JP2011031997A - Suction transfer device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a suction transfer device capable of coping with a change in the size of a suction object, by surely sticking a label to the suction object by sucking, without being sucked in when the label peels off, even if a label sticking part of the suction object is sucked by a sucker. <P>SOLUTION: An expansion member 11 of arranging a label applying pad 16 on the lower end is arranged inside the sucker 4 for sucking the spherical suction object of sticking the label to a surface so that the label applying pad 16 faces an opening part 13 of the sucker 4, and the expansion member 11 contracts in the axial direction of the sucker 4 by force for pushing up the label applying pad 16, and energizes the label applying pad 16 downward. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an adsorption transfer device suitable for automatic boxing of fruits and the like.

In general, fruits such as melons carried to the fruit selection are transported by a conveyor, and the quality such as weight, sugar content, and presence / absence of scratches is measured during the transport and boxed at the end of the conveyor.
Also, before the boxing process, a label indicating the production area, variety, etc. is often attached to the surface of the fruit.
And when the label is stuck on the fruit, it is necessary to store the fruit in the box with this label facing up.

By the way, conventionally, there is a sucker that can be moved back and forth between the conveyor and the packing table, and the fruit on the conveyor is adsorbed by this sucker, and the melon is put into the storage box installed on the packing table. An apparatus for transferring and automatically packing is known (see Patent Document 1).
When a fruit having a label attached thereto is boxed using such an automatic boxing apparatus, the fruit cannot be boxed unless the label attaching portion of the fruit is adsorbed by a sucker.
However, there are many cases where the entire surface of the label is not firmly attached to the surface of the fruit, and if the label adhering portion is adsorbed with a suction cup, the label may be peeled off and sucked into the suction cup.

JP 2000-142614 A

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is that even if the adhering part of the object to be adsorbed is adsorbed by a suction cup, the label is not peeled off and sucked in, and the adhering object is reliably adhered by adsorbing. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an adsorption transfer device that can cope with a change in the size of an object to be adsorbed.

The present invention relates to an adsorption transfer device that adsorbs a spherical object to be adsorbed on a surface with a suction cup and moves the object by moving the suction cup. An elastic member provided with a label pad is disposed so that the label pad faces the opening of the suction cup, and the elastic member is contracted in the axial direction of the suction cup by a force pushing up the label pad. The label pad shall be biased downward.
The elastic member may be a coil spring.
The expansion / contraction member may be composed of a coil spring and adjusting means for adjusting the length of the expandable portion of the coil spring and the height of the label pad in a normal state.
Alternatively, the expandable member can be a bellows tube.

According to the present invention, when the label adhering part of the object to be adsorbed is adsorbed by the suction cup, the label abutting pad presses the label toward the object to be adsorbed. Can be prevented.
Further, since the label pad is retracted according to the amount of the object to be adsorbed entering the suction cup, it is possible to cope with a change in the size of the object to be adsorbed.
Furthermore, by pressing the label against the surface of the object to be adsorbed with the label pad, it becomes possible to reliably attach the entire label to the object to be adsorbed.

1 is an end view of a suction transfer device showing Example 1. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of an adsorption transfer device showing Example 1. FIG. It is principal part sectional drawing in the use condition of the adsorption transfer apparatus which shows Example 1. FIG. It is principal part sectional drawing explaining the change of the adsorption transfer apparatus which concerns on Example 1. FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of an adsorption transfer device showing a second embodiment. It is a side view of the expansion-contraction member which concerns on Example 2. FIG. It is a side view in the state where the part which can be expanded and contracted of the coil spring of the expansion and contraction member concerning Example 2 was shortened. It is a side view in the state where the expansion-contraction part of the coil spring of the expansion-contraction member which concerns on Example 2 was lengthened. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of an adsorption transfer device showing Example 3.

1 to 4 show a first embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the suction transfer device 1 of the present embodiment is installed at the end of a conveyor that conveys a spherical object A such as melon, and is on a standby unit 2 provided at the end of the conveyor. The object to be adsorbed A is adsorbed and transferred into the box B on the packing table 3 provided on the side of the standby unit 2.
The suction transfer device 1 includes a support member 5 that reciprocates between the upper part of the standby unit 2 and the upper part of the packing table 3, and a plurality of suction cups 4 that are attached to the support member 5 so as to be movable up and down.

