is controlled so as not to exceed the maximum position Lh relative to the filtration drum 3. The maximum position Lh is specified for the fluctuating liquid level L.

A filter cleaner 34 (sprayer) is provided inside the filtration drum 3. The filter cleaner 34 is a device that cleans the filter 31 by backwashing using purified coolant.

The filter cleaner 34 is supplied with purified coolant from the purified coolant storage tank by being sucked up by a pump. The filter cleaner 34 is configured to spray the purified coolant supplied as described above from a nozzle 34a provided at the end of the backwash flow path onto the inside of the filter 31. In this way, the filter cleaner 34 blows away chips C adhering to the surface of the filter 31 and chips C captured by the drum cleats 32. The filter cleaner 34 sprays the purified coolant towards the conveyor belt 22 moving through the return area described above. The filter cleaner 34 will be described in detail later.

The discharge member 4 is a member configured to receive the blown chips C together with the purified coolant and discharge them to the outside of the conveyor frame 1. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the discharge member 4 has a receiving plate member 41 and an inclined groove 42.

The receiving plate member 41 is a plate-shaped member that receives and drops the purified coolant sprayed by the filter cleaner 34 and the chips C blown by the purified coolant inside the conveyor frame 1. The receiving plate member 41 is positioned within a range where it can receive the blown chips C together with the purified coolant.

As shown in FIG. 3, the inclined groove 42 is provided at the lower end of the receiving plate member 41, and is a groove formed so as to slope downward toward the outlet 11c provided in the conveyor frame 1. The outlet 11c is provided so as to open on one side of the upper frame portion 12. As shown in FIG. 4, the inclined groove 42 has a V-shaped cross section in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. However, the cross-sectional shape is not limited to a V-shape, and may be, for example, a semicircular shape (gutter shape).

The inclined groove 42 is formed integrally with the receiving plate member 41, but may be formed separately from the receiving plate member 41. When the inclined groove 42 is formed separately from the receiving plate member 41, it is disposed below the receiving plate member 41.

The flow path structure 5 is configured to direct the chips C discharged to the outside of the conveyor frame 1 by the discharge member 4 to the conveying surface 22a of the conveyor belt 22 by the flow of purified coolant. The flow path structure 5 has a pipe member 51 and a receiving member 52.

The pipe member 51 is a semicircular tubular member. The opening on one end of the pipe member 51 is joined to the side of the upper frame part 12 so as to lead to the outlet 11c. The opening on the other end of the pipe member 51 is joined to the side of the receiving part 52 so as to lead to the inside of the receiving member 52.

The pipe member 51 is formed so that its front half, which extends from one end leading to the outlet 11c to the middle part, is inclined at approximately the same angle as the inclined groove 42. The pipe member 51 is also formed so that its rear half, which extends from the middle part to the opening on the other end leading to the inside of the receiving member 52, is horizontal. The rear half may also be formed so that it is inclined at the same angle as the front half.

The receiving member 52 is formed in a box shape and is fixed to the wall surface of the upper frame portion 12 on the return area side of the conveyor belt 22. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the bottom surface of the receiving member 52 is formed so as to slope downward from the side farther from the upper frame portion 12 to the side closer to the upper frame portion 12. In addition, the width of the receiving member 52 is narrower than the width of the conveyor belt 22.

An inlet 11d is provided on the wall surface to which the receiving member 52 of the upper frame 12 is fixed. The inlet 11d has its lower end at the position where the bottom surface of the receiving member 52 connects to the upper frame 12, and opens to a predetermined height from the lower end and to a width approximately the same as that of the receiving member 52.

The three-dimensional member 6 is a three-dimensional member having a predetermined volume. The three-dimensional member 6 is disposed between the filtration drum 3 and the conveyor belt 22, providing a space between the filter 31 of the filtration drum 3 and the three-dimensional member 6 so as to be in close proximity to the conveyor belt 22. The three-dimensional member 6 is fixed to both side surfaces of the lower frame 11 so that its upper portion is exposed above the liquid level L of the turbid coolant and its lower portion is submerged below the liquid level L, but it is sufficient that it is disposed at least below the liquid level L of the turbid coolant.

The three-dimensional member 6 has a three-dimensional shape that occupies the area in which it is placed, and is in the shape of a triangular prism. The bottom surface of the three-dimensional member 6 is parallel to the bottom surface 11b of the lower frame portion 11, the side surface facing the filtration drum 3 is nearly perpendicular to the bottom surface, and the side surface facing the conveyor belt 22 is inclined relative to the bottom surface so as to follow the inclined portion of the conveyor belt 22. The shape of the three-dimensional member 6 is not limited to a triangular prism, and may be, for example, a cylinder.

