Precision press device and press load control method thereof

Abstract

A precision press device and a press load control method is provided for downsizing a vacuum chamber in press work in the vacuum chamber, shortening a time required to reach a vacuum and performing high accuracy pressure control. A pressure sensor is set up outside the chamber 16 and a cylinder chamber 17 is formed to allow a tubular plunger 7 to slide up and down. A negative pressure 22 in the chamber 16 attracts the pressurized section 2 and the pressurizing section 1, but by injecting an equivalent pressure 19 of a fluid into the cylinder chamber 17, pushing out the tubular plunger 7, the attractive forces are canceled out.

1 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A press load control method for a precision press device comprising a pressurized section, a pressurizing section opposed to the pressurized section and disposed in a manner movable forward or backward with respect to the pressurized section, press stages mounted on opposing surfaces of the pressurized section and the pressurizing section, a drive section that drives the pressurizing section and a chamber having a tubular wall that surrounds the press stages so that the press stages are sealed between the pressurized section and the pressurizing section when the pressurized section and the pressurizing section are located close to each other, the method comprising:
 using the tubular wall as a tubular plunger provided in a manner movable forward or backward based on a fluid pressure in the cylinder formed in at least one of the pressurized section and the pressurizing section with respect to the other; and   balancing and canceling out attractive forces between the pressurized section and the pressurizing section generated based on a negative pressure in the chamber and the pressurizing force generated in the tubular plunger based on the fluid pressure.   
     
     
         12 . A precision press device comprising:
 a pressurizing section that is slidably guided along a guide post via a retainer;   a pressurized section that is fixed to the guide post;   press stages mounted on opposing surfaces of the pressurizing section and the pressurized section; and   a drive section that drives the pressurizing section via a bearing member,   wherein an elastic body is inserted between the pressurizing section and the retainer and/or between the pressurized section and the guide post, and when the elastic body deforms, the surfaces of both press stages align with each other making uniform a load applied to both press stages.   
     
     
         13 . The precision press device according to  claim 12 , wherein two or more of the guide posts are arranged in parallel and uniformly around the press stages. 
     
     
         14 . The precision press device according to  claim 12 , wherein the bearing member is a free bearing that contacts the pressurizing section at a single point or a plurality of uniformly arranged points and thereby makes uniform a load applied to the pressurizing section. 
     
     
         15 . The precision press device according to  claim 14 , wherein a distal end of the free bearing is formed into a spherical surface that contacts the pressurizing section at the single point and maintains a state in which the load is applied to the pressurizing section at the single point when a pressure is applied to the pressurizing section driven by the driving section even if the pressurized section is shifted with respect to the pressurizing section caused by a deflection of the elastic body. 
     
     
         16 . The precision press device according to any one of  claims 12  to  15 , wherein the elastic body is interposed between the pressurizing section and the retainer that slidably guides the pressurizing section along the guide post and/or between the pressurized section and an adjustment nut that fixes the pressurized section to the guide post such that the height thereof is made adjustable, absorbs a relative inclination between the pressurizing section and the pressurized section during pressurization and allows press molding at a high degree of flatness. 
     
     
         17 . The precision press device according to any one of  claims 12  to  15 , wherein the elastic body comprises one type of elastic body or a plurality of types of elastic bodies of different moduli of elasticity. 
     
     
         18 . The precision press device according to any one of  claims 12  to  15 , wherein the elastic body comprises a tubular body having various types of cross-section such as a circular, ellipsoidal, rectangular or polygonal shape, and provided with a flange at one end thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The precision press device according to any one of  claims 12  to  15 , wherein the retainer that slidably guides the pressurizing section along the guide post is a direct-acting guide bearing. 
     
     
         20 . The precision press device according to any one of  claims 12  to  15 , wherein when the elastic body is set up in the pressurizing section or the pressurized section, the elastic body can be set up in a manner movable in any direction whether vertical or horizontal to achieve parallelism. 
     
     
         21 . The precision press device according to any one of  claims 12  to  15 , wherein a matrix which becomes a transfer source with an ultra-fine pattern applied to a surface thereof is mounted on the one press stage, while a substrate which becomes a transfer destination of the ultra-fine pattern of the matrix is mounted on the other press stage, and the precision press device is applied to a micro structure transfer device that performs press molding of the ultra-fine pattern of the matrix to the substrate.