JP2005067849A - Pallet direction changing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pallet direction changing device capable of regulating the attitude of a pallet at the time of its direction change, in which each part for lifting the pallet being conveyed by a conveyor at a prescribed position, changing its direction, and then placing it on the conveyor is simply structured. <P>SOLUTION: The pallet direction changing device comprises a conveying mechanism 30 conveying the pallet 40 placed thereon, a lifting mechanism 10 arranged at a prescribed position P on a conveyance path, including a lifting member capable of lifting, and a rotating member 28 connected to and lifted by the lifting mechanism, supporting the pallet from below, and rotatable around a vertical shaft. The rotating member consists of a rotating mechanism 25 allowing the pallet to be placed on the conveying mechanism when it is at a lowered position and rotating the pallet and changing the direction thereof while supporting it when it is at a lifted position, positioning means 29, 42 positioning the pallet relative to the rotating member in a prescribed state, and a regulating mechanism 35 regulating the attitude of the pallet before and after the direction of the pallet is turned over. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a pallet direction changing device that rotates a pallet conveyed by a conveyor around a vertical axis at a predetermined position.

  In an assembly line or the like, a pallet on which a workpiece or product is placed and conveyed by a conveyor may be changed in direction (rotation about a vertical axis) due to processing convenience or the like. As shown in FIG. 7, the conventional pallet direction changing device (see Patent Document 1) includes a rotation support unit 100, an elevating drive unit 110, and a leg unit 120. Among them, the rotation support unit 100 is a table unit 101 that supports the pallet from below, a shaft 102 that extends downward from the center position of the table unit 101, and the shaft 102 is positioned in the horizontal direction so as to be rotatable about the axis of the vertical axis. It includes a single bearing 103 for regulating, a roller 104 rotatable around the axis of a plurality of horizontal shafts supported from below the table portion 101, and a base plate 106 to which the bearing 103 and the roller 104 are attached.

  The raising / lowering drive part 110 is arrange | positioned under the rotation support part 100, and supports this, The raising / lowering drive cylinder 113 with a linear guide is interposed between the upper base 111 and the lower base 112. As shown in FIG. The leg portion 120 is disposed below the elevating drive unit 110 and supports the rotation support unit 100 and the elevating drive unit 110. A leg frame 122 extends downward from the base 121, and a height adjusting leg 123 at the other end. Is provided. The rotation support unit 100 and the elevation drive unit 110 are positioned by positioning means 117 including a pin 116 and a pin hole 108, and are coupled and fixed by a fastening and fixing handle 118.

When the conveyed pallet 125 stops at the table unit 101, the lift drive unit 110 raises the rotation support unit 100 to lift the pallet 125 and rotate the table unit 101 to change its direction. Next, the elevating drive unit 110 is lowered to change the direction of the pallet 125 and send it out on the same conveyance path.
JP-A-6-115684

  There is room for improvement in the above pallet direction changing device. First, the structure for raising and lowering the table unit 101 and rotating it at the raised position is complicated. For example, a shaft 102 and a bearing 103 and a plurality of rollers 104 are used to rotatably support the table unit 101. In addition, a positioning means 117 and a fastening handle 118 are disposed between the elevating drive unit 110 and the rotation support unit 100.

  Further, the posture of the pallet 125 before and after the direction change is unstable. At the time of changing the direction, the direction of the pallet 125 may change due to contact with surrounding members, and the direction may not be changed to a desired posture.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and the pallet transported by the conveyor is lifted from the conveyor at a predetermined position to change the direction, and then the structure of each part for placing on the conveyor is simple, and before and after the direction change ( It is an object of the present invention to provide a pallet direction changing device capable of regulating the attitude of the pallet, particularly when ascending and descending.

  The pallet direction changing device according to the present invention is a basic technique in which a rotating mechanism is directly coupled to an elevating member so that the positioning between the rotating mechanism and the pallet is rough and the posture before and after changing the direction of the pallet is regulated. It is thought.

