JP2004155607A - Method and device for positioning glass plate - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To position flat glass plates before being subjected to various working such as bending and surface working as windowpanes for vehicles, glass plates for industry used for electric appliances, industrial equipment or the like, and glass plates of furniture, etc., on a transport line. <P>SOLUTION: A glass plate supported by suction with a suction pad provided on the hand of a transfer robot or the like is mounted on an air table jetting air from the upper face in a floating state. After the release of the suction by the suction pad, while a pressure member formed on the peripheral part of the suction face of the suction pad or provided in the vicinity thereof is abutted on the upper face of the floating glass plate, the glass plate is moved by frictional force between the pressure member and the glass plate, and is positioned so that the edges of the glass plate are abutted on positioning guides provided on at least two places at the one side part of the air table. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention conveys a flat glass sheet before being subjected to various processing such as bending and surface processing as a glass sheet for a window glass for a vehicle, an industrial glass sheet used for home appliances and industrial equipment, a furniture sheet and the like. The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for positioning on a line.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, many methods and apparatuses for positioning a plate-shaped body such as a glass plate on a transfer line in order to perform processing or the like have been proposed and known.
[0003]
For example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-296435 related to an earlier application by the present applicant, a deformed glass is placed in a horizontal posture on a horizontally slidable support table, and the support table is placed on the X axis and the Y axis. The glass is tilted in the direction, the deformed glass is brought closer to a corner portion on the lower side due to the inclination on the support table, and is positioned by contacting stoppers provided on two sides sandwiching the corner. Disclosed is a method of positioning a deformed glass, and further, a sliding means for allowing the deformed glass plate to slide on a support, and slightly raising and inclining one end of the X-axis and the Y-axis of the support, and Abutting means for facilitating the sliding of the support table, and abutting plate members in the vertical and horizontal sides sandwiching a corner portion which is the lower end side of the support base due to the inclination, and abutting against a slipped deformed glass plate comprising a stopper provided near the plate material. Positioning device of the modified glass was disclosed which is characterized in that a part abutment means.
[0004]
Also, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 6-247594 by the present applicant, one side on the surface of an air table with a roll conveyor for jetting and floating a deformed glass plate is projected in a transverse direction toward the center of the roll. And a reference pusher provided with a stopper which comes into contact with an end surface of the glass plate and serves as a reference position, and a reciprocating means provided on a cross beam of a gantry provided on the air table at a position facing the reference pusher. A transverse pusher provided with a disc-shaped or square-plate-shaped contact member that protrudes in the transverse direction and presses against the end surface of the glass plate at the lower end of the rod that hangs down from the base, and sandwiches the transverse pusher into the conveyor. A pair of reciprocating means comprising opposed reciprocating means suspended from a bracket which is separated in the transport direction and reciprocally traversed by forward and backward moving means attached to the cross beam; The positioning device of profiled glass provided with a Fischer disclosed a positioner profiled glass, characterized in that a pivoting means allowed to placing horizontally rotating the reciprocating means on said bracket.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2000-296435 A [Patent Document 2]
JP-A-6-247594
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
When a glass sheet for a vehicle is continuously bent and formed, a flat glass sheet cut into a predetermined shape is positioned before being put into a bending furnace, and then sequentially conveyed into the bending furnace by a conveyor.
[0007]
One of the methods for supporting and transporting these glass plates is to position the one edge of the glass plate so as to abut a support member attached to a transport chain or the like while floating the glass plate on an air table. There is a method of transporting while supporting.
[0008]
In this case, since the transport chain is provided in a closed loop shape in a long tunnel-shaped bending furnace, the number of support members that support the glass plate attached to the transport chain also reaches one hundred and several tens, The positioning position of the glass plate is not fixed due to the bending of the conveyed chain, the elongation of the chain, and errors in the mounting positions of many support members.
[0009]
For this reason, when the glass plate is moved by a transfer device such as a robot, and the glass plate is brought into contact with the support member on the transfer line and the positioning is attempted, the support member itself used as the positioning guide is attached to the chain. And positioning is not sufficient.
[0010]
In the method disclosed in Patent Document 1, when positioning a glass plate, the air table is tilted in the X-axis and Y-axis directions to move the glass plate by its own weight, and the glass plate is moved perpendicular to the lower side of the air table. The glass plate after positioning can be brought into contact with the stopper because it is positioned by abutting the positioning stopper provided on the side, but in the middle of the line for continuously transporting the glass plate. In the case of positioning, there is a problem that it takes a long time to position, for example, the glass plate is once stopped and the air table needs to be tilted every time one glass plate is positioned.
