JP2020175461A - Small-diameter annular component supply device and valve automatic assembling system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a small-diameter annular component supply device which can stably supply a small-diameter annular component without causing trouble in a succeeding process, can automatically assemble the small-diameter annular component by efficiently supplying and transporting it, and can save a space of an automatic assembling system, and the automatic assembling system, in the high-mix low-volume production automatic assembling system.SOLUTION: A small-diameter annular component supply device 1 comprises a hopper main body 3 having an opening part 8 at an upper part, and accommodating a large number of small-diameter annular components 2, and a component cutout member 4 ascending and descending in the hopper main body 3 toward the opening part 8 from a bottom part of the hopper main body 3. A fit-in part 5 for fitting and guiding the small-diameter annular components 2 to an upper end of the component cutout member 4 is arranged, and the small-diameter annular components 2 are pushed up and supplied to the opening part 8 side while fitting and guiding them to the fitting part 5 when the component cutout member 4 ascends toward the opening part 8 side. A valve automatic assembling system 100 is also provided.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a small-diameter annular component supply device and an automatic valve assembly system, and in particular, supplies a small-diameter annular component such as an O-ring / washer, which is a component such as a valve, to facilitate automatic assembly of a valve. The present invention relates to an annular parts supply device and an automatic valve assembly system using this device.

In general, there are a line production method and a cell production method as product production methods in factories. The line production method is used for products such as automobiles, which have a large number of parts and are in demand for mass production. Generally, in automobile line production, the car body is made into a component after pressing a steel plate purchased from a material manufacturer, the engine is made into a component through casting, machining, etc., and various interior and exterior parts are purchased from an external manufacturer. After making the components, finally, each component is sequentially attached in the assembly process.

The line production method requires a complicated assembly process and enormous man-hours, and also requires a huge amount of capital investment and equipment scale. The configuration is easy to be rigid and it can flexibly respond to changes in product types. It is a difficult configuration, and there are disadvantages such as the setup time required for line change becomes long and overproduction occurs in order to secure the required production cost, so it depends on the demand characteristics of the product to be produced. Is a production method that is difficult to adopt.

On the other hand, in the cell production method, a single work is made by accumulating parts, tools, processing equipment, etc. on a work table that is appropriately arranged around a team consisting of a single worker or a plurality of workers. It is a method of producing by composing cells, and each cell has an independent production capacity due to modularization, the labor and time for changing the setup according to the demand fluctuation of the product type is short, and the production volume etc. Since it is easy to adjust and the equipment installation cost and workspace are small, it can respond flexibly to a wide variety of product production demands, unlike line production, which is mass-produced in bulk. For this reason, the cell production method is preferable for products that require high-mix low-volume production, and is widely adopted regardless of the field. In recent years, due to problems such as reduction of manufacturing cost and shortage of human resources, there is a strong demand for automating the cell production method using an industrial robot, and a cell production system that does not require human intervention is desired.

In addition, when constructing an optimized automatic production system, the parts supply device is an indispensable element in the system configuration. In the line production method, each component required for product assembly is supplied by pallet supply, vibration feeder, and the like. The line production method is a production method suitable for mass-producing the same product, but is not suitable for high-mix low-volume production. For this reason, when supplying parts by pallet supply, it is necessary to prepare multiple dedicated pallets for each part, which increases the number of setup change processes and takes time, and increasing the number of pallets hinders space saving. Not suitable for. Then, in the vibration feeder, when a component is clogged and a supply trouble occurs, the entire system is stopped and restoration work is performed, which lowers the reliability of the automatic production system.

Therefore, in order to construct a stable automatic production system, Patent Document 1 discloses a screw rotary part supply device as an example of a supply device in a technique relating to automatic assembly of a ball valve. In Document 1, four CNC robots that can be automatically controlled are arranged in a line, and various assembling devices are arranged around them to transport parts in the process of assembly between the robots. An apparatus for automatically assembling a resin ball valve by sequentially supplying each assembling apparatus is disclosed. Then, FIG. 4 of the same document 1 discloses a screw rotary type component supply device including a screw bar and a catcher in order to supply an O-ring and a ball sheet which are components of a valve. In this screw rotary type parts supply device, an annular part such as an O-ring is suspended in the spiral groove of the screw bar, the part moves to the tip by the rotation of the screw bar, and the annular part falls on the catcher at the tip of the screw bar. As a result, annular parts are supplied.

