JP2016107425A - Raw cover supply system and raw cover supply method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a supply technique of a raw cover by which work load given to an operator can be lightened to prevent reduction of work efficiency in setting the raw cover into a vulcanizer, and possibility of increase in an equipment cost is not incurred.SOLUTION: A raw cover supply system that supplies a raw cover having been conveyed in a laterally placed state on a carrier conveyor at a predetermined phase angle into a vulcanizer comprises: detecting means which detects a direction of the raw cover on the carrier conveyor having been conveyed; a rotation mechanism which adjusts a direction of the raw cover into a direction corresponding to a phase angle in inputting the raw cover into the vulcanizer by rotating the raw cover on the basis of the detected raw cover; raw cover loading means for loading the raw cover onto a carriage; a fixing mechanism which fixes the carriage transported to the vulcanizer in the state where the raw cover is loaded in a predetermined direction with respect to the vulcanizer; and supplying means which inputs and supplies the raw cover from the carriage into the vulcanizer.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

  The present invention relates to a raw cover supply system for supplying a raw cover to a vulcanizer and a raw cover supply method using the raw cover supply system.

  In the production process of pneumatic tires, there is a vulcanization process in which a raw cover is vulcanized and molded in a vulcanizer. The raw cover molded in the previous process is conveyed by a conveyor, etc. After being conveyed, it is set in a vulcanizer.

  At this time, in order to stabilize the quality of the tire after vulcanization, when the conveyed raw cover is set in the vulcanizer, the circumferential direction of the raw cover is set in accordance with the set position of the vulcanizing mold. It is necessary to adjust the angle (phase angle), and conventionally, a raw cover cradle for temporarily placing a raw cover is provided near the vulcanizer for adjusting the phase angle.

  Specifically, the raw cover is reloaded from the carriage to the raw cover cradle, and at the same time, the phase angle of the raw cover is adjusted by a manual operation by a worker or a robot arm (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP-A-2-136301

  However, the operation of adjusting the phase angle of the raw cover in the transshipment operation from the carriage to the raw cover receiving base as described above has various problems. For example, when transshipment is performed while manually adjusting the phase angle by an operator, there is a possibility that an adjustment error of the phase angle may occur, which may increase the load on the operator and reduce the work efficiency. is there. On the other hand, when providing a robot arm for phase angle adjustment, it is necessary to provide a large number of robot arms according to the number of vulcanizers, which may increase the equipment cost.

  Accordingly, the present invention provides a raw cover supply technology that can reduce the load applied to the worker when the raw cover is set in the vulcanizer, prevent a reduction in work efficiency, and does not cause an increase in equipment cost. It is an issue to provide.

  As a result of intensive studies to solve the above problems, the present inventor has found that the above problems can be solved by the invention described below, and has completed the present invention.

The invention described in claim 1
A raw cover supply system for supplying a raw cover, which has been conveyed in a horizontally placed state on a conveyor, into a vulcanizer at a predetermined phase angle,
Detecting means for detecting the orientation of the raw cover that has been conveyed on the conveyor;
A rotation mechanism that adjusts the orientation of the raw cover to a direction corresponding to a phase angle when being introduced into the vulcanizer by rotating the raw cover based on the detected orientation of the raw cover;
Raw cover loading means for loading the raw cover with the orientation adjusted on a carriage,
A fixing mechanism for fixing the cart transported to the vulcanizer in a state in which the raw cover is loaded with respect to the vulcanizer in a predetermined direction;
A raw cover supply system comprising supply means for supplying the raw cover from the carriage into the vulcanizer.

The invention according to claim 2
2. The raw cover supply system according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit is an image sensor that detects an orientation of the raw cover by detecting a barcode attached to the raw cover. 3.

The invention according to claim 3
The carriage includes a plurality of mounting tables for mounting the raw cover;
A plurality of the mounting tables are provided in a plurality of stages at positions overlapping with each other in the vertical direction, and a flip-up mechanism for flipping up the respective mounting tables excluding the lowermost mounting table is provided. Alternatively, the raw cover supply system according to claim 2.

The invention according to claim 4
Couplers are provided on both the fixing mechanism and the carriage,
When the carriage is fixed to the vulcanizer, the fixing mechanism and the coupler of the carriage are connected, so that a driving source is supplied from the driving source supply means provided in the fixing mechanism to the flip-up mechanism of the carriage. The raw cover supply system according to claim 3, wherein the raw cover supply system is configured to be supplied to drive the flip-up mechanism.