[0011]
Further, the one disclosed in Patent Document 2 relates to a positioning device for a glass plate having an irregular shape used for a door glass for a vehicle and the like, and a flat glass plate is floated on an air table for positioning. Although it is intended to press and position the sides or corners of the glass plate from the direction of each side of the glass plate with a pusher, there is no problem with the positioning device itself of the present invention, but the present invention When applied to a positioning device in which a pusher that presses one side of a glass plate is attached to a transport chain and has to be a supporting member having play, the glass plate is not necessarily applied to the supporting member even by the positioning operation. There was a problem that the contact could not always be achieved.
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, that is, a glass plate is always brought into contact with a positioning guide having a play or play that is attached to a transport chain with a simple structure by fast tact positioning. The purpose is to achieve positioning.
[0013]
That is, according to the present invention, a glass plate supported by suction by a suction pad provided on a hand of a transfer robot or the like is placed in a floating state on an air table that blows air from the upper surface, and after suction of the suction pad is released. By moving the glass plate by the frictional force between the pressing member and the glass plate while bringing the pressing member attached to or adjacent to the peripheral portion of the suction surface of the suction pad into contact with the upper surface of the floating glass plate. A glass plate positioning method characterized in that positioning is performed by bringing an edge of a glass plate into contact with at least two positioning guides provided on one side of an air table.
[0014]
Alternatively, the present invention provides an air table for ejecting air from a plurality of pores provided on an upper surface to make a glass plate floatable, and positioning the edge of the glass plate in contact with one edge side of the air table. At least two positioning guides, suction means comprising suction pads for suction-supporting the upper surface of the glass plate, a pressing member for contacting the upper surface of the glass plate floating by the air table, and a pressing member which can be pressed by the robot hand. And a pressing / moving means for horizontally moving the glass plate on the table by the frictional force of the glass plate.
[0015]
Alternatively, the present invention is the above-described apparatus for positioning a glass plate, wherein a sponge rubber or the like is applied to the glass suction surface of the suction pad as the pressing and moving means.
[0016]
Alternatively, the present invention is characterized in that the pressing and moving means is provided with a pressing member made of a sponge rubber material in a vicinity of a suction pad and capable of being pressed downward by a spring and having a contact portion with a glass plate. Is a positioning device for a glass plate.
[0017]
The glass sheet positioning device according to any of the above, wherein the positioning guide is mounted with a play at the mounting position.
[0018]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The glass plate G positioning apparatus 1 of the present invention places the glass plate G, which is suction-supported by a suction pad 31 provided on a hand 11 such as a robot as the pressing and moving means 10, on the air table 2 in a horizontal posture. After the placement, the suction pad 31 is released from suction and the glass plate is released, and the glass that floats on the pressing member 35 made of sponge rubber or the like that is attached to the suction surface of the suction pad 31 with the glass plate or that is disposed in the vicinity thereof. The floating glass plate G is brought into contact with the plurality of positioning guides 3 provided on one side of the air table 2 by the frictional force between the pressing member 35 and the glass plate G while being in contact with the upper surface of the plate G. Moving and positioning.
[0019]
In particular, the positioning method and apparatus of the present invention are designed so that the glass sheet G is brought into contact with the positioning guides 3 attached to the transport chain that moves continuously at a constant speed in the bending furnace for bending and strengthening the glass sheet. An effective method and apparatus for positioning.
[0020]
The air table 2 has a plurality of pores on the upper surface thereof, and the compressed air can be ejected from the pores to float the glass plate G.
[0021]
In the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the robot hand 11 includes a support plate 13 and the like attached to the tip of a robot arm 12, and the suction unit 30 is attached to a substantially central portion of the support plate 13 by an elevating cylinder 21 or the like. Elevating means 20 for elevating and lowering is attached.
[0022]
The elevating means 20 has an elevating cylinder 21 attached to the center of the support plate 13, and an elevating plate 27 is attached via a bracket 28 to the tip of a cylinder rod 22 which can be expanded and contracted by the operation of the elevating cylinder 21.
[0023]
At the center of the elevating plate 27, a suction pad 31 was provided as a suction means 30.
[0024]
On the other hand, a cylindrical portion of a pair of linear guides 23 is fixed to both ends of the support plate 13, and a guide shaft 24 slidable inside the cylindrical shape of the linear guides 23. , 24 are inserted, and an elevating stopper 26 is provided at the upper end of the guide shafts 24, 24, and the lower end is fixed to both ends of an elevating plate 27 via a mounting member 25.
[0025]
For this reason, when the cylinder rod 22 expands and contracts by the operation of the lifting cylinder 21, the lifting plate 27 can be raised and lowered smoothly by the pair of linear guides 23.
[0026]
The elevating cylinder 21 is normally in a state where the cylinder rod is extended, and when an abnormality occurs in the handling robot or the like, the cylinder rod 22 of the elevating cylinder 21 is retracted, and the glass plate G being put in for positioning and the robot hand are moved. Pull apart.