Further, Patent Document 2 discloses an O-ring supply device used for an automatic assembly device. This O-ring supply device includes an fitting shaft that inserts and temporarily holds a plurality of O-rings, a cover cylinder that surrounds the outer peripheral portion of the plurality of O-rings fitted on the fitting shaft, and a fitting shaft having a tip portion thereof. It consists of a pressing sleeve that is located between the cover cylinder and can move along the fitting insertion shaft, and a control drive device that moves this pressing sleeve to a predetermined position, and is fitted to the fitting insertion shaft by moving the pressing sleeve. Disclosed is an O-ring supply device that pushes the O-ring of the above and drops the O-rings one by one from the tip of the fitting shaft to the outside of the cover cylinder to supply the O-ring to the next step.

Further, Patent Document 3 discloses an O-ring transfer device. In Document 3, a plurality of O-rings are stacked and stored, and the O-ring is placed in a storage cylinder provided with a notch for inserting an extraction tool above, and is an integral multiple of the width of the O-ring. The O-ring supply device is provided with a push-up stand that pushes up at the pitch of, and the O-ring is sandwiched and supported from both sides of the O-ring in the storage cylinder at the notch for inserting the take-out tool of the storage cylinder, and is taken out from the storage cylinder. Disclosed is an O-ring transport device that can be pushed up by a push-up table in an O-ring supply device at a pitch that is an integral multiple of the width of the O-ring, and the O-ring can be taken out by the ejector and transported to the next process. ..

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5-57631 Jikkenhei 6-47231 Jikkenhei 7-4443

However, in the screw rotary part supply device of Patent Document 1, when a plurality of O-rings are gathered in one place and hung on a screw bar, one O-ring is hung on each valley of the square screw of the screw bar. Therefore, the O-rings cannot be smoothly supplied one by one, and the parts cannot be stably supplied. For this reason, the screw rotary parts supply device of Document 1 is not suitable for the automatic assembly system because it interferes with the next process.

Further, in the O-ring supply device of Patent Document 2, a plurality of O-rings fitted to the fitting shaft are surrounded by a cover cylinder, held and stored in order, and pressed by a pressing sleeve for fitting. Move on the fitting insertion shaft in the order in which they are fitted to the shaft, and drop the O-rings one by one from the tip of the fitting insertion shaft to the outside of the cover cylinder so that they can be stably supplied one by one. There is.
However, when it is necessary to drop the O-rings one by one to the catcher in a random posture and supply them to the next process, and to recognize and chuck the O-rings from the lateral direction and transport the parts to the next process, the O-rings are supplied. It takes time and effort to take out the parts and transport them to the next process. Therefore, the O-ring supply device of the same document 2 does not consider the transfer work to the next process, and is not suitable for the automatic assembly system.
In addition, since the O-rings are arranged side by side and accommodated, and the pressing sleeve that pushes out the O-rings is driven in the lateral direction, the supply device becomes large in the lateral direction, further saving space in the cell production system. Not suitable for. Since the O-ring is fitted into the dedicated fitting shaft and held / stored, it must be fitted into the dedicated fitting shaft to replenish / replenish the O-ring, which is troublesome for setup change work. It takes.

Further, in the O-ring transport device of Patent Document 3, a plurality of O-rings are stacked in the vertical direction and stored in the storage cylinder, and the O-ring ejector is inserted into the notch for inserting the ejector of the storage cylinder and stored. By sandwiching and supporting the O-ring from both sides of the O-ring in the cylinder and taking out the O-ring with a take-out tool, the O-ring can be stably taken out from the O-ring supply device and transported to the next process.
However, since the O-ring is taken out by inserting the take-out tool into the notch for inserting the take-out tool, the position where the take-out tool is inserted into the notch is adjusted, and the O-rings are stacked and housed in the storage cylinder. It is necessary to make adjustments for pinching and supporting, and the parts removal and transportation work is complicated and it is not possible to efficiently transfer the parts to the next process, and also the complicated O-ring extraction position is set by the robot or the dedicated transfer machine.・ It takes time to adjust. The O-ring transfer device of the same document 3 is not suitable for efficient automatic assembly.
Further, the storage cylinder for accommodating the O-ring is compatible with only one type of O-ring. The same storage cylinder cannot be used for parts of different sizes and diameters, and in high-mix low-volume production, the size of parts changes depending on the type, and a dedicated storage cylinder and dedicated equipment are prepared for each part. It takes time to set up because it has to be done. At the time of replenishment / replenishment, the supply device must be stopped and the O-ring must be housed in the dedicated storage cylinder, which is troublesome. Therefore, the O-ring transfer device of the same document 3 is not suitable for an automatic assembly system for high-mix low-volume production.

