JP2007275769A - Coupling for fluids and coating device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a coating device which requires no large-scale piping equipment for feeding a fluid to a discharging machine from a tank and no high-pressure pump for transferring a fluid and easily changes the kind of a fluid to be discharged from a discharging machine. <P>SOLUTION: The coating device is provided with; first-third feeding parts 14, 15 and 16 for feeding a fluid such as a sealing agent; and first-third discharging machines 17, 18 and 19 which are removably mounted on the first-third feeding parts 14 and so on, respectively, via couplings 13 for a fluid. The first-third discharging machines 17, 18 and 19 each have tanks 32 which each store the fluids fed from the mounted feeding parts 14, 15 and 16, respectively, and can discharge the fluids in the tanks 32 and removably be mounted on the arm 20a of a robot 20 via a second coupling 39. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an application device for applying a sealant, an adhesive, or the like to a component or various parts of an automobile, for example, in an automobile assembly factory, or filling grease or the like, and a fluid coupling that can be used therefor About.

Conventionally, as an example of the coating apparatus 1 used in, for example, an automobile assembly factory, there is one shown in FIG. 9 (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The coating apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 circulates, for example, a sealant in the tank 3 through the circulation path 4 by the circulation pump 2 and increases the pressure in the circulation path 4 by the first on-off valve 5. The sealant is supplied and accumulated in a booster pump 7 provided in a branch path 6 that branches off from 4. The sealant accumulated in the booster pump 7 is supplied to the application nozzle 9 by a piston 7a that operates in synchronization with the movement of the robot 8, and can be applied to components of an automobile.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-398

  However, in the conventional coating apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 9, a large pipe for configuring the circulation path 4 and the branch path 6 for supplying the sealing agent stored in the tank 3 to the coating nozzle 9 is provided. In addition, a flexible hose 11 that connects the second on-off valve 10 and the application nozzle 9 provided at the outlet of the booster pump 7 is also necessary, which increases the equipment.

  If such a large pipe or flexible hose 11 is employed, the pipe loss increases, so that the sealing agent stored in the tank 3 can be discharged from the application nozzle 9 at a predetermined pressure. However, it is necessary to transfer the sealing agent at a relatively high pressure using the circulation pump 2 and the booster pump 7, and the cost of the circulation pump 2 and the booster pump 7 increases.

  In addition, when the fluid such as the sealant becomes high in viscosity or hardens due to, for example, a low temperature, especially when the use of the coating apparatus 1 is interrupted, the circulation path 4 and the branch path 6 The temperature of the sealing agent is controlled by, for example, keeping the branch path 6 warm so that the viscosity of the sealing agent inside the flexible hose 11, the circulation pump 2, the booster pump 7, etc. does not increase or harden. It is necessary and takes time and money.

  Further, for example, when the type of the sealant discharged from the application nozzle 9 is changed according to the vehicle type or the work process, or when, for example, grease is filled in a part or the like instead of the sealant, the circulation path 4 and the branch path 6 In addition, it is necessary to clean the flexible hose 11, the circulation pump 2, the booster pump 7, and the like, which takes a lot of time, labor, and cost.

  In order to eliminate the need for cleaning the circulation path 4 and the like in this way, for example, for each type of fluid to be applied, if the same device as the coating device 1 shown in FIG. Cost and installation location are required.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and does not require a large-scale piping facility for supplying fluid from a tank to a discharger, or a high-pressure pump for transferring fluid, It is an object of the present invention to provide a coating apparatus that can easily change the type of fluid discharged from a discharger, and a fluid coupling that can be used for the coating apparatus.

  The fluid coupling according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a female side joint having a female side main body portion and a male side joint having a male side main body portion, and the female side main body portion communicates the inside and the outside. A female valve hole is formed, a female valve body is disposed so as to be able to advance and retreat in the female side valve hole, and the female valve hole is opened and closed by advancing and retreating of the female valve body. The male main body is formed with a male valve hole that communicates the inside and the outside, and a male valve body is disposed in the male valve hole so that the male valve body can be moved forward and backward. The male valve hole can be closed and opened by advancing and retreating, with the outer opening edge of the female valve hole and the outer opening edge of the male valve hole butted together, The male valve body is moved to the retracted position and the forward position by moving the female valve body to the forward and backward positions. It is intended.

