JPS632272Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed explanation of the idea] (Industrial application field) The present invention relates to a work supply device.

(Prior art) As an example of a work supply device, a plurality of carts equipped with pallets on which workpieces can be stacked are selectively moved from storage positions to takeout positions, and the workpieces on the pallets at the takeout positions are moved. Some items are lifted with suction cups or the like and transported along rails or the like to an assembly station or the like.

One of the problems to be solved in such a workpiece supply device is to provide a system in which workpieces can be replenished immediately when the workpieces run out, and to smoothly supply the workpieces. Conventionally,
There is a technology that uses a phototube to detect the presence or absence of a workpiece on a single pallet at a fixed position. In order to apply this technology to the above-mentioned workpiece feeding device, a means for detecting the presence or absence of a workpiece must be provided at each storage position, but when the cart moves to the take-out position, the detection is interrupted because the absence of a workpiece is detected. There is a problem that the detection mechanism becomes complicated.

(Purpose of the invention) The object of the invention is to provide a workpiece supply device that selectively moves a plurality of carts at the storage position to the take-out position, by providing a relatively simple mechanism without increasing the number of detection means. In this way, the presence or absence of workpieces on a pallet can be detected, thereby facilitating the supply of workpieces.

(Structure of the invention) The structure of the invention uses a plurality of carts equipped with pallets on which workpieces can be stacked, so that at least the workpiece take-out position is the same when viewed from the top and bottom, which is an alternative to the workpiece storage position. The workpiece feeding device is configured to move the workpieces in a vertical direction, and the pallet and the cart are provided with holes penetrating in the vertical direction, and holes are provided in the upper and lower positions corresponding to the hole positions when the cart moves to the workpiece take-out position. It is equipped with a light projector and a light receiver installed, a first detection means for detecting the presence or absence of a workpiece on a pallet based on a signal from the light receiver, and a second detection means for detecting movement of the cart to a workpiece removal position. .

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

The work supply device 1 of this embodiment includes a cart support 2,
A truck 3, a pallet 4 placed on the truck, a light emitter 5, a light receiver 6 that receives the light from the light emitter and emits a signal, and a first light receiver that operates according to the signal from the light receiver.
In addition to the detection means, the second detection means, etc. as main components, a warning light 26, an indicator light 27, a workpiece unloading device 20, etc. are also provided.

On the pallet 4 are workpieces W of different shapes for each pallet (in this example, W ₁ , W ₂ , W ₃ , W ₄ ,
(Explaining 8 cases such as W ₅ , W ₆ , W ₇ , W ₈ etc.)
is placed.

The cart support 2 is a shelf-like structure having four levels, which is half the number of types of workpieces W. For each layer, the workpiece removal position P is set in the center so that it is the same when viewed from the top and bottom,
A workpiece storage position Pb is set on both sides,
A rail 10 is provided to connect the take-out position Pa and the storage position Pb.

Eight carts 3, the same number as the types of workpieces W, are supported on the rails 10 of the cart support 2, and are movable back and forth between the workpiece storage position Pb and the workpiece take-out position Pa by a drive device 13. ing.

In the drive device 13, a motor 14 disposed at each workpiece storage position Pb drives each cart 3 via a chain 15.

Pallet 4 has 8 pieces, which is the same number as the number of types of work W.
are placed on each trolley 3. Each palette 4
One type of work W (any of W ₁ , W ₂ ... W ₈ ) is stacked and placed on top, and a hole 11 for light passing is vertically bored in the work placement part. There is.
Further, the trolley 3 is also provided with light passing holes 12 at positions corresponding to the light passing holes 11 of the pallet 10 placed thereon. Further, the truck 3 is provided with a forward end switch 16, a reverse end switch 17, and a cam plate 18.

The forward end switch 16 is a limit switch that stops the cart 3 at the workpiece take-out position Pa, and one switch for each cart 3 is disposed at the workpiece take-out position Pa. In addition, the reverse end switch 17 is
One limit switch is disposed for each cart 3 at the workpiece storage position Pb. On the other hand, a cam plate 18 for operating these switches 16 and 7 is mounted on the truck 3.

The projector 5 is located below the workpiece take-out position Pa, and the hole 12 is illuminated when the trolley 3 moves to the workpiece take-out position Pa.
The light receiver 6 is installed at a position corresponding to the position Pa, and the light receiver 6 is installed at a position corresponding to the projector 5 on a bracket 19 installed above the workpiece take-out position Pa.

The truck support 2 is provided with a warning light 26 and an indicator light 27. The warning light 26 is a rotating light that warns that a workpiece W is missing from one of the pallets 4, and is mounted on the top of the cart support 2.
Further, the indicator light 27 is a lamp that indicates which cart 3 is moving to the workpiece take-out position Pa, and one lamp for each cart 6 is installed at the entrance of the workpiece storage position Pb.

The workpiece unloading device 20 includes a traveling body 21 and a workpiece unloading tool 22. The traveling body 21 is movably suspended from two rails 23 provided above the workpiece take-out position Pa. The workpiece extractor 22 has a plurality of suction cups 25 disposed on a beam 24 suspended from the traveling body 21 so as to be movable up and down.