The present invention has been developed to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to stably supply small diameter annular parts without interfering with the next process in an automatic assembly system for high-mix low-volume production. To provide a small-diameter annular parts supply device and an automatic assembly system that enable the automatic assembly by efficiently supplying and transporting the small-diameter annular parts and saving the space of the automatic assembly system. It is in.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 has a hopper main body having an opening at the top and accommodating a large number of small-diameter annular parts, and raising and lowering in the hopper main body from the bottom of the hopper main body toward the opening. A moving component cutting member is provided, and a fitting portion for fitting and guiding the small diameter annular component is provided at the upper end of the component cutting member, and when the component cutting member rises toward the opening side, the small diameter annular component is provided. It is a small-diameter annular component supply device that pushes up and supplies to the opening side while guiding the fitting to the fitting portion.

The invention according to claim 2 is a hopper body that can move up and down, has an opening at the top, and stores a large number of small-diameter annular parts, and a part that cuts out parts in the hopper body from the bottom of the hopper body toward the opening. An opening is provided with a cutting member, and a fitting portion for fitting and guiding a small-diameter annular part is provided at the upper end of the part cutting member, and when the hopper body moves up and down, the small-diameter annular part is fitted and guided to the fitting portion. It is a small-diameter annular component supply device that is pushed up and supplied to the side.

The invention according to claim 3 is a small-diameter annular component supply device in which the fitting portion is a conical shape or a fitting portion formed by a part of the conical shape.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, a small-diameter annular component supply is provided on the opening side of the hopper body with a wiping mechanism for removing unnecessary small-diameter annular components when the component cutting member is raised or the hopper body moves up and down. It is a device.

The invention according to claim 5 is a small-diameter annular component supply device provided with an air supply nozzle for ejecting air toward the small-diameter annular component in the hopper body.

The invention according to claim 6 is a small-diameter annular component supply device in which the small-diameter annular component is an O-ring or washer, which is a valve component.

The invention according to claim 7 is an automatic valve in which a small-diameter annular component fitted in a fitting portion of the small-diameter annular component supply device described above is conveyed to a next process by a robot or a dedicated machine to automatically assemble a valve component. It is an assembly system.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the hopper main body for accommodating a large number of small-diameter annular parts and the component cutting member that moves up and down from the bottom of the hopper main body toward the opening in the hopper main body are provided. When ascending toward the opening side, the small-diameter annular component is pushed up and supplied while being guided to the fitting portion of the component cutting member, so that the small-diameter annular component is supplied onto the component cutting member in a centered state. Can be done. The small-diameter annular part pushed up toward the opening in the hopper body is located on the part cutting member in a centered state without fail at the fitting part of the part cutting member, so the small-diameter annular part can be used with a robot or a dedicated machine. When taking out the small-diameter annular part in the operation of transporting the small-diameter annular part, it becomes easy to adjust the taking-out posture by a robot or a special-purpose machine. Therefore, in the automatic assembly system using this small-diameter annular component supply device, the small-diameter annular component can be stably supplied without causing a supply trouble, easily transported to the next process, and automatically assembled efficiently. ..

Furthermore, the small-diameter annular parts stored in the hopper body are pushed up by the parts cutting member and supplied, and when the small-diameter annular parts are fitted and guided into the fitting portion, the small-diameter annular parts are supplied, so that the size and diameter of the annular parts are different. Can also be tolerated. That is, even if the size and diameter of the annular parts are different, the small-diameter annular parts having different sizes and diameters can be supplied without exchanging the supply device for each type of the annular parts. For this reason, it is possible to supply not only one type of part but also other annular parts. Therefore, in an automatic assembly system for high-mix low-volume production, even if the size and diameter of the parts change, the same supply device can be used. Since it is not necessary to replace the parts with a dedicated supply device each time the size of the parts is different, the setup time can be shortened.