The invention according to claim 5
5. The raw cover supply system according to claim 4, wherein the drive source supply means is a compressed air supply device that supplies compressed air as the drive source.

The invention described in claim 6
A raw cover supply method for supplying a raw cover that has been conveyed in a horizontally placed state on a conveyor to a vulcanizer at a predetermined phase angle,
Detecting the orientation of the raw cover that has been transported on the transport conveyor,
By rotating the raw cover based on the detected orientation of the raw cover, the direction of the raw cover is adjusted to the direction corresponding to the phase angle when thrown into the vulcanizer, and the raw cover is loaded on the carriage.
The cart loaded with the raw cover is transported to the vulcanizer and fixed to the vulcanizer in a predetermined orientation,
The raw cover supplying method, wherein the raw cover is supplied from the carriage into the vulcanizer.

The invention according to claim 7
7. The raw cover supply method according to claim 6, wherein the direction of the raw cover is detected by detecting a barcode attached to the raw cover.

Further, the invention according to claim 8 is
A plurality of mounting tables for mounting the raw cover is provided, and a plurality of carriages are provided at a position where the plurality of mounting tables overlap with each other in the vertical direction.
8. The raw cover supply method according to claim 6, wherein when the raw cover is loaded on the carriage, each of the mounting bases except the lowest mounting base is flipped up. 9.

  According to the present invention, when the raw cover is set in the vulcanizer, the raw cover supply technology that can reduce the load on the worker and prevent a reduction in work efficiency, and does not cause an increase in equipment cost. Can be provided.

It is a top view explaining the loading operation | work of the raw cover from the conveyance conveyor in one embodiment of this invention to a trolley | bogie. It is the side view which showed the detection means, raw cover stacking means, and conveyance conveyor of FIG. 1 from the left side. It is the figure which expanded the cross section of the raw cover grip part of FIG. 1, and was shown typically. It is the side view which showed typically the trolley | bogie in one embodiment of this invention. It is the side view which showed typically the fixing mechanism in one embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows typically the state which fixed the trolley | bogie to the vulcanizer by the fixing mechanism. It is the schematic diagram which showed the fixing mechanism and trolley | bogie of FIG. 6 from the side surface. It is a side view which illustrates typically the supply to the vulcanizer of the raw cover loaded in the trolley | bogie. It is a perspective view which shows typically the other example of the trolley | bogie in one embodiment of this invention. It is a side view of the trolley | bogie of FIG.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on embodiments.

1. Outline of the present embodiment The raw cover supply system and supply method according to the present embodiment includes a raw cover loaded in a horizontally placed state on a conveyor, loaded on a carriage and conveyed to a vulcanizer, and then a predetermined phase angle. Is the same as the conventional raw cover supply system and method in that it is supplied into the vulcanizer.

  However, in the present embodiment, after loading the raw cover into the cart in the direction corresponding to the phase angle when thrown into the vulcanizer, the raw cover is removed from the cart without carrying out the transshipment work from the cart to the raw cover holder. It is different from the conventional one in that it is supplied directly into the vulcanizer.

  Specifically, it detects the orientation of the raw cover that has been conveyed in a horizontal state on the conveyor, and rotates the raw cover based on the detected orientation of the raw cover to obtain the phase angle when it is put into the vulcanizer. After loading the cart with the raw cover adjusted to the orientation corresponding to the phase angle in advance, transporting the cart to the vulcanizer, Fix in a predetermined direction.

  As a result, the raw cover placed horizontally on the cart with the phase angle adjusted in advance can be supplied directly into the vulcanizer, so it is transported by the cart, unlike conventional raw cover supply systems and methods. Before supplying the raw cover to the vulcanizer, it is not necessary to change the phase angle by transferring from the cart to the raw cover cradle.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is not necessary to carry out the transshipment work from the cart to the raw cover cradle, so that it is possible to reduce the load on the worker and prevent the work efficiency from being lowered. In addition, since it is not necessary to provide a large number of robot arms for transshipment from the cart to the raw cover cradle for each vulcanizer, the equipment cost can be reduced.

2. Raw Cover Supply System According to the Present Embodiment Next, the raw cover supply system according to the present embodiment will be described in detail. Hereinafter, the detection means, raw cover stacking means (hereinafter also simply referred to as “loading means”), carriage, and fixing mechanism of the raw cover supply system according to the present embodiment will be described in order.

