JP2000343472A - Workpiece transfer device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a workpiece transfer device capable of efficiently generating attraction to workpieces made of magnetic material with a plurality of magnetic chucks arranged close to each other. SOLUTION: This workpiece transfer device is provided with a plurality of magnetic chucks 1-1 to 1-10 arranged in parallel, and simultaneously attracts a plurality of workpieces made of magnetic material by means of magnetic force of these magnetic chucks 1-1 to 1-10 for transfer. The magnetic chucks 1-1 to 1-10 are magnetized so that the magnetic poles can face in a direction opposite to each other between the adjacent magnetic chucks.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a work transfer apparatus for simultaneously sucking and transferring a plurality of magnetic work pieces, and more particularly to a work transfer apparatus suitable for arranging a plurality of work pieces close to each other. The present invention relates to a work transfer device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, when automating bolt mounting,
It is necessary to hold the bolt by some mechanical means and transport it in a predetermined posture to the bolt mounting location. Not only in such automated bolt mounting, but also in a case where a work such as a bolt is conveyed to a predetermined location in a predetermined posture, means for holding the work is required.

As such a work holding means, for example, there is a mechanical chuck for mechanically holding a work. However, since the mechanical chuck grips the work from the outer periphery, the grip portion of the mechanical chuck generally has an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the work. For this reason, when carrying in a work to a narrow place, a grip part with a large outside diameter may interfere with the circumference of a carry-in place, and it may become difficult to carry in a work.

On the other hand, a magnet chuck that holds a work by an attractive force by magnetic force instead of mechanical gripping has also been developed, and is effective when the work is a magnetic material. In the case of this magnet chuck, if the magnetic force serving as the attraction force is sufficiently ensured, the workpiece can be attracted and held from its end face, and the outer diameter of the holding portion of the magnet chuck is equal to or less than the outer diameter of the workpiece. It is also possible to fit in.
Therefore, in the magnet chuck, even when the work is carried into a narrow place, the holding section does not interfere with the periphery of the carry-in place, and the work can be carried in.

[0005] A typical example of the magnetic chuck is an electromagnetic type. The electromagnetic type magnet chuck includes a magnetic force generating section having an electromagnetic coil therein, and receives a magnetic force generated by the magnetic force generating section. The outer diameter of the holding part can be reduced if the magnetic force can be sufficiently secured as described above, but the outer diameter of the magnetic force generating part is small due to the interior of the electromagnetic coil. It is easy to grow.

[0006]

By the way, for example, a cylinder head of an engine is mounted by fastening a plurality of mounting bolts to an upper portion of a cylinder block.
An obstacle such as a camshaft reference boss is present around the bolt mounting portion on the upper surface of the cylinder head and is extremely narrow. In particular, when the mounting bolt is carried in by a machine, a simple locus (normally Since it is desired to carry in a linear shape, a magnet chuck that can reduce the outer diameter of the holding portion is effective in avoiding obstacles.

In the case of the cylinder head mounting bolts described above, a plurality of bolts are mounted in close proximity. To efficiently mount the cylinder head, these bolts are simultaneously held by a magnet chuck. It is conceivable that the magnet chuck is moved into the bolt mounting portion on the upper surface of the cylinder head by moving the magnet chuck. This can be widely applied not only to the cylinder head mounting bolt but also to a magnetic work.

As described above, when a plurality of magnetic workpieces are simultaneously conveyed by the magnet chuck and each of the workpieces is carried into a narrow location, or when each workpiece is carried out from a narrow location, Generally, one magnet chuck is used for each work. Therefore, for example, in order to simultaneously transport a plurality of works, a plurality of (in general, the number of works) magnet chucks are arranged in parallel, each work is sucked by each magnet chuck, and then the plurality of magnet chucks are sucked. Are moved together so that each work is simultaneously carried into a predetermined destination.

Further, when the transport destinations of a plurality of works to be transported at the same time are located close to each other, a plurality of magnet chucks are arranged close to each other in parallel according to the transport destination position of each work. As described above, when a plurality of magnet chucks are arranged close to each other, and an attempt is made to increase the suction force on the work,
In the case of an electromagnetic magnet chuck, the outer diameter of the magnetic force generating portion is likely to be large, which may hinder the close proximity of the magnetic force generating portions. In addition to the electromagnetic type, the magnetic forces of adjacent magnet chucks may interfere with each other.

