JP2017039090A - Viscous material recovery device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve work efficiency, reduce cost, and also improve accuracy of finish of viscous material after application by simultaneously scraping and recovering the applied viscous material.SOLUTION: A viscous material recovery device 1 scrapes and recovers a surplus of a sealer 3 applied on a predetermined portion, and includes: a nozzle 4 which has a scraping part for scraping the surplus of the sealer 3 and a suction port for sucking the sealer 3 scraped by the scraping part; a robot 5 which moves the nozzle 4 so as to scrape the surplus of the sealer 3 by the scraping part and guide it to the suction port; a suction recovery device 6 which sucks the sealer 3 scraped by the nozzle 4 from the suction port 12, and recovers the sealer 3 sucked from the suction port 12; and a recovery device 10 which recovers the sealer 3 sucked from the suction port 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a viscous material recovery apparatus that recovers an excessive amount of viscous material such as a sealer applied to a joint portion between members constituting, for example, an automobile door or a hood.

  For example, a sealer (sealing agent), which is a viscous material, is applied to the joints between members that make up automobile doors, hoods, etc., for the purpose of preventing the intrusion of water that causes rust and corrosion. ing. The application of the sealer is performed using, for example, a sealer application device such as an application gun having a nozzle for discharging the sealer.

  Specifically, the joint portion between the members to which the sealer is applied is, for example, a plate-matching portion between the edge portions of a plate-like member such as a steel plate. The sealer is applied to the plate mating portion by moving the nozzle along the plate mating portion while discharging (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a technique regarding a joint structure between plate materials in which a sealer is filled in a corner space formed at a joint portion between plate materials.

  Finishing is applied to the sealer applied to the plate mating section. In order to finish the applied sealer, a large amount of the applied sealer is pressed while being flattened with a spatula, and the sealer is pushed into the gap between the plate-matching parts to close the gap. Thus, in the finishing of the sealer using the spatula, the excess of the applied sealer is recovered by scraping off the excess of the applied sealer with the spatula. The recovered sealer is reused as appropriate.

  The finishing work of a sealer after application using a spatula is conventionally performed manually. Patent Document 2 discloses a technique related to a cleaning device that removes and collects a sealer attached to a spatula for finishing the sealer. The cleaning device disclosed in Patent Document 2 includes a cleaning member that scrapes and removes the sealer attached to the spatula, and a collection box that collects the removed sealer.

JP 2014-43216 A JP 2009-39636 A

  Performing the finishing work of the sealer after coating as described above by hand requires work from scraper scraping with a spatula to recovery of the sealer, which places a heavy burden on the operator, in terms of work efficiency and cost. It is not preferable. In addition, depending on the skill level of the operator, there is a possibility that the sealer finish due to scraping may vary. In particular, for example, for a sealer applied to a portion that appears as an appearance in a vehicle, it may be required to shape the sealer after scraping with a spatula into a predetermined shape. It is difficult to obtain accuracy.

  In view of the above-described problems, the present invention can simultaneously scrape and collect the applied viscous material, can improve work efficiency and reduce costs, and can be applied with viscosity after application. It is an object of the present invention to provide a viscous material recovery device capable of improving the finishing accuracy of a material.

  A viscous material recovery device according to the present invention is a viscous material recovery device that scrapes and recovers an excess of a viscous material applied to a predetermined site, a scraping unit that scrapes off the excess of the viscous material, and A nozzle having a suction port for sucking the viscous material scraped by the scraping unit, and a moving unit for moving the nozzle so as to guide the excess of the viscous material to the suction port while scraping the excess material by the scraping unit. A suction unit that sucks the viscous material scraped off by the nozzle from the suction port, and a recovery unit that collects the viscous material sucked from the suction port by the suction unit.

  Further, in the viscous material recovery device according to another aspect of the present invention, the scraping portion has a scraping surface that forms a part of the opening end surface of the suction port, and the nozzle includes the scraping surface along with the scraping surface. It is a part which forms the opening end surface of a suction opening, Comprising: It has the umbrella part provided so that the said scraping surface might be covered.

  In the viscous material recovery apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention, at least the scraping portion of the nozzle is made of an elastic material that is softer than a member to be coated in which the viscous material is applied to a predetermined portion. It is.

  Moreover, the viscous material collection | recovery apparatus which concerns on the other aspect of this invention is provided with the branch part for releasing the viscous material attracted | sucked in the suction path of the viscous material between the said nozzle and the said suction part. It is.

  According to the present invention, the applied viscous material can be scraped and collected simultaneously, the work efficiency can be improved and the cost can be reduced, and the accuracy of finishing the viscous material after application can be improved. Can be improved.

It is a figure showing the whole viscous material recovery device composition concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the operation state of scraper scraping and collection | recovery by the viscous material collection | recovery apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the suction collection | recovery apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the branch part which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the nozzle which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the nozzle which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a front view which shows the nozzle which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is CC sectional drawing in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation | movement flow of the suction collection apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the finishing state of a sealer. It is a perspective view which shows the modification 1 of the nozzle which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the modification 1 of the nozzle which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a front view which shows the modification 1 of the nozzle which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is FF sectional drawing in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the modification 2 of the nozzle which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the modification 2 of the nozzle which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a front view which shows the modification 2 of the nozzle which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is GG sectional drawing in FIG. It is a figure which shows the whole structure of the viscous material collection | recovery apparatus which concerns on another embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the suction device which concerns on another embodiment of this invention.

  The present invention includes a nozzle having a portion for scraping off an excess of a viscous material such as a sealer applied to a predetermined site and a suction port for sucking the scraped viscous material, and a configuration for moving the nozzle In addition, by providing a configuration for sucking / recovering viscous material, a viscous material recovery device for automatically and simultaneously scraping and recovering excess viscous material is realized. Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

  The viscous material recovery device 1 according to the present embodiment is a device that scrapes and recovers an excess of the sealer applied to a predetermined site. As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the viscous material recovery apparatus 1 scrapes off an excess of the sealer 3 (hereinafter referred to as “excess sealer”) applied to a predetermined part of the front side door 2 of the automobile. And collect. That is, in this embodiment, the viscous material recovered by the viscous material recovery apparatus 1 is the sealer 3, and the member to which the sealer 3 is applied is the front side door 2 of the automobile.

  In the front side door 2, the sealer 3 is applied to, for example, a portion surrounded by a broken line frame A in FIG. The sealer 3 is applied to a joint portion between members constituting the front side door 2. Such a joint is, for example, a joint between an outer panel and an inner panel that are members constituting the front side door 2.

