EP1940719A1 - Procédés et appareil de manipulation automatique d objet - Google Patents

Procédés et appareil de manipulation automatique d objet

Info

Publication number
EP1940719A1
EP1940719A1 EP05798970A EP05798970A EP1940719A1 EP 1940719 A1 EP1940719 A1 EP 1940719A1 EP 05798970 A EP05798970 A EP 05798970A EP 05798970 A EP05798970 A EP 05798970A EP 1940719 A1 EP1940719 A1 EP 1940719A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
guiding element
pickup device
gripping
disk
tray
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP05798970A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP1940719A4 (fr
Inventor
Anton Vasile Ionescu
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of EP1940719A1 publication Critical patent/EP1940719A1/fr
Publication of EP1940719A4 publication Critical patent/EP1940719A4/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
    • G11B23/00—Record carriers not specific to the method of recording or reproducing; Accessories, e.g. containers, specially adapted for co-operation with the recording or reproducing apparatus ; Intermediate mediums; Apparatus or processes specially adapted for their manufacture
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
    • G11B17/00—Guiding record carriers not specifically of filamentary or web form, or of supports therefor
    • G11B17/08—Guiding record carriers not specifically of filamentary or web form, or of supports therefor from consecutive-access magazine of disc records
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
    • G11B17/00—Guiding record carriers not specifically of filamentary or web form, or of supports therefor
    • G11B17/08—Guiding record carriers not specifically of filamentary or web form, or of supports therefor from consecutive-access magazine of disc records
    • G11B17/10—Guiding record carriers not specifically of filamentary or web form, or of supports therefor from consecutive-access magazine of disc records with horizontal transfer to the turntable from a stack arranged with a vertical axis
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
    • G11B17/00—Guiding record carriers not specifically of filamentary or web form, or of supports therefor
    • G11B17/08—Guiding record carriers not specifically of filamentary or web form, or of supports therefor from consecutive-access magazine of disc records
    • G11B17/12—Guiding record carriers not specifically of filamentary or web form, or of supports therefor from consecutive-access magazine of disc records with axial transfer to the turntable from a stack with a vertical axis
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
    • G11B17/00—Guiding record carriers not specifically of filamentary or web form, or of supports therefor
    • G11B17/22—Guiding record carriers not specifically of filamentary or web form, or of supports therefor from random access magazine of disc records
    • G11B17/225—Guiding record carriers not specifically of filamentary or web form, or of supports therefor from random access magazine of disc records wherein the disks are transferred from a fixed magazine to a fixed playing unit using a moving carriage
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
    • G11B17/00—Guiding record carriers not specifically of filamentary or web form, or of supports therefor
    • G11B17/02—Details
    • G11B17/04—Feeding or guiding single record carrier to or from transducer unit
    • G11B17/05—Feeding or guiding single record carrier to or from transducer unit specially adapted for discs not contained within cartridges
    • G11B17/053—Indirect insertion, i.e. with external loading means
    • G11B17/056—Indirect insertion, i.e. with external loading means with sliding loading means