Therefore, in order to increase the suction force on the workpiece after bringing a plurality of magnet chucks close to each other,
In the case of the electromagnetic type, the magnetic force generating part can be reduced in size, but the magnetic force for holding the work can be secured efficiently, and the interference of the magnetic force between adjacent magnet chucks is suppressed to efficiently reduce the magnetic force. The challenge is to make it happen.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and has a structure in which a plurality of magnet chucks can be arranged close to each other while efficiently generating a suction force on a magnetic work. It is an object to provide a work transfer device.

[0012]

Therefore, in the work transfer apparatus of the present invention, a plurality of magnetic work pieces are simultaneously attracted and transferred by magnetic force by a plurality of magnet chucks arranged in parallel. Since the plurality of magnet chucks are magnetized so that the magnetic poles of the adjacent magnet chucks are opposite to each other, the magnetic force is increased between the adjacent magnet chucks, and the workpiece can be held with a large attractive force. .

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1 to 5 illustrate a work transfer apparatus as an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a view showing an arrangement of a plurality of magnet chucks, FIG. 2 is a view showing a magnet chuck, FIGS. 3 and 4 are schematic views showing a state of generation of a magnetic force, and FIG. 5 is a view showing characteristics thereof.

In the work transfer device of this embodiment, when a plurality of bolts for mounting the cylinder head are fastened to the upper part of the cylinder block in the engine assembling process, the plurality of bolts (work) are transferred to each bolt mounting portion. It is a device to do. When the cylinder head is mounted on the cylinder block, a plurality of bolts are used. The bolt mounting positions are generally positions corresponding to the four corners of the cylinder block and the cylinders on both sides of the cylinder row. For example, in the case of a four-cylinder in-line engine, four
Bolts are to be mounted at a total of 10 places, that is, 6 places on both sides between each cylinder.

This work transfer device simultaneously transfers a plurality of cylinder head mounting bolts in such a required arrangement state, and carries each bolt into each bolt mounting portion on the cylinder head. Each time it has a magnet chuck. Here, the magnet chuck will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2A, the magnet chuck 1 is of an electromagnetic type and a rod shape, and a ferromagnetic core (here, an iron core) 3 serving as a magnet in a case 2 has an axial center. An electromagnetic coil 4 is provided along the line, and is provided on the outer periphery on one end (upper end) side of the iron core 3, and is configured as a magnetic force generating unit 5. The electromagnetic coil 4 is supplied with power from a power supply device (not shown) through a conducting wire 4A. When the power is supplied, a magnetic field is generated to magnetize the iron core 3.

The other end (lower end) of the iron core 3 is formed with a work holding portion (hereinafter simply referred to as a holding portion) 6 for holding a bolt (work) 7. This holding part 6 is shown in FIG.
As shown in the figure, the shape is adapted to the shape of the head 8 of the bolt 7. That is, the cylinder head mounting bolt 7
The head 8 has a small-diameter portion 8A, a large-diameter portion 8B, and a tapered portion 8C that expands in a cone shape from the small-diameter portion 8A to the large-diameter portion 8B.
A, a small-diameter inner peripheral surface 6A, a tapered inner peripheral surface 6C, and a large-diameter inner peripheral surface 6B are formed so as to correspond to A, the tapered portion 8C, and the large-diameter portion 8B.

Of course, each inner peripheral surface 6A, 6
The diameters of C and 6B are formed to be slightly larger than the diameters of the corresponding small diameter portion 8A, tapered portion 8C and large diameter portion 8B, and the head 8 of the bolt 7 is easily fitted into the holding portion 6. It is possible to do it. 9 is a washer,
Like the bolt 7, the washer is formed of an iron material that is a ferromagnetic material, and is absorbed by the holding portion 6 integrally with the bolt 7.

The case 2 is enlarged in diameter in the magnetic force generating section 5 because the electromagnetic coil 4 is housed therein.
Therefore, the diameter of the bolt 7 is reduced to a sufficiently small diameter to about the outer diameter of the head 8 of the bolt 7. Thus, the holding portion 6 and its vicinity can enter a narrow space.