  According to the fluid coupling of the first aspect of the invention, the female valve body is moved to the forward position in a state where the outer opening edge of the female valve hole and the outer opening edge of the male valve hole are abutted. By doing so, the male valve body can be moved to the retracted position. Accordingly, the insides of the female main body and the male main body can be communicated with each other, and fluid can be transferred between the two. Next, by moving the female valve body to the retracted position, the female valve hole can be closed, and the fluid in the female main body can be prevented from flowing out. The movement of the female valve body to the retracted position moves the male valve body to the advanced position and closes the male valve hole, so that the fluid in the male main body can be prevented from flowing out. . Therefore, both can be pulled apart in a state where the fluid does not flow out.

  A fluid coupling according to a second aspect of the present invention is the fluid coupling according to the first aspect, wherein the female-side joint includes a drive unit for moving the female-side valve element back and forth, and the male-side coupling is the male-side joint. An urging means for urging the valve body toward the forward movement position side, and a locking protrusion provided on the male main body portion for locking the male valve body at the forward movement position. It is.

  According to the fluid coupling according to the second aspect of the present invention, the female valve body can be closed by moving the female valve body to the retracted position by driving the drive unit. Then, the male side valve hole can be closed by moving the male side valve body to the advanced position locked by the locking projection by the biasing force of the biasing means. Thereafter, the female joint and the male joint can be separated from each other. The female valve body can be moved to the advanced position by driving the drive section with the outer opening edge of the female valve hole and the outer opening edge of the male valve hole facing each other. Thus, the male valve body can be moved to the retracted position against the urging force of the urging means. In this way, fluids can be transferred between the female main body and the male main body by communicating with each other.

  A coating apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention is detachably attached to one or a plurality of supply parts for supplying fluid and one or a plurality of supply parts via a first joint. One or a plurality of dischargers, each of the one or more dischargers has a tank for storing the fluid supplied from the mounted supply unit, the fluid in the tank It can be discharged and can be detachably attached to the arm of the robot via the second joint.

  According to the coating apparatus of the invention of claim 3, for example, a certain supply unit can supply the sealing agent, another supply unit can supply the adhesive, and the other supply unit can supply grease or the like. By setting so as to be able to supply, the sealant, the adhesive, the grease and the like can be filled in the tank of each discharger mounted on each supply unit. Next, when applying a sealant to a component of an automobile using a robot, for example, by first operating the robot, the dispenser filled with the sealant in the tank is removed from the supply unit. Attach to the robot arm. Next, the sealant can be applied to the components of the automobile by operating the arm and the discharger. Further, for example, when applying an adhesive to a component of an automobile using the robot, first, by operating the robot, the discharger for the sealant attached to the arm is connected to the corresponding supply unit. Put it back on and put it back. Then, in the same manner as described above, a discharge machine in which an adhesive is filled in a tank is attached to the arm, and the adhesive can be applied to the components of the automobile using this discharge machine. In addition, the tank of the used discharger for the sealing agent attached to the supply unit can be filled with the sealing agent by the supply unit.

  In addition, even with a coating apparatus that includes one supply unit and one discharge device, the fluid in the tank can be discharged and the coating operation can be performed by a discharge device mounted on the arm, as described above.

  A coating apparatus according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the coating apparatus according to the third aspect, wherein the first joint is the fluid coupling according to the first or second aspect.

  According to the coating apparatus of the invention of claim 4, for example, by providing either one of a female side joint and a male side joint in each supply unit and providing the other in each discharge unit, the supply unit and the discharge unit are provided. The fluid coupling can be detachably connected.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a coating apparatus according to the third or fourth aspect of the invention, wherein each of the one or a plurality of dischargers discharges a fluid by driving a pump with an electric motor. One or a plurality of supply units are provided with a stop control electric wire for outputting a stop signal for stopping the electric motor of the discharger mounted on the supply unit, and further, the discharge unit A third joint is provided for detachably and electrically connecting the stop control electric wire to the electric motor in a state in which the machine is mounted on the supply unit. .

  According to the coating apparatus of the fifth aspect of the invention, when the discharger is mounted on the supply unit and the supply unit supplies fluid to the tank of the discharger, the stop control electric wire is connected to the electric motor. A stop signal can be transmitted to the electric motor via the stop control wire. As a result, the pump connected to the electric motor can be stopped, and the fluid supplied to the tank can be prevented from leaking from the discharge port of the pump.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a coating apparatus according to any one of the third to fifth aspects, wherein the discharger includes a single-shaft eccentric screw pump, the single-shaft eccentric screw pump includes a screw-type rotor and the screw-type rotor. And a stator into which the rotor is inserted.

  According to the coating device of the sixth aspect of the invention, the rotor of the uniaxial eccentric screw pump rotates, and the fluid can be sucked from the suction port and discharged from the discharge port.