  The application of the sealer 3 is performed using, for example, a sealer application device such as an application gun having a discharge nozzle for discharging the sealer 3. Specifically, the joint portion between the constituent members of the front side door 2 to which the sealer 3 is applied is, for example, a plate-matching portion between the edge portions of the steel plates, and the discharge nozzle approaches the plate-matching portion, The sealer 3 is applied to the plate-matching portion by moving the discharge nozzle along the plate-matching portion while discharging the sealer 3 from the discharge nozzle.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a curved groove 2 a is formed at the joint between the constituent members of the front side door 2 so as to follow the curved surface shape of the constituent members of the front side door 2. . The sealer 3 is applied along the curved shape of the groove 2a so as to fill the groove 2a by the sealer application device as described above. The sealer 3 is applied in a large amount so as to overflow from the groove 2a. For this reason, after the application of the sealer 3, the sealer 3 rises from the groove 2a, and the protrusion of the sealer 3 along the shape of the groove 2a is formed. Thus, the portion of the sealer 3 that rises from the groove 2a becomes the surplus sealer 3a, which is scraped and recovered by the viscous material recovery device 1. That is, in this embodiment, the groove part 2a formed in the junction part of the structural members of the front side door 2 becomes an object site | part to which the sealer 3 collect | recovered by the viscous material collection | recovery apparatus 1 was apply | coated.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the viscous material recovery apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes a nozzle 4 for scraping and sucking excess sealer 3a, a robot 5 as a moving unit for moving the nozzle 4, a suction unit, A suction recovery device 6 that functions as a recovery unit and a recovery device 10 as a recovery unit are provided. The viscous material recovery apparatus 1 moves the nozzle 4 along the groove 2a by the robot 5 so that the excess sealer 3a is scraped off by the nozzle 4 and sucked by the suction recovery apparatus 6 to be sucked and recovered by the suction recovery apparatus 6 and the recovery apparatus 10. To collect.

  The nozzle 4 has a scraping portion 11 that scrapes off the surplus sealer 3a, and a suction port 12 that sucks in the surplus sealer 3a scraped off by the scraping portion 11. The nozzle 4 is a pipe-shaped member having both ends opened as a whole, and has a substantially straight nozzle body 13 and a mounting base provided in a bent shape so as to form an obtuse angle with respect to the nozzle body 13. 14 (see FIG. 2).

  The nozzle 4 has a base-side opening 15 having an opening dimension of the pipe inner diameter of the mounting base 14 at the end on the base end side. Further, the nozzle 4 has an opening on the tip side, that is, the end opposite to the mounting base 14 side of the nozzle main body 13, and the opening on the tip side serves as a suction port 12. A part of the opening of the suction port 12 is formed by the scraping unit 11. The scraping portion 11 has a scraping surface 11a as an end surface on the tip side, and functions like a spatula.

  That is, the nozzle 4 sucks in the surplus sealer 3a accumulated on the scraping unit 11 from the suction port 12 while the scraping unit 11 functions like a spatula by the moving operation of the robot 5 to scrape off the surplus sealer 3a. The detailed configuration of the nozzle 4 will be described later.

  The robot 5 functions as a moving unit that moves the nozzle 4 so that the surplus sealer 3a is guided to the suction port 12 while being scraped off by the scraping unit 11. That is, when collecting the surplus sealer 3a, the robot 5 moves the nozzle 4 along the application path of the sealer 3 applied to the groove 2a of the front side door 2, and the scraper 11 of the nozzle 4 removes the excess sealer 3a. Scraping.

  The robot 5 includes a base portion 5a and an arm portion 5b provided on the base portion 5a, and is configured as a flexible robot arm (articulated robot) whose posture is controlled at various positions and angles. The robot 5 is, for example, a six-axis robot having six joints.

  In the robot 5, the nozzle 4 is supported on the distal end side of the arm portion 5b. For this reason, the nozzle support part 5c for supporting the nozzle 4 is provided in the front-end | tip part of the arm part 5b. The robot 5 moves the nozzle 4 in the three-dimensional direction within the movable range in accordance with the movement of the nozzle support portion 5c by the operation.

  The robot 5 supports the nozzle 4 on the nozzle support portion 5 c via the support pipe 7 connected to the base end side of the nozzle 4. The support pipe 7 is a straight tubular member, and is connected to the nozzle 4 in a state where one end of the support pipe 7 is inserted into the base side opening 15 of the nozzle 4. However, the support structure of the nozzle 4 with respect to the robot 5 is not particularly limited. For example, the nozzle 4 may be directly supported by the nozzle support portion 5c.

  The robot 5 is connected to a robot control panel 8 that controls the operation of the robot 5 and operates by receiving a control signal from the robot control panel 8. The robot control panel 8 causes the robot 5 to perform a predetermined operation set by teaching. By the operation of the robot 5, the nozzle 4 moves along a predetermined path on the sealer application area of the front side door 2. In the present embodiment, the robot 5 moves the nozzle 4 along the extended shape of the groove 2a to which the sealer 3 is applied.

  The suction recovery device 6 sucks the excess sealer 3a scraped by the nozzle 4 from the suction port 12 and collects the excess sealer 3a sucked from the suction port 12. That is, the suction recovery device 6 is a device having a function of generating a suction force for sucking the surplus sealer 3a from the suction port 12 of the nozzle 4 and a function of storing the surplus sealer 3a sucked from the suction port 12. is there.

  The suction recovery device 6 is not particularly limited as long as it has the functions described above, and a known device can be used. An example of the configuration of the suction recovery apparatus 6 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3.

  The suction recovery device 6 generates a suction force using compressed air as a power source. For this reason, the viscous material collection | recovery apparatus 1 has the compressed air source 9 for supplying compressed air to the suction collection | recovery apparatus 6 (refer FIG. 1). The compressed air source 9 is, for example, a compressor or an air pump.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the suction recovery device 6 includes a storage tank 21 as a storage unit that stores the excess sealer 3 a sucked by the nozzle 4, an air introduction unit 22 that receives supply of compressed air from the compressed air source 9, and And an exhaust part 23 for discharging the compressed air introduced from the air introduction part 22.

  The storage tank 21 has a bottomed cylindrical transparent tank main body 21a whose upper side is open, and a lid 21b that seals the upper open part of the tank main body 21a. In the storage tank 21, the surplus sealer 3 a sucked from the nozzle 4 is sent through the suction path 24 and stored.

  The suction path 24 is a piping configuration for guiding the surplus sealer 3 a sucked from the nozzle 4 into the storage tank 21. An upstream end (suction side) end of the suction path 24 is constituted by a support pipe 7 connected to the base side of the nozzle 4. An end 24a on the downstream side (discharge side) of the suction path 24 passes through the lid portion 21b of the storage tank 21, and connects the suction path 24 to the tank body 21a. The suction path 24 is configured by a piping member such as a straight pipe or a flexible hose.

  The air introduction part 22 is a part constituting an attachment port of a pipe constituting a supply path of compressed air from the compressed air source 9, and is provided above the lid part 21 b of the storage tank 21. The air introduction part 22 is a pipe part that is connected to a connection pipe part 25 that communicates with the inside of the tank body 21a via the lid part 21b. The air introduction part 22 is provided with an open / close valve 22a operated by an operation lever.