Then, the component cutting member moves up and down toward the opening side in the hopper body to push up and supply the small diameter annular member in the vertical direction, the component cutting member is arranged at the bottom of the hopper body, and other accessories are attached. Since the parts can be arranged under the hopper body, the supply device does not become large in the lateral direction and the entire supply device can be made compact. Further, since it is not necessary to arrange and accommodate the small-diameter annular parts, the small-diameter annular parts can be supplied into the hopper body from a loosely stacked state, and further, the small-diameter annular parts can be supplied from the opening of the hopper body without stopping the supply device. Parts can be replenished and replenished.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the hopper body moves up and down, the small-diameter annular part is pushed up and supplied while being guided to the fitting portion of the part cutting member, thereby causing the small-diameter annular part to be placed on the part cutting member. It can be supplied in a centered state. The small-diameter annular part pushed up toward the opening in the hopper body is located on the part cutting member in a centered state without fail at the fitting part of the part cutting member, so the small-diameter annular part can be used with a robot or a dedicated machine. When taking out the small-diameter annular part in the operation of transporting the small-diameter annular part, it becomes easy to adjust the taking-out posture by a robot or a special-purpose machine. Therefore, in the automatic assembly system using this small-diameter annular component supply device, the small-diameter annular component can be stably supplied without causing a supply trouble, easily transported to the next process, and automatically assembled efficiently. ..

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the fitting portion for fitting and guiding the small-diameter annular part is formed in a conical shape or a part of the conical shape at the upper end of the part cutting member, the part cutting member is on the opening side of the hopper. It is possible to easily guide the small-diameter annular component into the fitting portion when ascending toward the fitting portion, and it is possible to easily supply the small-diameter annular component in the centered state. Further, since it is permissible that the small-diameter annular parts have different sizes and diameters and the small-diameter annular parts can be fitted and guided into the fitting portion, even small-diameter annular parts having different sizes and diameters can be supplied. Therefore, in a system for high-mix low-volume production, even if the size and diameter of parts change, the same supply device can be used, and the setup time can be shortened.

According to the invention of claim 4, when the part cutting member is raised or the hopper body moves up and down, a wiping mechanism for wiping off unnecessary small-diameter annular parts is provided on the opening side of the hopper body, so that it is unnecessary. When the small-diameter annular parts are pushed up in an overlapping manner, unnecessary small-diameter annular parts are wiped off into the hopper body.
Therefore, since unnecessary small-diameter annular parts are not supplied in an overlapping state, only necessary small-diameter annular parts can be reliably supplied. Further, since the wiping mechanism is provided on the opening side of the hopper body, the entire feeder device can be made compact.

According to the invention of claim 5, since the hopper main body is provided with an air supply nozzle that ejects toward the small diameter annular component, when the O-ring is entangled and housed in the hopper main body, air is supplied from the air supply nozzle. The O-rings can be sprayed onto the O-rings to disentangle them, and the O-rings stored in bulk in the hopper can be collected at the bottom of the hopper body. Further, since the air supply nozzle is provided on the opening side in the hopper body, the entire feeder device can be made compact.

According to the invention of claim 6, since the small-diameter annular component is an O-ring or washer which is a valve component, the O-ring washer which is a valve component can be supplied to the automatic valve assembly device. Further, even with valves of various sizes, O-ring washers having different sizes and diameters of valve components can be stably supplied by the same supply device.

According to the invention of claim 7, the valve automatic part is automatically assembled by transporting the small diameter annular part fitted in the fitting portion of the small diameter annular part supply device to the next process by a robot or a dedicated machine. Since it is an assembly system, in this small-diameter annular component supply device, the small-diameter annular component pushed up toward the opening side in the hopper body is surely centered on the push-up member fitting portion on the push-up member. Since it is located, it is easy for the robot or the dedicated machine to adjust the taking-out posture when taking out the small-diameter annular part in the operation of transporting the small-diameter annular part to the next process by the robot or the dedicated machine. Therefore, in the valve automatic assembly system, small-diameter annular parts can be stably supplied, easily transported to the next process, and the valve can be automatically assembled efficiently.
Further, since the small-diameter annular component supply device can handle a wide variety of components, the setup time of the valve automatic assembly system can be shortened. The small-diameter annular parts supply device is designed so that it does not take up space even if it is placed around the robot and can be centrally placed without interfering with other devices. Therefore, the components of the valve automatic assembly system can be used. It can be compactly integrated to save space in the entire system.