Next, the drum cleat 32 will be described in detail. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the drum cleat 32. FIG. 6 is a front view showing the drum cleat 32. FIG. 7 is a side view showing the drum cleat 32.

As shown in Figures 5 to 7, the drum cleat 32 has a fixing portion 321 and a scooping portion 322.

The fixing portion 321 has a long and narrow rectangular shape. The fixing portion 321 has a plurality of bolt holes 321a at approximately equal intervals. The fixing portion 321 is fixed to the above-mentioned connecting member that constitutes the frame of the filtration drum 3 by bolts inserted through the bolt holes 321a.

The scooping portion 322 has a long and narrow rectangular shape and is formed to rise from the edge of one of the long sides of the fixed portion 321. The scooping portion 322 has two faces, the face facing the fixed portion 321 serving as a scooping surface 322a that scoops up chips C from the turbid coolant. The scooping portion 322 is formed so that the angle between the fixed portion 321 and the scooping surface 322a is slightly greater than 90°.

The scooping portion 322 has a large number of slits 322b spaced at approximately equal intervals. The slits 322b are formed so as to be elongated in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the scooping portion 322. The chips C floating in the turbid coolant become entangled with the surrounding chips C while floating and grow larger. For this reason, the slits 322b are formed to be narrower than the size of such enlarged chips and have a width that allows the coolant to pass through easily. As a result, the scooping portion 322 captures the chips C, but allows the coolant to flow through the slits 322b.

Next, we will explain the filter cleaner 34. Figure 8 shows the arrangement of the nozzles 34a in the filter cleaner 34.

As shown in FIG. 8, the filter cleaner 34 is disposed so as to cover almost the entire width of the filter 31. The filter cleaner 34 has a plurality of nozzles 34a disposed at approximately equal intervals on the surface facing the filter 31. The nozzles 34a are connected to a supply pipe (not shown) that supplies the purified coolant, and spray the purified coolant using the supply pressure of the purified coolant.

The following describes how the chip conveying device 100 configured as described above collects floating chips C.

When the turbid coolant discharged from the machine tool M is introduced into the lower frame 11, it flows in the direction indicated by the left-pointing arrow in FIG. 1. Most of the chips C contained in the turbid coolant fall onto the conveyor belt 22 at the introduction position P0, and are transported by the conveyor belt 22 to the discharge position P1. The remaining chips C fall from the conveyor belt 22 into the lower frame 11 and flow together with the turbid coolant in the direction indicated by the arrow.

The three-dimensional member 6 is disposed between the filter drum 3 and the conveyor belt 22, so that the range in which chips C float in the turbid coolant can be limited. This makes it difficult for chips C to enter between the adjacent three-dimensional member 6 and the conveyor belt 22. On the other hand, a minimum necessary space is provided between the drum cleat 32 and the three-dimensional member 6 to avoid interference between the three-dimensional member 6 and the drum cleat 32, so that a certain amount of chips C can enter.

Due to the presence of the three-dimensional member 6, the chips C move along the bottom surface of the three-dimensional member 6 and collect in the space between the filter 31 and the three-dimensional member 6. As the filtration drum 3 rotates in the direction of arrow A shown in FIG. 1, the drum cleat 32 scoops up and captures the collected chips C from below. When the filtration drum 3 rotates further and the drum cleat 32 reaches the spraying position by the filter cleaner 34, the captured chips C are blown away by the purified coolant sprayed from the filter cleaner 34.

The blown chips C collide with the receiving plate member 41 of the discharge member 4 together with the sprayed purified coolant, fall, and flow down the inclined groove 42 to be discharged to the outside. The chips C and purified coolant that reach the flow path structure 5 flow through the pipe member 51 and are received by the receiving member 52, and are then poured from the inlet 11d of the upper frame 12 onto the conveying surface 22a of the conveyor belt 22 inside the conveyor frame 1.

The chips C that are poured into the conveyor frame 1 fall onto the bottom surface 11b of the lower frame 11. The conveyor belt 22 scrapes off the chips C that have fallen onto the bottom surface 11b using the belt cleats 22b, and when it reaches the conveying area, it transports the scraped off chips C to the discharge position P1.

