JP2004261651A - Applicator for protective layer forming material - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To actuate a roller by changing over into various control states corresponding to the shape of the outer surface of a vehicle and the actuation state of a robot. <P>SOLUTION: A roller mechanism part 34 is installed as an end effector in the tip part of the robot. A pneumatic cylinders 78 and 80, each of which generates force to tilt in the opposite direction in relation to a rocking member 84, are installed in the roller mechanism part 34. In agreement with the actuation of the robot 16a, control is made so that a control state in which the pneumatic cylinder 78 and/or the pneumatic cylinder 80 tilt the rocking member 84 and a control state in which rods 78a and 80a are separated from the rocking member 84 are changed over. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for applying a protective layer forming material to an outer surface mainly of a painted portion of a vehicle after coating, and more particularly to a liquid protective layer acting as a peelable protective layer after drying. The present invention relates to a protective layer forming material application device for applying a forming material.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Vehicles such as automobiles are often stored in outdoor stock yards or transported by trailers, boats, etc. before being handed to a user after manufacturing. During this time, the vehicle is exposed to dust, metal powder, salt, oil, acid, direct sunlight, etc. Quality may be affected. In order to prevent such a situation, a method is known in which a peelable protective layer is formed on a painted portion at a stage before shipment of a vehicle (for example, see Patent Document 1). The peelable protective layer is formed by applying and drying a protective layer forming material (also called a strippable paint), which is a liquid wrap material, and can protect the painted portion. In addition, it can be easily peeled at the time of removal, and does not peel naturally during normal storage.
[0003]
In the step of applying the protective layer forming material before the releasable protective layer is dried, the protective layer forming material is attached to the roller, and a plurality of workers roll the roller to apply the protective layer forming material.
[0004]
A method of extracting such a protective layer forming material on a body and then blowing the air to spread the protective layer forming material in order to automate such work, reduce the burden on the worker, and uniformize the coating quality. Has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 2). According to this method, much of the work in the step of applying the protective layer forming material is automated, and the burden on the operator can be reduced, and the tact time can be improved, which is preferable.
[0005]
In a factory that produces vehicles, a resin cover called a scratch cover may be temporarily attached so as not to damage the body during the assembling work. The scratch cover is temporarily attached to, for example, a front lateral surface of the body and is removed before shipment. It is necessary to prepare a scratch cover having a different shape for each vehicle type, and further, it is necessary to prepare a large number of scratch covers according to the daily production number on the transfer line.
[0006]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2001-89697 A (paragraphs [0022] to [0027])
[Patent Document 2]
JP-A-8-173882 (FIG. 1)
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in the method disclosed in Patent Document 2 described above, the degree of spreading of the protective layer forming material is not always uniform, and the method is applied to the edge of the roof in order to prevent the protective layer forming material from scattering. Not.
[0007]
Furthermore, the body of recent automobiles is becoming more and more complicated, and some have uneven portions and complicated curved surfaces. It is difficult to spread the protective layer forming material on such uneven portions and curved surfaces using an air nozzle. Furthermore, it is necessary to apply a thicker protective layer forming material to places where coating quality is particularly important, but it is difficult to adjust the thickness of the coating film when spreading the protective layer forming material with an air nozzle. It is.
[0008]
For this reason, after spreading the protective layer forming material with the air nozzle, several workers need to apply the protective layer forming material to the details such as the edge and unevenness of the roof with a roller to perform the finishing process. There is. Therefore, the coating process of the protective layer forming material partially relies on manual work, which imposes a burden on the operator, and the coating quality varies depending on the skill of the operator.
[0009]
In order to reduce the work of such workers and to make the quality of the work uniform, it is considered to apply an industrial robot. No suitable roller for applying the toner and its holding device have been proposed.
[0010]
Also, when applying the protective layer forming material by pressing the roller against the outer surface of the vehicle, the own weight of the roller is effectively used as the pressing force, and the insufficient pressing force is compensated by an appropriate actuator by the own weight. It is desirable. On the other hand, when applying the protective layer forming material by pressing the roller against the outer surface of the vehicle, if the roller can be rotationally moved in two directions, a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction, the degree of freedom of the application path is reduced. It is preferred to be larger.
[0011]
Further, it is desirable that compensation of the pressing force by the actuator is stopped or locking can be performed so that the position of the roller does not fluctuate, depending on the shape of the outer surface of the vehicle or the operation state of the robot.
[0012]
The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and further automates the process of applying a protective layer forming material to the outer surface of a vehicle, and also adjusts the rollers to the shape of the outer surface of the vehicle and the operating state of the robot. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for applying a protective layer forming material, which can be operated by switching to various control states.
[0013]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
An apparatus for applying a protective layer forming material according to the present invention is provided near a transport line of a vehicle, and has a robot capable of performing a teaching operation, a roller mechanism connected to the robot and having a rotatable roller, and peeling after drying. A supply mechanism for supplying a liquid protective layer forming material acting as a protective layer to the roller, wherein the roller is connected to a swing member, and is swingable in a direction orthogonal to the axis. The roller mechanism unit includes a first pneumatic cylinder and a second pneumatic cylinder that incline in the opposite directions with respect to the swing member, and the control unit controls the first pneumatic cylinder in accordance with the operation of the robot. And / or a first control state in which a rod of the second pneumatic cylinder generates a first driving force that presses the rocking member in a direction to tilt the rocking member; Controlling to switch the second control state generating the second driving force for separating the characterized.
