JP2007161360A - Vibration-type component supply device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a compact vibration-type component supply device capable of smoothly performing conveyance/alignment of components easily intertwining with each other. <P>SOLUTION: To make the entire device compact, a return feeder having an alignment and supply trough 2 and a return trough 3 for conveying components P in the opposite directions is combined with a separator 4 for separating the intertwining components P one by one. A pipe 20 for blowing out air from the trough side transmitting the components P to the trough side receiving the components P is provided in a portion for transmitting/receiving the components P between the both troughs 2, 3, so as to smoothly convey the components P without stopping. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vibratory component supply device that supplies components that are easily entangled such as coil springs in a state of being separated one by one.

As a vibratory parts supply device suitable for supplying parts that are easy to entangle with each other, such as small coil springs, arranged in a row and in a single layer, it is intertwined with a general vibratory bowl feeder. There is a combination of a separator that separates parts one by one (see Patent Document 1).
JP 2000-34015 A

  The parts supply device described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 sorts parts that are intertwined with each other in the middle of the bowl feeder, sends them to a separator disposed on the outer periphery of the bowl feeder, and separates them one by one by the separator. By returning to the bowl feeder, the parts can be efficiently aligned and supplied to the next process. However, since the bowl feeder is cylindrical and has a separator on the outer periphery, a relatively large installation space is required, and the parts inspection process and parts assembly process using this device can be laid out efficiently. There was a difficulty that it was difficult.

On the other hand, if a return feeder (for example, refer to Patent Document 2) in which two troughs for conveying parts in opposite directions are arranged in parallel instead of the bowl feeder, the entire apparatus can be made compact. It becomes. This is because a return feeder that conveys parts by a linear trough is easier to miniaturize than a cylindrical bowl feeder.
JP 2005-35790 A (FIGS. 9 to 11)

  However, in general, in the return feeder, one of the two troughs aligns the components to supply the next process by aligning the components, and the other supplies the unaligned components received from the downstream side of the alignment supply troughs upstream of the alignment supply troughs. The return trough is returned to, and the parts tend to stagnate at the part where the parts of both troughs are delivered. In particular, when trying to process parts that are easily entangled, such as coil springs, the parts are entangled with each other, making it more difficult to stagnate, reducing the amount of parts supplied to the next process, and reducing the efficiency of the entire process using this device. There is a fear.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a compact vibration-type component supply device that can smoothly carry and align components that are easily entangled.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the vibration type component supply apparatus according to the present invention aligns a component while conveying the component by vibration transmitted from an excitation mechanism, and supplies the aligned component to the next process. A return trough that is arranged in parallel with the trough and transports unaligned parts received from the downstream side of the alignment supply trough in a direction opposite to the alignment supply trough by vibration transmitted from the excitation mechanism and returns it to the upstream side of the alignment supply trough. A means for selecting parts that are intertwined with each other in the middle of the return trough and discharging them from the return trough; and a separator that separates the parts discharged from the return trough one by one and returns them to the alignment supply trough Provided with a means for blowing gas from the trough side for passing the parts to the trough side for receiving the parts at the part where the parts are transferred between the troughs. .

  That is, by combining a return feeder having an alignment supply trough and a return trough that convey parts in opposite directions with a separator that separates the intertwined parts one by one, compact and easily intertwined parts can be efficiently aligned. And a means for blowing gas from the trough receiving part to the trough receiving part at the part transferring parts between the troughs. The stagnation of parts is less likely to occur, and the parts are transported smoothly.

  As described above, the vibration-type component supply device of the present invention is combined with the separator that separates the entangled components from the return feeder, and is received from the trough that passes the components at the component transfer section between the troughs of the return feeder. Since gas is blown out to the trough side, parts that are easily entangled can be transported and aligned smoothly, and the entire device is more compact than the conventional one that combines a bowl feeder and separator. Requires less installation space. Therefore, the parts inspection process and the parts assembly process using this apparatus are less likely to cause a reduction in efficiency due to the stagnation of parts in this apparatus, and can be laid out efficiently.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vibration type component supply apparatus includes an alignment supply trough 2 and a return that convey coil springs (hereinafter referred to as a component P) in opposite directions by vibration transmitted from the excitation mechanism 1. A return feeder having a trough 3 and a separator 4 that separates parts P intertwined into each other are combined.