In this way, chips C floating in the turbid coolant inside the loop of the conveyor belt 22 are guided by the three-dimensional member 6 to the filter drum 3 and captured by the drum cleat 32 of the filter drum 3. The chips C are blown away by the filter cleaner 34 and once guided to the outside of the conveyor frame 1 by the guide member 4, and then returned to the inside of the conveyor frame 1 by the flow path structure 5, and transported by the conveyor belt 22 for collection.

As described above, the chip conveying device 100 according to this embodiment includes the drum cleat 32, the filter cleaner 34, the discharge member 4, and the flow path structure 5 in order to collect the floating chips C. This prevents the floating chips C from being collected via a path other than the conveyor belt 22. In addition, since only the flow path structure 5 is provided outside the conveyor frame 1, the chip conveying device 100 can be constructed small and simply.

Moreover, the chip conveying device 100 can significantly reduce the amount of chips C floating around the filter drum 3. This can prevent a large amount of chips C from accumulating inside the conveyor frame 1. In addition, the drum cleats 32 capture a large amount of chips C. This reduces the amount of chips C adhering to the surface of the filter 31, reducing coverage of the surface of the filter 31. This reduces the obstruction of the flow of coolant in the filter 31, and can prevent a decrease in the processing flow rate by the filter drum 3.

Furthermore, by reducing the maintenance time required to remove chips C floating around the filtration drum 3, the operating rate of the chip conveying device 100 can be improved. This can save power and improve energy efficiency, thereby contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The flow path structure 5 also directs the chips C onto the conveying surface 22a of the conveying belt 22 moving in the return area. As a result, as described above, the chips C that have fallen onto the bottom surface 11b of the conveyor frame 1 can be conveyed by the conveying belt 22. Therefore, the floating chips C can be efficiently collected.

In addition, the discharge member 4 has a receiving plate member 41 and an inclined groove 42. This allows the chips C to be discharged with a simple configuration.

The drum cleat 32 is also configured to scoop up chips C from the turbid coolant. This improves the recovery rate of floating chips C.

The scooping portion 322 of the drum cleat 32 is provided with a number of slits 322b. As a result, when the scooping portion 322 scoops up the chips C, the coolant flows out through the slits 322b, so that the chips C do not flow down together with the coolant as the filter drum 3 rotates. This allows more chips C to be scooped up. This further improves the recovery rate of floating chips C.

In addition, a three-dimensional member 6 is disposed between the filter drum 3 and the conveyor belt 22. This makes it possible to limit the range in which chips C float in the turbid coolant. In addition, by directing chips into the space between the filter 31 and the three-dimensional member 6, the drum cleat 32 can easily capture the floating chips C.

[Embodiment 2]
The following is a description of the second embodiment of the present invention with reference to Figures 1 to 3 and 9 to 12. Note that in this embodiment, components having the same functions as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

Figure 9 is a side view showing the main parts of the chip conveying device 100A according to the second embodiment. Figure 10 is a plan view showing the concave structure 35 provided in the filter drum 3A of the chip conveying device 100A. Figure 11 is a front view showing the concave structure 35. Figure 12 is a side view showing the concave structure 35.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the chip conveying device 100A (conveying device) is equipped with a conveyor frame 1, a conveyor 2, an outlet member 4, a flow path structure 5, and a three-dimensional member 6, just like the chip conveying device 100. Also, as shown in Figure 9, the chip conveying device 100A is equipped with a filter drum 3A instead of the filter drum 3 equipped in the chip conveying device 100.

Like the filtration drum 3, the filtration drum 3A has a filter 31 and a sprocket 33, is provided with a filter cleaner 34 inside, and is supported so as to be rotatable on the conveyor frame 1. In addition, the filtration drum 3A has a recessed structure 35 (capturing portion) instead of the drum cleat 32 of the filtration drum 3.

The concave structure 35 is a structure formed so as to be recessed from the surface of the filter 31. The concave structures 35 are provided on the outer periphery of the filter drum 3A, i.e., on the surface of the filter 31, and are arranged at intervals. The concave structures 35 scoop up and capture chips C of the turbid coolant as the filter drum 3 rotates. As shown in FIG. 10, the concave structure 35 is formed in a rectangular shape with a long side in the width direction of the filter 31, and is fixed to the connecting member described above.

As shown in Figures 10 to 12, the concave structure 35 has a frame portion 351, a fixing portion 352, and a mesh 353.

The frame 351 is a rectangular box with parts of the bottom and both sides cut out to form a three-dimensional frame. The frame 351 has a cutout portion 351a. The portion of the frame 351 that connects to the fixing portion 352 is open.

