JP2010046706A - Apparatus for carrying workpiece - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus for carrying a workpiece, which conforms to the requirement of a thinned portion to be inserted into the space between the bed and the slide of a press machine and is suitable for the high speed transfer of the workpiece. <P>SOLUTION: A workpiece carrying apparatus 1 includes: a carrier 2 extended in the direction of carrying a workpiece being a material to be processed; a body part 3 for movably supporting the carrier 2 in the feeding direction; a subcarrier 4 movably arranged along the carrier 2; a subcarrier driving mechanism 5 for moving the subcarrier 4 along the carrier 2; a carrier driving mechanism 6 for moving the carrier 2 in the feeding direction; an elevating/lowering mechanism 7 for moving the body part 3 upward and downward; a workpiece holding part 8 to be connected with the subcarrier 4, a cable guide 9 having feeder cables extended to at least respective workpiece holding parts 8; a rail 10 extended in the workpiece feeding direction; and a body part driving mechanism 11 for moving the body part 3 along the rail 10. The carrier 2, the subcarrier 4 and the cable guide 9 are arranged approximately within the same plane. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a workpiece conveyance device that conveys a workpiece, which is a workpiece, between presses, and more particularly, to a workpiece conveyance device suitable for increasing the workpiece conveyance speed.

  For example, a product having a complicated shape such as an automotive panel requires a plurality of molding processes, and is often molded by a transfer press or a tandem press in which a plurality of presses are arranged in a row. In such transfer presses and tandem presses, workpieces as workpieces are sequentially conveyed by a workpiece conveyance device disposed between the press machines. There are various types of such work transfer devices, but there are unit types that are arranged between the press machines to convey the work in the same motion, and individually arranged between the press machines. It can be roughly classified into a single type that independently conveys the workpiece. In addition, as a single-type work transfer device, a device using a multi-indirect robot, a device using a link mechanism, a device using a linear motion mechanism (elevating mechanism and horizontal movement mechanism), etc. have already been put into practical use.

  For workpiece transfer devices using multi-indirect robots, the speed and cost of workpiece transfer are increased due to the fact that the number of control axes is large and the control is complicated, the rigidity is low, the vibration is large, and the rotation around the horizontal axis requires a large torque. Down is difficult. Also, in the work transfer device using the link mechanism, the internal force that is canceled out in the link mechanism is generated, and because the arm operating area is wide, there is a large restriction on the interference with the press machine. Down is difficult. On the other hand, in a workpiece transfer device (for example, refer to Patent Document 1) using a linear motion mechanism (elevating mechanism and horizontal movement mechanism), the vertical movement and horizontal movement of the carrier are linear motion, and thus control is easy. It has advantages such as low vibration, no large torque required for rotation around the horizontal axis, no internal force that cancels out in the mechanism, and few restrictions on interference with the press machine. Suitable for down. Further, in view of such advantages, the applicant of the present application has already proposed a workpiece transfer device that employs a double speed mechanism for a workpiece transfer device that uses a linear motion mechanism to increase the speed (see Patent Document 2).

Japanese Patent No. 3902012 Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-234064

  By the way, a carrier that is moved by the above-mentioned various workpiece transfer devices is generally connected to a crossbar having a suction mechanism. The crossbar is inserted into a gap between the bed of the press machine and the slide to carry out the workpiece. And carrying in. In recent years, with the speed of work transfer, the stroke of the slide has become smaller, or there has been a demand for an operation that allows the crossbar to enter the gap between the press machines while the slide is rising. Tend to be narrower. In the case of such a press machine, a work transfer device using a linear motion mechanism that can move a carrier horizontally is suitable.

  However, in the workpiece transfer apparatus described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, since the carrier and the crossbar are arranged above and below, there is a limit to reducing the thickness of the insertion portion of the carrier inserted into the gap between the bed and the slide. There is a problem that it is difficult to meet the need to transport a workpiece into a narrower gap. In addition, when the height of the part that is horizontally moved while gripping the workpiece is high, there is a problem that it is difficult to speed up the workpiece conveyance due to the moment generated in the workpiece conveyance device.

  The present invention has been devised in view of the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a workpiece transfer device suitable for reducing the thickness of a portion inserted into a gap between a bed and a slide of a press machine and increasing the speed of workpiece transfer. And

  According to the present invention, a carrier that extends in the conveyance direction of a workpiece that is a workpiece, a main body that supports the carrier so as to be movable in the conveyance direction, and a subcarrier that is arranged so as to be movable along the carrier. A subcarrier driving mechanism for moving the subcarrier along the carrier, a carrier driving mechanism for moving the carrier in the transport direction, a lifting mechanism for moving the main body up and down, and a subcarrier connected to the subcarrier. A workpiece conveying device comprising a workpiece gripping portion and at least a cable guide for supporting and guiding a power supply line to the workpiece gripping portion, wherein the carrier, the subcarrier, and the cable guide are in substantially the same plane. Provided is a workpiece transfer device that is arranged.

  The subcarrier driving mechanism includes: a rotating body disposed at both ends of the carrier and rotatably disposed in a horizontal plane; an endless cord wound around the rotating body; and a part of the endless cord A fixing part connected to the main body part, the subcarrier is connected to the endless cable body, and the cable guide is arranged to be interlocked along the endless cable body. Is preferable.

  The carrier has a cable guide support part for supporting the cable guide, and the cable guide support part is arranged at a lower part of the carrier and slidably mounts the cable guide or the endless shape. You may make it comprise with the connection material which is connected to a cable body and suspends the said cable guide.