  According to the fluid coupling according to the first aspect of the present invention, the female side joint and the male joint can be moved by a simple and less operation of moving the female side valve element back and forth with the female side joint and the male side joint being brought into contact with each other. The side joints can be connected to each other, or both can be separated so that the fluid contained in the two does not flow out. Can be done.

  According to the coating apparatus of the third aspect of the present invention, since the dispenser is attached to the arm of the robot and the fluid in the tank provided in the dispenser is discharged by the dispenser, In addition, for example, it is not necessary to lay a large pipe for connecting a tank provided separately from the robot and an application nozzle provided in the robot arm, and a high-pressure pump for supplying fluid to the application nozzle is also provided. It is unnecessary and economical.

  Even when the fluid becomes high in viscosity or hardens due to, for example, a low temperature, there is no need to manage the temperature of the fluid in the piping because no large piping is used.

  In addition, since no large-scale piping is used, there is no need to clean such piping when changing the type of fluid discharged from the discharger, and the type of fluid can be changed very easily. . Therefore, when this coating device is used for, for example, applying or filling a plurality of types of sealant or grease on a plurality of components of an automobile, the most appropriate type of sealant or the like is selected for each component. Can be applied. As a result, the degree of freedom in process design can be increased.

  Furthermore, for each of a plurality of dischargers mounted on a plurality of supply units, by filling each of the fluids used for fluid drawing, coating, filling, and spotting, for example, one unit Using a robot, operations such as drawing, coating, filling, and spotting can be performed, and the degree of freedom in process design can be increased.

  For example, by using a single robot, for example, by filling fluids such as a sealant, an adhesive, and grease into a plurality of dispensers installed in a plurality of supply units, or One vehicle model can be applied with a sealant and the other vehicle model can be filled with grease, so that work and production can be rationalized.

  Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 1-8, one Embodiment of the coating device 12 which concerns on this invention, and the coupling for fluids (1st coupling) 13 used for it are described. The coating device 12 shown in the plan view of FIG. 1 includes, for example, first to third supply parts 14, 15, 16 formed by male joints of the fluid couplings 13, 13, 13. First to third dischargers 17, 18, and 19 are attached to the third supply units 14, 15, and 16, respectively. Then, the robot 20 receives a discharger corresponding to the work from among the first to third dischargers 17, 18, and 19, and the robot 20 uses the received discharger, for example, a component of an automobile. It is possible to apply a sealant, an adhesive, or the like to a grease or the like. The robot 20 includes a multi-joint arm 20a.

  In addition, first to third filling devices 21, 22, and 23 are provided for the first to third supply units 14, 15, and 16, respectively. Since these first to third filling devices 21, 22, and 23 are equivalent to each other, the first filling device 21 will be described, and the description of the second and third filling devices 22, 23 will be omitted. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the first filling device 21 including the first supply unit 14.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the first filling device 21 includes a filling pump 24, an electric motor 25 for driving the filling pump 24, and a support for supporting the filling pump 24 and the electric motor 25 via a bracket 21a. Part 21b. The support portion 21b includes a support base 21c that can be raised and lowered. A container (for example, a pail can) 26 is placed on the support base 21c. A fluid such as a sealing agent is stored in the container 26 and is arranged so that a suction port (not shown) of the filling pump 24 is immersed in the sealing agent. Further, a communication pipe 27 is provided at the discharge port of the filling pump 24, and a female side joint (first supply part 14) of the fluid coupling 13 is provided at the tip of the communication pipe 27.

  According to the first filling device 21, as shown in FIG. 7, by operating the filling pump 24 with the female side valve hole 28 of the female side joint (first supply unit 14) opened, The sealing agent in the container 26 can be sucked from the suction port of the filling pump 24, passed through the discharge port and the communication pipe 27, and discharged from the female side valve hole 28 of the first supply unit 14. A first discharger 17 shown in FIG. 1 is detachably attached to the first supply unit 14. The first to third dischargers 17, 18 and 19 shown in FIG. 1 are equivalent to each other, so the first discharger 17 will be described and the description of the second and third dischargers 18 and 19 will be omitted. To do.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the first discharger 17 stores a fluid such as a coating pump 29, an electric motor (servo motor) 30 for driving the coating pump 29, a speed reducer 31, and a sealant. And a tank 32 for the purpose. The application pump 29 has a suction port 29a communicating with the inside of the tank 32. When the application pump 29 is operated, the sealant stored in the tank 32 is sucked from the suction port 29a and discharged. A predetermined amount can be discharged from the outlet 29b.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the tank 32 is provided with a male side joint 33 of the fluid joint 13. By attaching the male side joint (first discharger 17) 33 to the first supply unit 14 shown in FIG. 4, the sealing agent in the container 26 provided in the first filling device 21 is replaced with the fluid joint. 13, the tank 32 of the first discharger 17 can be filled by a predetermined amount.