As shown in FIG. 2, the suction cup 4 is attached to the lower end portion of the hollow tube 6 whose upper end communicates with the vacuum pump. At the lower end of the hollow tube 6, an insertion tube 7 having a smaller diameter is integrally projected downward.
The suction cup 4 is suspended from the tubular body 8, a suction pad 9 attached to the outer periphery of the lower end of the tubular body 8, an annular member 10 fitted and fixed inside the tubular body 8, and the annular member 10. And a telescopic member made of the coil spring 11.

The cylindrical main body 8 is fitted to the outer periphery of the insertion tube 7, and the tip of a set screw (not shown) that is tightened through the cylindrical main body 8 is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the insertion tube 7. Is fixed to the hollow tube 6.
The suction pad 9 is made of an elastic body such as sponge, and the inner side of the lower end surface of the suction pad 9 is a tapered surface that is inclined so as to gradually increase in diameter toward the lower side so as to be in close contact with the surface of the object A. ing.
The suction pad 9 is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the annular pedestal 12, and the suction pad 9 extends along the opening 13 at the lower end of the suction cup 4 by press-fitting and fixing the pedestal 12 to the outer periphery of the lower end of the cylindrical body 8. Is attached.

A drill hole (not shown) is formed in the peripheral wall of the annular member 10, and the annular member 10 is fixed to the inside of the cylindrical body 8 by screwing the tip of a bolt penetrating the cylindrical body 8 into the drill hole of the annular member 10. Is done.
Further, a small-diameter cylindrical portion 14 projects from the lower end of the annular member 10, and the cylindrical portion 14 is press-fitted into the upper end portion of the coil spring 11 and fixed with an adhesive.
A pad support cylinder 15 is press-fitted into the lower end portion of the coil spring 11 and fixed with an adhesive, and a label pad 16 made of an elastic material such as sponge is mounted on the lower end surface of the pad support cylinder 15.

Before the cylindrical member 8 is attached to the lower end of the hollow tube 6, the annular member 10 to which the coil spring 11 and the label pad 16 are attached is fixed in advance inside the cylindrical main body 8.
In a normal state, the lower end of the coil spring 11 faces the opening 13 of the suction cup 4, and the lower surface of the label pad 16 is substantially flush with the lower surface of the suction pad 9.
When the label pad 16 is pressed upward, the coil spring 11 contracts in the axial direction of the suction cup 4 and urges the label pad 16 downward.

In order to adsorb the object A to be adsorbed by the suction cup 4, the suction cup 4 is moved while moving the suction cup 4 above the standby portion 2 and operating the vacuum pump connected to the hollow tube 6 as shown in FIG. Lower and move to the object A to be adsorbed. The object A to be adsorbed is installed on the standby unit 2 with the label C attached to the surface thereof facing up.
At this time, since the coil spring 11 installed in the suction cup 4 is not subjected to a pressing force, the coil spring 11 is in an extended state as shown in FIG. The lower surface of the pad 9 is flush. Further, the sucked air passes through the upper inner side of the coil spring 11 from the outer periphery of the lower end of the coil spring 11 and is sucked into the hollow tube 6 as indicated by an arrow a in FIG.

When the suction pad 9 of the suction cup 4 is in pressure contact with the object to be adsorbed A, as shown in FIG. The label abutting pad 16 is pressed upward and the coil spring 11 is contracted.
And the suction pad 4 adsorb | sucks the to-be-adsorbed object A, while the label pad 16 presses the label C against the to-be-adsorbed object A by the force which the coil spring 11 tries to return to the original length. Therefore, the label C is not peeled off from the object to be adsorbed A due to the suction force of the suction cup 4, and even if the label C is not completely adhered to the object to be adsorbed A at first, , Can be securely attached.

The suction cup 4 that has adsorbed the object to be adsorbed A rises, moves above the packing table 3, descends again, lowers the object to be adsorbed A into the box B on the packing table 3, and stops the suction. The object to be adsorbed A is released.
Since the object to be adsorbed A is lowered into the box B with the label adhering part adsorbed by the suction cup 4 facing upward, the object to be adsorbed A is stored in the box B with the label C visible from above.