[0014]
As described above, by individually switching and setting the first pneumatic cylinder and the second pneumatic cylinder to the first control state and the second control state, the protective layer forming material is applied to the outer surface of the vehicle. The process can be further automated. In addition, the own weight of the roller can be effectively used as the pressing force, and if necessary, the insufficient pressing force can be compensated by the first pneumatic cylinder or the second pneumatic cylinder. Further, by switching the control state of the first pneumatic cylinder and the second pneumatic cylinder, the roller can be rotationally moved in two directions, clockwise and counterclockwise.
[0015]
In this case, the control unit further generates a third driving force in the first pneumatic cylinder and the second pneumatic cylinder in accordance with the operation of the robot to fix the swing member. And the third driving force may be set to be larger than the first driving force. The swing member can be locked by the third control state.
[0016]
Further, in the first control state, when the rod is contracted, the pressure receiving area becomes an area obtained by subtracting the rod area from the entire area of the piston, and the first driving force is set to be small. can do.
[0017]
Further, a first drive setting unit controlled by the control unit to set a driving force and a driving direction of the first pneumatic cylinder, and a driving force and a driving force of the second pneumatic cylinder controlled by the control unit A second drive setting unit for setting a direction may be provided. By separately providing the first drive setting section and the second drive setting section, the first pneumatic cylinder and the second pneumatic cylinder can be independently controlled, and the control procedure can be set easily. be able to.
[0018]
When a regulator for setting the air pressure for generating the first driving force and / or the second driving force to the first pneumatic cylinder and / or the second pneumatic cylinder is provided, the first driving force and / or Alternatively, the second driving force can be set to an appropriate magnitude.
[0019]
Furthermore, when an acrylic copolymer agent is used as the material of the protective layer forming material, the painted portion of the vehicle can be more reliably protected, and is easily peeled off when removed.
[0020]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of an apparatus for applying a protective layer forming material according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0021]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a protective layer forming material applying apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment is provided on a transport line 12 of an automobile, and forms a protective layer on a vehicle 14 on which painting is completed. The material is applied. The coating apparatus 10 includes three robots 16a, 16b, and 16c, which are industrial robots, a control unit 18 that controls the entire system, a tank 20 containing a protective layer forming material, and each robot from the tank 20. It has an application material pipe 22 communicating with 16a, 16b, 16c, and a water pipe 26 for supplying water from a water supply source 24 to the robots 16a, 16b, 16c. The robots 16a, 16b, 16c are controlled by robot controllers 28a, 28b, 28c connected to the control unit 18, respectively.
[0022]
The robots 16a and 16c are provided on the transport line 12 on the left hand side in the traveling direction of the vehicle 14, and the robot 16b is provided on the right hand side in the traveling direction. The robot 16a is provided in the forward direction, the robot 16b is provided in the middle of the travel direction, and the robot 16c is provided in the rear direction. The robots 16a, 16b, 16c can move on a slide rail 30 parallel to the transport line 12.
[0023]
A pump 32 is provided in the middle of the coating material pipeline 22, and sucks the protection layer forming material from the tank 20 and supplies it to the robots 16a, 16b, and 16c. Further, the temperature of the tank 20 and the coating material pipe 22 is controlled by a heater and a thermometer (not shown) to keep the protective layer forming material at an appropriate temperature. A roller mechanism 34 to which the protective layer forming material is supplied by the coating material pipe 22 is provided at the tip of each of the robots 16a, 16b, 16c.
[0024]
The material of the protective layer forming material is mainly composed of an acrylic copolymer agent, and preferably has two acrylic copolymer portions having different glass transition temperatures. Specifically, for example, a protective layer forming material disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above may be used. Further, the viscosity of the protective layer forming material can be adjusted by changing the mixing ratio with water and the temperature, and when the material is dried, it adheres to the vehicle 14 so that dust, metal powder, salt, oil, acid, direct sunlight, etc. Thus, the painted portion of the vehicle 14 can be chemically and physically protected. Further, when removing the vehicle 14 to the user at the time of delivery or the like, the vehicle 14 can be easily peeled off.
[0025]
As shown in FIG. 3, the robots 16a, 16b, 16c are, for example, articulated robots for industrial use, and a base 40, a first arm 42, a second arm 42, An arm 44 and a third arm 46 are provided, and the roller mechanism 34 is provided at the tip of the third arm 46. The roller mechanism 34 is detachable from the third arm 46 and functions as a so-called end effector. The first arm 42 is rotatable about axes J1 and J2 that are horizontally and vertically rotatable with respect to the base 40. The second arm 44 is rotatably connected to the first arm 42 about a shaft J3. The second arm 44 can be twisted and rotated by the axis J4. The third arm 46 is rotatably connected to the second arm 44 about a shaft J5. The third arm 46 can be twisted and rotated by the axis J6.
[0026]
By the operation of the robots 16a, 16b, and 16c having such a six-axis configuration, the roller mechanism unit 34 connected to the distal end can be moved to an arbitrary position near the vehicle 14 and set in an arbitrary direction. It is possible. In other words, the roller mechanism 34 can move in six degrees of freedom. Each of the robots 16a, 16b, and 16c may have an operation unit such as a telescopic operation and a parallel link operation in addition to the rotation operation.
[0027]
As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the roller mechanism unit 34 is attached to the distal end of the third arm 46, and has a cylindrical roller 48 made of a material capable of absorbing and storing the protective layer forming material. A thrust rotation mechanism 69 which is a mounting portion for the third arm 46 of the robot 16a. The thrust rotating mechanism 69 includes a mounting member 70 for the third arm 46, a thrust rotating member 74 rotatably supported by the mounting member 70 via a bearing 72, and a thrust rotating member 74. And a base 76 attached thereto.