Definitions

  • the invention relates to automated devices, equipment and methods for handling objects, with emphasis to applications where information-storage medium objects such as compact discs are to be automatically handled in order to be processed.
  • the transport arm has to carry not only the pickup device but its electro-mechanical actuators and associated sensors, too, along a large rigid frame or shaft, exceeding the height of the object stacks (US Pat.no 5698030, 5873692, 5914918, 5946216, 6111847, 6141298, 6321649, 6532198).
  • Automated grippers eliminate the need for a vertical traveling transporting arm and actuators (US Pat.no. 5797639, 6257636, 4253695).
  • existing solutions are either too complex or inappropriate for applications where high precision is needed in order to separate thin stacked objects, such as CD/DVD.
  • a simpler automatic pickup device is needed, preferably able to grip the object from beneath in order to secure it during transport.
  • the present invention attempts to solve the problems mentioned above, disclosing an object handling method and corresponding object handling apparatuses for carrying it out, wherein the disk is inclined toward the processing equipment when lifted from its horizontal tray by the vertically moving pickup device, maintain its inclined position during its vertical travel and glides into the tray from its inclined position to a final horizontal position when vertically delivered by the pickup device into the tray.
  • the object trajectory avoids the protrusion that otherwise would obstruct the vertical travel of the object, allowing automatic loading/unloading objects into such processing equipment (Fig 5, Fig 6A 1 B).
  • the method may also be used in other applications, with different objects, whenever a similar vertical object delivery problem might be encountered.
  • the apparatus for carrying out the claimed object handling method uses a specialized object pickup device allowing the object to incline towards the processing equipment to a pre-determined angle when vertically lifted from the horizontal tray and respectively allowing it to glide back to the horizontal holder when vertically lowered into the tray.
  • the pickup device is vertically lifted/lowered from/to object holders (object stacks or object processing units, trays, etc) along its central axis and comprises a guiding element with a stopping shoulder enabling self adjustment to an optimal position when placed against the object. Once an object engaged, the shape of the guiding element allows the disk to rotate and prevent it from falling.
  • a new solution for gripping the object is disclosed: pierced gripping blades housed inside the guiding element are penetrated by thin curved arms rigidly attached to an actuator, connected to the external transport means, axially moving with respect to the guiding element within a short travel range.
  • the arms are axially moving together with the actuator and glide through the holes of the gripping blades, forcing the protrusive grippers to radially glide out their housing engaging the object or respectively retract inside the guiding element releasing the object, accordingly with the pickup device status.
  • the disclosed pickup device can work automatically, being able to alternately switch between object engaging/disengaging statuses by itself, using a previously known self contained switching mechanism, automatically triggered each time the device reaches an end-of-travel position to an object holder. There is a single external axial movement performed for both transporting the pickup device towards the object holder and engaging/disengaging the object, thus simplifying the automation equipment and decreasing its cost.
  • the pickup device disclosed herein is meant to use a regular switching mechanism like the ones used by retractable ball-point pens, rather than a customized, dedicated one.
  • a simple two components mechanism is being used, like, for example, the one described in US Pat.no.5997204. Consequently the entire construction is simplified.
  • One component of the switching mechanism is rigidly attached to the actuator so they axially move together when driven by the transport means.
  • the second component of the switching mechanism is attached to the guiding element by a retaining pin and allowed to spin around the common axis, but not to move away axially.
  • the gripping blades herein are secured to the said guiding element in contact with the object and, when engaging the object, the grippers are actuated before the said guiding element starts moving. This feature enables gripping precision, important especially when working with stacked objects that have to be separated.
  • the hanging picker can be vertically ascended and descended using flexible means, like thread, wire, flexible ribbon or tape. This way there is no need neither for a vertical traveling supporting arm, nor for a frame or a vertical shaft for the picker to travel along.
  • the object handling apparatus becomes very simple and small, allowing though long vertical travel for the picker, said large automated processing capacity.
  • CD/DVD processing equipments could be automated by such a versatile apparatus placed above the said master equipment, where the disks are vertically stacked and delivered to/from retainers located under the surface supporting the apparatus and accessed from above.
  • One possible embodiment is shown in Fig 7.
  • the user can choose the number and the positions of the disk retainers to be used during each automated processing cycle.
  • FIG 1A-C are perspective views of prior art switching mechanism in different statuses
  • FIG 2 is a cross-section view of the pickup device placed against the stacked objects
  • FIG 3 is a cross-section view of the pickup device in object-disengaged status
  • FIG 4A-B are cross-section views of the guiding element along the gripper's housing plane, two embodiments
  • FIG 5 is a cross-section view of the pickup device in object-engaged status, disk inclined embodiment
  • FIG 6A-B are schematically views of a processing unit with a tray having partially masked object holding area and of the trajectory of an inclined object being vertically transported to/from such a tray, according with the claimed method
  • FIG 7 is a perspective view of one possible embodiment of an apparatus
  • FIG 8 is a cross-section view of the pickup device in object-engaged status, horizontal disk embodiment
  • disks For ease of the description the various handled objects will be referred herein as "disks".
  • the object holders are horizontal, the disks are vertically stacked and the pickup device moves vertically along the axis of the object holder in order to engage or disengage a disk, being subsequently transported above a different location.
  • the embodiment of the pickup device shown in Fig 5 can deliver a disk to/from such a tray 18 as follows: the gripping blade 9 hooks the disk asymmetrically, from the part opposite to the equipment. When lifted, the disk inclines towards the processing equipment up to the desired angle, about 45 degrees, when it reaches the stopping shoulder 17 on the guiding element 6.