A small-diameter annular component supply device showing an embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a schematic plan view, (b) is an enlarged view of a main part of a component cutting member, and (c) is a component cutting member and others. It is a figure which shows an example. It is explanatory drawing of the elevating operation of a part cutting member, (a) shows the state which the part cutting member was lowered, and (b) shows the state which the part cutting member was raised. It is explanatory drawing of the pay-off mechanism, (a) shows the state before pay-off, and (b) shows the state after pay-off. It is a schematic plan view which shows typically the whole structure of the valve automatic assembly system which concerns on this invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the small-diameter annular parts assembling device and the valve automatic assembling system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1A is a small-diameter annular component supply device showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view schematically showing an overall configuration of an automatic valve assembly system. First, the configuration of the valve automatic assembly system will be described, and then the embodiment of the small-diameter annular component supply device according to the present invention will be described.

<Valve automatic assembly system>
The small-diameter annular component supply device according to the present invention is used, for example, in the valve automatic assembly system 100 shown in FIG. In the automatic valve assembly system, the ball valve can be assembled to the state of the finished product, and this example has a cell production method configuration.

The valve (ball valve) to be assembled is, for example, a full-bore type, small-diameter screw-in ball valve (1/2 inch, 3/4 inch). The components of this ball valve consist of a body, a ball (valve body), two identical ball seats, a stem incorporating two O-rings and one thrust washer, and an insert.

This valve automatic assembly system has a first base and a second base, and the first base and the second base together are installed in an area of about 2 meters square. The first base is provided with a small first robot for assembly, and the second base is provided with a second robot for assembly that is larger than the first robot. These first and second robots are of vertical articulated type. It consists of an arm-type robot, and each is equipped with a multi-axis arm that can move in three-dimensional directions. In addition to these first robots and second robots, special machines such as an assembly mechanism for assembling each part and a parts supply mechanism are provided, and intermediate parts constituting the valve can be assembled using these, and the intermediate parts and the intermediate parts and the parts supply mechanism and the like. A ball valve is assembled by assembling a single part to the body.

In the first base T1, relatively small parts and intermediate parts are mainly assembled, and for example, a stem, a ball sheet, an insert, a washer, an O-ring supply, and a ball are assembled by the first robot and various dedicated machines. The front and back of the seat and insert are judged, and the washer and O-ring are assembled to the stem. From FIG. 4, a stem supply unit 104, a ball sheet supply unit 105, an insert supply unit 106, a washer supply unit 107, and an O-ring supply unit 108 are arranged on the first base T1. Further, the front and back determination units 109 and 110 are arranged on the opposite sides of the ball sheet supply unit 105 and the insert supply unit 106 with the first robot R1 sandwiched between them, and the first robot R1 is shown by a two-dot chain line in the figure. In the collaborative region E, which is the region where the movable region E1 of the robot R2 and the movable region E2 of the second robot R2 overlap, the ball seat standby portion 111, the insert standby portion 112, and the stem after being assembled by the stem assembling machine. The stem standby portion 113 on which the robot is placed is arranged.

In the second base T2, larger parts are mainly supplied and intermediate parts and single parts are assembled compared to the case of the first base, and the second robot and various dedicated machines, for example, make the body. It is assembled to the state of the finished product by being supplied or by supplying and assembling the stem, ball, insert, and ball sheet to this body. From FIG. 4, a ball supply unit 122, a body supply unit 123, a body assembly machine 125, a stem incorporating machine 126, and a ball angle adjuster 128 are arranged on the second base T2. Further, a valve discharge portion 124 for discharging the assembled valve is arranged at one of the four corners of the second base T2.

Further, in FIG. 4, a substantially rectangular inspection table D for performing a predetermined inspection is connected to the assembled valve on the lower side of the second base T2 (one side opposite to the first base T1). The inspection unit 129 for mounting the valve on the inspection table D is arranged so as to be within the movable area E2 range of the second robot R2.

In the valve automatic assembly system shown in FIG. 4, a substantially rectangular area in which the first base T1 and the second base T2 are combined is about 2 meters square, which enables space saving. Two robots and dedicated machines are integrated in this area, and all valve components are transported and assembled within the movable area of the two robots, eliminating waste of workspace and the minimum required. Automatic valve assembly can be performed within a limited space saving.

<Small diameter annular parts supply device>
Next, the small-diameter annular component supply device according to the present invention will be described. The small-diameter annular component supply device according to the present invention is a component of the valve automatic assembly system described above. The small-diameter annular component supply device according to the present invention can be used for an O-ring supply device and a washer supply device in an automatic valve assembly system, and supplies an O-ring and a washer necessary for assembling a stem. An embodiment when the small-diameter annular component supply device according to the present invention is applied to the O-ring supply device will be described.