[0028]
The roller mechanism 34 includes pneumatic cylinders 78 and 80 provided at both ends of the base 76, and a swing member 84 pivotally supported by a swing shaft 82 at a substantially lower end of the base 76. , A holder connecting portion 88 that connects the holder 86 that holds the roller 48 and the swinging member 84. The roller 48 is swingable in a radial direction about a swing shaft 82. The swinging member 84 has two upwardly extending portions 84a extending upward, and a pin 90 parallel to the swinging shaft 82 is provided at a substantially upper end of the upwardly extending portion 84a. The pin 90 is set above the swing shaft 82. Further, the roller mechanism section 34 has two pin pressing members 92 and 94 that rotate about the swing shaft 82 by receiving forces from the rods 78a and 80a of the pneumatic cylinders 78 and 80. The pressing surface 92a of the pin pressing member 92 presses the left surface of the pin 90 in FIG. 6 when the rod 78a retracts, and the pressing surface 94a of the pin pressing member 94 presses the pin 90 in FIG. 6 when the rod 80a retracts. Press the right side of.
[0029]
Two lower extending portions 76a extending downward from the base portion 76 are arranged between the two upper extending portions 84a, and pressing surfaces 92a and 94a are arranged between the two lower extending portions 76a. Have been.
[0030]
The thrust rotating member 74 is provided with a rotation regulating member 96, and a small projection 98 projecting downward from the mounting member 70 is arranged in a concave portion 96 a on the upper surface of the rotation regulating member 96. The width of the small protrusion 98 is slightly smaller than the width of the concave portion 96a, and the thrust rotating member 74 is rotatable in the thrust direction in the range of this gap. Here, the thrust direction is a direction orthogonal to the axis of the roller 48 itself, and is a rotation direction about the axis C of the third arm 46. The bolt 100 for attaching the attachment member 70 to the third arm 46 may also serve as the small projection 98.
[0031]
The holder connecting portion 88 is provided with two clampers 102 and 104 facing each other at an upper portion and a lower portion. These clampers 102 and 104 hold an aluminum pipe 106, and the swing member 84 and the holder 86 are connected by the aluminum pipe 106. An annular groove 106 a is provided on the surface of the aluminum pipe 106.
[0032]
Both ends of the roller 48 are rotatably held by a holder 86, and the coating material pipeline 22 communicates with the inside of the roller 48 via one end of the holder 86. The roller 48 is detachable from the holder 86.
[0033]
As shown in FIG. 7, a combined hydraulic and pneumatic circuit (supply mechanism) 150 for supplying the protective layer forming material to the roller 48 (see FIG. 8) includes a compressor 152 and a discharge section of the compressor 152. 154, a manual pneumatic input valve 156 for switching between supply and cutoff of air pressure, a regulator 158 for reducing the secondary pressure by an electric signal supplied from the controller 18, and the regulator 158. And a regulator operation valve 160 that is pilot operated by the secondary pressure to reduce the pressure in the coating material pipeline 22. The composite circuit 150 includes an MCV (Material Control Valve, supply switching valve) 162 to which the secondary pipe of the regulator operating valve 160 and the water pipe 26 are connected, and the secondary side of the MCV 162 and the roller 48 (see FIG. 8). ) And a trigger valve 164 provided therebetween. Inside the MCV 162, there are provided switching valves 162a and 162b for switching between communication and shutoff of the coating material pipeline 22 and the water pipeline 26, and the secondary sides of the switching valves 162a and 162b are in communication. Note that broken lines in FIG. 7 and FIGS. 11, 14, and 16 described below indicate pneumatic pipelines.
[0034]
The MCV 162, the trigger valve 164, and the regulator operation valve 160 are not limited to the pneumatic pilot type, and may be of a drive type such as an electric solenoid.
[0035]
The composite circuit 150 further includes an MCV switching electromagnetic valve 166 that operates the switching valves 162a and 162b in a pilot manner by switching the air pressure supplied from the pneumatic input valve 156, and a trigger switching electromagnetic valve that pilot-operates the trigger valve 164. 168. The MCV switching electromagnetic valve 166 connects one of the switching valves 162a and 162b and shuts off the other, and switches between water and the protective layer forming material and supplies the same to the trigger valve 164 by an electric signal supplied from the control unit 18. I do. The trigger switching electromagnetic valve 168 switches the trigger valve 164 to the open / closed state by an electric signal supplied from the control unit 18 and supplies the roller 48 with water or a protective layer forming material.
[0036]
In the middle of the coating material pipeline 22 and the water pipeline 26, manual stop valves 170 and 172 are provided, respectively. Usually, stop valves 170 and 172 are kept in communication. In the composite circuit 150, silencers 174 are provided at the air outlets, respectively, to reduce exhaust noise. The compressor 152, the pump 32 and the water supply source 24 are provided with a relief valve (not shown) for preventing an excessive rise in pressure.
[0037]
Note that the compressor 152, the air tank 154, the water supply source 24, and the pump 32 in the composite circuit 150 are common to the robots 16a, 16b, 16c, and the other devices are individually provided for the robots 16a, 16b, 16c. ing. The pipes denoted by reference numerals “α” and “β” in FIG. 7 are respectively connected to the pipes denoted by reference numbers “α” and “β” in the pneumatic cylinder circuit 180 shown in FIGS. 8, 11, 14, and 16. Have been.