(1) Detection means and raw cover stacking means FIG. 1 is a plan view for explaining the loading operation of the raw cover from the transport conveyor to the carriage in the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is the detection means, raw cover stacking means, and transport conveyor of FIG. It is the side view which showed from the left side. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing an enlarged cross section of the raw cover gripping portion of FIG. In addition, the code | symbol 4 in a figure is a conveyance conveyor (roller conveyor) which conveys the raw cover T from the raw cover shaping | molding process which is a previous process.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the present embodiment, in the loading operation of the low cover from the transfer conveyor 4 to the carriage 1, the sensor 3 as detection means for detecting the direction of the low cover T that has been transferred; A robot arm 2 is provided as raw cover loading means for loading the raw cover T onto the mounting table 11 of the carriage 1.

  For example, an image sensor is used as the sensor 3, and the orientation of the raw cover T on the transport conveyor 4 can be detected based on the position of the barcode TB attached to the raw cover T in the molding process. The sensor 3 is connected to the robot arm 2, and the detected orientation of the raw cover T is transmitted to the robot arm 2.

  The robot arm 2 is provided with a raw cover gripping portion 21, and as shown in FIG. 3, the raw cover T is inserted into the inner cavity of the raw cover T and the raw cover T is grasped from the inside by grasping the bead T 1 of the raw cover T. It can be gripped.

  In the present embodiment, in order to adjust the orientation of the raw cover T gripped by the raw cover gripping portion 21, the robot arm 2 is provided with a rotation mechanism (not shown) for rotating the raw cover gripping portion 21. The rotation mechanism rotates the raw cover gripping part 21 that grips the raw cover T based on the orientation information of the raw cover T detected by the sensor 3. Thereby, the direction of the raw cover T can be adjusted to the direction corresponding to the phase angle at the time of charging into the vulcanizer and can be loaded on the mounting table 11 of the carriage 1.

(2) Cart Next, the cart of the raw cover supply system according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a side view schematically showing the carriage in the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the carriage 1 according to the present embodiment is provided with three stages of placing tables 11 a to 11 c for placing the raw cover in a horizontally placed state. These mounting tables 11a to 11c are provided at predetermined positions at positions overlapping in the vertical direction, and the lower mounting table 11c is mounted on the lower frame 17 of the carriage 1, and the upper and middle mounting tables 11a and 11b. Is attached to the vertical frame 16.

  In addition, the actuators 14 as the flip-up mechanisms that flip up the respective mounting tables 11a and 11b are attached to the mounting tables 11a and 11b other than the lower mounting table 11c. The actuator 14 is connected to a coupler 15 provided at the tip of the lower frame 17 via an air hose 14a. By supplying compressed air as a driving source from the coupler 15, the mounting bases 11a and 11b are connected to each other. Can be flipped up automatically.

(3) Fixing Mechanism FIG. 5 is a side view schematically showing the fixing mechanism in the present embodiment. FIG. 6 is a plan view schematically showing a state where the carriage is fixed to the vulcanizer by the fixing mechanism, and FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing the fixing mechanism and the carriage of FIG. 6 from the side.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the fixing mechanism 5 includes a carriage fixing portion 51, an air cylinder 52, and a coupler 53, and is attached to the vulcanizer 7 (see FIG. 6) via an attachment plate 54. The air cylinder 52 and the coupler 53 are connected to a driving source supply means (compressed air supply device) (not shown) provided in the fixing mechanism 5.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the fixing mechanism 5 operates the air cylinder 52 and sandwiches the distal end portion of the lower frame 17 of the carriage 1 by the carriage fixing portion 51. At this time, the cart 1 is vulcanized by fitting a convex portion 51 a (see FIG. 5) provided on the upper side of the cart fixing portion 51 into a recess (not shown) provided in the lower frame 17 of the cart 1. It can be fixed to the machine 7 in a predetermined direction.

  Further, when the front end portion of the lower frame 17 of the carriage 1 is sandwiched by the carriage fixing portion 51, the coupler 53 of the fixing mechanism 5 and the coupler 15 of the carriage 1 are connected to each other so that the compressed air provided to the fixing mechanism 5 is connected. Compressed air is supplied from the supply device to the actuator 14 of the carriage 1.

3. Raw Cover Supply Method According to the Present Embodiment Next, a raw cover supply method using the above-described raw cover supply system will be described.