In the present work transfer apparatus, as shown in FIG. 1A, a plurality of such magnet chucks 1 are provided in parallel. Then, the holding unit 6 of each magnet chuck 1
Are arranged as shown in FIG. 1B in plan view.
Here, when distinguishing the respective magnet chucks 1, the respective magnet chucks are referred to as 1-1, 1-2, 1-
3,1-4,1-5,1-6,1-7,1-8,1-
Shown at 9, 1-10. When discriminating the holding portions 6 as well, 6-1, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4, 6-5, 6-
6, 6-7, 6-8, 6-9, and 6-10. In addition,
In FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 and FIG.
Indicates an N pole.

FIGS. 1A and 1B show a case of a four-cylinder in-line engine as an example. A cylinder head mounting bolt for mounting a cylinder head to a cylinder block is shown in FIG.
(A) and (B) are provided at ten locations so as to correspond to the holding portions 6-1 to 6-10. Of course, the cylinder head mounting bolts are not limited to such an arrangement, but a plurality of bolts are generally arranged close to each other.

The plurality of magnet chucks 1-1 to 1-10 arranged as described above are mounted on an operation end of an arm or the like (not shown), and are started together with the arm or the like by a transfer drive mechanism (not shown) to start a predetermined transfer. It is driven from a position (ie, a bolt receiving position) to a predetermined transfer end position (a bolt carry-in position on a cylinder head) to transfer a bolt (ie, a work).

The magnet chuck 1 is usually used alone, but when a plurality of magnet chucks 1 are arranged close to each other and used in parallel as in the present work transfer device, adjacent magnet chucks 1 are used. It has been found by tests in the process of devising the present application that the magnetic forces of No. 1 interfere with each other and the magnetic force for attracting the bolt (work) decreases.

That is, in the magnet chuck 1 existing as an existing product, it is not specified whether the holding portion 6 is an S-pole or an N-pole. It is generally conceivable to produce the magnet chuck 1 having the same polarity of the holding portion 6 by setting the magnetic chuck 1 to either one of the N-pole and the N-pole. In the process of devising the present application, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, a case in which a plurality of magnet chucks 1 having the same polarity of the holding unit 6 are arranged adjacent to each other was considered. And bolts (work) for such a configuration (same polarity arrangement)
A test was conducted to suction the magnetic chuck, and it was found that the suction force was lower than when the magnet chuck 1 was used alone.

For example, a broken line L1 shown in FIG. 5 is a graph showing a magnetic force (bolt attraction force) G generated in the holding portion 6 when the holding portions 6 are arranged in the same polarity as shown in FIG.
The magnetic force G tends to decrease as the coil temperature rises depending on the coil temperature. However, in the case of a unipolar arrangement, as shown in the figure, when the coil temperature rises to some extent, the level becomes lower than the level BL required for bolt adsorption. It can be seen that the magnetic force G decreases.

As described above, when the holding portions 6 are arranged in the same polarity, a sufficient magnetic force G cannot be obtained because, as shown in FIG. It can be inferred that it causes a decrease. Lines extending from the periphery of each magnet chuck 1 indicate magnetic lines of force, but these lines of magnetic force are only estimates, and may differ from actual lines of magnetic force.

Therefore, through such a process, the magnetic poles between the adjacent magnet chucks 1 and 1 are arranged so as to be opposite to each other (when reduced, the magnetic poles are arranged so as to be opposite to each other). Each magnet chuck 1,
Magnetizing 1). That is, FIG.
As shown in (B), the magnetic poles of the holding portion 6 are set to be different from each other between the vertically and horizontally adjacent magnet chucks 1. For example, when the magnet chuck 1-1 at the first position is set so that the holding unit 6-1 has the N pole, the magnet chucks 1-2 at the second position adjacent to the magnet chuck 1-1 and For the magnet chuck 1-3 in the third position, the holding unit 6
-1 is set as the S pole.