As shown in FIG. 4, the electric circuit 9 that controls the above-mentioned equipment includes a workpiece designation contact 28 and a forward end contact 2.
9. A light receiving contact 30, a work loading contact 31 and a relay 32 are connected in series, and a relay contact 33 is connected in parallel to the three contacts 28, 29, 30, one for each trolley 3. Each circuit is provided.

The first detection means 7 is a circuit that sends an energizing signal to the relay 32 of the indicator light 27 via the light receiving contact 30 based on the signal from the light receiver 6.

The second detection means 8 is a circuit that detects the movement of the cart 3 to the workpiece take-out position Pa and sends an energizing signal to the relay 32 of the indicator light 27 via the forward end contact 29 (forward end switch 16).

Next, the operation of the work supply device according to this embodiment will be explained.

A worker located far away from the trolley support 2
A desired type of workpiece W is designated by a workpiece designation switch (not shown). The cart 3 carrying the workpiece W on the pallet 4 is advanced by the drive device 13 from the workpiece storage position Pb to the workpiece removal position Pa, and the cam plate 18 operates the forward end switch 16, and upon receiving the signal, stops. . Workpiece unloading device 20 stopped above the workpiece unloading position Pa
Then, the workpiece W is sucked and lifted by the suction cup 25 of the workpiece take-out tool 22 and transported to a predetermined location.
At the same time as the workpiece unloading device 20 leaves the workpiece unloading position Pa, the light emitter 5 emits light toward the light receiver 6, but when there is a workpiece W on the pallet 4, the light beam is interrupted by the workpiece W on the way. At this time, in the electric circuit 9 of the called trolley 3, the work designation contact 28, the forward end contact 29, and the work loading contact 31 are closed, but the light receiving contact 30
remains open. Therefore, relay 32 is not activated and relay contacts 33 are also open. the result,
Both the warning light 26 and the indicator light 27 remain off. When a desired number of workpieces W of a desired type are transported, the trolley 3 is moved back to the workpiece storage position Pb by the drive device 13, the cam plate 18 operates the reverse end switch 17, and stops upon receiving the signal. . The work designation contact 28 and the forward end contact 29 are opened.

However, if the desired number of workpieces W disappears from the pallet 4 before the desired number of workpieces are conveyed, the projector 5
The light rays pass through the light passing holes 11 and 12 and are received by the light receiver 6, which closes the light receiving contact 30. Therefore, since the relay 32 operates and closes the relay contact 33, the relay 32 maintains its operating state even if any of the work designation contact 28, the forward end contact 29, and the light receiving contact 30 are subsequently opened. As a result, the warning light 26 and the indicator light 27 are turned on. The worker sees the warning light 26 from a distance and knows that one of the workpieces W is missing, and when he comes to the trolley support 2, he moves the trolley 3 corresponding to the lit indicator light 27.
It is learned that the desired workpiece W is missing from pallet 4. When the worker replenishes the pallet 4 with workpieces W, the workpiece loading contact 31 opens, causing the relay 32 to stop operating, and the relay contact 33 opens, so the self-holding of the relay 32 is released. the result,
The warning light 26 and indicator light 27 are turned off. Thus,
This allows the workpiece unloading device 20 to continue supplying the desired workpiece W.

Note that, of the warning light 26 and indicator light 27, a circuit in which the warning light 26 is omitted may be used.

(Effects of the invention) According to the invention, in a device that moves a plurality of carts from each storage position to a take-out position, the movement of each cart and the presence or absence of workpieces on the pallet of the cart at the take-out position are detected respectively. 2.
Even one set of detection means can reliably detect the presence or absence of a workpiece on each carriage, and smoother workpiece supply can be achieved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a front view of a work supply device showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a partially enlarged view of Fig. 1, and Fig.
The figure is a plan view of the pallet according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is an electric circuit diagram for controlling the apparatus according to the present invention. 1...Work supply device, 2...Dolly support, 3
...Truck, 4...Pallet, 5...Floodlight, 6...
...Receiver, 10...Rail, 11...Hole, 12...
... Hole, 16 ... Forward end switch, 17 ... Reverse end switch, 20 ... Workpiece unloading device, 22 ... Workpiece take-out tool, 23 ... Rail, 26 ... Warning light, 27 ... Indicator light, Pa ... ...Workpiece removal position,
Pb...Work storage position.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A work supply device which selectively moves a plurality of carts equipped with pallets on which work pieces can be stacked from a work storage position so that at least the work removal position is the same when viewed from the top and bottom, characterized in that the pallets and the carts are provided with holes passing through in the top and bottom direction, a light projector and a light receiver are respectively installed at top and bottom positions corresponding to the positions of the holes when the carts are moved to the work removal position, a first detection means which detects the presence or absence of work on the pallet based on a signal from the light receiver, and a second detection means which detects the movement of the carts to the work removal position.