  The carrier driving mechanism is configured to include a driven unit disposed along the transport direction on the carrier, and a driving unit disposed on the main body unit and moving the carrier via the driven unit. May be. The carrier driving mechanism is preferably a belt driving mechanism.

  Moreover, the said workpiece conveyance apparatus may have the rail extended in the conveyance direction of the said workpiece | work, and the main-body part drive mechanism which moves the said main-body part along this rail.

  Further, the workpiece transfer device has a pair of adjacent carriers arranged and the workpiece gripping portion arranged outside each carrier, and transports the workpiece by interlocking these workpiece gripping portions. Or a pair of the carriers arranged apart from each other, and the workpiece gripping portion disposed inside each carrier, and the workpiece gripping portions are linked to each other. You may comprise so that it may convey.

  According to the above-described work transfer device of the present invention, the carrier, the subcarrier, and the cable guide are arranged in parallel in the horizontal direction and arranged in substantially the same plane, so that they are inserted into the gap between the bed and the slide of the press machine. The thickness of the carrier insertion portion can be reduced, and the speed of workpiece transfer can be increased. Therefore, even when the gap between the bed and the slide of the press machine is narrower than before, high-speed work conveyance can be realized. Further, by adopting a double speed mechanism as the subcarrier driving mechanism, it is possible to effectively speed up the work conveyance.

  In addition, the cable guide can be placed horizontally along the endless cable body by using a flooring material or a connecting material so that the cable guide can be easily placed horizontally, and the carrier insertion portion can be effectively thinned. Can be achieved.

  In addition, since the upper part of the carrier does not interfere with the subcarrier driving mechanism, it is possible to efficiently arrange components by arranging the carrier driving mechanism at this position, and to reduce the size and weight of the apparatus. Can do.

  Further, by adopting a configuration in which the main body portion can be moved in the conveyance direction, it is possible to easily cope with a case where the distance of workpiece conveyance is long. In particular, by employing the workpiece transfer device of the present invention, the workpiece can be transferred at high speed even when the transfer distance is long.

  Moreover, even if a workpiece | work is large, it can respond easily by interlocking each workpiece | work holding part using a pair of carrier. In particular, by employing the workpiece transfer device of the present invention, the workpiece can be transferred at high speed even when the workpiece is large.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, FIG. 1 is an external view showing a first embodiment of the workpiece transfer apparatus according to the present invention.

  A workpiece transfer apparatus 1 according to the present invention shown in FIG. 1 includes a pair of carriers 2 and 2 extending in a transfer direction of a workpiece that is a workpiece, and a main body 3 that supports the carriers 2 and 2 movably in the transfer direction. And subcarriers 4 and 4 arranged movably along each carrier 2, subcarrier drive mechanisms 5 and 5 for moving each subcarrier 4 along carrier 2, and each carrier 2 moving in the transport direction A carrier driving mechanism 6 to be moved, an elevating mechanism 7 for moving the main body 3 up and down, workpiece gripping portions 8 and 8 connected to each subcarrier 4, and at least a power supply line to each workpiece gripping portion 8 is supported and guided. Cable guides 9, 9, rails 10 extending in the workpiece conveyance direction, and a main body drive mechanism 11 that moves the main body 3 along the rails 10. Carriers 2, 2, subcarriers 4, 4 And Bull guides 9, 9 are arranged in substantially the same plane.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the workpiece transfer device 1 is disposed between press machines 12 and 12 having a bed 121 and a slide 122. The slide 122 in the press machine 12 on the downstream side in the transport direction (the front side in the figure) is not shown for convenience of explanation. Moreover, the workpiece conveyance apparatus 1 is suspended by the support | pillars 13 and 13 which assembled steel materials in the gate shape. Instead of the illustrated support 13, the work transfer device 1 may be suspended from the support 12 and the side surface of the press machine 12, the ceiling of the entire apparatus including the press 12 and the work transfer device 1, and the like.

  Each component of the workpiece conveyance apparatus 1 mentioned above is demonstrated in detail using FIG.2 and FIG.3. Here, FIG. 2 is a top view of the periphery of the carrier. 3 is a side view and a front view of the periphery of the carrier, (A) shows a side view and (B) shows a front view. Note that a part of the cable guide 9 in FIG. 3B is notched for convenience of explanation.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the carrier 2 is made of a steel material extending in the transport direction. The length of the carrier 2 in the conveyance direction can be used to load and unload the workpiece into and from the press machine 12 from the position where the main body part 3 is located closest to the press machine 12 (the fixed position when the main body part 3 does not move). Set to length. In addition, a support floor material 21 (cable guide support portion) on which the cable guide 9 is slidably mounted is disposed at the lower portion of the carrier 2. Such a flooring material 21 has a function of preventing the movement of the joint from being lowered due to the middle portion of the cable guide 9 being bent by gravity when the cable guide 9 is a part that is continuously joined by a joint. . The support floor material 21 is configured by, for example, a tray formed of a stainless steel plate material. Further, a resin coating layer may be formed on the surface of the flooring material 21 or a roller may be disposed so that the cable guide 9 can move smoothly on the flooring material 21.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the carrier driving mechanism 6 includes a belt 61 (driven portion) disposed in the upper portion of the carrier 2 along the conveying direction, and a carrier 61 disposed on the main body portion 3 via the belt 61. And a driving motor 62 (driving unit) that moves 2. In each figure, the belt 61 is shaded for easy identification. Both ends of the belt 61 are fixed in the vicinity of both end portions of the carrier 2, and an intermediate portion of the belt 61 is configured to be separated from the upper surface of the carrier 2. The belt 61 is wound around a pulley 63 driven by a drive motor 62. Auxiliary pulleys 64 and 64 that restrict the flow of the belt 61 are disposed on both sides of the pulley 63 (see FIG. 3A). In addition, in FIG.2 and FIG.3 (B), the figure of the auxiliary pulley 64 is abbreviate | omitted. In this way, by configuring the carrier driving mechanism 6 with a belt driving mechanism, it is possible to configure a lightweight carrier driving mechanism 6 without oil scattering.