[0038]
As shown in FIG. 8, a pneumatic cylinder circuit 180 for driving the pneumatic cylinder 78 and the pneumatic cylinder 80 includes a regulator 182 for reducing the supplied air to a predetermined pressure Pa, and a driving force and a driving direction of the pneumatic cylinder 78. And a second drive setting unit 186 for setting the driving force and driving direction of the pneumatic cylinder 80. The pressure Pa set by the regulator 182 is set to a relatively large pressure within the rated pressure range usable in the pneumatic cylinders 78 and 80. The pneumatic cylinder circuit 180 is individually provided for each of the robots 16a, 16b, 16c.
[0039]
Air is supplied to the regulator 182 from the pneumatic input valve 156 (see FIG. 7), and the air reduced to the pressure Pa by the regulator 182 is supplied to the first drive setting unit 184 and the second drive setting unit 186. Derived. Silencers 188 and 190 as air outlets are connected to the first drive setting section 184 and the second drive setting section 186.
[0040]
The first drive setting section 184 has a first rod pressure switching solenoid valve 192 having an operation of switching the air pressure in the first chamber 78b of the pneumatic cylinder 78 and an operation of switching the air pressure in the second chamber 78c of the pneumatic cylinder 78. And a first bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 194. The first chamber 78b is a chamber located closer to the rod 78a than the piston 78d in the cylinder tube, and the second chamber 78c is a chamber located at a position facing the first chamber 78b with the piston 78d interposed therebetween.
[0041]
The first rod pressure switching solenoid valve 192, the first bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 194, and the later-described second rod pressure switching solenoid valve 206 and the second bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 208 are respectively an A port, a B port, a P port, and an R1 port. And R2 port. Switching control of these solenoid valves is performed by the control unit 18. In the non-excited state, the A port and the R1 port, the B port and the P port communicate with each other, and the R2 port is closed. In the excited state, the port A communicates with the port P, the port B communicates with the port R2, and the port R1 is closed. Each R1 port is freely evacuable via a silencer 188, and each R2 port is freely evacuable via a silencer 190.
[0042]
In addition, the first drive setting unit 184 includes a check valve 198 provided in the pipe 196a among the two pipes 196a and 196b communicating from the first rod pressure switching solenoid valve 192 to the first chamber 78b. It has a regulator 200 provided in parallel with the check valve 198, and a shuttle valve 202 for communicating one of the high pressure sides of the conduits 196a and 196b to the first chamber. The check valve 198 allows the air to flow from the first chamber 78b toward the first rod pressure switching electromagnetic valve 192, and blocks the air flow in the opposite direction.
[0043]
The A port and the B port of the first rod pressure switching solenoid valve 192 are connected to conduits 196a and 196b, respectively. The A port of the first bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 194 is in communication with the second chamber 78c. The B port of the first bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 194 communicates with the P port of the first rod pressure switching solenoid valve 192. The P port of the first bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 194 is supplied with air set to a pressure Pa by the regulator 182.
[0044]
The second drive setting unit 186 has a second rod pressure switching solenoid valve 206 having an operation of switching the air pressure in the first chamber 80b of the pneumatic cylinder 80 and an operation of switching the air pressure in the second chamber 80c of the pneumatic cylinder 80. And a second bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 208. The first chamber 80b is a chamber located closer to the rod 80a than the piston 80d in the cylinder tube, and the second chamber 80c is a chamber located at a position facing the first chamber 80b with the piston 80d interposed therebetween.
[0045]
In addition, the second drive setting unit 186 includes a check valve 212 provided in the pipe 210a among the two pipes 210a and 210b communicating from the second rod pressure switching solenoid valve 206 to the first chamber 80b. It has a regulator 213 provided in parallel with the check valve 212, and a shuttle valve 214 for communicating one of the high pressure sides of the pipelines 210a and 210b to the first chamber. The check valve 212 allows the air to flow from the first chamber 80b toward the second rod pressure switching electromagnetic valve 206, and shuts off the air flowing in the opposite direction.
[0046]
A port and B port of the second rod pressure switching solenoid valve 206 are connected to conduits 210a and 210b, respectively. The A port of the second bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 208 is in communication with the second chamber 80c. The B port of the second bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 208 is in communication with the P port of the second rod pressure switching solenoid valve 206. Air set to a pressure Pa by the regulator 182 is supplied to the P port of the second bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 208.
[0047]
With such a configuration of the pneumatic cylinder circuit 180, the first bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 194 and the second bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 208 are energized to generate the relatively high pressure Pa supplied from the regulator 182. Air can be supplied to the second chamber 78c and the second chamber 80c, respectively.
[0048]
When the first bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 194 is not excited, the first rod pressure switching solenoid valve 192 can supply air to the first chamber 78b by being excited. At this time, the pressure of the air supplied to the first chamber 78b is set to a small value by the action of the regulator 200. When the second bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 208 is not excited, the second rod pressure switching solenoid valve 206 can supply air to the first chamber 80b by being excited. At this time, the pressure of the air supplied to the first chamber 80b is set to a small value by the action of the regulator 213.
[0049]
Furthermore, when both the first bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 194 and the first rod pressure switching solenoid valve 192 are not energized, air at the pressure Pa set by the regulator 182 can be supplied to the first chamber 78b. When both the second bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 208 and the second rod pressure switching solenoid valve 206 are not energized, air at the pressure Pa set by the regulator 182 can be supplied to the first chamber 80b.
[0050]
Next, a method of applying the protective layer forming material to the vehicle 14 using the protective layer forming material applying apparatus 10 configured as described above will be described.
[0051]
First, the operation is taught to the robots 16a, 16b, 16c in advance. Instruct the robots 16a, 16b, 16c to share the bonnet portion 14a (see FIG. 1), the roof central portion 14b, and the roof rear portion 14c of the vehicle 14, and apply the protective layer forming material to each assigned portion, The teaching data taught is recorded in a predetermined recording unit of the control unit 18 and held. When the vehicle 14 is a sedan type, the robot 16c shares a trunk portion.
