JP2016068999A - Drive unit of xy table and container processing device with xy table - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To sequentially carry out filling by filling nozzles for one line of syringes on syringes arranged on a tray in a staggered manner.SOLUTION: A first table 42 and a moving block 70 are parallely movable in the X direction (conveying direction), and are reciprocated by a first servo motor 56 and a second servo motor 58 respectively controlled by control means. The XY table 34 is disposed on the first table 42 movably to the Y-direction, and the XY table 34 and the moving block 70 are connected by a connecting rod 76. A support table 8 for supporting a tray 2 is fixed on the XY table 34, and by changing a moving distance between the first table 42 and the moving block 70 in the X direction, the XY table 34 is moved to the X direction by 1 pitch along with the first table 42 and is moved by a half pitch to the Y-direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a driving device that drives an XY table that can move in the X direction and the Y direction, and a container processing apparatus that includes the XY table.

  Conventionally known is a container processing apparatus in which containers such as syringes are arranged in a staggered manner and accommodated in a tray, and this tray is moved for each row, and processing such as filling and plugging is performed by a processing head for one row. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

  When processing the containers arranged in a staggered manner as described above for each row, at least one of the tray or the processing head containing the containers is moved by one pitch in the X direction, and Y It is also necessary to move in the direction by a half pitch of the container. In order to move the tray in the X direction and the Y direction in this manner, a configuration in which a table movable in the Y direction and a drive motor are arranged on a table movable in the X direction is common.

US Pat. No. 7,937,907

  As described above, when the drive motor is arranged on the X table together with the table movable in the Y direction, the motor wiring is movable, so there is a possibility of disconnection. Further, since a protective cable or the like is required to prevent disconnection, it is difficult to make the apparatus compact.

  The present invention provides a first table that is movable in the X direction, a moving block that is movable in the X direction in parallel with the first table, and a Y direction that is orthogonal to the X direction on the first table. An XY table movably arranged, a first driving means for reciprocating the first table in the X direction, a second driving means for reciprocating the moving block in the X direction, the first driving means and the first driving means (2) a control means for controlling the driving means; and a connecting means for connecting the XY table and the moving block; and by relatively changing the position of the first table and the moving block in the X direction, Is movable in the Y direction.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, a support unit that supports a tray that is attached to the XY table and accommodates containers in a plurality of rows and columns and a staggered shape above the tray movement path. The control means moves the XY table in the XY direction each time the processing head performs processing, and then performs processing next. One row of containers is positioned below the processing head.

  The first table and the moving block can be moved in the X direction in parallel, the XY table arranged on the first table so as to be movable in the Y direction and the moving block are connected by connecting means, and the first table and the moving block Since the XY table is moved in the Y direction by making the amount of movement in the X direction different, it is possible to provide a drive device for the XY table without the possibility of disconnection of the wiring of the drive motor. Moreover, since it becomes possible to arrange | position a drive motor under an XY table, it can respond also to the container processing apparatus etc. which are arrange | positioned in an aseptic environment, for example.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a container processing apparatus having an XY table. Example 1 FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the tray supply position of the container processing apparatus. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the filling position of the container processing apparatus. FIG. 4 is a plan view of an XY table driving device. FIG. 5 is a front view of an XY table driving device. FIG. 6 is a side view of an XY table driving device.

  The container transport conveyor transports a container containing trays in which syringes are held in a staggered arrangement and stops at a tray supply position. At the tray supply position, a tray supply unit that sucks and takes out the tray accommodated in the container is provided so as to be movable up and down. The tray supply means takes out the tray from the container stopped at the tray supply position, and transfers it to the tray support table. The tray support table is mounted on the XY table, and can be reciprocated in the X direction (conveying direction of the container transport conveyor) by the movement of the XY table, and also in the Y direction (transverse direction of the container transport conveyor). It can be moved back and forth.

  The XY table is supported by a rail in the Y direction fixed on the first table, moves in the X direction integrally with the first table, and moves in the Y direction with respect to the first table along the Y direction rail. Can be moved to. A moving block is supported on the rail in the X direction on which the first table is supported, and can move in the X direction in parallel with the first table. The first table is connected to a first belt traveling in the X direction by a first servo motor, and the moving block is connected to a second belt traveling in the X direction by a second servo motor. The driving of the first servo motor and the second servo motor is controlled by the control means so that the amount of movement of the first table in the X direction and the amount of movement of the moving block in the X direction can be made different. The XY table is connected to the moving block by a connecting rod. If the amount of movement in the X direction between the first table and the moving block is different, the XY table moves in the Y direction on the first table.