  The connection pipe part 25 extends upward from the lid part 21 b, and the air introduction part 22 is connected to the connection pipe part 25 in the lateral direction. The connecting pipe portion 25 has a function of causing an air suction action by decompression by the compressed air supplied from the air introduction portion 22. The air introduction unit 22 is supplied with compressed air generated by the compressed air source 9 through an air supply path 26.

  The air supply path 26 has a piping configuration for supplying the compressed air generated by the compressed air source 9 to the air introduction unit 22. That is, the upstream end of the air supply path 26 is connected to the compressed air discharge port of the compressed air source 9, and the downstream end of the air supply path 26 is connected to the air introduction part 22. In the air supply path 26, an air filter, a pressure regulator, a pressure gauge, a flow control valve, and the like are appropriately disposed.

  The exhaust part 23 is an exhaust pipe structure part having a cylindrical outer shape, and is connected to the storage tank 21 through the connection pipe part 25 above the storage tank 21. That is, the exhaust part 23 communicates with the storage tank 21 and the air introduction part 22 through the connecting pipe part 25. The exhaust part 23 receives the compressed air supplied to the air introduction part 22 from the connection pipe part 25 and exhausts it outside. The exhaust part 23 has a function as a silencer and a function as a filter.

  According to the suction recovery apparatus 6 having such a configuration, a pressure reducing action is obtained by the flow of compressed air discharged from the exhaust part 23 through the air introduction part 22 and the connecting pipe part 25 from the air supply path 26, A negative pressure is generated in the storage tank 21, which is a sealed space, and a suction force is generated. With this suction force, a suction action is obtained at the suction port 12 of the nozzle 4 via a suction path 24 communicating with the storage tank 21. Due to this suction action, the surplus sealer 3 a scraped by the scraping portion 11 of the nozzle 4 is sucked from the suction port 12. The surplus sealer 3 a sucked from the suction port 12 is collected in the storage tank 21 through the suction path 24. Since the tank body 21a of the storage tank 21 is transparent, the storage amount of the sealer in the storage tank 21 is visible from the outside.

  The suction recovery device 6 is provided in the viscous material recovery device 1 in a state of being supported by a predetermined support member at a position where it does not interfere with the robot 5, for example. As such a suction recovery device 6, for example, Silent Cleaner SC3T-19VG manufactured by Osawa Co., Ltd. (Osawa & Company) is used.

  Further, in the viscous material recovery apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, a strainer 30 as a branching part for releasing the sucked sealer is provided in the suction path 24 of the sealer between the nozzle 4 and the suction recovery apparatus 6. Yes.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the strainer 30 is a so-called Y-shaped strainer, and includes a main body 31 configured in a substantially “Y” shape and a cylindrical screen 32 accommodated in the main body 31.

  The main body 31 has a substantially straight straight tube portion 33 having openings at both ends and a branch tube portion 34 branched from the straight tube portion 33 in an inclined manner, and these tube portions form a substantially “Y” shape. Of the openings at both ends of the straight pipe portion 33, the opening on the base side (lower side in FIG. 4) of the branch pipe portion 34 becomes the inflow opening 33 a in the strainer 30. The inflow opening 33a is connected in communication with the other end of the support pipe 7 to which the nozzle 4 is connected at one end. The support pipe 7 is connected to the main body 31 using a female screw portion 33b formed in the inflow opening 33a. On the other hand, of the openings at both ends of the straight pipe portion 33, the opening on the branch side (the upper side in FIG. 4) of the branch pipe portion 34 becomes the outflow opening 33 c in the strainer 30. The downstream end of the piping member 24b constituting the suction path 24 is connected to the outflow opening 33c. Similar to the support pipe 7, the piping member 24 b is connected to the main body 31 using a female screw portion 33 d formed in the outflow opening 33 c.

  The distal end side of the branch pipe part 34 is open, and the cylindrical screen 32 extends along the direction of the branch from the straight pipe part 33 of the branch pipe part 34 through the opening of the distal end of the branch pipe part 34. And is inserted into the branch pipe section 34. Both sides of the screen 32 in the cylinder axis direction are open. The peripheral wall portion of the screen 32 is constituted by a perforated plate (mesh) in which a large number of holes are formed.

  The screen 32 is fixed to the main body 31 by a lid 35 attached to the opening of the branch pipe portion 34. Specifically, the end portion of the screen 32 on the insertion distal end side is a circle formed on an inner peripheral wall portion 31 a provided in the main body 31 so as to partition the upstream side of the straight tube portion 33 and the branch tube portion 34. It is locked in a state where it is fitted in the circumferential locking recess 31b. On the other hand, the rear end portion of the screen 32 is locked in a state of being fitted to a circumferential locking recess 35 a provided on the inner surface side of the lid 35.

  The screen 32 fixed in the main body 31 in this manner is inclined with respect to the straight tube portion 33, and the front end opening portion faces the upstream side (inflow opening portion 33 a side) of the straight tube portion 33. A gasket 36 is interposed between the opening of the branch pipe portion 34 and the lid 35. Further, by removing the lid 35 from the main body 31, the screen 32 can be removed from the opening of the branch pipe portion 34, and the screen 32 can be cleaned.

  The recovery device 10 is connected to the strainer 30 via the branch recovery path 27. That is, the branch recovery path 27 is a piping configuration for guiding the surplus sealer 3 a sucked from the nozzle 4 into the recovery device 10. The branch collection path 27 is configured by a piping member such as a straight pipe or a flexible hose. One end of the branch recovery path 27 is connected to the branch pipe portion 34 of the strainer 30. One end of the branch collection path 27 is connected to the lid 35 by using, for example, a female screw portion 35b formed so as to penetrate the lid 35 that closes the opening of the branch pipe portion 34, thereby branching. The pipe 34 is connected in communication. On the other hand, the other end of the branch recovery path 27 is connected to the recovery device 10.