  The vibration mechanism 1 includes a lower vibration body 7 attached to a base 5 via a vibration isolation spring 6, a counterweight 8 fixed to the lower vibration body 7, and an upper vibration body connected to the alignment supply trough 2. 9, an electromagnet and a movable iron core (both not shown) disposed oppositely between both vibrating bodies 7, 9, a leaf spring 10 connecting both vibrating bodies 7, 9, an upper vibrating body 9 and a return trough 3 and the plate spring 11 which connects 3 and vibrates the alignment supply trough 2 and the return trough 3 by the action of an electromagnet and a movable iron core.

  The alignment supply trough 2 conveys the component P in the left direction in the drawing by two rows of conveyance paths 2a and 2b by vibration transmitted from the vibration excitation mechanism 1. The inner conveyance path 2a is for sending the part P input from a hopper (not shown) and the part P received from the downstream side of the return trough 3 to the upstream side of the return trough 3, and the outer conveyance path 2b is The parts P sent from the return trough 3 and the separator 4 one by one are aligned so that their postures are aligned and supplied to the next process.

  In addition, the return trough 3 causes the parts P input from the hopper and the parts P sent from the inner conveying path 2a of the alignment supply trough 2 to be transferred into two rows of conveying paths 3a, 3b is transported to the right in the drawing, and on the upstream transport surface, a protrusion 3c is provided for distributing the component P to each transport path 3a, 3b in an appropriate amount. The inner conveyance path 3a sends parts P to the upstream side of the inner conveyance path 2a of the alignment supply trough 2, and the outer conveyance path 3b is entangled with each other by the first sorting mechanism 12 provided on the downstream side. P is selected and discharged from the conveyance path 3b, and the parts P in a state of being separated one by one are sent to the upstream side of the outer conveyance path 2b of the alignment supply trough 2.

  Here, the first sorting mechanism 12 is formed such that the outer wall 3d of the return trough 3 is partially lowered, the air nozzle 13 is horizontally disposed toward this portion, and a plurality of parts P are generated by the air blown from the air nozzle 13. Is entangled and the entire center of gravity is raised so that it is discharged over the lower part of the trough outer wall 3d, and the discharged part P is guided to the separator 4 in the lower part of the trough outer wall 3d. A passage 14 having a semicircular cross section is connected.

  In the outer conveyance path 2b of the alignment supply trough 2, the second sorting mechanism 15 that sorts the parts P entangled again in the upstream portion and returns them to the inner conveyance path 2a, and the parts P one after another by compressed air. A pressure feeding mechanism 16 for pressure feeding to the process is provided. The second sorting mechanism 15 forms a transport surface on the upstream side of the outer transport path 2b by a predetermined height lower than the upper end edge of the inclined surface 2c between the second transport mechanism 2a and the component P passing through the transport surface. The component P is sorted by the same mechanism as that of the first sorting mechanism 12 described above by blowing air substantially horizontally from the outside of the trough 2.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the pressure feeding mechanism 16 is arranged in series so that the through-holes 17a and 18a provided with the two blocks 17 and 18 are located on the extension line of the outer conveyance path 2b. The block 17 is provided with two air blowing holes 17b communicating with the through hole 17a, and a transparent hose 19 is connected to the through hole 18a of the downstream block 18. Then, the compressed air is intermittently blown from the upstream air blowing hole 17b into the through hole 17a of the upstream block 17 at all times, so that the component P passing through the through hole 17a is The component P that has been pressure-fed to the next process via the hose 19 and stagnated at the inlet portion of the upstream block 17 is reversely fed. As shown in FIG. 4, the reversely fed component P is discharged from a notch 2d formed in the middle of the arc-shaped cross-section conveyance surface of the outer conveyance path 2b, and returned to the inner conveyance path 2a.