  Further, in the vicinity of the first supply unit 14 shown in FIG. 4, there is a stop control wire that outputs a stop signal for stopping the electric motor 30 of the first discharger 17 attached to the first supply unit 14. Further, a third joint for electrically connecting the stop control wire to the electric motor 30 in a detachable manner with the first discharger 17 mounted on the first supply unit 14. (Connector not shown) is provided. This stop control electric wire is connected to a control unit (not shown).

  Thus, by providing the stop control electric wire and the third joint, the first discharger 17 is mounted on the first supply unit 14, and the first supply unit 14 is attached to the tank 32 of the first discharger 17. When supplying a fluid such as a sealing agent, the stop control electric wire is connected to the electric motor 30, and the stop signal output from the control unit can be transmitted to the electric motor 30 via the stop control electric wire. As a result, the rotor 34 of the coating pump 29 mechanically connected to the electric motor 30 can be stopped, and the sealing agent filled in the tank 32 leaks from the discharge port 29b through the coating pump 29. Can be prevented.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 8, the application pump 29 is, for example, a rotary displacement type uniaxial eccentric screw pump, and the application pump 29 includes a rotor 34 and a stator 35. The rotor 34 has a male screw shape and is attached to a stator 35 having an inner hole having a female screw shape. One end of the rotor 34 is connected to the rotating shaft of the electric motor 30 via a connecting rod 36. Therefore, the electric motor 30 that is a servo motor is stopped by the stop signal, and the rotor 34 connected to the rotating shaft of the electric motor 30 is stopped, so that the liquid such as the sealing material leaks from the discharge port 29b. Can be prevented. For the filling pump 24, for example, a rotary volume type uniaxial eccentric screw pump equivalent to the application pump 29 is used.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the first discharger 17 is provided with a detachable plate 37, and a second joint 39 is provided for the detachable plate 37 and the arm tip portion 38 of the robot 20. ing. The second joint 39 is for positioning the first discharger 17 with respect to the arm tip 38 of the robot 20 so that it can be detachably mounted. Although not shown in the drawing, the second joint 39 of the robot arm tip 38 has a drive control wire for driving and controlling the electric motor of the first discharger 17 attached to the arm tip 38. A connector is provided that can be detachably and electrically connected to the electric motor 30 in a state where the first discharger 17 is attached to the robot arm tip portion 38 while being wired. ing. This drive control electric wire is connected to a control unit (not shown). When the first discharger 17 is attached to the arm tip portion 38 via the second joint 39, the first discharger 17 is locked so as not to rotate about the axis of the second joint 39. Has been.

  Thus, by providing the second joint 39 including the drive control electric wire, as shown in FIG. 4, when the first discharger 17 is attached to the robot arm tip portion 38, the drive control electric wire is A drive signal connected to the electric motor 30 and output from the control unit can be transmitted to the electric motor 30 via the drive control electric wire. Accordingly, a fluid such as a sealing agent can be discharged from the first discharger 17 at a predetermined timing in accordance with the movement of the robot arm 20a. A sealant can be applied.

  Although not shown in the drawing, a pressure pipe for supplying compressed air into the tank 32 of the first discharger 17 is provided at the robot arm tip portion 38, and the robot arm tip portion 38 has a first pipe. When the discharger 17 is mounted and the sealing agent is applied, compressed air is supplied into the tank 32 and the sealing agent stored in the tank 32 is pushed into the suction port 29a of the application pump 29. Can do. When the first discharger 17 is removed from the robot arm tip 38, the pressure pipe is automatically closed by an electromagnetic valve.

  Next, the fluid coupling 13 for detachably mounting the first discharger 17 to the first supply unit 14 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 5, the fluid coupling 13 includes a first supply portion (female side joint) 14 and a male side joint 33. The first supply unit 14 is provided in the first filling device 21 shown in FIG. 4, and the male side joint 33 is provided in the tank 32 of the first discharger 17 shown in FIG.