  First, as shown in FIG. 1, the sensor 3 detects the orientation of the raw cover T that has been conveyed based on the position of the barcode TB of the raw cover T on the conveyor 4, and the orientation of the obtained raw cover T is detected. Information is transmitted to the robot arm 2.

  The robot arm 2 grips and lifts the raw cover T with the raw cover gripping part 21, and then moves the raw cover T above the carriage 1. At this time, based on the information on the orientation of the raw cover T obtained by the sensor 3, the raw cover gripping portion 21 is rotated so that the raw cover T is loaded on the cart 1 in an orientation corresponding to the phase angle when being introduced into the vulcanizer. Then, the raw cover T is sequentially loaded on the mounting tables 11 a to 11 c of the carriage 1.

  In the present embodiment, the raw cover T whose direction has been adjusted in advance as described above is loaded on each of the mounting tables 11 a to 11 c of the carriage 1. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, first, the lower cover T is loaded on the lower stage 11c in a state where the upper and middle stages 11a and 11b are flipped up by the actuator 14, and then the middle stage 11b. Is lowered and the raw cover T is loaded on the stage 11b. Then, the upper stage 11a is lowered and the raw cover T is loaded on the upper stage 11a.

  Next, after the operator transports the cart 1 loaded with the raw cover T to the vulcanizer 7, the tip of the lower frame 17 of the cart 1 is attached to the cart fixing portion of the fixing mechanism 5 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. 51 to fix. As a result, the raw cover T whose phase angle has been adjusted in a horizontally placed state is arranged at a certain position adjacent to the vulcanizer 7.

  Next, using a vertical loader 6 (see FIG. 6) provided alongside the vulcanizer 7, the raw cover T loaded on the platforms 11 a to 11 c of the carriage 1 is supplied into the vulcanizer 7, and the raw cover T Is vulcanized. At this time, when the raw cover T placed on the middle placement table 11b or the lower placement table 11c is supplied to the inside of the vulcanizer 7, the placement tables 11a and 11b on which the raw cover T is unloaded are sequentially bounced. increase.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, when the lower frame 17 of the carriage 1 is sandwiched between the carriage fixing portions 51 of the fixing mechanism 5, the coupler 15 of the carriage 1 and the coupler 53 of the fixing mechanism 5 are connected. When the compressed air is supplied to the actuator 14 from the air supply device provided in the fixing mechanism 5, the mounting tables 11 a and 11 b can be flipped up using the compressed air as a drive source.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the direction of the raw cover T conveyed from the previous process is adjusted, and the raw cover T adjusted in advance to the direction corresponding to the phase angle when being introduced into the vulcanizer. In order to fix the cart 1 in a predetermined direction with respect to the vulcanizer 7 so that the orientation of the raw cover T loaded on the cart 1 is not shifted, the phase angle of the raw cover is as in the prior art. Even if a low cover cradle for adjusting the temperature is not provided in the vulcanizer, the low cover T whose phase angle is appropriately adjusted can be arranged directly next to the vulcanizer 7.

  As a result, it is possible to reduce the load on the operator by omitting the transshipment operation from the cart to the raw cover cradle and prevent the work efficiency from being lowered. In addition, since it is not necessary to provide a large number of robot arms for transshipment from the cart to the raw cover cradle for each vulcanizer, the equipment cost can be reduced.

  Further, in the present embodiment, as described above, the carriage 1 is provided with the three stages 11a to 11c, and the upper stage and the suspended stage 11a, 11b can be flipped up, The raw cover T can be loaded and unloaded efficiently.

  Further, in the present embodiment, when the fixing mechanism 5 and the carriage 1 are fixed, the coupler 15 on the carriage 1 side and the coupler 53 on the fixing mechanism 5 side are connected to each other, so that the fixing mechanism 5 is provided. Since the compressed air can be supplied from the compressed air supply device to the actuator 14 of the carriage 1, the mounting table can be automatically raised. And since it is not necessary to provide the compressed air supply apparatus for actuator 14 in the trolley | bogie 1, an installation cost can be reduced and a trolley | bogie can be reduced in weight.

  Note that the number of stages of the mounting table may be one, but is preferably plural. In this case, the number of stages is not limited to three as in the above-described embodiment. Further, as in the above-described embodiment, it is not necessary that all the mounting tables are provided in a plurality of stages at positions overlapping with each other in the vertical direction on one side of the vertical frame. For example, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, a carriage 1 in which two sets of two-stage mounting tables are provided on both sides of the vertical frame 16 may be used. In the case of such a carriage 1, the lower mounting bases 11 e and 11 g are fixed to the lower frame 17, and the upper mounting bases 11 d and 11 f can be flipped up by the actuator 14.