5 to 8 show a second embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 5, the elastic member installed inside the suction cup 4 is an adjustment that adjusts the length of the coil spring 11 ′, the length of the expandable portion of the coil spring 11 ′, and the height of the label pad 16 in a normal state. Means.
The adjusting means includes a shaft 17 inserted through the center of the coil spring 11 ′, a cylindrical case 18 having an open lower end and the shaft 17 and the upper portion of the coil spring 11 ′ inserted therein, and a support plate 20 that supports the case 18. Is provided.
The upper part of the shaft 17 is slidably inserted in the vertical direction from the lower end of the case 18, and the lower end of the coil spring 11 ′ is fixed to a circular head 19 formed at the lower end of the shaft 17. A label pad 16 is attached to the lower surface of the head 19.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the upper portion of the coil spring 11 ′ is screwed into the inside from the lower end of the case 18, and the length of the portion exposed below the case 18 by rotating the coil spring 11 ′. Can be changed.
When the label pad 16 is pushed up, as shown in FIG. 6B, the shaft 17 slides upward, and only the portion exposed from the case 18 of the coil spring 11 ′ is contracted. .

As shown in FIG. 5, a support plate 20 is fixed to the inner periphery of the lower end of the insertion tube 7 protruding from the lower end of the hollow tube 6. A screw hole 21 is formed at the center of the support board 20, and a vent hole 22 is formed around the screw hole 21.
The outer periphery of the case 18 is a male screw, and the case 18 is screwed into the screw hole 21 of the support board 20 with the label pad 16 facing downward. Therefore, the height of the case 18 can be adjusted by rotating the case 18.

According to the present embodiment, the strength of the urging force of the coil spring 11 ′, that is, the length of the extendable portion can be adjusted according to the material of the label C, the type of the object A, and the like.
As shown in FIG. 7, when the coil spring 11 ′ is screwed into the case 18 and the length of the extendable part exposed below the case 18 is shortened, the coil spring 11 ′ biases the label pad 16 downward. Can weaken power. At this time, the case 18 is rotated and moved downward, and the height of the label pad 16 is adjusted so that the lower surface of the label pad 16 is substantially flush with the lower surface of the suction pad 9.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8, when the length of the extendable portion exposed from the case 18 of the coil spring 11 ′ is increased, the force with which the coil spring 11 ′ biases the label pad 16 downward can be increased. At this time, the case 18 is rotated and moved upward, and the height of the label pad 16 is adjusted so that the lower surface of the label pad 16 is substantially flush with the lower surface of the suction pad 9.
When the suction transfer device 1 is used, when the vacuum pump connected to the hollow tube 6 is operated, the air passes through the vent hole 22 of the support plate 20 from the outside of the coil spring 11 'as shown by the arrow b in FIG. The air is aspirated.
Since other structures are the same as those of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same portions, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 9 shows a third embodiment of the present invention.
In the present embodiment, the elastic member is formed of a bellows tube 23.
Below the insertion tube 7, a support plate 20 ′ is fixed inside the cylindrical main body 8 by a bolt that penetrates the cylindrical main body 8, and the upper end of the bellows tube 23 is fixed to the center of the lower surface of the support plate 20 ′. ing.
A vent hole 22 ′ is formed in the support board 20 ′ so as to surround the bellows tube 23, and the sucked air passes through the outer periphery of the bellows tube 23 and the vent hole 22 ′ as shown by an arrow c, and is a hollow tube. 6 is sucked into.
A label pad 16 is fixed to the lower end of the bellows tube 23. Under normal conditions, the lower surface of the label pad 16 and the lower surface of the suction pad 9 are substantially flush with each other.
Other structures are the same as those in the first embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Adsorption transfer apparatus 2 Standby part 3 Packing stand 4 Suction cup 5 Support member 6 Hollow tube 7 Insertion tube 8 Cylindrical main body 9 Adsorption pad 10 Annular member 11, 11 'Coil spring (expandable member)
12 Base 13 Opening 14 Tube 15 Pad support cylinder 16 Label pad 17 Axis 18 Case 19 Head 20, 20 'Support plate 21 Screw hole 22, 22' Vent hole 23 Bellows tube A Adsorbed object B Box C Label

Claims (4)

  In a suction transfer device that adsorbs a spherical object to be adsorbed on a surface with a suction cup and moves the suction object by moving the suction cup, a label pad is provided at the lower end inside the suction cup. The provided elastic member is disposed so that the label pad faces the opening of the suction cup, and the elastic member is contracted in the axial direction of the suction cup by a force pushing up the label pad, and the label pad is moved downward. Adsorption transfer device characterized by being biased toward   The suction transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is formed of a coil spring.   2. The suction transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the expansion / contraction member includes a coil spring, a length of the expandable / contractible portion of the coil spring, and an adjustment unit that adjusts the height of the label pad in a normal state.   The suction transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is a bellows tube.

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