  The 1st supply part 14 has the female side main-body part 40, as shown in FIG. The female side main body 40 is a short cylindrical body, and a female side valve hole 28 is formed therein. An inflow port 41 communicating with the female valve hole 28 is formed in the peripheral wall, and the inflow port 41 is connected to the discharge port (see FIG. 4) of the filling pump 24 via the communication pipe 27. In addition, a female valve body 42 is disposed in the female valve hole 28 so as to be able to advance and retreat in the valve hole 28.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the female side valve body 42 is a short cylindrical body with both ends closed, and a first opening 42 b communicating with the internal space 42 a and a proximal end and a distal end of the peripheral wall A second opening 42c is formed. The distal end portion of the female side valve body 42 in which the second opening 42c is formed is formed as an enlarged diameter portion. The rear end portion of the female valve body 42 is connected to the piston rod 43 a of the advance / retreat drive unit 43, and the advance / retreat drive unit 43 is attached to the proximal end portion of the female side main body 40. The advance / retreat drive unit 43 is, for example, an air cylinder device, and can move the female valve body 42 forward and backward by expanding and contracting the piston rod 43a.

  According to the first supply unit 14, as shown in FIG. 5, when the advance / retreat drive unit 43 is in the shortened state, the female valve body 42 is in the retracted position, and the inflow port 41 of the female side main body 40. Is closed by the peripheral wall of the female valve body 42. In this state, since the first and second openings 42b and 42c formed in the female valve body 42 are closed by the peripheral wall of the female main body 40, the communication sent from the filling pump 24 is performed. The sealing agent in the pipe 27 can be prevented from flowing into the internal space 42a of the female side valve element 42, and the sealing agent in the internal space 42a of the female side valve element 42 is in the first supply portion 14. It is possible not to flow outward through the outlet 44.

  As shown in FIG. 7, when the advancing / retreating drive unit 43 is in the extended state, the female valve body 42 is in the advanced position, and the inflow port 41 of the female main body 40 is connected to the first opening 42b. While communicating, the 2nd opening part 42c will be open | released from the surrounding wall of the female side main-body part 40, and will be in the open state. In this state, the sealant discharged from the discharge port of the filling pump 24 is passed through the communication pipe 27, the inlet 41, the first opening 42 b, and the internal space 42 a of the female valve body 42, and the second opening 42 c. Can be drained from. Then, the discharged sealing agent can be allowed to flow into a male valve hole 45 of a male joint 33 described later.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, an engagement sleeve 46 is attached to the outer side of the distal end portion of the female-side main body 40. The engagement sleeve 46 is slidable in the axial direction of the female-side main body 40, and two L-shaped engagement grooves 46a are formed, for example. This engagement groove 46a is formed so that the engagement pin 47 provided in the male side joint 33 can engage (refer FIG. 6). A compression spring 48 is disposed between the engagement sleeve 46 and the female side main body 40, and the compression spring 48 pulls the engagement sleeve 46 toward the proximal end side of the female side main body 40. Energized in the direction. The movement in the direction in which the engaging sleeve 46 is pulled toward the female main body 40 is locked by a locking ring 49 mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the female main body 40. Further, although not shown in the drawing, the engagement sleeve 46 is attached to the female side main body 40 so as not to rotate in the circumferential direction with respect to the female side main body 40.

  The male side joint 33 has the male side main-body part 50, as shown in FIG. The male side main body 50 is a short cylindrical body, and a male valve hole 45 is formed inside the distal end side, and a large-diameter inner space 50a is formed inside the proximal end side. A male valve body 51 is disposed in the male valve hole 45 so as to be able to advance and retreat in the valve hole 45. The communication pipe 52 is screwed into the base end side opening of the male main body 50, and the large-diameter inner space 50a of the male main body 50 is connected to the first discharge machine via the communication pipe 52. 17 tanks 32 communicate with each other.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the male valve body 51 has a tip bottom formed in a circular cup shape, and one end of a compression spring (biasing means) 53 is mounted inside. The other end of the compression spring 53 is attached to the outside of the small diameter cylindrical portion 54 provided at the end of the communication pipe 52. In addition, a flange portion 55 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall edge of the male valve body 51, and a first flow path (a plurality of cutout portions) 56 is formed in the flange portion 55. Further, a second flow path (a plurality of small holes) 57 is formed at the proximal end portion of the small diameter cylindrical portion 54. Then, for example, two engagement pins 47 and 47 project from the peripheral wall tip of the male main body 50.

  Further, the male valve body 51 is urged toward the distal end side of the male main body 50 by the urging force of the compression spring 53. However, as shown in FIG. The male valve body 51 is locked at a predetermined forward position by contacting the locking protrusion 58 formed on the inner peripheral surface of the main body 50. Thus, when the male side valve body 51 is in the forward movement position, the bottom part thereof substantially coincides with the tip end part (the outer opening edge of the male side valve hole 45) of the male side main body part 50. 45 can be closed. In this closed state, the sealing agent stored in the large-diameter inner space 50a and in the tank 32 can be prevented from flowing out from the male valve hole 45 to the outside.