[0052]
The thickness of the protective layer forming material applied to the vehicle 14 can be adjusted by the pressure control by the regulator 158, the operation speed of the robots 16a, 16b, 16c, and the control of the force applied to the rods 78a, 80a.
[0053]
At this time, the vehicle 14 may be an unfinished vehicle to which the components have not been attached, as long as the painting has been completed.
[0054]
The vehicle 14 to which the protective layer forming material has been applied by the robots 16a, 16b, 16c is transported by the transport line 12 to the next step. The robots 16a, 16b, and 16c evacuate to a standby posture that does not interfere with the vehicle 14, and waits until the next vehicle 14 is carried in. At this time, the trigger valve 164 is shut off to stop the supply of the protective layer forming material.
[0055]
The applied protective layer forming material is dried naturally or while being blown to form a peelable protective layer to protect the painted portion of the vehicle 14.
[0056]
As shown in FIG. 9, the distance between the third arm 46 of the robot 16a and the surface of the vehicle 14 is appropriately maintained, and the tilt angle of the swing member 84 is taught to be a predetermined angle θ. Although the tilt angle of the swing member 84 is basically kept at the angle θ, for example, the concave portion 500 and the convex portion 502 may be ignored, and the tilt angle of the swing member 84 may be slightly changed. By ignoring the shallow concave portion 500 and the relatively low convex portion 502, the operation teaching of the robot 16a becomes easy.
[0057]
The process of applying the protective layer forming material is instructed to be completed within the tact time set for each vehicle 14 on the transport line 12.
[0058]
Next, when applying the protective layer forming material to the vehicle 14, the tank 20 (see FIG. 7) and the coating material pipeline 22 are heated to an appropriate temperature by a predetermined heater, and the compressor 152, the water supply source 24 and The pump 32 is operated. Further, the robots 16a, 16b, and 16c are made to wait at a position where they do not interfere with the vehicle 14, and the pneumatic input valve 156 is communicated.
[0059]
Next, the vehicle 14 on which painting has been completed is carried in by the transport line 12, and stopped near the robots 16a, 16b, and 16c. The control unit 18 recognizes that the vehicle 14 has been loaded by a signal or a sensor (not shown) supplied from the transport line 12, and operates the robots 16a, 16b, and 16c based on the teaching data.
[0060]
At this time, the control unit 18 controls the regulator operation valve 160 via the regulator 158 (see FIG. 7), and controls the application material pipe 22 to an appropriate pressure. Further, the control unit 18 controls the MCV 162 via the MCV switching electromagnetic valve 166 to make the coating material pipe 22 communicate with the water pipe 26. Further, the control unit 18 operates the trigger switching electromagnetic valve 168 to make the trigger valve 164 communicate. The protective layer forming material is supplied to the roller 48 of the roller mechanism 34 while maintaining an appropriate pressure and an appropriate temperature by the operation of the control unit 18, and an appropriate amount of the material exudes on the surface of the roller 48.
[0061]
Next, when the protective layer forming material is applied to the vehicle 14 while moving the robot 16a to the right, a relatively weak force (first driving force) Fa is generated in the direction in which the rod 80a contracts. Is supplied to the pneumatic cylinder 80 (first control state). Further, air is supplied to the left pneumatic cylinder 78 so that the rod 78a extends (second control state). By doing so, the pressing surface 94a of the right pin pressing member 94 presses the right side of the pin 90 with a relatively weak force, and the pressing surface 92a of the left pin pressing member 92 is separated from the pin 90. Therefore, the rocking member 84 and the roller 48 receive a counterclockwise force about the rocking shaft 82, and the roller 48 is pressed against the surface of the vehicle 14 with an appropriate pressing force, and the clockwise direction in FIG. The material for forming the protective layer can be applied while rotating. The force Fa may be appropriately adjusted according to the application location of the roller 48 and the moving method.
[0062]
At this time, the control unit 18 excites the first bottom pressure switching electromagnetic valve 194 and the second rod pressure switching electromagnetic valve 206, and deenergizes the second bottom pressure switching electromagnetic valve 208. As a result, as shown by a thick line in FIG. 8, air having a pressure Pa is supplied to the second chamber 78 c of the pneumatic cylinder 78, and a small pressure reduced by the regulator 213 is supplied to the first chamber 80 b of the pneumatic cylinder 80. Air is supplied.
[0063]
Further, the second chamber 80c communicates with the silencer 188 via the second bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 208, and can be evacuated. The conduits 196a and 196b connected to the first chamber 78b communicate with either the silencer 188 or 190 regardless of whether the first rod pressure switching solenoid valve 192 is energized or de-energized, and can be freely exhausted.
[0064]
Therefore, as described above, a relatively weak force Fa is generated in the direction in which the rod 80a retracts, and the rod 78a can be reliably extended by a relatively large force (second driving force). These forces can also be adjusted by regulators 182 and 213.
[0065]
Further, the pneumatic cylinder 80 is a single rod type cylinder, and the piston 80d has a smaller pressure receiving area on the first chamber 80b side having the rod 80a than a pressure receiving area on the second chamber 80c side. Accordingly, the force generated when the rod 80a is contracted by pressing the first chamber 80b is smaller than when the rod 80a is extended by pressing the second chamber 80c, and the force Fa is accurately set to a small value. can do. Further, the force applied to the roller 48 can be finely adjusted.
