JP2000033590A - Clamp mechanism of manipulator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a clamp mechanism of a manipulator capable of using an inexpensive air cylinder without using an expensive hydraulic cylinder or a servo motor by providing a plurality of cylinders for driving the clamp mechanism and using the plurality of cylinders separately in accordance with operation processes. SOLUTION: In a plate material working machine such as a bending machine, an upper clamper 9 is provided by engaging oppositely with a lower clamper 8 in a C-shaped frame 1 of a manipulator Ma capable of positioning and supplying a workpiece freely, and a lifting device is mounted on a clamp base 4 to constitute an upper clamp unit Uc together with the upper clamper 9. A plurality of functional cylinders as a lifting device for the upper clamp unit Uc and a driving device for the upper clamper 9 are provided, the plurality of cylinders are used separately in accordance with purposes of operation processes at the time of loading, regraping, and conveying of a workpiece to enable highly efficient and rational bending work.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a clamp mechanism for a manipulator in a plate processing machine such as a bending machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art (Prior art 1) A hydraulic cylinder or the like is used, a large stroke operation is provided, and a large output specification is provided. (Prior art 2) A ball screw mechanism is used in addition to a servomotor to control the torque of the servomotor. (Conventional technology 3) It is known that a toggle mechanism is used in addition to an air cylinder, and a two-stage (high-speed, low-power, low-speed, high-power) specification is used, and only small-stroke cylinders are operated when gripping. Can be

[0003]

However, in the above conventional example, (Prior Art 1) requires a hydraulic unit, has a large stroke and a large output, and cannot change the clamping force even if the plate thickness changes. Prior art 2) Although the stroke can be changed, the clamping force cannot be changed even if the plate thickness changes as in the prior art 1, and it is expensive. (Prior art 3) Since the toggle mechanism is used, there is a problem that the clamping force fluctuates beyond a predetermined value depending on the plate thickness, and it is difficult to adjust the clamping force.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points. In a plate material processing machine such as a bending machine, a plurality of cylinders are provided for driving a clamp mechanism, and the plurality of cylinders are used in an operation process. An object of the present invention is to provide a clamp mechanism for a manipulator which can be used properly according to the requirements and can be used as an inexpensive air cylinder without using an expensive hydraulic cylinder or servomotor.

[0005]

The present invention can solve the above-mentioned problems by providing the following constitution.

(1) In a plate material processing machine such as a bending machine, an upper clamper is provided on a C-shaped frame of a manipulator capable of positioning and supplying a work so as to be engaged with and opposed to a lower clamper, and a lifting device is mounted on a clamp base. An upper clamp unit is formed together with the upper clamper, and a plurality of function-specific cylinders are provided as the lifting / lowering device for the upper clamp unit and the driving device for the upper clamper. A clamp mechanism for a manipulator, wherein the plurality of cylinders are selectively used according to the purpose of a process, and a highly efficient and rational machining operation can be performed.

(2) The plurality of function-specific cylinders include a first cylinder forming a large-diameter, small-stroke, large-output cylinder and a second cylinder forming a small-diameter, large-stroke, small-output cylinder. The clamp mechanism for a manipulator according to the above (1).

(3) The clamp for a manipulator according to the above (1), wherein the first cylinder is used in a workpiece gripping step under conditions of a large output and a small stroke when loading and gripping a workpiece. mechanism.

(4) The clamp mechanism for a manipulator according to the above (1), wherein the second cylinder is used in a work lifting process under conditions of a small output and a large stroke when the work is carried out.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a main part including a clamp mechanism of a manipulator according to the present invention, and FIG. 2A is an arrangement of a bending machine (bender) as an example of a plate processing machine, a manipulator, and a front table. FIG. 4B is a plan view showing an example and an example of a work flow, and FIG.
Indicates that the height of the upper clamper is 10 mm above the upper surface of the front table, FIG. 3C shows the operation state of the upper clamper at the time of “grab change”, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a side view showing a general configuration example of a bending machine body and a work clamp of a manipulator, and FIG. 4 shows an opening amount of the clamper. FIG.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is a C-shaped frame of a manipulator Ma, 2 is a linear motion bearing, 3 is an air cylinder, 4 is a clamp base, 5 is a strong clamp cylinder, 6 is a lower clamper rotating motor, 7 Is a reduction gear, 8 is a lower clamper, 9 is an upper clamper, 10 is a stopper cylinder, the C-shaped frame 1 of the manipulator Ma is movable along a guide rail (not shown), and is strongly clamped on the clamp base 4. A cylinder 5 is mounted, and an upper clamper 9 is suspended from the lower end of the strong clamp cylinder 5 so as to be vertically movable, and the clamp base 4, the strong clamp cylinder 5 and the upper clamper 9 constitute an upper clamp unit Uc, The upper clamp unit Uc is suspended from the air cylinder 3 and moves up and down via the linear bearing 2. A resident, the stopper cylinder 1 acts stopper cylinder 10 is to prevent an excessive increase of the clamping base 4 at the falling edge of the air cylinder 3
0 is inserted into the locking hole 4a of the clamp base 4 and receives a reaction force when the strong clamp cylinder 5 acts. It is configured to be able to operate stably while maintaining a stationary state.