  The collection device 10 collects the excess sealer 3a sucked from the suction port 12. That is, the collection device 10 is a device having a function of storing the surplus sealer 3a sucked from the suction port 12. The recovery device 10 is not particularly limited as long as it has such a function, and a known device can be used. The collection device 10 is, for example, a collection container that constitutes a storage section such as the storage tank 21 included in the suction collection device 6. In the recovery device 10, the surplus sealer 3 a sucked from the nozzle 4 is sent from the branch pipe portion 34 of the strainer 30 through the branch recovery path 27 and stored. As described above, the viscous material recovery apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is configured to recover the sealer collected by the strainer 30 by providing the recovery apparatus 10 at a position near the strainer 30.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, in the suction path 24, the strainer 30 is provided immediately downstream of the support pipe 7, and the branch recovery path 27 extending from the branch pipe part 34 of the strainer 30 is provided. A collection device 10 is provided. According to such a configuration, the sealer sucked from the nozzle 4 flows into the straight tube portion 33 from the inflow opening portion 33 a on the upstream side of the main body 31 through the support pipe 7, and from the tip opening portion of the screen 32. After passing through the inside of the screen 32, it passes through the mesh-shaped peripheral wall of the screen 32, is led to the outflow opening 33 c on the downstream side of the main body 31, and is discharged to the piping member 24 b connected to the downstream side of the strainer 30. (See arrow B1). As the sealer passes through the screen 32 of the strainer 30 as described above, resistance is applied to the sealer sucked by the suction path 24. The sealer discharged to the piping member 24 b is guided to the suction recovery device 6 by the suction path 24 and is recovered by the suction recovery device 6. On the other hand, a part of the sealer that has flowed into the straight tube portion 33 from the inflow opening portion 33a passes through the screen 32 and is discharged from the branch tube portion 34 to the branch collection path 27 (see arrow B2). The sealer discharged to the branch recovery path 27 is guided to the recovery device 10 by the branch recovery path 27 and is recovered by the recovery device 10.

  As described above, the viscous material recovery device 1 according to the present embodiment includes the suction recovery device 6 connected to the suction path 24 as the first recovery unit and the suction unit as the second recovery unit with respect to the recovery unit of the sealer. The recovery device 10 connected to the branch recovery path 27 branched by the strainer 30 from the position near the nozzle 4 in the path 24 is provided. The viscous material recovery device 1 secures a branch path to the branch recovery path 27 branched by the strainer 30 provided in the suction path 24 as a sealer recovery path, and a part of the sealer sucked from the nozzle 4 is branched and recovered. The sealer that has escaped to the 27 side and has escaped to the branch recovery path 27 side is recovered by the recovery device 10.

  Subsequently, a detailed configuration of the nozzle 4 provided in the viscous material recovery apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8. The nozzle 4 has the nozzle main body 13 and the attachment base 14 as described above, and has an obtuse bent shape as a whole. Therefore, in the following description, in the nozzle 4, the tube axis direction (vertical direction in FIG. 6) of the mounting base 14 is the vertical direction, and the vertical direction in the side view of the nozzle 4 in which the bent shape of the nozzle 4 appears (see FIG. 6). The direction (left and right direction in FIG. 6) orthogonal to the front and rear direction is the front and rear direction, and the side (left side in FIG. 6) where the nozzle body 13 is bent with respect to the mounting base 14 is the front side (front side).

  In the nozzle 4, the mounting base 14 and the main body base 13 a which is a portion of the nozzle main body 13 on the mounting base 14 side are tubular portions having substantially the same diameter, and are in the form of an obtuse elbow tube. Consists of the corners. In the nozzle 4, the upper end opening of the attachment base 14 is a base opening 15 and the tip opening of the nozzle body 13 is a suction port 12.

  The nozzle body 13 is inclined forward and downward as a whole so as to form an acute angle (for example, about 35 °) with respect to the horizontal direction. The nozzle main body 13 includes a left and right side surface portions 41 that are substantially parallel to each other and face each other, and a lower surface portion of the nozzle main body portion 13 as a portion that forms the suction port 12 in a portion on the tip side of the main body base portion 13a. It has a bottom surface portion 42 and a front inclined surface portion 43 that is an end surface portion on the upper front side of the nozzle main body portion 13. The side surface portion 41, the bottom surface portion 42, and the front inclined surface portion 43 are all substantially planar plate-like portions.

  The left and right side surface portions 41 are surface portions that are substantially parallel to the vertical direction, and the bottom surface portion 42 and the front inclined surface portion 43 are both surface portions that are substantially parallel to the left and right direction (the left and right direction in FIG. 7). The bottom surface portion 42 is an inclined surface portion that is inclined forward and downward along the extending direction of the nozzle main body portion 13 with respect to the mounting base portion 14. The front inclined surface portion 43 is an inclined surface portion that is positioned on the upper front side with respect to the bottom surface portion 42 and is inclined forward and downward at an angle larger than the inclination angle of the bottom surface portion 42. Therefore, the space between the bottom surface portion 42 and the front inclined surface portion 43 gradually becomes narrower from the base side to the tip side of the nozzle body 13.

  The nozzle body 13 has a first end surface portion 12 a and a second end surface portion 12 b that are substantially perpendicular to each other as the opening end surface of the suction port 12. The 1st end surface part 12a is a surface part which follows the 1st virtual plane (refer to Drawing 6 and straight line L1) which is a plane (horizontal plane) orthogonal to the up-and-down direction. The second end surface portion 12b is a plane portion along a second virtual plane (see FIG. 6, straight line L2) that is a plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction, which is a plane (vertical plane) orthogonal to the first virtual plane. It is.

  The first end surface portion 12 a is a surface portion along a substantially “U” shape formed by the lower end surfaces of the left and right side surface portions 41 and the lower end surface of the front inclined surface portion 43. That is, the front inclined surface portion 43 and the left and right side surface portions 41 form right-angled corners on both the left and right sides of the front end portion of the nozzle main body portion 13, and the lower inclined surfaces of the front inclined surface portion 43 and the left and right side surface portions 41 respectively. The three sides of the front side and the left and right sides of the opening shape that opens downward along the rectangular shape are formed.

  The second end surface portion 12b is formed by the front end surface of the bottom surface portion 42 and the front end surfaces of the left and right erected surface portions 44 provided between the left and right side surface portions 41 and the front end portions of the bottom surface portion 42. It is a surface portion along a substantially long “U” shape that is short in the vertical direction. The erection surface portion 44 is a substantially triangular plane portion that rises from the left and right sides of the front end portion of the bottom surface portion 42 and continues to the side surface portion 41. It is provided in the form erected in.

  In the nozzle 4 having such a configuration, a portion including the front end portion of the bottom surface portion 42 and the left and right installation surface portions 44, that is, a horizontally long substantially “U” shape in a front view and a substantially triangular shape in a side view. The protruding portion below the first virtual plane (see FIG. 6, straight line L1) is the scraping portion 11 in the nozzle 4 of the present embodiment. Therefore, the second end surface portion 12b, which is the front end surface of the bottom surface portion 42 and the installation surface portion 44, becomes the scraping surface 11a.

  As described above, in the nozzle 4 of the present embodiment, the scraping portion 11 has the scraping surface 11 a that forms a part of the opening end surface of the suction port 12. And in the nozzle 4, the umbrella part 45 which covers the scraping part 11 from the front upper side is provided as a part which forms the suction opening 12. FIG. The umbrella portion 45 is a portion that forms the opening end surface of the suction port 12 together with the scraping surface 11a, and is a portion that is provided so as to cover the scraping surface 11a. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the umbrella portion 45 is formed by the front portion of the left and right side surface portions 41 and the front inclined surface portion 43, and both the left and right sides of the suction port 12 having a substantially rectangular opening shape and It is the part that surrounds the upper front side. In other words, the umbrella part 45 is a roof-like part that covers the scraping surface 11a of the scraping part 11 from above.