[0066]
As shown in FIG. 10, when the protective layer forming material is applied to the vehicle 14 while moving the robot 16a to the left, the left air pressure is generated so as to generate a relatively weak force Fa in the direction in which the rod 78a contracts. Air is supplied to the cylinder 78 (first control state). Further, air is supplied to the right pneumatic cylinder 80 so that the rod 80a extends (second control state). By doing so, the pressing surface 92a of the left pin pressing member 92 presses the left side surface of the pin 90 with a relatively weak force, and the pressing surface 94a of the right pin pressing member 94 is separated from the pin 90. Therefore, the swinging member 84 and the roller 48 receive a clockwise force about the swinging shaft 82, and the roller 48 is pressed against the surface of the vehicle 14 with an appropriate pressing force, so that the counterclockwise direction in FIG. The material for forming the protective layer can be applied while rotating.
[0067]
At this time, the control unit 18 excites the second bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 208 and the first rod pressure switching solenoid valve 192, and deactivates the first bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 194. As a result, as shown by the bold line in FIG. 11, the air having the pressure Pa is supplied to the second chamber 80c of the pneumatic cylinder 80, and the small pressure of the pressure reduced by the regulator 200 is supplied to the first chamber 78b of the pneumatic cylinder 78. Air is supplied.
[0068]
Further, the second chamber 78c communicates with the silencer 188 via the first bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 194, and can be evacuated. The pipes 210a and 210b connected to the first chamber 80b communicate with either the silencer 188 or 190 regardless of whether the second rod pressure switching solenoid valve 206 is energized or de-energized, and can be evacuated.
[0069]
Therefore, as described above, a relatively weak force Fa is generated in the direction in which the rod 78a retracts, and the rod 80a can be reliably extended by a relatively large force (second driving force). These forces can also be adjusted by regulators 182 and 200.
[0070]
Further, the pneumatic cylinder 78 is a single rod type cylinder, and the piston 78d has a smaller pressure receiving area on the first chamber 78b having the rod 78a than on the second chamber 78c. Therefore, the force generated when the rod 78a is contracted by pressing the first chamber 78b is smaller than when the rod 78a is extended by pressing the second chamber 78c, and the force Fa is accurately set to a small value. can do. Further, the force applied to the roller 48 can be finely adjusted.
[0071]
Thus, by controlling the direction and pressure of the flow of air supplied to the pneumatic cylinders 78 and 80 in accordance with the traveling direction of the robot 16a, the roller 48 can be appropriately pressed against the surface of the vehicle 14. it can. That is, the own weight of the roller 48 can be effectively used as the pressing force, and the insufficient pressing force can be compensated by the pneumatic cylinder 78 or the pneumatic cylinder 80 due to the own weight.
[0072]
Thus, the roller 48 does not run idle or jump when passing through the concave portion 500 and the convex portion 502. In addition, the protective layer forming material easily exudes from the roller 48. At this time, since the roller 48 can swing about the swing shaft 82, the protective layer forming material can be applied to the concave portion 500 and the convex portion 502 while being surely adhered thereto. That is, when the roller 48 passes through the concave portion 500 and the convex portion 502, the rod 78a or 80a expands and contracts according to the depth d of the concave portion 500 and the height of the convex portion 502. Since the pneumatic cylinders 78 and 80 use highly compressible air as the driving fluid, they can perform a flexible operation and easily absorb fluctuations in external force.
[0073]
Further, even when the operation of the robot 16 a slightly deviates from the predetermined teaching path due to an unexpected situation, and the third arm 46 approaches the surface of the vehicle 14, the roller 48 can move up and down with respect to the surface of the vehicle 14. At the same time, the pressing force on the surface is controlled by the air pressure supplied to the first pneumatic cylinder 78 and the second pneumatic cylinder 80, so that no excessive force is applied to the vehicle 14.
[0074]
A pin pressing member 92 connected to the rod 78a of the pneumatic cylinder 78 and a pin pressing member 94 connected to the rod 80a of the pneumatic cylinder 80 press the pressing member 94 in a direction opposite to the swing member 84 via the pin 90. Is added, it is possible to operate properly even when the swinging member 84 is inclined in either the clockwise direction or the counterclockwise direction. Thereby, the protective layer forming material can be applied to both the right direction and the left direction.
[0075]
Further, as shown in FIG. 12, both the rod 78a of the pneumatic cylinder 78 and the rod 80a of the pneumatic cylinder 80 may be caused to act to contract. For example, when the robot 16a is moved rightward in FIG. 12, a relatively weak force Fa is generated in the direction in which the rod 80a contracts, and a very weak force Fb is generated in the direction in which the rod 78a contracts. The force Fa is set to be larger than the force Fb, and by appropriately setting these forces Fa and Fb, the roller 48 can be pressed against the surface of the vehicle 14 with an appropriate force.
[0076]
Further, as shown in FIG. 13, both the rod 78a of the pneumatic cylinder 78 and the rod 80a of the pneumatic cylinder 80 may be made to extend. With this configuration, both the pressing surface 92a of the pin pressing member 92 and the pressing surface 94a of the pin pressing member 94 are separated from the pin 90, and the force applied to the swing member 84 is eliminated. Therefore, the roller 48 presses the surface of the vehicle 14 only by its own weight. In particular, when the roller 48 is relatively heavy and has a sufficient pressing force against the surface of the vehicle 14, it is preferable that both the rods 78a and 80a be extended to make the swinging member 84 swingable.
[0077]
At this time, the control unit 18 excites the first bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 194 and the second bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 208. As a result, as shown by the thick line in FIG. 14, the air at the pressure Pa is supplied to the second chamber 78c of the pneumatic cylinder 78 and the second chamber 80c of the pneumatic cylinder 80.