From FIGS. 1 to 3, the small-diameter annular component supply device 1 according to the present invention includes a hopper main body 3, a component cutting member 4, a pay-off mechanism 6, and an air supply nozzle 7.

The hopper main body 3 has an opening 8 that opens upward, and has a substantially mortar shape and a flat surface at one end. The hopper main body 3 is fixed and supported by fixing with a fixing member on a flat surface or by fixing with a fixing member under the hopper main body 3. The hopper main body 3 houses a plurality of small-diameter annular parts 2 (hereinafter referred to as O-rings), and the O-rings 2 are housed in the hopper main body 3 in a randomly stacked state. Since the O-rings 2 can be stored separately in the hopper body 3, the O-rings can be replenished / replenished at any time from the opening 8 opened above the hopper body 3 for replenishment / replenishment. -When replenishing, there is no need to align and stack O-rings to replenish and replenish, and there is no need to stop the feeder.

As shown in FIG. 2, the component cutting member 4 is provided at the bottom of the hopper main body 3, and moves up and down from the bottom of the hopper main body 3 toward the opening 8 of the hopper main body 3 by means of raising and lowering by a cylinder. The component cutting member 4 rises to a height slightly protruding from the height of the opening 8 of the hopper main body 3. A power transmission unit for transmitting power may be attached to one end of the air cylinder, and a power transmission unit may be connected to one end of the component cutting member 4 to move the component cutting member 4 up and down. At this time, by adjusting the position where the power transmission unit and the component cutting member 4 are connected and fixed, the height of the component cutting member 4 when ascending can be arbitrarily adjusted. Further, the elevating means may be another elevating means using a spring or a worm gear. Further, since the ascending means for driving the component cutting member 4 can be arranged in parallel under the hopper main body 3 or close to the hopper main body 3, the accessory device of the small diameter annular component supply device 1 can be arranged from the size of the hopper main body. The small-diameter annular component supply device 1 can be made compact by integrating without protruding.

As shown in FIG. 1 (b), a conical fitting portion 5 is provided at the upper end of the component cutting member 4. The height of the fitting portion 5 is larger than the width of one O-ring. When the component cutting member 4 rises toward the opening 8 side, the O-ring 2 in the hopper main body 3 is fitted and guided and raised to push the O-ring 2 toward the opening 8 side of the hopper main body 3. The O-ring 2 is supplied onto the component cutting member 4 in a centered state. Further, even if the O-rings are housed separately in the hopper main body, the O-rings can be supplied to the next process. As shown in FIG. 1C, the fitting portion 15 at the upper end of the component cutting member 4 may be formed by a part of a conical shape. That is, if the O-ring 2 can guide the fitting into the fitting portion 15, the shape of the fitting portion can be changed.

When the O-ring 2 is guided into the fitting portion 5, it enters the conical fitting portion 5. Therefore, the fitting portion 5 provided on the component cutting member 4 causes the O-ring 2 to be centered on the component cutting member 4. Since the O-ring 2 is pushed up and supplied to the opening 8 side of the hopper main body 3, the supplied O-ring 2 is always located at the fitting portion 5 of the component cutting member 4. Therefore, it becomes easy to recognize the supplied parts and align the chucks of the transporting device when transporting the parts to the next process. Therefore, the parts are stably supplied and the parts are efficiently transported without causing a supply trouble, so that the automatic assembly can be efficiently performed in the automatic assembly system.

Further, when the small-diameter annular component 2 housed in the hopper main body 3 is pushed up by the component cutting member 4 and supplied and the small-diameter annular component 2 is fitted and guided into the fitting portion 5, the small-diameter annular component 2 is supplied. Different sizes and calibers can be tolerated. That is, even if the size and diameter of the annular parts are different, the small-diameter annular parts having different sizes and diameters can be supplied without exchanging the supply device for each type of the annular parts. Therefore, not only one type of component but also other annular components can be supplied, so that not only the O-ring but also the washer can be supplied with the same supply device for the small-diameter annular component. In addition, in an automatic assembly system for high-mix low-volume production, even if the size and diameter of parts change, the same supply device can be used, and there is no need to replace with a dedicated supply device for each different part size. , The setup time can be shortened.