  The nozzle 4 has a substantially “V” shape in side view and a substantially rectangular shape in front view and bottom view as the shape of the opening of the suction port 12. That is, the suction port 12 has a substantially “V” shape by the first end surface portion 12a and the second end surface portion 12b in a side view, and the first end surface portion 12a and the second end surface in a front view. The end face 12b has a substantially rectangular shape due to the horizontally long end face shape of substantially “U”. When viewed from the bottom, the substantially end face shape of the first end face portion 12a and the second end face portion 12b. To form a substantially rectangular shape.

  Further, in the nozzle 4, at least the scraping portion 11 is made of an elastic material that is softer than the front side door 2 to which the sealer 3 is applied.

  In this embodiment, the part to which the sealer 3 is applied in the front side door 2 is made of a steel plate such as an outer panel or an inner panel. Then, as an elastic material which comprises at least the scraping part 11 of the nozzle 4, resin materials, such as urethane rubber (polyurethane), are mentioned, for example. In addition, as the elastic material, a material having a hardness of, for example, a Shore hardness of about 65 to 95 is used. However, the elastic material constituting at least the scraping portion 11 of the nozzle 4 may be any material having lower hardness than the constituent members of the front side door 2 and having elasticity like rubber.

  In the nozzle 4, when only the scraping portion 11 is made of the elastic material, for example, a portion constituting the scraping portion 11 in the nozzle 4, that is, a portion composed of the tip portion of the bottom surface portion 42 and the left and right installation surface portions 44. Is configured as a separate body from other parts of the nozzle 4. And the part which comprises the scraping part 11 is formed with resin materials, such as urethane rubber, and is fixed to the other part of the nozzle 4. FIG. Alternatively, the nozzle 4 may be an integral molded body, and only the scraping portion 11 may be formed of a resin material such as urethane rubber. In these cases, the portion other than the scraping portion 11 of the nozzle 4 is made of a resin material different from the material of the portion constituting the scraping portion 11 such as ABS resin. The ABS resin is a copolymerized synthetic resin of acrylonitrile (A), butadiene (B), and styrene (S).

  Moreover, the whole nozzle 4 may be comprised with resin materials, such as urethane rubber. In this case, the nozzle 4 is manufactured as an integral resin molded product made of a resin material such as urethane rubber.

  The operation of recovering the sealer by the viscous material recovery apparatus 1 of the present embodiment having the above configuration will be described. The recovery of the sealer by the viscous material recovery device 1 is performed as a finish for the sealer 3 applied to the groove 2 a of the front side door 2.

  As described above, the sealer 3 is applied in a large amount so as to overflow from the groove 2a. After the application, the protrusion of the sealer 3 is formed along the shape of the groove 2a, and the surplus sealer 3a raised from the groove 2a is made of a viscous material. It is scraped off and collected by the collection device 1. Therefore, the viscous material recovery device 1 scrapes off the surplus sealer 3a along the groove 2a by using the scraper 11 as a spatula by moving the nozzle 4 by the robot 5 to finish the applied sealer 3. The pressure is applied while leveling, and the sealer 3 is pushed into the gap of the groove 2a to close the gap.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the viscous material recovery apparatus 1 moves the nozzle 4 along the curved shape of the groove 2a while pressing the nozzle 4 against the front side door 2 by the robot 5 (see arrow D1). The part 11 is made to function like a spatula to scrape off the excess sealer 3a. Here, as shown in FIG. 8, in the front-rear direction, the robot 5 sets the scraping portion 11 side at the tip of the nozzle 4 as the rear side in the traveling direction of the nozzle 4 (arrow D2) and the umbrella portion 45 side as the front side. The nozzle 4 is moved in the direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the robot 5 moves the nozzle 4 from the bottom to the top.

  The robot 5 moves the nozzle 4 while bringing the edge of the scraping portion 11 of the nozzle 4 into contact with the surface of the front side door 2 where the groove 2a is formed. That is, the robot 5 scrapes off the surplus sealer 3a by rubbing the surface on which the groove 2a is formed by the edge of the scraping portion 11 of the nozzle 4. In detail, the width dimension of the scraping part 11 is sufficiently larger than the width dimension of the groove part 2a, and the scraping part 11 moves along the groove part 2a in such a manner that its edge is bridged on the groove part 2a. The excess sealer 3a is scraped off. Therefore, in the applied sealer 3, the portion after the surplus sealer 3a is scraped off by passing the scraping portion 11 of the nozzle 4 is a flat surface that is substantially flush with the surface on which the groove 2a is formed. A leveling surface 3b is formed (see FIG. 2).

  The operation of the robot 5 that moves the nozzle 4 along the groove 2a in this way is set in advance as a teaching operation on the robot control panel 8 as described above. Specifically, with respect to the operation of the robot 5, the scraping speed (moving speed) by the nozzle 4, the scraping direction, the pressing pressure of the nozzle 4 against the workpiece (front side door 2), the pressing angle, and the like are set in advance. .

  The sealer 3 scraped by the scraping part 11 of the nozzle 4 temporarily accumulates so as to accumulate on the scraping part 11 at the suction port 12 (see FIG. 8, reference numeral 3x). That is, the tip of the nozzle 4 forming the suction port 12 becomes a temporary sealer pool. Thus, the sealer 3 that accumulates in the suction port 12 is sucked by the suction action by the suction recovery device 6 and recovered by the suction recovery device 6 and the recovery device 10. That is, the surplus sealer 3a scraped by the scraping portion 11 of the nozzle 4 is sucked from the suction port 12 by the suction force generated in the storage tank 21 by the flow of compressed air in the suction recovery device 6, and a part of the sealers Is recovered in the storage tank 21 via the suction path 24, and a part of the sealer is recovered in the recovery device 10 from the strainer 30 via the branch recovery path 27. The sealers accumulated in the storage tank 21 and the collection device 10 are collected and reused as appropriate.

  An example of the operation flow of the viscous material recovery apparatus 1 of the present embodiment that recovers the sealer as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. Here, as an example, the recovery work of the sealer by the viscous material recovery device 1 is performed as the recovery work of the sealer applied to the front side door 2 as a workpiece in a production line in which automobiles of a plurality of vehicle types are manufactured. I will explain to you.

  As shown in FIG. 9, in the recovery of the sealer by the viscous material recovery device 1, the position of a predetermined origin set in advance as the operation position of the robot 5 becomes the start position (standby position) (S10).

  Next, the type of the workpiece flowing through the automobile production line is read (S20). Here, as the vehicle type reading, for example, vehicle type determination using code recognition or the like is performed. Information about the result of reading the vehicle type is input to the robot control panel 8 and is reflected in the operation output of the robot 5 taught in advance for each vehicle type.