  On the transport path of the container transport conveyor, a filling position and a tray discharge position are sequentially provided downstream of the tray supply position. At the filling position, the same number of filling nozzles as one row of syringes held in a staggered arrangement on the tray are arranged at the same intervals as the syringes. As for the tray moved to the filling position by the movement of the XY table, the leading row is stopped just below the filling nozzle. At that position, the filling nozzle is lowered to perform filling. Thereafter, after the filling nozzle rises, the tray on the tray support table moves in the X direction by one pitch of the syringe and moves by one half pitch in the Y direction, and the second row just below the filling nozzle. Position the syringe. After filling at this position, the tray on the tray support table moves in the X direction by one pitch of the syringe and moves in the opposite direction to the second row by one half pitch in the Y direction. Filling is performed by placing the third row of syringes directly below the filling nozzle. In this way, the syringe is moved in the X direction and is also moved in the Y direction for filling.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings. The container processing apparatus (indicated by reference numeral 1 as a whole) having this XY table moves the tray 2 from the container 4 onto the transport path of the container transport conveyor 6 for transporting the container 4 (see FIG. 2) containing the tray 2. The tray supply position A that is taken out and delivered onto the tray support table 8, the filling position B that fills the plurality of rows of syringes 10 held in the tray 2, and the filling in the held syringes 10 are finished. A tray discharge position C for lifting the tray 2 and returning it to the container 4 below is sequentially arranged.

  The container transport conveyor 6 is installed via a support 14 that stands upright on the base plate 12. The container transport conveyor 6 includes two endless belts 6A and 6B arranged in parallel, and the container 4 is transported on the pair of belts 6A and 6B. Upright container guides 16 and 18 for guiding both sides of the container 4 conveyed on the belts 6A and 6B are installed in parallel on both sides of the two belts 6A and 6B.

  A tray 2 holding a large number of syringes 10 is accommodated in the container 4. In the tray 2, a plurality of pockets for holding syringes are arranged in a staggered manner, and the syringes 10 are respectively inserted into the pockets and held in an upright state (see FIG. 2). The container 4 that accommodates the tray 2 in a state where the syringe 10 is held has a depth to accommodate the syringe 10 that is held upright and is held on the tray 2. Further, on the upper side of the container 4, a stepped portion 4 a is provided on which a peripheral edge portion 2 a surrounding a portion where the pocket of the tray 2 is formed is placed.

  A tray supply unit 20 is disposed at a tray supply position A on the container transport conveyor 6. The tray supply means 20 is installed on the side of the container transfer conveyor 6 via an upright stand 22, and a plurality of frames via a frame 26 are supported on a horizontal arm 24 supported on the stand 22 so as to be movable up and down. A suction cup 28 is arranged. The horizontal arm 24 provided with the suction cup 28 moves up and down by driving the motor 21 (see FIG. 1). These suction cups 28 are arranged so as to suck the peripheral edge 2 a of the tray 2 accommodated in the container 4. When the suction cups 28 are lowered, the plurality of suction cups 28 suck the peripheral edge 2 a of the tray 2. Then, the tray 2 is taken out from the container 4 by ascending. The tray 2 taken out by the suction cup 28 of the tray supply means 20 is placed on a tray support table 8 described below.

  A tray support table 8 that reciprocates between the tray supply position A and the tray discharge position C along the transport path of the container transport conveyor 6 is disposed above the container transport conveyor 6. As shown in FIG. 2, the tray support table 8 is horizontally attached to the upper end of an upright attachment member 32 via a bracket 33. The tray 2 holding the syringe 10 is supported on the tray support table 8. The upright mounting member 32 is placed on an XY table 34 movably installed on the lower base plate 12 in the X direction (conveying direction of the container transport conveyor 6) and in the Y direction (direction crossing the container transport conveyor 6). It is fixed, and can reciprocate in the X direction by the operation of the XY table 34, and can also reciprocate in the Y direction.

  The XY table 34 and its driving mechanism will be described with reference to FIGS. Two rails (a first X-direction rail 36 and a second X-direction rail 38) along the transport direction of the container transport conveyor 6 are arranged in parallel on the base plate 12, and these two X-direction rails are arranged. The first table 42 is supported so as to be able to move forward and backward in the X direction via a slider 40 (the slider of one rail 38 is not shown) fitted to 36 and 38. On the upper surface of the base plate 12, two belts 52, 54 wound around the upstream pulleys 44, 46 and the downstream pulleys 48, 50 are arranged in parallel. A downstream pulley 48 of a lower belt 52 (hereinafter referred to as a first belt) in FIG. 4 is connected to a drive shaft 56 a of a first servo motor 56 fixed to the lower surface of the base plate 12 and is rotated. Also, the downstream pulley 50 of the upper belt 54 (hereinafter referred to as the second belt) in FIG. 4 is connected to the drive shaft 58a of the second servo motor 58 fixed to the lower surface of the base plate 12 and rotated. The first table 42 is coupled to the first belt 52 via a clamp 60, and the first belt 52 reciprocates by driving the first servo motor 56, whereby the first table 42 is moved to the two Xs. Guided by the direction rails 36, 38, reciprocates along the transport direction of the container transport conveyor 6.