  The pallet direction changing device according to the present invention, as described in claim 1, is provided along a predetermined transfer path, and is configured to transfer a pallet placed thereon; and a predetermined position on the transfer path. An elevating mechanism including an elevating member that can be moved up and down; a rotating member that is coupled to the elevating mechanism and that supports the pallet from below and is rotatable about a vertical axis, and transports the pallet when the rotating member is in the lowered position A rotating mechanism for allowing placement on the mechanism and rotating the pallet while supporting the pallet when it is in the raised position; positioning means for positioning the pallet in a predetermined state with respect to the rotating member; and for changing the direction of the pallet And a regulating mechanism that regulates the posture of the rotating member when it moves up and down between the raised position and the lowered position.

  In this pallet direction changing device, the pallet is lifted from the conveying mechanism by a rotating mechanism that is coupled to the elevating mechanism and raised by the elevating mechanism at a predetermined position in the conveying path, and the direction is changed. When the pallet is raised and lowered, the regulating mechanism defines its posture. When the rotating member is raised, the positioning means determines the position of the pallet on the rotating member.

  A pallet direction changing device according to a second aspect of the present invention is the pallet direction changing device according to the first aspect, wherein the transport mechanism includes a pair of conveyors that are spaced apart on both sides of the transport direction and positioned on both sides of the rotating mechanism. The pallet direction changing device according to claim 3 is the pallet direction changing device according to claim 1, wherein the elevating member has a plurality of rods extending upward from an air cylinder whose axis is arranged in the vertical direction, and a cylinder plate attached to the upper end of the rod. including.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the pallet direction changing device according to the first aspect, wherein the rotating mechanism is coupled to the elevating member, and the rotating member has one rotating shaft extending upward from a motor whose axis is arranged in the vertical direction, and the rotating shaft. And a turntable attached to the upper end of the head. The pallet direction changing device according to claim 5 is the pallet direction changing device according to claim 1, wherein the positioning means includes a plurality of pins erected on the rotating member and a plurality of pin holes formed on the pallet into which the pins are inserted. There is a gap between the inner surface and the outer surface of the pin, and the height of the pin is shallower than the depth of the pin hole.

  The pallet direction changing device according to a sixth aspect is the pallet direction changing device according to the first aspect, wherein the regulating mechanism is disposed on both sides of the rotating member above the transport mechanism and in the raised position, and regulates a side surface or an end surface of the pallet when falling after the direction changing. A pair of restricting members are included. According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the pallet direction changing device according to the first aspect further includes a stopper that collides with a pallet in a lowered position at a predetermined position.

  According to the pallet direction changing apparatus according to the present invention, the lifting mechanism and the rotating mechanism that lift the pallet from the transport mechanism at a predetermined position and change the direction have a simple structure and do not require positioning between each other. In addition, the pallet posture disorder on the transport mechanism or the rotating member is restricted.

  According to the pallet direction changing device of claim 2, the height of the pallet direction changing device can be kept low. According to the pallet direction changing device of the third aspect, the cylinder plate and thus the rotating mechanism moves up and down while preventing inclination and eccentricity. According to the pallet direction changing device of the fourth aspect, it is possible to prevent the rotation member and, in turn, the pallet from being inclined or eccentric.

  According to the pallet direction changing device of the fifth aspect, the processing of the outer surface of the pin and the inner surface of the pin hole is rough, and the processing cost can be reduced. According to the pallet direction changing device of the sixth aspect, even if the pallet posture at the rotating member is disturbed at the time of changing the direction by the rotating mechanism, the pallet direction changing device is restricted at the time of dropping onto the transport mechanism. According to the pallet direction changing device of the seventh aspect, the pallet can be reliably stopped at the predetermined position.