  Next, position detection of the vehicle and the front side door 2 is performed (S30). Here, for example, a position detection device using a laser or the like, a captured image by a camera or the like is used, and the position of the sealer application target is detected. The position detected here is used for the operation output of the robot 5.

  Subsequently, the sealer is scraped and recovered by the viscous material recovery device 1 (S40). That is, as described above, the nozzle 4 is moved along the sealer application path by the robot 5, the surplus sealer 3 a is scraped off by the scraping unit 11, and the scraped scraper is sucked by the suction recovery device 6. It is sucked from the suction port 12 by the action and is collected in the storage tank 21 and the collection device 10.

  After the sealer is scraped and collected, the nozzle 4 is cleaned (S50). Here, for example, the sealer remaining in the suction port 12 of the nozzle 4 is pushed into the back side (suction side) using compressed air. That is, compressed air is sent from the suction port 12 of the nozzle 4, and the sealer remaining in the nozzle 4 and the suction path 24 is discharged into the storage tank 21.

  Next, the nozzle 4 is checked (S60). As a check of the nozzle 4, an inspection is performed on whether or not the nozzle 4 is deformed or bent due to wear or the like (direction deviation). As such a check of the nozzle 4, for example, the shape and position of the nozzle 4 using a laser are detected, and an OK / NG determination based on a predetermined condition is performed on the detection result.

  If there is no problem in checking the nozzle 4 in step S60, the robot 5 moves to the position of the origin (S70). On the other hand, if there is a problem in checking the nozzle 4, that is, if the nozzle 4 is deformed or bent, an abnormal alarm is given by sound, light, etc. (S80). The person is informed.

  According to the viscous material recovery apparatus 1 of the present embodiment described above, the applied sealer can be scraped and recovered simultaneously, the work efficiency can be improved and the cost can be reduced. The finishing accuracy of the later sealer can be improved.

  That is, according to the viscous material recovery apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the nozzle 4 having the scraping part 11 for scraping off the sealer and the suction port 12 for sucking the scraped sealer is provided, and the nozzle 4 is moved. The robot 5 for causing the sealer, the suction recovery device 6 for performing the suction and recovery of the sealer, and the recovery device 10 for performing the recovery of the sealer can be automatically and simultaneously scraped and recovered. it can. Thereby, it is possible to reduce the burden on the operator regarding the finishing work of the sealer after application, and it is possible to shorten the work time, improve the work efficiency, and reduce the labor cost.

  Moreover, according to the viscous material collection | recovery apparatus 1 of this embodiment, since the nozzle 4 is operated by the mechanical operation | movement by the robot 5, the finishing of the sealer by scraping can be made highly accurate and uniform. .

  In particular, for example, for a sealer applied to a part that appears as an appearance in a vehicle, it may be required to shape the scraper after scraping into a predetermined shape. It is difficult to obtain.

  Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 10, the sealer 3 has a predetermined application range E of the sealer 3 linearly applied to the predetermined application surface 2 b of the front side door 2 as a finished state after scraping. There is a part required to form the inclined surface 3c along the coating direction 3. That is, the inclined surface 3c becomes a scraping surface that gradually lowers the protruding height of the sealer 3 on the application surface 2b. For such sites, when the sealer 3 is scraped manually by using a spatula, the position of the spatula with respect to the application surface 2b becomes unstable, etc. It becomes difficult to obtain uniform finish in many vehicles.

  In this regard, according to the viscous material recovery apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, since the nozzle 4 is operated by a mechanical operation by the robot 5, the nozzle 4 can be stably operated with respect to the application surface 2b. Thus, high reproducibility can be obtained for the scraping work of the sealer 3. For this reason, even when it is required to form the inclined surface 3c as the finish of the sealer as illustrated in FIG. 10, a uniform and clean finish can be realized.

  Moreover, in the viscous material collection | recovery apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the nozzle 4 forms the opening end surface of the suction port 12 with the scraping surface 11a which forms a part of opening end surface of the suction port 12, and uses the scraping surface 11a. It has the umbrella part 45 provided so that it might cover. According to such a configuration, the suction direction of the sealer from the suction port 12 in the nozzle 4 can be limited, and the suction force generated in the suction recovery device 6 can be efficiently used as the suction action in the suction port 12. Can do. Thereby, the suction | inhalation collection | recovery of the sealer by the nozzle 4 can be performed smoothly and efficiently.

  In addition, the nozzle 4 has a bent shape composed of the nozzle main body 13 and the mounting base 14, and has a configuration in which the suction port 12 is formed by the left and right side surface portions 41, the bottom surface portion 42, and the front inclined surface portion 43. By providing, it has an inner diameter of substantially the same diameter as a whole from the suction port 12 on the distal end side to the base side opening 15 and has a stagnation shape to reduce pressure loss. Also from such a point, the suction and recovery of the sealer by the nozzle 4 can be performed smoothly and efficiently.

  Moreover, in the viscous material collection | recovery apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the scraping part 11 of the nozzle 4 is comprised with the elastic material (for example, urethane rubber). According to such a configuration, the scraping portion 11 that the nozzle 4 functions as a spatula can be deformed by following the curved shape of the front side door 2 to which the sealer 3 is applied by elastic deformation. Thereby, the scraping part 11 can be stuck to the application surface of the sealer 3, and the sealer 3 can be scraped efficiently. Further, since the scraping portion 11 is made of a relatively soft material, it is possible to prevent the workpiece from being damaged by scraping the sealer 3 by the scraping portion 11.

  Further, in the viscous material recovery apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the sealer to be sucked is released to the branch recovery path 27 that branches from the suction path 24 to the sealer suction path 24 between the nozzle 4 and the suction recovery apparatus 6. A strainer 30 is provided as a branching portion. According to such a configuration, the air flow in the suction path 24 due to the suction action of the suction recovery device 6 can be secured, and the sealer flow in the suction path 24 can be made smooth. That is, by providing a Y-shaped strainer 30 in the suction path 24 and providing a branch path for releasing the sealer, the screen 32 of the strainer 30 constitutes a temporary collection part of the sealer, and the main body of the strainer 30 An air flow is ensured in 31. Thereby, the clogging of the sealer in the suction path 24 can be prevented and the suction path can be secured, the flow of the sealer as the whole recovery path of the sealer can be made smooth, and the sealer is continuously sucked.・ Can be collected.

  Further, by adopting the strainer 30 as in this embodiment as a branching portion provided in the suction path 24, it is possible to remove foreign matter from the sealer scraped by the nozzle 4 by the screen 32. Thereby, it can prevent that a foreign material mixes in the collect | recovered sealer, and it becomes easy to reuse the collect | recovered sealer.