  Two rails (a first Y-direction rail 62 and a second Y-direction rail 64) are fixed to the upper surface of the first table 42 in a direction crossing the transport direction of the container transport conveyor 6. The XY table 34 is supported by these two Y-direction rails 62 and 64 via sliders 66 and 68, respectively. A rectangular notch 42a is formed on the second belt 54 side (the upper side in FIG. 4) of the first table 42. A moving block 70 is disposed in the notch 42 a and is supported by the second X-direction rail 38 via a slider 72 so as to be able to advance and retract. The moving block 70 is connected to the second belt 54 via a clamp 74. When the second belt 54 travels by driving the second servo motor 58, the moving block 70 moves forward and backward along the second X-direction rail 38. To do.

  The XY table 34 and the moving block 70 are connected by a connecting rod 76 attached to each upper surface. Therefore, when the first table 42 and the moving block 70 are moved by the same distance in the X direction by driving the servo motors 56 and 58, the XY table 34 does not move in the Y direction, but moves with the first table 42. When the amount of movement of the block 70 in the X direction is changed, the XY table 34 moves in the Y direction.

  The tray 2 taken out from the container 4 by the tray supply means 20 at the tray supply position A of the container conveyor 6 is placed on the tray support table 8 fixed on the XY table 34, and is driven by the drive mechanism of the XY table 34. A certain first servo motor 56 and second servo motor 58 sequentially feed to the next filling position B and tray discharge position C. Further, the empty container 4 from which the tray 2 accommodated at the tray supply position A has been taken out is transported to the tray discharge position C by the container transport conveyor 6.

  Filling means 78 is arranged at the filling position B of the container conveyor 6. This filling means 78 is provided at the upper end of a support column 80 installed upright on the side of the container conveyor 6, and is mounted on the lower surface of a horizontal mounting arm 82 supported by the upper end of the support column 80 so as to be movable up and down. A filling nozzle 84 is provided in a row. On the mounting arm 82 of the filling means 78, the same number (10 in this embodiment) of filling nozzles 84 as the number of syringes 10 held in the tray 2 is the same as the interval of the syringes 10 in the tray 2. Installed at intervals. The filling means 78 moves up and down by driving a motor 79 (see FIG. 1).

  At the tray discharge position C on the downstream side of the filling position B, a tray discharge means 86 having the same configuration as the tray supply means 20 at the tray supply position A is disposed. Since the configuration and operation are the same as those of the tray supply means 20, the description thereof is omitted.

  The operation of the container processing apparatus 1 including the XY table 34 having the above configuration will be described. The tray 2 in which a plurality of syringes 10 are arranged in a staggered manner and inserted into a pocket is accommodated in the container 4 and conveyed by the container conveying conveyor 6 in the upstream portion of the container conveying conveyor 6. When the container 4 containing the tray 2 stops at the tray supply position A, the suction cup 28 of the tray supply means 20 is lowered by the operation of the motor 21 and sucks the peripheral edge 2 a of the tray 2 in the container 4. Thereafter, when the suction cup 28 adsorbing the tray 2 rises, the tray support table 8 attached on the XY table 34 moves from the downstream side and stops below the tray 2 (state shown in FIG. 2). The suction cup 28 of the tray supply means 20 is lowered, and the sucked tray 2 is delivered to the lower tray support table 8. On the other hand, the container 4 from which the tray 2 has been taken out is transported by the container transport conveyor 6, moves to the tray discharge position C, and stops.

  The tray support table 8 that has received the tray 2 from the tray supply means 20 moves to the next filling position B. When moving from the tray supply position A to the filling position B, the XY table 34 only needs to move in the X direction. Therefore, the first servo motor 56 and the second servo motor 58 are synchronized by a control means (not shown). The first table 42 and the moving block 70 are moved by the same distance in the X direction by driving.