  As shown in FIG. 7, when the male valve body 51 is pushed by the female valve body 42 and moved to the retracted position, the edge of the large-diameter inner space 50a on the male valve hole 45 side is In addition, the large-diameter inner space 50a communicates with the communication pipe 52 via the first and second flow paths 56 and 57 while communicating with the second opening 42c of the first supply unit 14. In this state, the sealant discharged from the second opening 42c of the first supply unit 14 is passed through the large-diameter inner space 50a, the first and second flow paths 56 and 57, and the communication pipe 52 to the tank. 32 can be filled.

  Next, a procedure for attaching and detaching the fluid coupling 13 configured as described above, that is, a procedure for attaching and detaching the first discharger 17 to and from the first supply unit (first filling device 21) 14 is shown in FIGS. This will be described with reference to the above. Now, as shown in FIG. 5, the male side joint (first discharger 17) 33 is assumed to be detached from the first supply part (female side joint) 14 of the first filling device 21. First, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, while inserting the engagement pin 47 of the male side joint 33 into the inlet portion of the engagement groove 46 a of the engagement sleeve 46 provided in the first supply unit 14, The tip of the male main body 50 (the outer opening edge of the male valve hole 45) is abutted against the tip of the female main body 40 (the outer opening edge of the female valve hole 28). Then, by rotating the male joint 33 (first discharger 17) in a predetermined direction, for example, by about 90 °, the engagement pin 47 is fitted into the inner side of the engagement groove 46a. At this time, the engagement sleeve 46 is movable in the axial direction of the female-side main body 40 so that the engagement pin 47 is just fitted into the back side of the engagement groove 46a, and can be aligned ( (See FIG. 6).

  Then, as shown in FIG. 7, in a state where the engagement pin 47 of the male side joint 33 is engaged with the engagement groove 46a of the engagement sleeve 46, the control unit extends the advance / retreat drive unit 43, The female valve body 42 is moved to the advanced position. As a result, the male valve body 51 can be moved to the retracted position. At this time, since the engagement pin 47 is engaged with the engagement groove 46a, the male side joint 33 is not pulled away from the first supply unit 14, and the state where the two are attached to each other can be maintained. . In this state, the internal space 42a and the large-diameter inner space 50a of the female main body 40 and the male main body 50 are in communication with each other, and the sealant discharged from the filling pump 24 is supplied to the first supply unit 14. In addition, the tank 32 of the first discharger 17 can be filled through the male joint 33. That is, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 7, the sealant discharged from the discharge port of the filling pump 24 is put into the communication pipe 27, the inlet 41, the first opening 42 b, and the internal space 42 a of the female valve body 42. Through the second opening 42c, and through the large-diameter inner space 50a of the male joint 33, the first and second flow paths 56 and 57, and the communication pipe 52. Can be filled.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the first discharger 17 is removed from the state where the male side joint (first discharger 17) 33 is attached to the first supply unit (female side joint) 14 of the first filling device 21. The procedure for removing from the first supply unit 14 may be the reverse of the above, and the description thereof is omitted.

  Next, the robot 20 shown in FIG. The robot 20 is provided with a travel path 59 so that the robot 20 can move in parallel with the direction in which the first to third filling devices 21, 22, and 23 are arranged. In addition, the robot 20 operates the articulated arm 20a, and the first to third supply units 14, 15, and 16 of the first to third filling devices 21, 22, and 23 are attached to the first to first supply units. Of the three dischargers 17, 18 and 19, a discharger required for coating or filling work is programmed to be automatically transferred to the arm tip 38 and mounted. Furthermore, the robot 20 is programmed to apply a predetermined amount of sealant or the like to a predetermined portion of a vehicle component or the like using, for example, the first discharger 17 attached to the arm tip portion 38. . Further, the robot 20 is programmed so that, for example, the used first discharger 17 can be automatically transferred to the original first supply unit 14 and mounted. That is, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the robot 20 automatically moves the male joint 33 relative to the first supply unit 14 by moving or rotating the first discharger (male joint 33) 17. It is designed to be removable.