[0027]
This is because the positioning guides 3 and 3 are also moved together with the chain for transporting the glass plate G. Therefore, when the handling robot stops abnormally during positioning, the glass plate is released and the suction pad and the like are separated from the glass plate. Otherwise, it may collide with the moving positioning guide and cause breakage.
[0028]
As shown in FIG. 2, the peripheral portion of the suction surface of the suction pad 31 is made of rubber, but a sponge-like pressing member 35 is attached to the peripheral portion to increase the frictional force with the glass plate G. I did it.
[0029]
Further, when the pressing member 35 is pressed against the glass plate G, the pressing member 35 is excessively compressed to block the air passage to the suction hole 33, and a plurality of suction pads 31 are provided inside the suction pad 31 so that the suction force is not impaired. Stoppers 32, 32, ... are provided.
[0030]
In the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a pressing member 35 made of a sponge that is pressed and moved by using a frictional force with the glass plate G is attached to a peripheral portion of a contact surface of the suction pad 31 with the glass plate. However, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the pressing member 35 and the suction pad 31 are separately arranged, and a plurality of pressing members 35, 35,. You may do it.
[0031]
In the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the robot hand 11 attached to the distal end of the robot arm 12 has substantially the same structure as that shown in the first embodiment, except that the pressing members 35, 35,. Is provided around the suction pad 31.
[0032]
The pressing members 35, 35,... Have a cylindrical member 38 attached to the periphery of the elevating plate 27, and the pressing rod 37 is inserted into the cylindrical member 38 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction. A stopper 39 is fixed to the upper end of 37, and a pressing member 35 is attached to the lower end.
[0033]
Further, since the spring member 36 is provided so as to surround the pressing rod 37 between the pressing member 35 and the cylindrical member 38, a force for pressing the pressing member 35 downward by the restoring force due to the compression of the spring member 36 acts. . Further, the pressing rod 37 does not fall out of the cylindrical member 38 by the stopper 39.
[0034]
When positioning the glass plate G floating on the air table 2, the suction pad 31 is released, the cylinder rod of the lifting cylinder 21 is always extended, and when an abnormality occurs in the handling robot or the like, It is necessary to retract the cylinder rod 22 of the lifting cylinder 21 in order to separate the robot hand from the glass plate G that is being loaded for positioning.
[0035]
When the glass plate G is sucked and handled, the pressing member 35 is pressed and the spring material is sucked in a compressed state.
[0036]
Also, when positioning the glass plate, if the glass plate being sucked is released slightly above the air table surface, the glass plate falls slightly by its own weight and separates from the suction pad but is in close contact with the pressing member 35. .
[0037]
Alternatively, after releasing the glass plate at a regular height, the handling robot is slightly raised, and the suction pad and the glass plate are separated from each other, but are brought into close contact with the pressing member 35, and then pressed against the positioning guide.
[0038]
The pressing member 35 is made of sponge rubber or the like having a high frictional force with the glass plate surface, and enables the glass plate G to move horizontally by the frictional force with the glass plate G.
Lower position.
[0039]
In the positioning method and apparatus 1 of the present invention, when the glass plate G is positioned by the pressing and moving means, the glass plate G floated on the air table 2 is not suctioned by the suction pad 31 and the pressing member 35 and the glass surface The glass plate G is moved so as to be pressed against the positioning guides 3, 3 only by the frictional force of the above, so that even if the pressing member 35 is further moved after the contact with the positioning guides 3, 3, the moving force of the hand is still the frictional force. , The pressing member 35 slips on the glass surface, and only the pressing member 35 moves.
[0040]
Next, the operation of the glass sheet positioning method and apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0041]
First, as shown in FIG. 6A, a flat glass plate G is placed in a horizontal orientation at a substantially central position of the air table 2 by a handling robot or the like in a preset direction.
[0042]
The glass plate G floats and slides with the air jetted from a plurality of pores provided on the upper surface of the air table 2, and the compressed air jetted has a pressure enough to slightly float the glass plate G to be positioned. Is enough.
[0043]
While the air table 2 blows out air and lifts the glass plate G, the suction pad 31 is cut off to release the glass plate G. The glass plate G is configured to release the air from below and the suction pad 31 from above. The air table 2 is kept stationary at a certain distance from the air table 2 by pressing.
[0044]
As shown in FIG. 6B, a pressing member 35 made of sponge rubber or the like having a large coefficient of friction is adhered to the contact surface of the suction pad 31 with the glass plate G. When the robot hand 11 is moved toward the positioning guides 3, 3 in a state where the glass plate G is pressed, the glass plate G comes into contact with the positioning guides 3, 3 and stops, but as shown in FIG. Is merely in contact with the glass plate G, so that it slides further toward the positioning guides 3,3.