  With this configuration, when the pulley 63 is rotated by the drive motor 62, the pulley 63 and the belt 61 mesh with each other or the belt 61 moves along the pulley 63 and the auxiliary pulley 64 due to frictional force, and the carrier 2 also moves accordingly. . In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, when the carrier 2 is disposed adjacent to each other, the carrier 2 can be moved in conjunction with each other by arranging both pulleys 63 on the rotation shaft of the drive motor 62. Thus, the carrier driving mechanism 6 can be reduced in size. Of course, you may make it arrange | position the carrier drive mechanism 6 to each of each carrier 2 separately. Further, as shown in FIG. 3B, a reduction gear 65 may be disposed between the drive motor 62 and the pulley 63, or the tip of the drive motor 62 may be supported by a bearing 66. Good. The combination of the driven portion and the drive portion is not limited to the illustrated one, and may be a chain drive mechanism, a rack / pinion mechanism, a linear motor mechanism, or the like.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the subcarrier 4 is disposed in substantially the same plane along one side surface of the carrier 2. The subcarrier 4 moves along the side surface of the carrier 2 by a subcarrier driving mechanism 5 described later. That is, the subcarriers 4 are arranged in parallel with the carrier 4 in a horizontal plane, and are not arranged above and below in the vertical direction. A workpiece gripping portion 8 to be described later is connected to the subcarrier 4. With the arrangement of the subcarrier 4, the insertion portion to the press machine 12 can be thinned. Moreover, it is preferable that the subcarrier 4 reciprocates in the transport direction. Therefore, the subcarrier 4 is arranged so as to move along the side surface on one side of the carrier 2. As shown in FIG. 2, when the carriers 2 and 2 are arranged adjacent to each other, the subcarriers 4 and 4 are arranged on both sides of the carriers 2 and 2. In consideration of preventing the subcarrier 4 from falling off, a rail may be formed on the side surface of the carrier 2 so that the subcarrier 4 can be slidably or rolled.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the subcarrier drive mechanism 5 is arranged on pulleys 51, 51 (rotary bodies) arranged at both ends of the carrier 2 so as to be rotatable in a horizontal plane, and hung on the pulleys 51, 51. The rotating endless cord body 52 has a fixed portion 53 that connects a part of the endless cord body 52 to the main body portion. Since the pulleys 51 and 51 are horizontally placed so as to be rotatable in a horizontal plane, the endless cord body 52 can be arranged along the outer periphery in the horizontal plane of the carrier 2. The subcarrier 4 is connected to the endless cord 52 as described above. Therefore, the subcarrier 4 and the subcarrier driving mechanism 5 are accommodated within the thickness range of the carrier 2. That is, the carrier 2, the subcarrier 4 and the subcarrier driving mechanism 5 are arranged in substantially the same plane. With this configuration, the insertion portion into the press machine 12 can be thinned to the thickness of the carrier 2. For the endless cord 52, a wire, a belt, a chain, or the like is employed. In addition to the pulley 51, a sprocket may be adopted as the rotating body. The above-described configuration of the subcarrier drive mechanism 5 is merely an example, and any rack and pinion can be used as long as the drive mechanism can move the subcarrier 4 along the carrier 2 with the carrier 2 and the subcarrier 4 arranged in parallel. It may be a mechanism, a linear motor mechanism, or the like.

  For example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, each of the workpiece gripping portions 8 includes a cross bar 81 extending in the horizontal direction from the carrier 2 and a plurality of the bar holding portions 8 extending in the transport direction from the cross bar 81. Adsorbing part 82. The crossbar 81 is fixed to the subcarrier 4. The suction portion 82 is arranged side by side in the extending direction of the cross bar 81 and the transport direction. The length and thickness of the cross bar 81 and the number and arrangement of the suction portions 82 are arbitrarily determined depending on conditions such as the size and weight of the workpiece, the rigidity of the cross bar 81, the suction force of the suction portion 82, and the like. In addition, for example, a vacuum cup, a magnet, a clip, or the like can be adopted as the attracting portion 82, and any of them can attract and release the workpiece at a predetermined timing. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3B, when the pair of carriers 2 and 2 are arranged adjacent to each other, the pair of work gripping portions 8 and 8 arranged outside the carriers 2 and 2 are The sub-carrier driving mechanism 5 is interlocked to hold and transport one workpiece. Further, the subcarrier 4 may include a tilt motor that rotates the crossbar 81.