The advantages of the viscous material recovery apparatus 1 of the present embodiment are summarized as follows.
-It is possible to automatically and continuously scrape and collect a highly viscous coating material such as a sealer.
The robot 5 can follow the curved shape that is the application shape of the sealer by the operation of the robot 5.
-Fine adjustment of the movement of the nozzle 4 moved by the robot 5 can improve the appearance of the sealer after scraping.
-Labor costs can be reduced by automation by the robot 5.
・ Automation of scraper scraping and recovery can improve the accuracy of the sealer finish, and the work efficiency from scraper scraping to recovery can be improved.

(Nozzle modification 1)
Modification examples of the nozzle 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 to 14. In addition, about the part which is common in the nozzle 4 of embodiment mentioned above, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted. As shown in FIG. 11 to FIG. 14, the nozzle 4 </ b> A of this modification is substantially horizontal as a portion that covers the scraping portion 11 from the upper front side, that is, a portion that forms the first end surface portion 12 a of the suction port 12. An umbrella portion 145 protruding like a tunnel is provided on the front side.

  In the nozzle 4 </ b> A, a portion of the nozzle main body 13 on the front side of the main body base portion 13 a forms a substantially semi-cylindrical (substantially semi-cylindrical) outer shape by the bottom surface portion 42 and the substantially semicylindrical peripheral wall portion 146. Further, the front portion of the main body base portion 13a has a tapered shape that gradually decreases from the base end side to the tip end side in a side view (see FIG. 12).

  And the umbrella part 145 is protrudingly provided toward the front side in the front-end | tip part of the nozzle main-body part 13. As shown in FIG. That is, the protruding direction of the umbrella portion 145 is a front direction substantially orthogonal to the tube axis direction of the mounting base portion 14 in a side view of the nozzle 4A. The umbrella part 145 is formed by a substantially semi-cylindrical peripheral wall part 145a protruding from the tip part of the nozzle body part 13, and a substantially semicircular front end face part 145b constituting the front end part of the peripheral wall part 145a.

  Further, in the nozzle 4 </ b> A, an inclined scraping slope 111 a is formed at the front end portion of the bottom surface portion 42 in the scraping portion 11. Therefore, in the nozzle 4A, between the left and right installation surface portions 44, a surface perpendicular to the front-rear direction along the front end surfaces of the left and right installation surface portions 44 (second imaginary surface (see FIG. 6, straight line L2)) is different. A scraping slope 111a is formed along the forward and downward surface. The scraping slope 111a is lowered forward at an inclination angle (for example, about 60 °) larger than the inclination angle (for example, about 35 °) of the bottom surface portion 42 that is inclined along the main body base portion 13a that is lowered forward with respect to the horizontal direction. It is an inclined slope. That is, most of the upper surface of the bottom surface portion 42 is inclined forward and downward at a predetermined first inclination angle with respect to the horizontal direction, and the scraping slope 111a at the front end portion of the bottom surface portion 42 is in the horizontal direction. And tilted forward and downward at a second tilt angle larger than the first tilt angle.

  Further, in the nozzle 4A, the left and right construction surface portions 44 constituting the scraping portion 11 have a curved shape that slightly protrudes outward in the left and right directions.

  According to the nozzle 4A of this modified example, the suction direction of the sealer from the suction port 12 can be effectively limited by the umbrella portion 145 protruding in a tunnel shape, and the suction force generated by the suction recovery device 6 can be It can be efficiently used as a suction action at the suction port 12. Further, since the scraping slope 111a is provided at the front end portion of the bottom surface portion 42, that is, the lower edge portion of the scraping portion 11, the sealer scraped by the scraping portion 11 is moved along the scraping slope 111a along the nozzle 4. It becomes easy to be guided to the back side of the. Furthermore, the opening area of the suction port 12 can be expanded to the left and right by the bulging shape of the left and right installation surface portions 44 constituting the scraping portion 11 to the left and right, and the sealing performance of the sealer can be improved.

(Nozzle modification 2)
Another modified example of the nozzle 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 to 18. In addition, about the part which is common in the nozzle 4 of embodiment mentioned above, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted. As shown in FIG. 15 to FIG. 18, the nozzle 4 </ b> B of this modification has a scraping protrusion piece 213 that protrudes forward in the horizontal shape in the scraping portion 11.

  The scraping protrusion piece 213 is a plate-like portion that protrudes forward from the lower end portion of the bottom surface portion 42 in parallel with the first end surface portion 12a. The scraping protrusion piece 213 is provided below the first end surface portion 12a at a position spaced apart from the first end surface portion 12a by the length of the downward projecting length of the installation surface portion 44. The scraping protrusion piece 213 has an upper surface 213a and a lower surface 213b which are upper and lower plate surfaces along the horizontal direction.

  As shown in FIG. 18, the scraping projection piece 213 has two mountain-shaped portions 213 c protruding in a substantially triangular shape in the front and left and right symmetrically, and as a valley portion between these mountain-shaped portions 213 c, It has a notch 213d which is a “V” -shaped recess. Further, the front end surface 213e of the scraping protrusion piece 213 has a zigzag shape formed by the two mountain-shaped portions 213c, and has a slope inclined forward and downward at an inclination angle larger than the inclination angle of the bottom surface portion 42.

  According to the nozzle 4B of this modified example, when the sealer is scraped off by the scraping unit 11, the sealer can be scraped in accordance with the notch portion 213d, so that the sealer can be scraped to collect in the center of the left and right. The sealer can be scraped and collected effectively. Moreover, since the opening part of the suction port 12 is narrowed by the scraping protrusion piece 213 from the lower side, the suction action at the suction port 12 can be improved. Further, the sealer scraped by the scraping portion 11 is easily guided to the back side of the nozzle 4 along the front end surface 213e of the scraping projection piece portion 213 which is an inclined surface that falls forward.

[Another embodiment of viscous material recovery apparatus]
Another embodiment of the viscous material recovery apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 19 and 20. In addition, about the part which is common in embodiment mentioned above, description is abbreviate | omitted using the same code | symbol.

  The viscous material recovery device 301 according to the present embodiment has a suction unit that sucks the sealer scraped by the nozzle 4 from the suction port 12 and the suction port 12 in comparison with the viscous material recovery device 1 according to the above-described embodiment. The recovery unit that recovers the sealer sucked in from is different in that it is provided as an independent configuration. That is, in this embodiment, instead of the suction recovery device 6 (see FIG. 1) that realizes the suction unit and the recovery unit as a common configuration, a suction device 306 as a suction unit is provided as shown in FIG. Yes.

  The suction device 306 sucks the excess sealer 3 a scraped off by the nozzle 4 from the suction port 12. That is, the suction device 306 is a device having a function of generating a suction force for sucking the excess sealer 3a from the suction port 12 of the nozzle 4. The suction device 306 is not particularly limited as long as it has a function of generating the above-described suction force, and a known device can be used. An example of the configuration of the suction device 306 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 19 and 20.