As means for preventing the clamp base 4 from being excessively raised, a stopper may be provided on the manipulator Ma side so as to be able to protrude and retract from the position above the clamp base 4 located at the lower end by an air cylinder.

Further, a cylinder having a large diameter, a large output, and a small stroke is used as a first cylinder in a workpiece gripping step at the time of loading and gripping.
The second cylinder is a cylinder having a small diameter, a small output, and a large stroke, and is used at the time of a work or product lifting process at the time of carrying out the work or product.

The upper clamper 9 cooperates with the lower clamper 8 to clamp the work W, and the lower clamper 8 rotates via the speed reducer 7 by the rotation of the lower clamper rotating motor 6. When positioning the workpiece,
The upper clamper 9 is configured to be rotatable with the rotation of the lower clamper 8.
Bearings (not shown) are interposed in the upper and lower middle portions of the.

The operation will be described with reference to the above configuration and FIG.

First, the stroke position of the clamp unit will be described. If the clamp position is 0 (zero) and the workpiece is a flat plate, the loading standby position of the workpiece or the ascending position at the time of gripping (the so-called “chung raising position”) A position 10 mm upward from the clamp position,
Lifting position 250mm when unloading products after descent
Are required to shorten the tact time.

(At the time of loading) When loading a work W to be processed onto a front table of a bending machine (bender), first, an air cylinder 3, which is a second cylinder having a small diameter, a small output, and a large stroke, has a stroke end ( Lowering end: 10 mm from the upper surface of the front table (Fig. 2
(B)), and insert the rod-shaped body 10a provided at the distal end of the stopper cylinder 10 into the locking hole 4a of the clamp base 4 so as to resist the reaction force at the time of clamping.
While the strong clamp cylinder 5 is in operation, the stationary clamp state is maintained and a stable clamping operation is enabled, the strong clamp cylinder 5 is lowered, and the upper clamper 9 and the lower Hold and clamp strongly.

(At the time of gripping change) When the clamp position of the work W is changed by the manipulator Ma, the strong clamp cylinder 5, which is the first cylinder having a large diameter, a large output, and a small stroke, is raised to unclamp the work W. The C-shaped frame 1 moves to a gripping position along a guide (not shown), and at a predetermined position, only the first cylinder 5 is lowered to clamp the work W.

(Unloading of Work) When the product Ws is unloaded from the front table after the bending process is completed, the strong clamp cylinder 5, which is the first cylinder, is lifted, and then the stopper cylinder 10 is actuated to lock the rod 10a. Blind hole 4
a, the upper clamper 9 is lifted together with the clamp base 4, the upper clamper 9 is sufficiently separated from the height position of the flange dimension H of the product Ws, and then the operation shifts to the product unloading operation (FIG. 2). (A), (b),
(C), (d)).

[0021]

According to the present invention, in a plate material processing machine such as a bending machine, a plurality of cylinders are provided for driving a clamp mechanism, and the plurality of cylinders can be selectively used in accordance with the operation process. Alternatively, it is possible to provide an inexpensive air cylinder without using a servomotor or the like.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a main part including a clamp mechanism of a manipulator according to the present invention.

FIG. 2A is a plan view showing an example of an arrangement of a bending machine (bender), a manipulator, a front table and an example of a flow of a work as an example of a plate material processing machine, and FIG.
It shows that the height of the upper clamper at the time of “loading” is 10 mm from the upper surface of the front table, and FIG. (C) shows the operation state of the upper clamper at “at the time of gripping”, and FIG. Side view and perspective view showing the operating state of the upper clamper at the time of "product unloading"

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a general configuration example of a bending machine body and a work clamp of a manipulator;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an opening amount of a clamper.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 C type frame 2 Linear bearing 3 Air cylinder (2nd cylinder) 4 Clamp base 4a Locking hole 5 Strong clamp cylinder (1st cylinder) 6 Lower clamper rotation cylinder 7 Reduction gear 8 Lower clamper 9 Upper clamper 10 Stopper cylinder 10a Rod body Ma Manipulator W Work Ws Product

Claims (4)

[Claims] In a plate material processing machine such as a bending machine, an upper clamper is provided on a C-shaped frame of a manipulator capable of positioning and supplying a workpiece so as to be engaged with a lower clamper, and an elevating device is mounted on a clamp base. And an upper clamp unit together with the upper clamper. A plurality of function-specific cylinders are provided as the lifting / lowering device for the upper clamp unit and the driving device for the upper clamper. Depending on the purpose of using the plurality of cylinders properly, high efficiency,
A clamp mechanism for a manipulator characterized in that a rational machining operation can be performed. 2. A plurality of function-specific cylinders, the first cylinder forming a large-diameter, small-stroke, high-output cylinder;
The second to form a small bore, large stroke, small output cylinder
2. The clamp mechanism for a manipulator according to claim 1, comprising a cylinder. 3. The clamp mechanism for a manipulator according to claim 1, wherein the first cylinder is used at the time of a workpiece gripping process that requires a large output and a small stroke when loading and gripping a workpiece. 4. The clamp mechanism for a manipulator according to claim 1, wherein the second cylinder is used in a work lifting process that requires a small stroke and a large stroke when the work is carried out.