The present invention assumes a case where the direction of the pallet is changed in the middle (predetermined position) when the pallet is transported in one direction on a transport mechanism extending linearly along a predetermined transport path (see FIG. 3). . The pallet direction changing device includes at least a transport mechanism, an elevating mechanism, a rotating mechanism, a positioning unit, and a regulating mechanism, and can further include a stopper.
<Palette>
The outer shape of the pallet is often a thin rectangular plate, but is not limited thereto. In the case of a rectangular shape, it may be transported initially in a vertically long state and redirected to a horizontally long state at a predetermined position P (see FIG. 3). Also good.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the pallet conveyed in the vertically long state is changed to the horizontally long state at the first predetermined position, and the pallet conveyed in the horizontally long state is changed again to the vertically long state at the second predetermined position. Also good. The direction change (rotation) angle of the rectangular pallet is 90 degrees, but other rotation angles can be selected depending on the shape of the pallet.
<Transport mechanism>
The transport mechanism includes a pair of annular (loop-shaped) conveyors. It is desirable that the conveyor is disposed on both outer sides of the rotation mechanism, in other words, the rotation mechanism is disposed between both conveyors.
<Elevating mechanism>
The elevating mechanism is disposed at a predetermined position (position for changing the direction of the pallet) on the conveyance path at the bottom (lower part) of the pallet direction changing device. It includes an air cylinder whose axis is arranged in the vertical direction, a plurality of rods extending upward from the cylinder, and a cylinder plate attached to the upper end of the rod. The plurality of rods and the cylinder plate constitute an elevating member.
<Rotation mechanism>
The rotating mechanism is disposed above and coupled to the lifting mechanism and is lifted and lowered by the lifting mechanism. The motor includes a motor whose axis is arranged in the vertical direction and coaxially with the air cylinder, a thick rotating shaft extending upward from the motor, and a rotating table attached to the upper end of the rotating shaft. The rotating shaft and the rotating table constitute a rotating member. The shape of the rotary table is preferably a rectangular shape corresponding to a rectangular thin plate shape pallet, but is not limited thereto, and may be a square or a circular shape, for example.

The rotating mechanism is normally in the lowered position by the lifting mechanism (when the pallet is transported), whereby the pallet is placed on the conveyor. When the pallet reaches a predetermined position, the pallet is lifted to the raised position, and rotates and changes its direction while supporting the pallet from below.
<Positioning means>
The positioning means positions the pallet in a predetermined state with respect to the rotating member, and transmits the rotational force to the pallet. A plurality of pins erected on the rotary table and a pin hole formed on the pallet into which the pin is inserted may be included. Here, the inner diameter of the pin hole is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the pin, and it is desirable that a gap exists between the pin and the pin hole. Further, the height of the pin is preferably smaller than the depth of the pin hole, that is, the thickness of the pallet.
<Regulatory mechanism>
The regulation (correction) mechanism regulates or corrects the side and end of the pallet when it is lifted from the transport mechanism to a raised position for direction change and / or dropped from the raised position onto the conveyor at a predetermined position. . It is possible to include a regulating member that is disposed on both outer sides of the rotation mechanism above the conveyor and advances and retreats in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction (conveying direction) of the conveyor.
<Stopper>
A stopper disposed in front of the rotation mechanism in the pallet conveyance direction and colliding with the pallet at a predetermined position can be included. In the height direction, the pallet collides when it is in the lowered position, but the position is selected so that it does not collide when it is in the raised position.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
(Constitution)
1 and 2, the pallet direction changing device includes an elevating mechanism 10, a rotating mechanism 25, a conveying mechanism 30, a regulating mechanism 35, and the like. In a predetermined position P (see FIG. 3) in the transport direction, an elevating mechanism 10 for elevating the pallet is vertically moved in a space defined by a plurality of support columns 13 between the lower plate 11 and the upper plate 12. Has been placed. The elevating mechanism 10 includes an air cylinder 16, a cylinder rod 17 extending upward therefrom, and a cylinder plate 18 fixed to the upper end thereof.