  The suction device 306 is an ejector that generates a suction force using the compressed air supplied from the compressed air source 9 as a power source. As shown in FIG. 20, the suction device 306 includes a device main body 310 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape. The apparatus main body 310 includes an air introduction part 311 that receives supply of compressed air from the compressed air source 9, an exhaust part 312 that discharges compressed air introduced from the air introduction part 311, and a suction that receives connection of the suction path 24. A portion 313 is provided.

  The air introduction part 311 is a part constituting the intake port of the suction device 306 and is provided on one surface (right side in FIG. 20) of the substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape of the device main body 310. The exhaust unit 312 is a part that constitutes an exhaust port of the suction device 306, and is provided on the surface opposite to the side where the air introduction unit 311 is provided (left side in FIG. 20). Yes. The air introduction part 311 and the exhaust part 312 are provided at positions facing each other, and communicate with each other via a main body air passage provided in the apparatus main body part 310.

  The suction part 313 is a part constituting a vacuum port of the suction device 306, and is a side different from the side where the air introduction part 311 and the exhaust part 312 are provided in the apparatus main body part 310 (lower side in FIG. 20). It is provided on the surface. The suction part 313 communicates with the air introduction part 311 and the exhaust part 312 via the air passage in the main body. The suction portion 313 is connected to the downstream end of the suction path 24 in communication.

  An air supply path 26 that constitutes a supply path of compressed air from the compressed air source 9 is connected to the air introduction unit 311, and compressed air generated by the compressed air source 9 is sucked by the air supply path 26 through a suction device 306. To be supplied. The air introduction part 311 communicates with the air passage in the main body, and the air passage in the main body has a function of causing an air suction action by decompression by the compressed air flowing from the air introduction part 311.

  The exhaust unit 312 communicates with the air passage in the main body, receives the compressed air supplied to the air introduction portion 311 from the air passage in the main body, and discharges it to the outside. For example, a silencer is connected to the exhaust unit 312.

  According to the suction device 306 having such a configuration, the pressure reducing action is obtained by the flow of the compressed air discharged from the exhaust unit 312 through the air introduction path 311 and the air passage in the main body from the air supply path 26, and is sealed. A negative pressure is generated in the air passage in the main body, which is a space, and a suction force is generated. With this suction force, a suction action is obtained at the suction port 12 of the nozzle 4 through the suction path 24 communicating with the air passage in the main body. Due to this suction action, the surplus sealer 3 a scraped by the scraping portion 11 of the nozzle 4 is sucked from the suction port 12. The surplus sealer 3a sucked from the suction port 12 is recovered from the strainer 30 through the branch recovery path 27 into the recovery device 10.

  For the sealer sucked from the strainer 30 to the suction path 24 side by the suction force of the suction device 306, the suction path 24 is appropriately provided with a configuration for collecting or collecting the sealer, such as a filter. The sealer is collected and collected upstream of the suction device 306. The suction device 306 is provided in the viscous material recovery device 301 in a state of being supported by a predetermined support member, for example, at a position where it does not interfere with the robot 5.

  As described above, the viscous material recovery apparatus according to the present invention described in the embodiment is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modes can be adopted within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

  In the embodiment described above, the case where the sealer 3 applied to the front side door 2 of the automobile is recovered by the viscous material recovery device 1 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, as a viscous material to be collected by the viscous material collecting apparatus according to the present invention, for example, a viscous fluid (high viscosity liquid) having a relatively high viscosity such as an adhesive, liquid rubber, grease, and the like is available. Can be mentioned. Moreover, as a structural member to which the sealer is applied in an automobile, for example, a so-called lid such as a back door, a rear door, a trunk lid, and the like can be given as in the case of a front side door. Moreover, the viscous material collection | recovery apparatus which concerns on this invention can make not only the structural member of a motor vehicle but the to-be-coated member to which viscous materials, such as a sealer, are apply | coated widely.

  In the embodiment described above, the robot 5 such as a six-axis robot is employed as the configuration for moving the nozzle 4, but the moving unit according to the present invention is not limited to this. As long as the moving unit according to the present invention is configured to automatically move the nozzle in a predetermined direction along a predetermined path, for example, a configuration in which a multi-axis or single-axis robot or a nozzle 4 is linearly moved. Etc.

  In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the suction unit 6 that functions as a suction unit that sucks the sealer scraped by the nozzle 4 from the suction port 12 and a recovery unit that recovers the sealer sucked from the suction port 12 is provided. In the configuration, the recovery device 10 as the second recovery unit can be omitted.

  As for the recovery unit of the sealer, for example, instead of the branch recovery path 27 and the recovery device 10 connected to the branch pipe part 34 of the strainer 30, the branch pipe part 34 has a sealer recovery part as a sealer recovery part. The structure which attached the cartridge may be sufficient. According to this configuration, for example, when the sealer collecting cartridge is filled with the sealer, it can be replaced with a new (empty) cartridge.

  In the above-described embodiment, the strainer 30 which is a Y-shaped strainer is provided as a branching part for releasing the sucked sealer in the suction path 24 of the sealer. However, the present invention is not limited to this. . As the branch portion according to the present invention, the suction path can be secured by preventing the clogging of the viscous material in the suction path, the flow of the viscous material as the entire recovery path of the viscous material is made smooth, and the viscous material As long as the viscous material is partially retracted in order to perform continuous and stable suction / recovery. The branching portion according to the present invention can be realized by, for example, other strainers such as a U-shaped strainer or the shape of a pipe line of a member constituting the suction path.

1 Viscous material recovery device 2 Front side door (applied member)
2a Groove 3 Sealer (viscous material)
3a Surplus sealer 4 Nozzle 5 Robot (moving part)
6 Suction collection device (suction unit, collection unit)
9 Compressed air source 10 Recovery device (recovery unit)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Scraping part 11a Scraping surface 12 Suction port 24 Suction route 30 Strainer (branch part)
45 Umbrella part 306 Suction device (suction part)

Claims (4)

A viscous material recovery device that scrapes and recovers an excess of a viscous material applied to a predetermined site,
A scraping part for scraping off the excess of the viscous material, and a nozzle having a suction port for sucking the viscous material scraped by the scraping part;
A moving unit that moves the nozzle so as to guide the suction material to the suction port while scraping off an excess of the viscous material by the scraping unit;
A suction part for sucking the viscous material scraped off by the nozzle from the suction port;
And a recovery unit that recovers the viscous material sucked from the suction port by the suction unit. The scraping portion has a scraping surface that forms a part of the opening end surface of the suction port,
2. The viscous material according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle includes an umbrella portion provided to cover the scraping surface, which is a portion that forms an opening end surface of the suction port together with the scraping surface. Recovery device. The viscous material according to claim 1, wherein at least the scraping portion of the nozzle is made of an elastic material that is softer than a member to which the viscous material is applied at a predetermined site. Recovery device. The branching part for releasing the sucked viscous material is provided in the suction path of the viscous material between the nozzle and the suction part. Viscous material recovery device.

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