  The cable guide 9 is a component for collectively connecting a feeding line such as a suction part 82 and a tilt motor, a control signal line, and the like from the outside of the carrier 2 to the work gripping part 8. The cable guide 9 is made of resin and bendable, for example. Specifically, it is preferable to use a cable bear (registered trademark) having a configuration in which a plurality of small plastic guide members are arranged in the extending direction of the cable and each is pin-coupled. In the conventional workpiece transfer apparatus, since the carrier moves in the transfer direction, for example, a power supply connector having a shape in which links are formed in multiple stages, a cable guide arranged so as to be bent in the vertical direction, and the like have been adopted. Therefore, a fixed interval is required between the main body 3 and the carrier 2, and the height of the moving part of the work transfer device is increased by that amount, which hinders speeding up of the work transfer. In the present invention, the cable guide 9 is placed horizontally so that the deformation accompanying the movement of the carrier 2 can be absorbed in the horizontal plane, so that the height of the moving part of the work transfer device 1 can be reduced, and the work transfer Can be made faster than before. Further, since the cable guide 9 is disposed so as to be interlocked along the endless cable body 52, the carrier 2, the subcarrier 4, the subcarrier driving mechanism 5, and the cable guide 9 are disposed in substantially the same plane. As described above, the carrier 2, the endless cord body 52, and the subcarrier 4 are arranged on substantially the same plane, and the carrier 2 and the endless cord body 52 are connected to each other, and the endless cord body 52 and the subcarrier 4 are connected. Are connected. One end of the cable guide 9 is connected to the endless cable body 52, and the other end is connected to the subcarrier 4. Further, it is necessary to avoid interference between the carrier 2 and the cable guide 9. As a result, the cable guide 9 is disposed along the endless cable body 52 so as to interlock with the periphery of the carrier 2 and is disposed in substantially the same plane. With this configuration, the insertion portion into the press machine 12 can be thinned to the thickness of the carrier 2. The intermediate portion of the cable guide 9 is placed on the floor material 21 of the carrier 2.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the rail 10 includes a pair of rail portions 101 and 101 that movably lock the main body portion 3, and a rack portion 102 that is disposed between the rail portions 101. The rail part 101 is comprised by steel materials, such as H-shaped steel, for example. The rack part 102 is arranged so as to mesh with the main body part drive mechanism 11 arranged in the main body part 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the main body drive mechanism 11 includes a drive motor 111 and a pinion 112 connected to the rotation shaft of the drive motor 111. Further, a speed reducer 113 may be disposed between the drive motor 111 and the pinion 112. Therefore, when the drive motor 111 of the main body drive mechanism 11 is operated, the pinion 112 and the rack portion 102 are engaged with each other, and the main body 3 moves along the rail 10. Although the case where the main body 3 is moved by the rack and pinion mechanism has been described here, a belt drive mechanism, a chain drive mechanism, a linear motor mechanism, or the like may be employed. Alternatively, a rack and pinion mechanism, a roller drive mechanism, or the like may be disposed at the locking portion between the main body portion 3 and the rail portion 101, and the main body portion 3 may be moved at the locking portion.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the elevating mechanism 7 is disposed above the support columns 13, 13, and is configured to elevate the main body 3 by elevating the rail 10. For example, the elevating mechanism 7 interlocks the drive motor 71 with a drive motor 71, a rack 72 connected to the rail 10 and extending in the elevating direction, a pinion (not shown) driven via the drive motor 71. And a tuning shaft 73. A reduction gear 74 may be arranged between the drive motor 71 and the pinion. In order to reduce the size of the drive motor 71, a pneumatic cylinder 75 that supports the weight of the rail 10, the main body 3, the carrier 2, and the like may be disposed. The pneumatic cylinder 75 is always supplied with pneumatic pressure from the tank 76, and the pneumatic cylinder 75 acts to lift the rail 10 and the like. Of course, a hydraulic cylinder may be employed instead of the pneumatic cylinder 75. Although the case where a rack and pinion mechanism is employed as the lifting mechanism 7 has been described here, a belt drive mechanism, a chain drive mechanism, a piston drive mechanism, or the like may be employed.

  The main body 3 is equipped with the carrier driving mechanism 6 and the main body driving mechanism 11 described above, and has a function of supporting the carrier 2 so as to be movable in the transport direction. The main body 3 is a frame formed of, for example, a steel material. 2 and 3, the shape of the main body 3 is indicated by a one-dot chain line. However, this shape is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to this.

  Next, the operation of the subcarrier drive mechanism 5 will be described. Here, FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the subcarrier driving mechanism, where (A) is when the subcarrier is at position X1, (B) is when the subcarrier is at position X0, and (C) is the subcarrier. The case where the carrier is at position X2 is shown.

  The state shown in FIG. 4A shows a case where the subcarrier 4 is closer to one end with respect to the carrier 2 (when the subcarrier is at the position X1). Further, the state shown in FIG. 4C shows a case where the subcarrier 4 is closer to the other end side than the carrier 2 (a case where the subcarrier is at the position X2). Consider a case where the subcarrier 4 is moved from the position X1 to the position X2. At this time, the subcarrier 4 passes through a position X0 that is an intermediate part of the carrier 2. The position X0 is also the position of the fixed portion 53 where the endless cord body 52 constituting the subcarrier driving mechanism 5 is connected to the main body portion 3. Since the behavior of the subcarrier 4 at the position X1 → the position X0 and the behavior of the subcarrier 4 at the position X0 → the position X2 are the same operation, first, the behavior until the subcarrier 4 reaches the position X0 from the position X1 will be described. To do.