[0045]
As shown in FIG. 6 (d), the pressing member 35 slides on the glass plate G and stops after a predetermined stroke while the glass plate G is kept pressed against the positioning guides 3, 3. When the hand 11 moves up, the positioning of the glass plate G is completed.
[0046]
Next, the operation of the glass sheet positioning method and apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0047]
As shown in FIG. 7A, a flat glass plate G is placed in a horizontal orientation at a substantially central position of the air table 2 by a handling robot or the like in a preset direction.
[0048]
The glass plate G floats and slides with the air jetted from a plurality of pores provided on the upper surface of the air table 2, and the compressed air jetted has a pressure enough to slightly float the glass plate G to be positioned. Is enough.
[0049]
While the air table 2 blows out air and lifts the glass plate G, the suction pad 31 is cut off to release the glass plate G. The glass plate G is configured to release the air from below and the suction pad 31 from above. The air table 2 is kept stationary at a certain distance from the air table 2 by pressing.
[0050]
As shown in FIG. 7 (b), when the robot is slightly raised, the contact of the glass plate G changes from the suction pad to the pressing member, and the contact surface between the glass plate and the pressing member has a large friction coefficient such as rubber. When the robot hand 11 is moved toward the positioning guides 3 and 3 in a state where the glass plate G is pressed by the pressing member 35, only the glass plate G comes into contact with the positioning guides 3 and stops. As shown in FIG. 7 (c), the pressing member 35 is merely in contact with the glass plate G, so that the pressing member 35 further slides toward the positioning guides 3, 3.
[0051]
As shown in FIG. 7D, the pressing member 35 slides on the glass plate G and stops after a predetermined stroke while the glass plate G is being pressed against the positioning guides 3 and 3. When the hand 11 moves up, the positioning of the glass plate G is completed.
[0052]
The glass plate G that has come into contact with the positioning guide while floating on the air table is transferred to a predetermined location in the next step in accordance with the movement of the positioning guides 3.
[0053]
Although the preferred embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this.
[0054]
The glass plate G may be a glass plate having a different shape such as a rectangular shape, a triangular shape, or a trapezoidal shape.
[0055]
The mounting position of the positioning guide 3 may be fixed to a transport chain that is transported at a constant speed, or may be fixed to an air table in a stationary state.
[0056]
【The invention's effect】
ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION This invention can make a glass plate reliably and accurately contact | abut with the positioning guide which has play and backlash attached to the conveyance chain with a simple structure reliably.
[0057]
Further, since the speed of positioning the glass plate is high, the production efficiency is high, and the positioning can be easily performed even in various shapes.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view of a hand according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the hand according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a side view of a hand according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the hand according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a front view of a hand according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a side view for explaining operations (a) to (d) of the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a side view for explaining operations (a) to (d) of the second embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
G Glass plate 1 Positioning device 2 Air table 3 Positioning guide 10 Pressing and moving means 11 Robot hand 12 Robot arm 13 Support plate 20 Elevating means 21 Elevating cylinder 22 Cylinder rod 23 Linear guide 24 Guide shaft 25 Mounting member 26 Stopper 27 Elevating plate 28 Bracket 30 suction means 31 suction pad 32 stopper 33 suction hole 35 pressing member 36 spring material 37 pressing rod 38 cylindrical member 39 stopper

Claims (5)

The glass plate supported by the suction pad provided on the hand of the transfer robot or the like is placed in a floating state on an air table that blows out air from the upper surface, and after suction of the suction pad is released, the suction surface of the suction pad is released. While pressing the pressing member attached to or near the peripheral portion of the glass plate against the upper surface of the floating glass plate, the glass plate is moved by the frictional force between the pressing member and the glass plate, and one side of the air table is moved. A positioning method for a glass plate, wherein the positioning is performed such that an edge of the glass plate comes into contact with positioning guides provided at least at two places on a side portion. An air table for ejecting air from a plurality of pores provided on the upper surface to allow the glass plate to float, and at least two positioning members for positioning the glass plate in contact with one edge of the air table near one edge side thereof A guide, a suction means including a suction pad for suction-supporting the upper surface of the glass plate, a pressing member abutting the upper surface of the glass plate floating by the air table, and a pressing member which can be pressed by a robot hand and the frictional force of the glass plate. A pressing device for horizontally moving a glass plate on a table. A positioning device for a glass plate. 3. The glass sheet positioning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the pressing and moving means is configured to apply a sponge rubber or the like to the glass suction surface of the suction pad. 3. The glass plate according to claim 2, wherein the pressing / moving means is provided with a pressing member made of a sponge rubber material at a position close to the periphery of the suction pad and capable of being pressed downward by a spring and abutting against the glass plate. Positioning device. 5. The glass sheet positioning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said positioning guide is mounted with a play at said mounting position.

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