[0078]
In addition, the pipelines 196a and 196b connected to the first chamber 78b communicate with either the silencer 188 or 190 regardless of whether the first rod pressure switching solenoid valve 192 is energized or de-energized, and can be freely exhausted. On the other hand, the pipelines 210a and 210b connected to the first chamber 80b communicate with either the silencer 188 or 190 regardless of whether the second rod pressure switching solenoid valve 206 is energized or de-energized, and can be freely exhausted. Therefore, as described above, the rod 78a and the rod 80a can be reliably extended.
[0079]
Further, as shown in FIG. 15, when the protective layer forming material is applied to the narrow width and relatively deep groove 504, both the rod 78a and the rod 80a are contracted by a strong force (third driving force) Fc. (Third control state). In this case, the swing member 84 is set in a direction coinciding with the axis C (see FIG. 6) due to a mechanical balance, and it is difficult for the swing member 84 to swing in any of the left and right directions. Become. By pressing the roller 48 into the groove 504 relatively strongly with the rocking member 84 locked as described above, the protective layer forming material seeps out of the roller 48, and the protective layer forming material can be applied to the groove 504. it can.
[0080]
When the roller 48 is moved relatively long distance without contacting the surface of the vehicle 14, the swing member 84 may be locked. By locking, the rocking member 84 can be moved at a high speed over a long distance without inadvertently rocking.
[0081]
At this time, the control unit 18 deactivates the first rod pressure switching solenoid valve 192, the first bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 194, the second rod pressure switching solenoid valve 206, and the second bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 208. Thereby, as shown by the thick line in FIG. 16, the first chamber 78b of the pneumatic cylinder 78 receives the pressure through the first bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 194, the first rod pressure switching solenoid valve 192, and the shuttle valve 202 in this order. Pa air is supplied. On the other hand, the air at the pressure Pa is supplied to the first chamber 80b of the pneumatic cylinder 80 via the second bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 208, the second rod pressure switching solenoid valve 206, and the shuttle valve 214 in this order.
[0082]
In addition, the second chamber 78c communicates with the silencer 188 via the first bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 194, and can be evacuated freely. The second chamber 80c communicates with the silencer 188 via the second bottom pressure switching solenoid valve 208, and can be evacuated.
[0083]
Therefore, as described above, the rod 78a and the rod 80a can be reliably retracted by the strong force Fc.
[0084]
Next, as shown in FIG. 17, a roller mechanism portion 34a, which is a modification of the roller mechanism portion 34, includes pin pressing members 92 and 94 (see FIG. 4) in the roller mechanism portion 34 (see FIG. 4). 306 and 308. The pin pressing members 306 and 308 receive the force from the rods 78a and 80a, respectively, and rotate about the swing shaft 82. The pressing surface 306a of the pin pressing member 306 presses the right surface of the pin 90 in FIG. 16 when the rod 78a extends, and the pressing surface 308a of the pin pressing member 308 moves when the rod 80a extends in FIG. The left side of the pin 90 is pressed. With such a configuration, the pressing force of the roller 48 can be adjusted by controlling the extending force of the rods 78a and 80a. In this case, the direction of the force applied to the rods 78a and 80a is opposite to the direction of the roller mechanism 34.
[0085]
In order to drive the roller mechanism 34a, in the pneumatic cylinder circuit 180 (see FIG. 8) for driving the pneumatic cylinder 78 and the pneumatic cylinder 80 of the roller mechanism 34, a pipe connected to the first chamber 78b is provided. The pipe connected to the second chamber 78c may be connected in reverse, and the pipe connected to the first chamber 80b and the pipe connected to the second chamber 80c may be connected in reverse. Thereby, the directions of the forces applied to the rods 78a and 80a can be reversed.
[0086]
As described above, according to the protective layer forming material coating apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, the roller mechanism 34 or 34a including the roller 48 is operated by the robots 16a, 16b, and 16c, and the protective layer is formed on the roller 48. By supplying the material, the step of applying the protective layer forming material can be automated, and the coating quality can be made uniform.
[0087]
In addition, the process of applying the protective layer forming material on the surface of the vehicle 14 can be further automated than in the related art, and the roller 48 can be kept in close contact with the surface of the vehicle 14. Further, the operation teaching of the robots 16a, 16b, 16c can be easily performed.
[0088]
Furthermore, since the roller mechanisms 34 and 34a have a function of pressing the roller 48 against the surface of the vehicle 14 and passively moving the roller 48 up and down in accordance with the unevenness, the roller 48 is brought into close contact with the outer surface of the vehicle 14. Then, the protective layer forming material can be appropriately applied.
[0089]
Further, since the step of applying the protective layer forming material by the operator is eliminated by automation, the number of steps can be reduced and the production efficiency can be improved. Furthermore, air conditioning equipment for workers can be omitted. Therefore, energy saving can be achieved by reducing the power required for air conditioning, the environmental resistance can be improved, and the operating cost of the factory can be reduced.
[0090]
The peelable protective layer formed by the protective layer forming material can protect the painted portion after the vehicle 14 is shipped, and can also protect the painted portion in a factory, and can be used as a substitute for a scratch cover. Therefore, it is possible to omit a large number of scratch covers having different shapes for each vehicle type.
[0091]
Some bumpers of the vehicle 14 are colored and do not require painting, but the protective layer forming material may be applied to a portion other than the painted portion such as the bumper.
[0092]
The apparatus for applying a protective layer forming material according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but may adopt various configurations without departing from the gist of the present invention.