  From the state shown in FIG. 4A to the state shown in FIG. 4B, it is assumed that the carrier 2 has moved by a distance Xc in the direction of the arrow in the figure. At this time, since the endless cord body 52 is fixed by the fixing portion 53, the outer periphery of the carrier 2 circulates in the direction of the arrow by the distance Xw by the action of the pulley 51 as the carrier 2 moves. Since the subcarrier 4 exists on the carrier 2 and is connected to the endless cord 52, the subcarrier 4 moves in the direction of the arrow by a distance Xs obtained by adding the distance Xc and the distance Xw. Here, the relationship of the distance Xc that the carrier 2 moves = the distance Xw that the endless cord 52 moves is established. Therefore, the distance Xs that the subcarrier 4 moves is twice the distance Xc that the carrier 2 moves. That is, the subcarrier drive mechanism 5 constitutes a double speed mechanism. Similarly, the subcarrier 4 moves at a double speed with respect to the carrier 2 from the state shown in FIG. 4B to the state shown in FIG. 4C. Due to the action of the subcarrier driving mechanism 5, when the subcarrier 4 is moved from the position X1 to the position X2, the carrier 2 only needs to be moved by a half of the distance, and the subcarrier 4 can be moved efficiently. , Work conveyance can be speeded up. Further, by adopting the double speed mechanism, the movement amount of the carrier 2 with respect to the movement amount of the subcarrier 4 can be halved, and the movement amount of the cable guide 9 can be halved similarly to the carrier 2 by the principle of the pulley. The cable guide 9 can be arranged without interfering with the pulley 51. That is, it can be said that the horizontal placement of the cable guide 9 is suitable for the double speed mechanism.

  Next, the case where the workpiece | work w is conveyed between press machine 12A, 12B by the workpiece conveyance apparatus 1 mentioned above is demonstrated. Here, FIG. 5 shows the process of unloading the workpiece from the upstream press, (A) shows the insertion process, (B) shows the adsorption process, and (C) shows the ascending process. Moreover, FIG. 6 shows the process of carrying a workpiece | work into a downstream press, (A) has shown the movement process, (B) insertion process, (C) has shown the mounting process. In addition, in each figure, the figure of the workpiece conveyance apparatus 1 and press machine 12A, 12B is simplified.

  First, the process of unloading the workpiece w from the upstream press machine 12A will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 5A, when the press work of the workpiece w is completed in the upstream press machine 12 </ b> A, the slide 122 rises and a gap g is formed between the bed 121. Here, the gap g is an interval between the lowermost part of the slide 122 and the uppermost part of the bed 121. When the gap g becomes an interval at which the workpiece gripping portion 8 can be inserted, the main body 3 is moved horizontally to the press 12A by the main body drive mechanism 11 and the carrier 2 is horizontally moved to the press 12A by the carrier drive mechanism 6. The workpiece gripping portion 8 connected to the subcarrier 4 is inserted into the gap g by the subcarrier driving mechanism 5. In the present invention, since the insertion portion of the carrier 2 into the press machine 12 is thinned, the workpiece gripping portion 8 is placed in the gap g between the bed 121 and the slide 122 of the press machine 12A even if the gap g is narrower than before. Can be inserted easily. Therefore, the workpiece transfer apparatus 1 according to the present invention can be applied to the press machine 12A in which the shape of the workpiece w is complicated and the gap g is narrow. If the positions of the carrier 2 and the workpiece gripping portion 8 before being inserted into the press machine 12A are not high enough to be inserted into the gap g, the carrier 2 and the workpiece are adjusted while the elevation mechanism 7 is operated to adjust the height. The grip portion 8 may be moved in the horizontal direction.

  As shown in FIG. 5B, when the insertion of the workpiece gripping portion 8 is completed, the lifting mechanism 7 is operated to lower the main body portion 3, the carrier 2 and the workpiece gripping portion 8 together with the rail 10. When the workpiece gripping portion 8 reaches a height that can attract the workpiece w, the lifting mechanism 7 is stopped, and the workpiece gripping portion 8 sucks the workpiece w. In the description of FIGS. 5A and 5B, the insertion and the lowering of the workpiece gripping portion 8 have been described separately. However, the lifting mechanism 7, the body portion driving mechanism 11, and the carrier driving mechanism 6 are appropriately controlled. Thus, the insertion and lowering of the workpiece gripping portion 8 may be moved on a smooth curve.

  As shown in FIG. 5C, when the adsorption of the workpiece w is completed, the lifting mechanism 7 is operated again to raise the main body 3, the carrier 2, the workpiece gripping portion 8, and the workpiece w together with the rail 10. And if it reaches the height which can carry out the workpiece | work w from the clearance gap g of the bed 121 and the slide 122 of 12 A of press machines, the raising / lowering mechanism 7 will be stopped. The elevating mechanism 7 may be programmed to operate and stop at a preset timing, or may be configured to operate and stop based on the output of a sensor or the like disposed in the press machine 12A. Also good.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 6, a process of carrying the workpiece w into the downstream press machine 12B will be described. As shown in FIG. 6A, after the process of FIG. 5C is completed, the main body drive mechanism 11 is operated to move the main body 3 horizontally to the press machine 12B side. At the same time, the carrier drive mechanism 6 is operated to move the carrier 2 horizontally relative to the main body 3 toward the press 12B. When the carrier 2 is moved, the subcarrier 4 and the work gripping portion 8 are moved along the carrier 2 toward the press machine 12B at a double speed by the action of the subcarrier driving mechanism 5. Moreover, in this invention, since the height of the moving part of the workpiece conveyance apparatus 1 can be made low, the workpiece | work w can be conveyed at higher speed than before. In the description of FIGS. 5C and 6A, the lifting and horizontal movement of the workpiece gripping portion 8 have been described separately. However, the lifting mechanism 7, the main body portion driving mechanism 11, and the carrier driving mechanism 6 are appropriately used. By controlling, the lifting and horizontal movement of the workpiece gripping portion 8 may be moved on a smooth curve.