The fixing part 352 has a rectangular frame shape and is curved to fit the curved shape of the filter 31. The fixing part 352 has a plurality of bolt holes 352a at intervals. The fixing part 352 is fixed to the above-mentioned connecting member by bolts inserted through the bolt holes 352a.

The mesh 353 is attached to the frame 351 so as to cover the cutout 351a of the frame 351. The mesh 353 is formed to have an opening dimension larger than the smallest chip C.

The following describes how chips C are captured by the filter drum 3A in the chip transport device 100A configured as described above.

As shown in FIG. 9, when the concave structure 35 reaches the liquid level L of the turbid coolant as the filter drum 3A rotates, the turbid coolant flows into the concave structure 35. The turbid coolant flows into the inside of the filter 31 through the mesh 353, while the chips C are captured by the mesh 353. When the filter drum 3A further rotates from the state in which the chips C are scooped up in the concave structure 35 in this way and the concave structure 35 reaches the spray position by the filter cleaner 34, the captured chips C are blown away by the purified coolant sprayed from the filter cleaner 34.

In this way, in the chip conveying device 100A of this embodiment, the filter drum 3A has a concave structure 35. As a result, the concave structure 35 scoops up the chips, improving the recovery rate of floating chips.

The concave structure 35 also has a frame portion 351 formed in a concave shape and a mesh 353 attached to the frame portion 351. As a result, when the concave structure 35 scoops up the chips C, the coolant flows out through the mesh 353, but the chips C are captured by the mesh 353. This reduces the amount of chips that flow out together with the coolant as the filter drum 3A rotates, and allows more chips C to be scooped up. In addition, the mesh concave structure 35 increases the outer peripheral area of the filter 31. This increases the amount of coolant processed per unit time. This therefore further improves the recovery rate of floating chips C.

[Additional Notes]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. In addition, embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in the different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

1. Conveyor frame (frame)
3 Filtration drum 4 Discharge member (discharge portion)
5 Flow path structure (flow path)
6 Three-dimensional member 11c Outlet 22 Conveyor belt 22a Conveyor surface 22b Belt cleat (scraping member)
31 Filter 32 Drum cleat (capture portion, scooping member)
34 Filter cleaner (sprayer)
35 Concave structure (capture portion)
41 receiving plate member 42 inclined groove 100, 100A chip transport device 322b slit 351 frame 353 mesh L liquid surface C chips P1 discharge position

Claims (8)

A frame for storing turbid coolant containing cutting chips;
A loop-shaped conveyor belt is disposed within the frame and conveys chips captured from the turbid coolant to a discharge position that is higher than a receiving position for receiving the turbid coolant being introduced;
a filter drum that is rotatably disposed within the loop of the conveyor belt and filters the turbid coolant using a filter provided on the outer periphery of the filter drum;
a capture section that captures chips of the turbid coolant on an outer periphery of the filter drum as the filter drum rotates;
an injector that injects coolant from inside the filtration drum toward the filter to blow off the chips captured in the capture section;
an outlet portion that receives the blown chips together with the coolant and outputs the chips to an outlet provided on a side surface of the frame;
a flow path that causes the chips discharged to the outlet to flow toward the conveying surface of the conveying belt by a flow of coolant. the conveyor belt has a scraping member on the conveying surface for scraping off chips accumulated on the bottom surface of the frame, and moves through a scraping area where the scraping member scrapes off the chips, a conveying area where the scraped off chips are conveyed to the discharge position, and a return area between the conveying area and the scraping area;
2. The conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flow passage flows into the conveying surface of the moving conveying belt in the return region. The lead-out portion is
a receiving plate member that receives the blown chips together with the coolant and drops them;
3. The conveying device according to claim 1, further comprising an inclined groove provided below the receiving plate member and formed so as to slope downwardly toward the outlet port. The conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the capture section is a scooping member provided on the outer periphery of the filtration drum and scoops up chips from the turbid coolant. The conveying device according to claim 4, characterized in that the scooping member has a plurality of slits. The conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the capture section is provided on the outer periphery of the filtration drum and has a concave structure that scoops up chips from the turbid coolant stored in the frame. The conveying device according to claim 6, characterized in that the concave structure has a frame portion formed in a concave shape and a mesh attached to the frame portion. The conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a three-dimensional member disposed between the filtration drum and the conveying belt, at least below the liquid level of the turbid coolant, so as to be adjacent to the capture section of the filtration drum and the conveying belt, and having a three-dimensional shape that occupies the area in question.

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