[0093]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the apparatus for applying a protective layer forming material according to the present invention, the process of applying the protective layer forming material to the outer surface of the vehicle is further automated, and the roller is formed into the outer surface shape of the vehicle or the robot Can be achieved by switching to various control states in accordance with the operation state of. That is, the own weight of the roller can be effectively used as the pressing force, and the pressing force that is insufficient with the own weight can be compensated by the first pneumatic cylinder or the second pneumatic cylinder as needed. Further, by switching the control state of the first pneumatic cylinder and the second pneumatic cylinder, the roller can be rotationally moved in two directions, clockwise and counterclockwise. Furthermore, by generating a relatively large force on each of the first and second pneumatic cylinders, the rocking member to which the roller is connected can be locked.
[0094]
Furthermore, by using an acrylic copolymer as a material of the protective layer forming material, the vehicle can be more reliably protected, and it is easy to peel off when removing.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus for applying a protective layer forming material according to the present embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a front view of an apparatus for applying a protective layer forming material according to the present embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a robot and a roller mechanism provided in the robot.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a roller mechanism.
FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged front view of a roller mechanism section.
FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional side view of a roller mechanism.
FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram showing a combined hydraulic and pneumatic circuit.
FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram showing a main flow of air when the robot is operated to the right while applying a protective layer forming material in a pneumatic cylinder circuit by bold lines.
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a positional relationship between the robot and a surface of a vehicle in a process of moving the robot having the roller mechanism to the right.
FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a positional relationship between the robot and the surface of the vehicle when the robot having the roller mechanism is operated to the left.
FIG. 11 is a circuit diagram showing a main flow of air when the robot is operated to the left while applying a protective layer forming material in a pneumatic cylinder circuit by thick lines.
FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the robot and the surface of the vehicle when applying the protective layer forming material while retracting the rods of the left and right pneumatic cylinders in the roller mechanism.
FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the robot and the surface of the vehicle when applying the protective layer forming material while extending the rods of the left and right pneumatic cylinders in the roller mechanism.
FIG. 14 is a circuit diagram showing, in bold lines, main air flows when extending rods of left and right pneumatic cylinders in a roller mechanism in the pneumatic cylinder circuit.
FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the robot and the surface of the vehicle when the protective layer forming material is applied while the rods of the left and right pneumatic cylinders in the roller mechanism are each contracted by a strong force.
FIG. 16 is a circuit diagram showing the main air flow when the rods of the left and right pneumatic cylinders in the roller mechanism are contracted with strong force in the pneumatic cylinder circuit by thick lines.
FIG. 17 is a partially enlarged front view showing a modification of the roller mechanism.
[Explanation of symbols]
10: Coating device 12: Transport line
14 Vehicle 16a, 16b, 16c Robot
18 ... Control unit 20 ... Tank
22: coating material pipe 26: water pipe
30 ... Slide rail 32 ... Pump
34, 34a: roller mechanism 48: roller
69: thrust rotation mechanism 70: mounting member
72: Bearing 74: Thrust rotating member
78, 80: Pneumatic cylinder 78a, 80a: Rod
78b, 80b ... first room 78c, 80c ... second room
82: swing shaft 84: swing member
86: Holder 90: Pin
92, 94, 306, 308: Pin pressing member
92a, 94a, 306a, 308a ... pressing surface
150: Composite circuit 180: Pneumatic cylinder circuit
182, 200, 213 ... regulator
184, 186... Drive setting unit
192, 206 ... Rod pressure switching solenoid valve
194,208 ... Bottom pressure switching solenoid valve
198, 212: Check valve 202, 214: Shuttle valve

Claims (6)

A robot provided near the transport line of the vehicle and capable of teaching operation;
A roller mechanism unit connected to the robot and including a rotatable roller;
A supply mechanism for supplying a liquid protective layer forming material that acts as a peelable protective layer after drying to the roller,
A control unit that controls the robot and the roller mechanism unit;
Has,
The roller is connected to a swing member and is swingable in a direction orthogonal to the axis,
The roller mechanism unit includes a first pneumatic cylinder and a second pneumatic cylinder that tilt in opposite directions with respect to the swing member, respectively.
The control unit generates a first driving force for pressing a rod of the first pneumatic cylinder and / or the second pneumatic cylinder in a direction of tilting the swing member in accordance with an operation of the robot. 1. A coating apparatus for a protective layer forming material, wherein control is performed so as to switch between a control state of No. 1 and a second control state of generating a second driving force for separating the rod from the rocking member. The coating device for a protective layer forming material according to claim 1,
The control unit further generates a third driving force in the first pneumatic cylinder and the second pneumatic cylinder in accordance with the operation of the robot to fix the swing member in a third control state. Control to switch to
The apparatus for applying a protective layer forming material, wherein the third driving force is set to be larger than the first driving force. The coating device for a protective layer forming material according to claim 1 or 2,
The said control part makes the said rod contract in the said 1st control state, The coating device of the protective layer forming material characterized by the above-mentioned. An apparatus for applying the protective layer forming material according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A first drive setting unit that is controlled by the control unit and sets a driving force and a driving direction of the first pneumatic cylinder;
A second drive setting unit controlled by the control unit to set a driving force and a driving direction of the second pneumatic cylinder. In a coating apparatus of the protective layer forming material according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
Forming a protective layer, comprising: a regulator for setting an air pressure for generating the first driving force and / or the second driving force in the first pneumatic cylinder and / or the second pneumatic cylinder. Material coating device. An application device for the protective layer forming material according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The material for the protective layer forming material is an acrylic copolymer agent.

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