  FIG. 1 shows a state in which the first to third dischargers 17, 18, and 19 are respectively attached to the first to third supply units 14, 15, and 16 of the first to third filling devices 21, 22, and 23. FIG. FIG. 2A shows a state in which the arm tip 38 is pressed against the detachable plate 37 of the second discharger 18 and the both are coupled via a second joint 39 and a pressure pipe (not shown). FIG. 2B shows a state in which the arm tip portion 38 is rotated in a predetermined direction and the engagement pin 47 of the second discharger 18 is moved to the inlet portion of the engagement groove 46a on the second supply unit side. . FIG. 2C shows a state in which the second discharger 18 attached to the arm tip portion 38 is separated from the second supply portion by moving the arm tip portion 38 rearward. FIG. 3 shows a state in which the arm tip portion 38 is rotated in the direction opposite to the predetermined direction so that the application port can be applied with the discharge port of the second discharger 18 directed downward. In addition, the 1st-3rd filling apparatuses 21, 22, and 23 shown in FIG. It is set so that an adhesive and grease can be filled.

  Next, a procedure for applying a sealant to, for example, a vehicle component using the robot 20 will be described. First, when the control unit operates the robot 20, the first discharger 17 filled with the sealing agent in the tank 32 is removed from the first supply unit 14 of the first filling device 21 and attached to the arm tip 38. To do. Next, if necessary, the robot 20 is moved along the travel path 59, and then the articulated arm 20a and the first discharger 17 are operated to apply a sealant to the components of the automobile. it can. For example, when the robot 20 is used to apply an adhesive to a component of an automobile, the control unit first operates the robot 20 to thereby operate the first discharger 17 attached to the arm 20a. Is mounted on the first supply unit 14 and returned. Then, in the same manner as described above, the second discharger 18 in which the adhesive 32 is filled in the tank 32 is attached to the arm distal end portion 38, and the second discharger 18 is used to attach the adhesive to the components of the automobile. Can be applied. The tank 32 of the used first discharger 17 for the sealing agent attached to the first supply unit 14 is filled with the sealing agent by the first filling device 21.

  As described above, according to the fluid coupling 13 shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the female valve body 42 is moved by the advancing / retreating drive unit 43 in a state where the first supply unit 14 and the male side joint 33 are abutted with each other. The first supply unit 14 and the male side joint 33 can be communicated with each other by a simple and small operation of moving back and forth, or the two can be separated so as not to flow out a fluid such as a sealant accommodated inside the first supply unit 14 and the male side joint 33. Since it was set as the structure which can be performed, attachment / detachment with the 1st supply part 14 and the male side coupling 33 can be easily performed by the robot 20, for example.

  In addition, according to the coating apparatus 12 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and the like, any one of the first to third dischargers 17, 18, and 19 is attached to the arm tip portion 38 of the robot 20, and is provided in the discharger. Since the fluid in the tank 32 is discharged by the discharger, for example, a tank provided separately from the robot 20, for example, and a coating nozzle provided at the end of the arm of the robot are provided. There is no need to lay large piping for connection, and there is no need for a high-pressure pump for supplying fluid to the coating nozzle, which is economical.

  And even if the fluid such as the sealing agent is one that increases in viscosity or hardens due to low temperature, for example, it does not use a large-scale pipe, so it is necessary to control the temperature of the fluid in the pipe There is no.

  In addition, since large-scale piping is not used, there is no need to clean such piping when changing the type of fluid discharged from the discharger, for example, any of sealant, adhesive, and grease. The type of fluid can be changed very easily. Therefore, when this application device 12 is used for, for example, applying or filling a plurality of types of sealants or greases on a plurality of components of an automobile, the optimum type of sealant or the like is selected for each component. And can be applied. As a result, the degree of freedom in process design can be increased.

  In addition, fluid drawing, coating, filling, and spotting are applied to the tanks 32 of the first to third dischargers 17, 18, and 19 mounted on the first to third supply units 14, 15, and 16. By filling each of the fluids used in the process, for example, one robot 20 can be used to perform operations such as drawing, coating, filling, and spotting, thereby increasing the degree of freedom in process design. can do.

  Then, the first to third dischargers 17, 18, 19 mounted on the first to third supply units 14, 15, 16 are filled with a fluid such as a sealant, an adhesive, and grease, for example. Thus, for example, one robot 20 can be used to apply a sealant or the like to one vehicle type, and another vehicle type can be filled with grease, so that work and production can be rationalized. it can.

  However, in the said embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, although the number of the filling apparatuses 21, 22, and 23 was set to 3, it is good also as one or several numbers other than this.

  In the above embodiment, the number of robots 20 is one as shown in FIG. 1, but a plurality of robots 20 may be used.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the female side coupling was used as the 1st-3rd supply parts 14, 15, and 16, and the male side coupling 33 was provided in the 1st-3rd dischargers 17, 18, and 19, Instead of this, the male side joint 33 may be used as the first to third supply parts 14, 15, 16, and the female side joints may be provided in the first to third dischargers 17, 18, 19.