  When the tray 2 holding the syringe 10 stops at the filling position B, the filling nozzle 84 is lowered by the operation of the motor 79 to fill the syringe 10 in the first row. At the time when the tray 2 has been transported to the filling position B, the ten syringes 10 in the first row respectively coincide with the positions of the upper ten filling nozzles 84 and are directly below by the lowering filling nozzle 84. The syringe 10 in a row that has stopped is filled.

  When the filling of the first row of syringes 10 is completed, the filling nozzle 84 rises, and the second row of syringes 10 is moved below the filling nozzle 84. The syringes 10 held in the tray 2 are arranged in a zigzag pattern, and when filling the second row of syringes 10, 1 pitch (for one row of syringes) in the X direction (downstream). ) It must be moved and moved in the Y direction by a half pitch (1/2 of a syringe). When the arrangement of the syringes 10 in the tray 2 is in the state shown in FIG. 1, when filling the syringes 10 in the second row, the syringes 10 held in the tray 2 are pitched one pitch in the X direction. At the same time, it is moved half a pitch in the Y direction upward in FIG.

  At this time, the control means (not shown) connects the first servo motor 56 and the first servo motor 56 so that the distance to move the moving block 70 by the second servo motor 58 is larger than the distance to move the first table 42 by the first servo motor 56. The drive of the second servo motor 58 is controlled. In this embodiment, before the tray 2 moves in the X direction, the first table 42 and the moving block 70 are in a positional relationship indicated by a solid line in FIG. That is, the moving block 70 is located on the most upstream side in the notch 42 a of the first table 42. From this state, the first table 42 is moved in the X direction to stop at the position shown in FIG. 4, and the moving block 70 is moved to the position shown by the broken line in FIG. When the moving block 70 is moved largely relative to the first table 42 in this way, the XY table 34 connected to the moving block 70 via the connecting rod 76 moves in the X direction of the first table 42 and the moving block 70. From the position indicated by the solid line before the movement to the position indicated by the broken line in the Y direction.

  When the XY table 34 is moved in this way, the second row of the syringes 10 held in the tray 2 and arranged in a staggered manner is one-half of the syringes with respect to the syringes 10 in the first row. Since the position is shifted in the Y direction, the upper and lower positions of the syringe 10 and the filling nozzle 84 in the second row can be matched. At this position, the filling nozzle 84 is lowered by driving the motor 79 to fill the second row of syringes 10.

  After filling the second row of syringes 10, the filling nozzle 84 is raised and the tray 2 is moved again in the X and Y directions. Since the syringe 10 in the third row has the same position in the Y direction as the syringe 10 in the first row, the syringe 10 is moved by one pitch in the X direction, and the syringe 10 in the second row is moved in the Y direction. This time, a half pitch is moved in the opposite direction (downward in FIG. 4). At this time, the drive of the first servo motor 56 and the second servo motor 58 is controlled so as to reduce the distance that the moving block 70 moves in the X direction with respect to the amount of movement of the first table 42 in the X direction. That is, before the movement, the movement block 70 is moved from the position of the first table 42 at the position indicated by the broken line in FIG. Thereafter, the moving block 70 is moved a small distance to the position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 4 with respect to the position of the first table 42. By such relative movement between the first table 42 and the moving block 70, the XY table 34 moves from the position indicated by the broken line on the first table 42 to the position indicated by the solid line. In this way, in order to fill the syringe 10 one row at a time, the syringe 10 is moved by one pitch in the X direction and is moved alternately by a half pitch in the Y direction.

2 tray 8 support section (tray support table)
10 Container (syringe)
34 XY table 42 1st table 56 1st drive means (1st servomotor)
58 Second drive means (second servo motor)
70 Moving block 76 Connecting means (connecting rod)
84 Processing head (filling nozzle)

Claims (2)

A first table that is movable in the X direction, a movable block that is movable in the X direction in parallel with the first table, and a movable block that is movable in the Y direction perpendicular to the X direction on the first table. An XY table, a first driving means for reciprocatingly driving the first table in the X direction, a second driving means for reciprocatingly driving the moving block in the X direction, and the first driving means and the second driving means. Control means for controlling, and connecting means for connecting the XY table and the moving block,
An apparatus for driving an XY table, wherein the XY table can be moved in the Y direction by relatively changing the positions of the first table and the moving block in the X direction. Mounted on the XY table and supporting a tray that accommodates containers in a plurality of rows and columns in a staggered manner, and disposed above the movement path of the tray, and is processed intermittently for each row of containers. And a processing head for performing
The control means moves the XY table in the XY direction each time the processing head performs processing, and positions the next row of containers to be processed below the processing head. The container processing apparatus provided with the XY table of description.

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