  • the shape of the guiding element itself is important since it has to allow the disk to rotate freely, preventing it from falling, too.
  • the transport means 12 must not allow the pickup device to spin around its axis, so the disk maintains its inclined position towards the equipment during its vertical travel. When the disk is vertically descended in order to be released into the tray 18, its lower edge glides into the tray and the disk rotates from its inclined position to the final horizontal position, as shown in Fig 6B.
  • the pickup device is automatic and does not require any additional external actuation for gripping the object, being able to alternately switch between object engaging/disengaging statuses by itself, by means of a self contained switching mechanism, automatically triggered each time the device reaches an end-of-travel position to an object holder.
  • the switching mechanism (Fig 1A-C) comprises two parts: a cylindrical pin 2 having two pairs of diametrically opposed protruding ribs 3 and a cylindrical ring 1 comprising grooves and saw-teething on its inner surface (not shown).
  • a guiding element 6 having a stopping shoulder 7 enable the picking device to self adjust its position to an optimum when placed against the object, like shown in Fig 2.
  • a central pin 5 connects the guiding element with the pin 2, component of the switching mechanism, allowing pin 2 to spin around the common central axis.
  • the actuator 4 attached to the external axial movement means 12, by which the entire pickup device is transported, comprises a central cylindrical bore that houses the ring 1 , component of the switching mechanism.
  • the ring 1 is rigidly attached to the actuator 4.
  • the actuator 4 continues its axial movement until eventually gets closest to the guiding element, when the mechanism reaches its switching position.
  • the transport means 12 pulls 4 away from 6 the distance the two elements can get apart, before element 6 starts moving along with 4, depends on the current status of the switching mechanism and alternates between a short and a long travel.
  • This feature allows the picking device to alternate between object- engaging and object-disengaging statuses, the gripping means being actuated by the element 4 moving with respect to 6.
  • the gripping blades secured to the guiding element in contact with the object, protrude and engage the object before the said element starts its own movement. This feature enables gripping precision, important especially when working with stacked objects that have to be separated.
  • the axial distance between the stopping shoulder 7 and the sharp edges of the gripping blades 9 housed inside the recess 16 is slightly bigger than the thickness of the disk 15, allowing the protruding blades 9 to grasp the disk from beneath when actuated.
  • the gripping blades 9 comprise holes 10 for the thin curved arms 8, rigidly attached to the element 4, to cross through.
  • the guiding element 6 has thin radial ditches 11 allowing the arms 8 to travel freely when the element 4 is axially moving against the guiding element.
  • An optional dust-protective frame 14 may be rigidly attached to the guiding element 6, provided that it allows room for the element 4 to move axially with respect to the guiding element within its entire travel range.
  • the optional frame 14 should comprise a hole 13 on its top, opposite to the guiding element, for the transport means 12 to cross through.
  • the arms 8 glide along the ditches 11 and through the holes 10 of the pierced blades 9 and, if the switching mechanism allows element 4 to rise enough, namely the pickup mechanism is in "disk engaged status", they push the grippers 9 to glide out their housing 16, then the guiding element 6 starts moving together with element 4, that is the entire pickup device 21 is being moved by 12.
  • the picking device placed against a stack of disks as shown in Fig 2, with the shoulder 7 laying on the top disk.
  • the element 4 is in its closest position to the guiding element 6 and the arms 8 keep the gripping blades 9 completely retracted inside their recess 16.
  • the mechanism is in "switching position", like in Fig 1 B.
  • the picking device was in "disk disengaging status" when placed against the stack, so we expect it to engage the disk next time when lifted from the stack.
  • the transport means 12 axially pulls element 4 away from the guiding element 6 resting on the disk beneath, the arms 8 glide through the holes 10 of the pierced blades 9 and push them to glide out of the guiding element, their sharp edges protruding under the first disk in stack.
  • Fig 4A and Fig 4B show the radial movement of the blades in two possible embodiments, with a single gripping blade and respectively with more gripping blades.
  • Fig 8 shows such a multiple gripping blades embodiment of the pickup device in "disk engaged status", where the disk keeps its horizontal position during transport.
  • the apparatus carries the pickup device with the disk so engaged in order to be released to a new location.
  • the transport means 12 vertically lowers the pickup device on location and, when the disk reaches the holder, the guiding element 6, with its shoulder
  • the actuator 4 continues its movement, approaching the guiding element.
  • the arms 8 glide through the holes 10 of the pierced blades 9 forcing them to retract completely inside the guiding element 6.
  • the movement stops when the element 4 reaches its lowest position, closest to the guiding element, when the pickup device is in "switching position", as shown in Fig 2.
  • the cycle is permanently repeated, the pickup device alternating between disk engaging/disk disengaging statuses each time it reaches the down-end-of-travel position to an object holder.
  • the device can hang gravitationally, being ascended/descended using flexible means 12 like thread, wire, flexible ribbon or tape.
  • flexible means 12 like thread, wire, flexible ribbon or tape.
  • the pickup device 21 is lifted up to its highest position where a basically cylindrical holder under the pulley houses it, keeping its vertical position and preventing it from waggling during the horizontal movement from a disk holder to another.
  • the apparatus should be positioned in such a way that it can access from above the disk holders, namely the trays of the disk processing equipment and the stacks for processed/unprocessed disks.
  • FIG 7 A possible embodiment is shown in Fig 7, where the apparatus 22 is placed over a disk processing master equipment 20, comprising processing units 25, provided with trays 18. Requests for disk changing are correspondingly sent to the apparatus by the master equipment whenever needed, for example via RS232 interface. Disk retainers 24 for the disk stacks are placed on the table, around the master equipment served by the apparatus.
  • the apparatus may comprise a keyboard 23 for interfacing with the human operator. Depending on the number of disks to be processed, the user can choose the number and the positions of the disk retainers 24 to be used during each automated processing cycle. Once the configuration selected, the user have to place the disk retainers on the table, precisely at the locations further accessed by the apparatus.