The holding portion 6-4 of the magnet chuck 1-4 at the fourth position has the same N pole as the holding portion 6-1 of the magnet chuck 1-1 at the first position. As described above, with respect to the magnet chucks 1 and 1 positioned diagonally, the holding portions 6 have the same polar arrangement, but since the magnet chucks 1 and 1 are relatively far apart, mutual interference is small. , Rather, the vertically and horizontally adjacent magnet chucks 1,
The magnetic force of each magnet chuck 1 is greatly increased as a whole since the magnetic force enhancing effect of the reverse pole arrangement between the ones is large.

The work transfer device as one embodiment of the present invention is configured as described above, and is arranged such that the magnetic poles of the holding portions 6, 6 are opposite to each other between the magnet chucks 1, 1 adjacent to each other. (Reverse pole arrangement)
As shown by the solid line L2 in FIG. 5, the magnetic force G generated by the holding unit 6 is smaller than that in the case where the magnet chucks 1 of the magnetic force generating units 5 (ie, the electromagnetic coils 4) having the same capacity are arranged in the same polarity (broken line L1). Is significantly increased to a level sufficiently larger than the level BL required for bolt suction.

Therefore, according to the present work transfer device,
The bolt chucking force can be greatly increased without increasing the capability of the magnetic force generating unit 5 while the magnet chuck 1 is arranged adjacent to the magnet chuck 1, and there is an effect that the bolt can be securely held and transported reliably. . In addition, when the required bolt attracting force is small, the ability required for the magnetic force generating unit 5 is reduced, and the magnetic force generating unit 5, that is, the electromagnetic coil 4 is reduced in size and weight, thereby reducing the size of the entire apparatus. , Lightening and cost reduction can be promoted.

In this embodiment, the cylinder head mounting bolt has been described. However, the work transfer device of the present invention is not limited to such a bolt, and may be used for all magnetic work. This is extremely effective, especially when applied to a case where a work is carried in to a position close to each other or a work is carried out from a position close to each other.

In this embodiment, all the magnet chucks 1 vertically and horizontally adjacent to each other are arranged in opposite poles. For example, when the distance between the works is not constant, the distance between the works to be held and transported is short. The present invention may be applied to a part of the device, for example, by applying the reverse pole arrangement only to the thing. Further, in the present embodiment, one work is held and carried by one magnet chuck. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a plurality of works are held and carried by one magnet chuck. Is also good.

Further, in the present embodiment, the description has been given of the electromagnet type magnet chuck, but application to other magnet chucks such as a permanent magnet type is also conceivable.

[0033]

As described above in detail, according to the work transfer device of the present invention, the magnetic force is increased between the adjacent magnet chucks and the work can be held with a large suction force. Without increasing the capacity or size of the workpiece, it is possible to hold and transport multiple adjacent workpieces simultaneously with sufficient suction force, and to transport multiple workpieces from a narrow part or to a narrow part. Can be reliably and easily carried in.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an arrangement of a plurality of magnet chucks in a work transfer device as one embodiment of the present invention, wherein (A) is a schematic perspective view of the plurality of magnet chucks, and (B) is a plurality of magnets; It is a schematic plan view of the holding part of a chuck.

FIG. 2 is a view showing a magnet chuck used in a work transfer device as one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
1 is a side view and a cross-sectional view thereof, and FIG. 2B is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an enlarged portion A of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which a magnetic force is generated in a work transfer device as one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a state of generation of a magnetic force in the work transfer device conceived in the process of devising the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing characteristics of the work transfer device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 1-1 to 1-10 Magnet chuck 2 Case 3 Ferromagnetic core (iron core) 4 Electromagnetic coil 5 Magnetic force generator 6, 6-1 to 6-10 Work holder 7 Bolt (Work) 8 Bolt 7 head 9 washer

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Nobuo Fujiwara F-term (reference) 3F061 AA06 CA07 CC00 within Mitsubishi Motors Industries, Ltd. 5-33-8 Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A work transfer device comprising a plurality of magnet chucks arranged in parallel, wherein the plurality of magnetic chucks simultaneously attract and transfer a plurality of magnetic work pieces by magnetic force. The plurality of magnet chucks are magnetized so that the directions of magnetic poles between adjacent magnet chucks are opposite to each other.