  As shown in FIG. 6B, the carrier 2 and the workpiece gripping portion 8 are inserted into the gap g between the bed 121 and the slide 122 of the press machine 12B while moving horizontally as shown in FIG. At this time, if the height position of the workpiece w is not appropriate with respect to the gap g of the press machine 12B, the lifting mechanism 7 is operated while the main body 3 or the like is moved horizontally to insert the workpiece gripping portion 8 into the gap g. Control to be as high as possible. When the workpiece w reaches a position where it can be placed on the bed 121 of the press machine 12B, the workpiece transfer device 1 stops the horizontal movement of the main body 3 and the carrier 2, and the horizontal of the subcarrier 4 and the workpiece gripping portion 8 is reached. Stop moving.

  As shown in FIG. 6C, when the workpiece w is inserted into the gap g of the press machine 12B, the lifting mechanism 7 is operated to lower the main body 3, the carrier 2, the workpiece gripping portion 8 and the workpiece w together with the rail 10. . When the workpiece w is placed on the bed 121, the lifting mechanism 7 stops, the suction of the workpiece gripping portion 8 is released, and the workpiece w is released. In the description of FIGS. 6B and 6C, the insertion and lowering of the workpiece gripping portion 8 have been described separately. However, the lifting mechanism 7, the main body drive mechanism 11, and the carrier drive mechanism 6 are appropriately controlled. Thus, the insertion and lowering of the workpiece gripping portion 8 may be moved on a smooth curve.

  The subsequent steps are not shown, but when the elevation mechanism 7 is actuated to raise the main body 3, the carrier 2 and the workpiece gripping portion 8 together with the rail 10, and reach a height at which the workpiece gripping portion 8 can be pulled out. The lifting mechanism 7 is stopped, and the main body 3 and the carrier 2 are horizontally moved to the press machine 12A side by the main body driving mechanism 11 and the carrier driving mechanism 6. Also in this case, the lifting and horizontal movement of the workpiece gripping portion 8 may be moved on a smooth curve by appropriately controlling the lifting mechanism 7, the main body drive mechanism 11 and the carrier drive mechanism 6. And it transfers to the state of FIG. 5 (A), and below, the process mentioned above is repeated and the workpiece | work w is conveyed.

  Next, the case where the workpiece | work w is conveyed between press machine 12A, 12B by 2nd embodiment of the workpiece conveyance apparatus which concerns on this invention is demonstrated. Here, FIG. 7 shows a process of unloading a work from the upstream press by the work conveying apparatus of the second embodiment, (A) is an insertion process, (B) is an adsorption process, and (C) is an ascending process. Is shown. Moreover, FIG. 8 shows the process of carrying a workpiece | work into a downstream press with the workpiece conveyance apparatus of 2nd embodiment, (A) is a movement process, (B) insertion process, (C) is a mounting process. Show. In addition, in each figure, the figure of the workpiece conveyance apparatus 14 and press machine 12A, 12B is simplified.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the workpiece conveyance device 14 of the second embodiment is a workpiece conveyance device used when the main body 3 is not moved horizontally. Therefore, the workpiece conveyance device 14 of the second embodiment has a configuration in which the rail 10 and the main body drive mechanism 11 are excluded from the workpiece conveyance device 1 of the first embodiment, and the lifting mechanism 7 is connected to the main body 3. It has been configured. The second embodiment may be used when the distance between the upstream press machine 12A and the downstream press machine 12B is narrow, or when it is desired to reduce the number of parts of the work transfer device shown in the first embodiment. it can. In addition, about another structure, since it is the same structure as the workpiece conveyance apparatus 1 of 1st embodiment, the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted here.

  First, the process of unloading the workpiece w from the upstream press machine 12A will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 7A, when the press work of the workpiece w is completed in the upstream press machine 12 </ b> A, the slide 122 rises and a gap g is formed with the bed 121. When the gap g becomes an interval at which the workpiece gripping portion 8 can be inserted, the workpiece gripping portion 8 connected to the subcarrier 4 by the subcarrier driving mechanism 5 is moved while the carrier 2 is horizontally moved by the carrier driving mechanism 6 to the press machine 12A side. Insert into gap g. If the positions of the carrier 2 and the workpiece gripping portion 8 before being inserted into the press machine 12A are not high enough to be inserted into the gap g, the carrier 2 and the workpiece are adjusted while the elevation mechanism 7 is operated to adjust the height. The grip portion 8 may be moved in the horizontal direction.

  As shown in FIG. 7B, when the insertion of the workpiece gripping portion 8 is completed, the lifting mechanism 7 is operated to lower the main body portion 3, the carrier 2, and the workpiece gripping portion 8. When the workpiece gripping portion 8 reaches a height that can attract the workpiece w, the lifting mechanism 7 is stopped, and the workpiece gripping portion 8 sucks the workpiece w. 7A and 7B, the insertion and lowering of the workpiece gripping portion 8 are described separately, but the workpiece gripping portion 8 is controlled by appropriately controlling the lifting mechanism 7 and the carrier driving mechanism 6. You may make it move insertion and descent | fall on a smooth curve.