  A rotation mechanism 25 for rotating the pallet 40 is attached to the upper surface of the cylinder plate 18. The rotating mechanism 25 includes a motor 26, a rotating shaft 27 that extends upward from the center of the motor 26 and can rotate about a vertical axis, and a rectangular rotating table 28 attached to the upper end of the rotating shaft 27. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4A and 4B, two pins 29 are erected on the upper surface of the rotary table 28. Each pin 29 has a circular cross section, has a predetermined height (about half the thickness of the pallet 40), and is arranged at a corner on a diagonal line.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a pair of conveyor frames 31 constituting a transport mechanism 30 are attached to both outer sides of the cylinder plate 18, and a conveyor 32 is disposed. A regulating mechanism 35 for regulating the pallet 40 is disposed above the conveyor 32 and on both outer sides. The restriction mechanism 35 includes a base 36, a pair of air cylinders 37 disposed in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the conveyor 32 is disposed, and a pair of restriction members 38 that are advanced and retracted by the air cylinder 37 to restrict the side surface of the pallet 40. . A guide member 39 extending in the height direction is attached to the inner side surface of the base 36 on the outer side surface of the conveyor 32.

  As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 4 (a) and 4 (b), the pallet 40 has a thin plate rectangular shape, and its width (the vertical dimension in FIG. 4 (a)) is substantially the same as the interval between the pair of conveyors 32. The length is greater than the width. Near the corner on one diagonal line of the conveyor 32, two pin holes 42 are formed at equal intervals with the pins 29 of the rotary table 28. The inner diameter of the pin hole 42 is larger than the outer diameter of the pin 29, and there is a gap between them. A workpiece 50 is placed on the top surface of the pallet 40.

A stopper 45 is disposed in the vicinity of the rotation mechanism 25 (positioned between both conveyors 32 in a plan view). The stopper 45 extends from slightly above the upper plate 12 to slightly below the base 36 in the height direction of the pallet direction changing device.
(Function)
In FIG. 3, on the front side (right side) of the predetermined position P, the pallet 40 is arranged in the longitudinal direction, and both side portions 43 are placed on the conveyor 30. As shown in FIG. 1, in the lifting mechanism 10, the rod 17 is retracted, and the upper plate 12 is lowered. Therefore, the rotary table 28 of the rotary mechanism 25 is lowered to a position lower than the base 36. The conveyor 32 is driven to convey the pallet 40 in the forward direction, and a predetermined first process is performed on the workpiece 50 during that time.

  When the pallet 40 reaches the predetermined position P, the front surface thereof comes into contact with the stopper 45 as shown in FIG. This contact is detected by a limit switch or the like, and the drive of the conveyor 32 is stopped. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 1, the rod 17 of the elevating mechanism 10 extends upward, the rotating mechanism 25 is raised, and the rotary table 28 becomes substantially the same height as the base 36. The pallet 40 leaves the conveyor 32 and is lifted upward to a position where it does not collide with the stopper 45. At that time, the postures of the guide member 39 and the pallet 40 are regulated.

At this time, as shown in the right half of FIG. 5, the two pins 29 of the rotary table 28 are inserted into the pin holes 42 of the pallet 40. As shown in FIG. 4B, the pallet 40 is turned 90 degrees clockwise and counterclockwise by the rotation of the rotary table 28 around the rotation axis 27, and the longitudinal direction thereof is orthogonal to the transport direction. After that, the elevating mechanism 10 is lowered, the rotating mechanism 25 is lowered, the pallet 40 is dropped, and both end portions 44 are placed on the conveyor 30. To do. Thereafter, the conveyor 32 is operated again to convey the pallet 40, and a predetermined second process is performed on the workpiece 50 during that time.
(effect)
According to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. First, the overall structure of the pallet direction changing device is simple. A motor 26 is directly attached to the cylinder plate 18, and there is no positioning means between them. Here, since the cylinder plate 18 is supported by the plurality of rods 17, there is no concern that the pallet 40 is inclined. Further, the rotary shaft 27 that connects the rotary table 28 of the rotary mechanism 25 to the motor is thick and strong, and there is no fear that the rotary table 28 is eccentric.