Since the fitting portion 5 at the upper end of the component cutting member 4 is formed in a conical shape, when the component cutting member 4 rises toward the opening 8 side of the hopper main body 3, the small diameter annular component 2 is fitted into the fitting portion 5. It is possible to facilitate the supply of the small-diameter annular component 2 in a centered state. Further, since it is permissible that the small-diameter annular component 2 has a different size and diameter and the small-diameter annular component 2 can be fitted and guided into the fitting portion 5, even small-diameter annular parts having different sizes and diameters can be supplied. In the small-diameter annular component supply device 1 according to the present invention, since the fitting portion 5 has a conical shape, components can be supplied even if the diameter and size are different. Even if the size and diameter of the parts change, the same supply device can be used, and the setup time can be shortened in a high-mix production system. The shape of the fitting portion 5 may be a pyramid, a short cylinder, or a protrusion, but a conical shape is more preferable.

Further, the shoulder portion 9 of the component cutting member 4 has a rounded shape. Therefore, when the part cutting member 4 is raised, the O-ring 2 is easily fitted and guided into the fitting portion 5. Even when the diameter of the annular component is slightly larger than that of the fitting portion 5, the small-diameter annular component 2 is placed on the shoulder portion 9 and can be pushed up by the component cutting member 4, so that the component can be stably supplied. The shoulder portion 9 of the component cutting member 4 may have a tapered shape or a stepped shape, but a rounded shape is preferable.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the pay-off mechanism 6 is provided on the opening 8 side of the hopper main body 3. The pay-off mechanism 6 is provided to pay off an unnecessary O-ring 2 when the part cutting member 4 is raised. When the O-ring 2 is fitted and guided to the fitting portion 5, it may be pushed up in an overlapping state. At this time, in order to supply the O-rings one by one, it is necessary to release the overlapping state of the O-rings, so that the unnecessary O-rings are removed into the hopper body by the pay-off mechanism 6.

As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the wiping mechanism 6 of this example is provided with a wiping portion 6b at the tip of the cylinder portion 6a, and the tip portion 6c of the wiping portion 6b is thrust into the O-ring 2. Hit and wipe off the unnecessary O-ring 2. When the part cutting member 4 is raised and the two O-rings 2 are pushed up, the upper O-ring 2a is pushed out and the O-ring 6b is pushed out to be pushed into the hopper main body 3. In this way, when two O-rings are overlapped and the O-ring is pushed up, the unnecessary O-ring is wiped into the hopper main body 3 by the pay-off mechanism 6, so that the O-rings 2b can be reliably supplied one by one. Therefore, since unnecessary small-diameter annular parts are not supplied in an overlapping state, parts can be stably and reliably supplied one by one to the next process.
Further, the tip portion 6c of the wiping portion 6b is formed into a heart shape so that the tip is bifurcated to facilitate pushing out an unnecessary O-ring and to prevent the fitting portion 5 from being damaged. May be good. The wiping mechanism 6 may be a mechanism for wiping off unnecessary O-rings by blowing air. Since the pay-off mechanism 6 is arranged side by side in the vicinity of the hopper main body 3, it is possible to consolidate the auxiliary devices of the small diameter annular parts supply device around the hopper main body 3 to make the small diameter annular parts supply device 1 compact. it can.

As shown in FIG. 1A, four air supply nozzles 7 are provided on the upper opening 8 side of the hopper main body 3. The four air supply nozzles 7 have nozzles extending from the opening 8 side of the hopper main body 3 toward the bottom of the hopper main body 3, and eject air toward the O-ring 2 in the hopper main body 3. When the component cutting member 4 is lowered from FIG. 2A, air is ejected from the air supply nozzle 7, and when the component cutting member 4 is raised from FIG. 2B, the air supply is stopped. .. When air is ejected from the air supply nozzle 7 toward the O-ring 2, the entanglement between the O-rings 2 can be disentangled and a plurality of O-rings are entangled when the O-rings 2 are entangled and stored separately. 2 can be collected at the bottom of the hopper body 3. Since the entanglement of the O-ring 2 is released by the air ejection and the O-ring 2 is collected at the bottom of the hopper body 3, supply troubles due to clogging of parts even if the O-rings are stored in the hopper body 3 in bulk. Is not generated, so that parts can be stably supplied to the next process.
Further, the air supply nozzle 7 is inside the hopper main body 3, and the supply unit for supplying air can be arranged under the hopper main body 3, and the accessory devices of the small diameter annular parts supply device 1 are integrated into the hopper main body 3. Since it can be arranged underneath, the small diameter annular component supply device 1 can be made compact. If the O-ring can be disentangled by ejecting air from the air supply nozzle and the O-ring can be collected at the bottom of the hopper body, the number and position of the air supply nozzles, the angle of the air ejection, etc. can be determined. It can be decided arbitrarily.