Landscapes

  • Feeding And Guiding Record Carriers (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention concerne un procédé pour charger/décharger verticalement des objets similaires (15) vers/à partir d’un plateau horizontal d’une unité de traitement, l’objet étant incliné vers les équipement de traitement d’objet au cours du déplacement vertical et coulissant dans le plateau jusqu’à une position horizontale finale, qui peut être réalisé à l’aide d’un appareil de manipulation d’objet qui comprend un dispositif d’enlèvement original qui possède un élément de guidage (6) qui entre en contact avec l’objet et des pinces percées (9) qui coulissent de façon radiale et sont traversées par des bras courbes fixés à un actionneur (4) qui se déplace de façon axiale.
EP05798970A 2005-09-26 2005-09-26 Procédés et appareil de manipulation automatique d objet Withdrawn EP1940719A4 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/US2005/034247 WO2007040491A1 (fr) 2005-09-26 2005-09-26 Procédés et appareil de manipulation automatique d’objet

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1940719A1 true EP1940719A1 (fr) 2008-07-09
EP1940719A4 EP1940719A4 (fr) 2008-10-29

Family

ID=37906435

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP05798970A Withdrawn EP1940719A4 (fr) 2005-09-26 2005-09-26 Procédés et appareil de manipulation automatique d objet

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1940719A4 (fr)
WO (1) WO2007040491A1 (fr)

Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1993009538A1 (fr) * 1991-11-05 1993-05-13 Dirk De Jong Dispositif permettant la prehension et la manipulation d'objets
EP0813199A2 (fr) * 1996-06-10 1997-12-17 Eastman Kodak Company Appareil pour enlever un objet en forme de disque d'un support de disque
US5959959A (en) * 1994-12-09 1999-09-28 Nippon Columbia Co., Ltd. Automatic disk changer with detachable clampers held by a disk mounting mechanism
US5997204A (en) * 1996-03-12 1999-12-07 Societe Bic Retractable ball-point pen
US6164899A (en) * 1999-04-22 2000-12-26 Automated Concepts, Inc. Disk transfer apparatus
US6257636B1 (en) * 2000-06-02 2001-07-10 The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy Self-actuating mechanical grapple for lifting and handling objects
US20020009022A1 (en) * 2000-06-09 2002-01-24 Britz Todd A. Compact disc transporter
US20040017737A1 (en) * 2002-07-26 2004-01-29 Kyoto Seisakusho Co., Ltd. Apparatus for loading an optical disk into a case

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2402615A1 (fr) * 1977-09-09 1979-04-06 Brissonneau & Lotz Dispositif de prehension pour conteneur ou analogue

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1993009538A1 (fr) * 1991-11-05 1993-05-13 Dirk De Jong Dispositif permettant la prehension et la manipulation d'objets
US5959959A (en) * 1994-12-09 1999-09-28 Nippon Columbia Co., Ltd. Automatic disk changer with detachable clampers held by a disk mounting mechanism
US5997204A (en) * 1996-03-12 1999-12-07 Societe Bic Retractable ball-point pen
EP0813199A2 (fr) * 1996-06-10 1997-12-17 Eastman Kodak Company Appareil pour enlever un objet en forme de disque d'un support de disque
US6164899A (en) * 1999-04-22 2000-12-26 Automated Concepts, Inc. Disk transfer apparatus
US6257636B1 (en) * 2000-06-02 2001-07-10 The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy Self-actuating mechanical grapple for lifting and handling objects
US20020009022A1 (en) * 2000-06-09 2002-01-24 Britz Todd A. Compact disc transporter
US20040017737A1 (en) * 2002-07-26 2004-01-29 Kyoto Seisakusho Co., Ltd. Apparatus for loading an optical disk into a case

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See also references of WO2007040491A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2007040491A1 (fr) 2007-04-12
EP1940719A4 (fr) 2008-10-29

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