  Second, when the rotary table 28 is raised, the pin 29 and the pallet 40 are securely fitted into the pin holes 42. This is because the inner diameter of the pin hole 42 is selected larger than the outer diameter of the pin 29. The processing of the pins 29 and the pin holes 42 is rough, and the processing cost is reduced.

  Third, the posture of the pallet 40 can be regulated (corrected) when the rotary table 28 is raised and lowered. The posture of the pallet is corrected by the inner surface of the guide member 39 when the pallet is raised, and the pair of regulating members 38 and the guide member 39 when the pallet is lowered (when dropped). Therefore, positioning of the positioning means 30 (pin 29 and pin hole 42) may not be so accurate.

  In addition, the following effects can be obtained. Since the stopper 45 is provided, the pallet 40 is surely stopped at the predetermined position P. In this connection, the control for stopping the driving of the conveyor 30 can be made slightly rough. Further, since the rotation mechanism 25 and the transport mechanism 30 are disposed at substantially the same height, the height of the pallet direction changing device is low. The transport mechanism 30 is located on both outer sides of the rotation mechanism 25 and acts as a kind of safety device.

It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the Example of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state at the time of the action | operation of the said Example. It is plane explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between conveyance of a conveyor, and direction change of a pallet. (A) And (b) is an operation explanatory view. It is a principal part enlarged view which shows the relationship between a rotary table and a pallet, A left half shows a non-insertion state in a pin hole, and a right half shows an insertion state. It is plane explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between conveyance of the conveyor in the best form, and direction change of a pallet. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows a prior art example.

Explanation of symbols

10: Lifting mechanism 16: Cylinder 18: Cylinder plate 25: Rotating mechanism 26: Motor 27: Rotating shaft 28: Rotating table 29: Pin 30: Conveying mechanism 31: Frame 32: Conveyor 35: Restricting mechanism 37: Cylinder 38: Restricting member 40: Pallet 42: Pin hole 43: Side part 44: End part 45: Stopper 50: Workpiece

Claims (7)

A transport mechanism for transporting a pallet disposed along a predetermined transport path; and
An elevating mechanism that is arranged at a predetermined position on the conveyance path and includes an elevating member capable of elevating;
A rotating member coupled to the elevating mechanism and supporting a pallet from below and capable of rotating about a vertical axis; the rotating member allows the pallet to be placed on the transport mechanism when in the lowered position; A rotation mechanism that rotates and changes direction while supporting the pallet,
Positioning means for positioning the pallet in a predetermined state with respect to the rotating member;
Before and after the direction change of the pallet, when the rotating member moves up and down between the raised position and the lowered position, a regulating mechanism that regulates its posture;
A pallet direction changing device comprising:   The pallet direction changing device according to claim 1, wherein the transport mechanism includes a pair of conveyors that are spaced apart on both sides in the transport direction and positioned on both sides of the rotation mechanism.   The pallet direction changing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the elevating member includes a plurality of rods extending upward from an air cylinder whose axis is arranged in a vertical direction, and a cylinder plate attached to an upper end of the rod.   The rotating mechanism is coupled to the elevating member, and the rotating member includes one rotating shaft extending upward from a motor whose axis is arranged in a vertical direction, and a rotating table attached to an upper end of the rotating shaft. The pallet direction changing device according to claim 1.   The positioning means includes a plurality of pins erected on the rotating member, and a plurality of pin holes formed in the pallet into which the pins are inserted, and a clearance between the inner surface of the pin hole and the outer surface of the pin The pallet direction changing device according to claim 1, wherein a height of the pin is shallower than a depth of the pin hole.   The said restriction | limiting mechanism is arrange | positioned on the both sides of the said rotation member in the upward position of the said conveyance mechanism, and includes a pair of restriction member which controls the side surface or end surface of a pallet at the time of the fall after a direction change. Pallet direction changing device.   The pallet direction changing device according to claim 1, further comprising a stopper that collides with a pallet in a lowered position at a predetermined position.

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