  As shown in FIG. 7C, when the adsorption of the workpiece w is completed, the lifting mechanism 7 is operated again to raise the main body 3, the carrier 2, the workpiece gripping portion 8, and the workpiece w. And if it reaches the height which can carry out the workpiece | work w from the clearance gap g of the bed 121 and the slide 122 of 12 A of press machines, the raising / lowering mechanism 7 will be stopped. The elevating mechanism 7 may be programmed to operate and stop at a preset timing, or may be configured to operate and stop based on the output of a sensor or the like disposed in the press machine 12A. Also good.

  Next, the process of carrying the workpiece w into the downstream press 12B will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 8A, after the process of FIG. 7C is completed, the carrier driving mechanism 6 is operated to move the carrier 2 horizontally relative to the main body portion 3 toward the press machine 12B. When the carrier 2 is moved, the subcarrier 4 and the work gripping portion 8 are moved along the carrier 2 toward the press machine 12B at a double speed by the action of the subcarrier driving mechanism 5. In the description of FIGS. 7C and 8A, the lifting and horizontal movement of the workpiece gripping portion 8 have been described separately, but the workpiece can be controlled by appropriately controlling the lifting mechanism 7 and the carrier driving mechanism 6. You may make it make the raise and horizontal movement of the holding part 8 move on a smooth curve.

  As shown in FIG. 8B, the carrier 2 and the workpiece gripping portion 8 are inserted into the gap g between the bed 121 and the slide 122 of the press machine 12B while moving horizontally as shown in FIG. At this time, if the height position of the workpiece w is not appropriate with respect to the gap g of the press machine 12B, the lifting mechanism 7 is operated while the carrier 2 is moved horizontally, and the workpiece gripping portion 8 can be inserted into the gap g. Control to be. When the work w reaches a position where it can be placed on the bed 121 of the press machine 12B, the work transfer device 1 stops the horizontal movement of the carrier 2 and stops the horizontal movement of the subcarrier 4 and the work gripping portion 8. .

  As shown in FIG. 8C, when the workpiece w is inserted into the gap g of the press machine 12B, the lifting mechanism 7 is operated to lower the main body 3, the carrier 2, the workpiece gripping portion 8, and the workpiece w. When the workpiece w is placed on the bed 121, the lifting mechanism 7 stops, the suction of the workpiece gripping portion 8 is released, and the workpiece w is released. 8B and 8C, the insertion and lowering of the workpiece gripping portion 8 are described separately, but the workpiece gripping portion 8 is controlled by appropriately controlling the lifting mechanism 7 and the carrier driving mechanism 6. You may make it move insertion and descent | fall on a smooth curve.

  Although the subsequent steps are not shown in the drawings, the elevating mechanism 7 is operated to raise the main body 3, the carrier 2, and the work gripping portion 8, and reach the height at which the work gripping portion 8 can be pulled out. The main body 3 and the carrier 2 are moved horizontally to the press machine 12A side by the carrier driving mechanism 6. Also in this case, the lifting and horizontal movement of the workpiece gripping portion 8 may be moved on a smooth curve by appropriately controlling the lifting mechanism 7 and the carrier driving mechanism 6. And it transfers to the state of FIG. 7 (A), and below, the process mentioned above is repeated and the workpiece | work w is conveyed.

  Finally, other embodiments and modifications of the workpiece transfer apparatus according to the present invention will be described. Here, FIG. 9 is a figure which shows other embodiment and the modification of the workpiece conveyance apparatus which concern on this invention, (A) is 3rd embodiment, (B) is 4th embodiment, (C) is FIG. The modification of a cable guide support part is shown. In addition, in each figure, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the same component as the workpiece conveyance apparatus 1 of 1st embodiment, and it abbreviate | omits description.

  A workpiece transfer device 15 of the third embodiment shown in FIG. 9A is configured by one carrier 2. Accordingly, the workpiece gripping portion 8 is disposed in a cantilevered state on one side of the carrier 2. Such a workpiece transfer device 15 is suitable when the size of the workpiece w is small or the weight is light. In the second embodiment, the main body drive mechanism 11 may be arranged in the main body 3 as in the first embodiment, or the main body drive mechanism 11 may be excluded as in the second embodiment. Good.

  A workpiece transfer device 16 according to the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 9B is a device in which a pair of carriers 2 and 2 are arranged apart from each other, and a workpiece gripping portion 8 is arranged inside each carrier 2. In this case, since the carriers 2 and 2 are separated from each other, the carrier driving mechanism 6 may be individually arranged as shown. Further, the workpiece gripping portions 8 connected to the respective carriers 2 are connected so as to constitute one cross bar 81, and are controlled to move in conjunction with each other. Such a workpiece transfer device 16 is suitable when the size of the workpiece w is large or heavy, and particularly when rigidity and stability are required. On the other hand, the workpiece transfer device 1 of the first embodiment is suitable for a case where the gap between the workpiece transfer device 1 and other equipment is narrow because the components of the workpiece transfer device 1 do not exist on both sides of the workpiece gripping portion 8. ing. In the third embodiment, the main body drive mechanism 11 may be disposed in the main body 3 as in the first embodiment, or the main body drive mechanism 11 may be excluded as in the second embodiment. Good.