  As described above, the coating apparatus and the fluid coupling according to the present invention do not require a large-scale piping facility for supplying fluid from the supply unit to the discharger and a high-pressure pump for transferring the fluid. It has an excellent effect of easily changing the type of fluid to be discharged from, and is suitable for application to such a coating apparatus and a fluid coupling.

It is a top view which shows the coating device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The coating apparatus which concerns on the embodiment is shown, (a) is a partial top view which shows the state which mounted | wore the discharge machine with which the supply part was mounted | worn with the arm of the robot, (b) is discharged with the arm of Fig.2 (a). (C) is a partial top view which shows the state which retracted the arm with which the discharge machine was mounted | worn. It is a top view which shows the state which rotated the discharge machine with the arm of FIG.2 (c). It is a side view which shows the arm and filling apparatus of the robot with which the discharge machine shown in FIG. 3 was mounted | worn. It is an expanded longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the state by which the female side coupling and male side coupling of the fluid coupling which concern on the embodiment were pulled apart. It is an expanded longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the state by which the female side joint and male side joint of the fluid coupling which concern on the embodiment were faced | matched. It is an expanded longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the state which the female side joint and male side joint of the joint for fluids concerning the embodiment joined. It is an expanded partial sectional view which shows the discharge device of the coating device which concerns on the same embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the conventional coating device.

Explanation of symbols

12 Coating Device 13 Fluid Joint 14 First Supply Unit (Female Side Joint)
15 Second supply section (female side joint)
16 3rd supply part (female side joint)
17 First Discharger 18 Second Discharger 19 Third Discharger 20 Robot 20a Articulated Arm 21 First Filling Device 21a Bracket 21b Support Part 21c Supporting Stand 22 Second Filling Device 23 Third Filling Device 24 Filling Pump 25, 30 Electric motor 26 Container 27, 52 Communication pipe 28 Female valve hole 29 Application pump 29a Suction port 29b Discharge port 31 Reducer 32 Tank 33 Male side joint 34 Rotor 35 Stator 36 Connecting rod 37 Removable plate 38 Arm tip 39 Second Joint 40 Female-side main body 41 Inlet 42 Female-side valve element 42a Internal space 42b First opening 42c Second opening 43 Advance / retreat drive 43a Piston rod 44 Outlet 45 Male-side valve hole 46 Engaging sleeve 46a Engaging groove 47 Engaging pin 48, 53 Compression spring 49 Locking ring 50 Side main body 50a a large-diameter-side space 51 male valve body 54 small diameter cylindrical portion 55 the flange portion 56 first flow path 57 second flow path 58 locking projection 59 running path

Claims (6)

A female side joint having a female side body part, and a male side joint having a male side body part,
The female side main body portion is formed with a female side valve hole that communicates the inside and the outside, and a female side valve body is disposed so as to freely advance and retract within the female side valve hole. The female valve hole can be opened and closed with
The male side main body portion is formed with a male side valve hole that communicates the inside and the outside, and a male side valve body is disposed so as to be able to move forward and backward in the male side valve hole. The male valve hole can be closed and opened with
By moving the female valve body to the forward and backward positions in a state where the outer opening edge of the female valve hole and the outer opening edge of the male valve hole are abutted, the male side A fluid coupling, characterized in that the valve body moves to a retracted position and an advanced position. The female side joint includes a drive unit for moving the female side valve element forward and backward,
The male joint includes an urging means for urging the male valve body toward a forward position, and a locking protrusion provided on the male main body portion for locking the male valve body at the forward position. The fluid coupling according to claim 1, further comprising:   One or a plurality of supply parts for supplying fluid, and one or a plurality of dischargers that are detachably attached to the one or more supply parts via a first joint, Each of the one or more dischargers has a tank for storing the fluid supplied from the mounted supply unit, can discharge the fluid in the tank, and has a second joint. The coating device can be detachably attached to the arm of the robot via the robot.   The coating device according to claim 3, wherein the first joint is the fluid joint according to claim 1.   Each of the one or a plurality of dischargers is configured to discharge a fluid by driving a pump with an electric motor, and the one or a plurality of each supply unit is attached to the supply unit. A stop control electric wire for outputting a stop signal for stopping the electric motor of the discharger is wired, and further, the stop control electric wire is connected to the electric supply in a state where the discharger is attached to the supply unit. The coating device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein a third joint for detachably connecting to the motor is provided.   The said discharge machine is provided with the uniaxial eccentric screw pump, This uniaxial eccentric screw pump has a screw-type rotor and the stator which this screw-type rotor fits in, The Claim 1 thru | or 5 characterized by the above-mentioned. The coating apparatus as described.

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