  In the above-described embodiment, compressed air is used as a drive source for the flip-up mechanism and the fixing mechanism of the mounting table. However, for example, electric power can be used. For example, when the carriage is fixed to the fixing mechanism, the carriage and the fixing mechanism are electrically connected, and power is supplied to the bouncing mechanism of the carriage from the power supply device provided in the fixing mechanism.

  As described above, when electric power is used as a drive source, an electric signal can be exchanged. Therefore, a sensor for confirming the flip-up can be attached to the carriage itself. As a result, it is not necessary to attach a sensor to an area (for example, before the vulcanizer) where the carriage is set, and the work efficiency in replacing the vulcanization mold can be further improved.

  While the present invention has been described based on the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Various modifications can be made to the above-described embodiment within the same and equivalent scope as the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cart 2 Robot arm 3 Sensor 4 Conveyor 5 Fixing mechanism 6 Vertical loader 7 Vulcanizer 11, 11 a to 11 g Mounting table 14 Actuator 14 a Air hose 15 Cart coupler 16 Vertical frame 17 Lower frame 21 Low cover gripping part 51 Cart fixing part 51 a Convex part of carriage fixing part 52 Air cylinder 53 Coupler of fixing mechanism 54 Mounting plate T Low cover T1 Bead TB Bar code

Claims (8)

A raw cover supply system for supplying a raw cover, which has been conveyed in a horizontally placed state on a conveyor, into a vulcanizer at a predetermined phase angle,
Detecting means for detecting the orientation of the raw cover that has been conveyed on the conveyor;
A rotation mechanism that adjusts the orientation of the raw cover to a direction corresponding to a phase angle when being introduced into the vulcanizer by rotating the raw cover based on the detected orientation of the raw cover;
Raw cover loading means for loading the raw cover with the orientation adjusted on a carriage,
A fixing mechanism for fixing the cart transported to the vulcanizer in a state in which the raw cover is loaded with respect to the vulcanizer in a predetermined direction;
A raw cover supply system comprising: supply means for supplying the raw cover from the carriage into the vulcanizer.   The raw cover supply system according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit is an image sensor that detects a direction of the raw cover by detecting a barcode attached to the raw cover. The carriage includes a plurality of mounting tables for mounting the raw cover;
A plurality of the mounting tables are provided in a plurality of stages at positions overlapping with each other in the vertical direction, and a flip-up mechanism for flipping up the respective mounting tables excluding the lowermost mounting table is provided. Alternatively, the raw cover supply system according to claim 2. Couplers are provided on both the fixing mechanism and the carriage,
When the carriage is fixed to the vulcanizer, the fixing mechanism and the coupler of the carriage are connected, so that a driving source is supplied from the driving source supply means provided in the fixing mechanism to the flip-up mechanism of the carriage. The raw cover supply system according to claim 3, wherein the raw cover supply system is configured to be supplied to drive the flip-up mechanism.   5. The raw cover supply system according to claim 4, wherein the drive source supply means is a compressed air supply device that supplies compressed air as the drive source. A raw cover supply method for supplying a raw cover that has been conveyed in a horizontally placed state on a conveyor to a vulcanizer at a predetermined phase angle,
Detecting the orientation of the raw cover that has been transported on the transport conveyor,
By rotating the raw cover based on the detected orientation of the raw cover, the direction of the raw cover is adjusted to the direction corresponding to the phase angle when thrown into the vulcanizer, and the raw cover is loaded on the carriage.
The cart loaded with the raw cover is transported to the vulcanizer and fixed to the vulcanizer in a predetermined orientation,
A raw cover supplying method, wherein the raw cover is supplied from the carriage into the vulcanizer.   The raw cover supply method according to claim 6, wherein the direction of the raw cover is detected by detecting a barcode attached to the raw cover. A plurality of mounting tables for mounting the raw cover is provided, and a plurality of carriages are provided at a position where the plurality of mounting tables overlap with each other in the vertical direction.
8. The raw cover supply method according to claim 6, wherein when the raw cover is loaded on the carriage, each of the mounting bases except the lowest mounting base is flipped up. 9.

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