  A modified example of the cable guide support portion shown in FIG. 9C is configured by the connecting member 17 that is connected to the endless cable body 52 and suspends the cable guide 9. The connecting member 17 is an alternative to the support floor material 21 of the cable guide 9 described in the workpiece transfer device 1 of the first embodiment. The connecting member 17 is a component composed of, for example, a wire or plastic. One end of the connecting member 17 is bonded or locked to the endless cord body 52. Further, the endless cord body 52 may be inserted through the connecting member 17. The other end of the connecting member 17 is formed in a hook shape or a cylindrical shape, and the cable guide 9 is fixed. Such a modified example of the cable guide support portion can be applied to all the work transfer apparatuses 1, 14, 15, 16 of the first to fourth embodiments described above. When the connecting member 17 is employed, the cable guide 9 is disposed slightly below the carrier 2 and the subcarrier 4, but the cable guide 9, the carrier 2, and the subcarrier 4 are horizontally arranged. As long as they have overlapping portions, they can be identified as being substantially in the same plane.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention, such as forming the carrier 2 in multiple stages.

It is an external view which shows 1st embodiment of the workpiece conveyance apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a top view of a carrier periphery. It is the side view and front view of a carrier periphery, (A) is a side view, (B) has shown the front view. It is a figure which shows the effect | action of a subcarrier drive mechanism, (A) is when a subcarrier is in position X0, (B) is when a subcarrier is in position X0, (C) is when a subcarrier is in position X2. , Shows. The process of carrying out a workpiece | work from an upstream press machine is shown, (A) has shown the insertion process, (B) has shown the adsorption | suction process, (C) has shown the lift process. The process which carries a workpiece | work into a downstream press machine is shown, (A) has shown the movement process, (B) insertion process, (C) has shown the mounting process. The process of carrying out a workpiece | work from an upstream press with the workpiece conveyance apparatus of 2nd embodiment is shown, (A) is an insertion process, (B) has shown the adsorption | suction process, (C) has shown the raising process. The process of carrying in a workpiece | work into a downstream press with the workpiece conveyance apparatus of 2nd embodiment is shown, (A) has shown the movement process, (B) insertion process, (C) has shown the mounting process. It is a figure which shows other embodiment and modification of the workpiece conveyance apparatus which concern on this invention, (A) is 3rd embodiment, (B) is 4th embodiment, (C) is a modification of a cable guide support part, Is shown.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,14,15,16 Work conveying apparatus 2 Carrier 3 Main body part 4 Subcarrier 5 Subcarrier drive mechanism 6 Carrier drive mechanism 7 Lifting mechanism 8 Work gripping part 9 Cable guide 10 Rail 11 Main body part drive mechanism 12, 12A, 12B Press Machine 13 Strut 17 Connecting material (Cable guide support part)
21 Supporting floor material (cable guide support part)
51 Pulley (Rotating body)
52 Endless cable body 53 Fixed part 61 Belt (driven part)
62 Drive motor (drive unit)
63 Pulley 64 Auxiliary pulley 65 Reducer 66 Bearing 71 Drive motor 72 Rack part 73 Tuning shaft 74 Reducer 75 Pneumatic cylinder 76 Tank 81 Crossbar 82 Adsorption part 101 Rail part 102 Rack part 111 Drive motor 112 Pinion 113 Reducer 121 Bed 122 slides

Claims (8)

A carrier extending in the conveyance direction of a workpiece, which is a workpiece, a main body that supports the carrier so as to be movable in the conveyance direction, a subcarrier arranged so as to be movable along the carrier, and the subcarrier A subcarrier drive mechanism that moves along the carrier, a carrier drive mechanism that moves the carrier in the transport direction, an elevating mechanism that moves the main body up and down, a work gripper connected to the subcarrier, and at least A work conveyance device comprising: a cable guide that supports and guides a power supply line to the work gripping portion;
The work conveying apparatus, wherein the carrier, the subcarrier, and the cable guide are arranged in substantially the same plane.   The subcarrier driving mechanism includes: a rotating body disposed at both ends of the carrier and rotatably disposed in a horizontal plane; an endless cord wound around the rotating body; and a part of the endless cord A fixing part connected to the main body part, the subcarrier is connected to the endless cable body, and the cable guide is arranged to be interlocked along the endless cable body. The workpiece transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:   The carrier has a cable guide support part for supporting the cable guide, and the cable guide support part is arranged at a lower part of the carrier and slidably mounts the cable guide or the endless shape. The work transfer device according to claim 2, wherein the work transfer device is a connecting material that is connected to a cable body and suspends the cable guide.   The carrier driving mechanism has a driven portion disposed along the conveying direction at an upper portion of the carrier, and a driving portion disposed in the main body portion and moving the carrier via the driven portion. The workpiece transfer apparatus according to claim 1.   The work transport device according to claim 1, wherein the carrier driving mechanism is configured by a belt driving mechanism.   The work conveying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a rail extending in the work conveying direction; and a main body drive mechanism that moves the main body along the rail.   It has a pair of said carrier arrange | positioned adjacently, and the said workpiece | work holding part arrange | positioned on the outer side of each carrier, A workpiece | work is conveyed by interlocking these workpiece | work holding parts. Item 2. The workpiece transfer device according to Item 1.   It has a pair of said carrier arrange | positioned spaced apart, and the said workpiece holding part arrange | positioned inside each carrier, A workpiece | work is conveyed by interlocking these workpiece holding parts, It is characterized by the above-mentioned. Item 2. The workpiece transfer device according to Item 1.