  Of the parts where the parts P are transferred between the troughs 2 and 3, the parts P are sent from the inner conveying path 3a of the return trough 3 to the inner conveying path 2a of the alignment supply trough 2 as shown in FIG. As described above, the inner conveyance path 3 a of the return trough 3 is higher than the inner conveyance path 2 a of the alignment supply trough 2, and the pipe 20 through which air is passed along the gap between the troughs 2 and 3 on the lower surface of the return trough 3. Attached. Then, air is blown out from the air outlet 20a opened in the pipe 20 toward the upper side of the inner conveyance path 2a of the aligned supply trough 2, so that the component P is smoothly conveyed without stagnation around this portion. I am doing so. Although not shown in the drawing, even in a part where the parts P are sent from the inner conveyance path 2a of the alignment supply trough 2 to the return trough 3, the positional relationship between the troughs 2 and 3 is reversed to that of FIG. By attaching a pipe 20 that blows out air toward the upper side of the return trough 3 on the lower surface, the component P is less likely to stagnate.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 6, the separator 4 puts a component P sent in an intertwined manner from a passage 14 connected to the return trough 3 into a cylindrical separation container 21, It returns to the alignment supply trough 2 in the state isolate | separated one by one. The separation container 21 is attached to a column 22 fixed to the floor, and includes a feeding pipe 23 connected to the passage 14 on a side wall thereof, and a rotating disk 25 driven by a motor 24 on the bottom. A blade 26 is attached to the upper surface of the rotating disk 25, and the parts P entangled with the blade 26 are spattered off, expanded and contracted, and bent to remove the entanglement. Further, the upper lid 27 that closes the upper opening of the separation container 21 has a discharge port 27a formed on the lower surface side of the portion protruding above the alignment supply trough 2, so that the component P separated from the discharge port 27a protrudes. It has become.

  Next, the flow of the component P will be described with reference to FIG. The component P is first put into the inner conveyance paths 2a and 3a of the alignment supply trough 2 and the return trough 3, and is conveyed by the troughs 2 and 3 in opposite directions to circulate between the inner conveyance paths 2a and 3a. . Among them, those transferred to the outer trough 3b by the ridges 3c of the trough 3 when they are transferred from the alignment supply trough 2 to the return trough 3 climb up the inclined portion of the outer trough 3b and are mutually connected by the first sorting mechanism 12. Only the intertwined items are discharged from the trough 3. The parts P discharged from the return trough 3 are put into the separator 4 from the passage 14, separated one by one, and returned from the discharge port 27a to the outer conveyance path 2b of the alignment supply trough 2. Then, it is not discharged by the first sorting mechanism 12 but is directly transferred to the outer conveying path 2b of the alignment supply trough 2 and sent to the second sorting mechanism 15, where only the entangled again is the inner conveying path. Return to 2a. The parts P that have passed through the second sorting mechanism 15 are sent to the pressure feeding mechanism 16, and those that have stagnated at the inlet of the pressure feeding mechanism 16 are sent back to the inner conveyance path 2a from the notch 2d of the outer conveyance path 2b. What has been returned and passed through the pressure feeding mechanism 16 is pressure fed to the next process via the hose 19.

  This component supply apparatus is configured as described above, and a return feeder having an alignment supply trough 2 and a return trough 3 that convey components in opposite directions is combined with a separator 4 that separates the intertwined components one by one. Therefore, the entire device is more compact than the conventional one combining a bowl feeder and a separator. In addition, since the pipe 20 that blows air from the trough side that delivers the part P to the trough side that receives the part P is provided at the part that delivers the part P between the two troughs 2 and 3, the part P is less likely to stagnate, and the part P Can be transported and aligned smoothly.

The top view of the component supply apparatus of embodiment Front view of FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the pressure feeding mechanism of FIG. Sectional view along line IV-IV in FIG. Sectional view along line VV in FIG. Sectional view along line VI-VI in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Excitation mechanism 2 Alignment supply trough 2a, 2b Conveying path 2c Slope 2d Notch 3 Return trough 3a, 3b Conveying path 3c Rib 3d Outer wall 4 Separator 12 First sorting mechanism 13 Air nozzle 14 Passage 15 Second sorting mechanism 16 Pressure feed mechanism 20 Pipe 20a Outlet P Parts

Claims (1)

  An alignment supply trough that aligns parts while conveying the parts by vibration transmitted from the vibration excitation mechanism and supplies the aligned parts to the next process, and an unaligned arrangement that is arranged in parallel with the alignment supply trough and received from the downstream side of the alignment supply trough The return trough, which is transported in the opposite direction to the alignment supply trough by the vibration transmitted from the vibration mechanism and returned to the upstream side of the alignment supply trough, and the components in an intertwined state in the middle of the return trough are selected and returned. A means for discharging from the trough and a separator for separating the parts discharged from the return trough one by one and returning them to the alignment supply trough, and delivering the parts to a part for delivering the parts between the troughs. A vibration type component supply device provided with means for blowing gas from the trough side to the trough side.

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