The part cutting member 4 is raised by the small-diameter annular component supply device 1 according to the present invention, and the O-ring fitted in the fitting portion 5 is taken out from the fitting portion by a robot or a dedicated machine (not shown) and conveyed to the next process. Will be done. In this small-diameter annular component supply device 1, the small-diameter annular component 2 pushed up toward the opening 8 side in the hopper main body 3 is reliably centered on the fitting portion 5 of the component cutting member 4 on the component cutting member 4. Since it is located at, when the small-diameter annular part 2 is taken out in the operation of transporting the small-diameter annular part 2 to the next process by the robot or the dedicated machine, it is easy to adjust the taking-out posture by the robot or the special machine.
That is, the O-ring 2 is always placed on the component cutting member 4 in a state of being centered on the fitting portion 5 of the component cutting member 4, and the robot or the dedicated O-ring 2 is positioned at the position of the component cutting member 4 protruding from the hopper main body 3. Since it is only necessary to align the jig for taking out the parts of the machine, when taking out the O-ring 2 in the operation of transporting the O-ring 2 to the next process by the robot or the special machine, it is easy to align the take-out by the robot or the special machine. Become. Therefore, in the valve automatic assembly system, the O-rings 2 can be reliably supplied one by one and the O-ring 2 can be supplied without disturbing the next process, so that the valve can be automatically assembled efficiently.

Further, the small-diameter annular parts supply device 1 is a mortar-shaped hopper main body 3, and an accessory device of the small-diameter annular parts supply device 1 can be accommodated under the hopper main body 3 or around the outside of the hopper main body 3, and the small-diameter annular parts supply device 1 can be accommodated. Since No. 1 is compactly designed, it does not take up space even if it is placed around the robot, and can be centrally placed without interfering with other devices. Therefore, the components of the valve automatic assembly system 100 can be arranged. It can be compactly integrated to save space in the entire system.
The component cutting member 4 may be fixed, the hopper main body 3 may move up and down, and the small-diameter annular component 2 may be guided to the fitting portion 5 of the component cutting member 4. Even in this case, as in the case where the component cutting member 4 is raised, the hopper main body 3 moves up and down, so that the component cutting member 4 can cut out a small-diameter annular component and supply the component to the next process.

Further, the small-diameter annular component supply device 1 according to the present invention can also be implemented in the washer supply device. Compared to the case of the O-ring, when the washer is supplied, it is rare that the washers are housed in an entangled state, or two washers are overlapped and guided into the fitting part. The supply nozzle 7 can be omitted. Therefore, when the small-diameter annular component supply device 1 according to the present invention is applied to the washer supply device, the configuration is the same as that of the above-mentioned O-ring supply device except that the pay-off mechanism 6 and the air supply nozzle 7 are omitted. Therefore, the description will be omitted.

<Supply operation of small diameter annular parts supply device>
Next, the supply operation of the small-diameter annular component supply device 1 will be described. A plurality of O-rings 2 are housed in the hopper main body 3. The air cylinder on the outside of the hopper body 3 is driven at a predetermined timing, and the driving force is transmitted to the component cutting member 4 by the power transmission unit, and the component cutting member 4 opens the hopper body 3 from the bottom of the hopper body 3. It rises toward the part 8 side.

When the component cutting member 4 rises, the O-rings 2 stacked separately in the hopper body 3 are fitted and guided into the fitting portion 5 of the component cutting member 4, and the O-ring 2 reaches the height of the opening 8 of the hopper body 3. It is pushed up. The O-ring 2 is always placed on the component cutting member 4 in a state of being centered on the fitting portion 5 of the component cutting member 4, and is cut out and supplied.

When the O-ring 2 is pushed up to the height of the opening 8 by the part cutting member 4, and two O-rings 2 are overlapped and fitted into the fitting portion 5 of the part cutting member 4, the pay-off mechanism 6 As a result, the unnecessary O-ring 2a is wiped off. The tip 6c of the pay-off portion 6b provided at the tip of the piston cylinder 6a of the pay-off mechanism 6 is abutted against the O-ring 2a on the overlapping O-ring 2, and the unnecessary O-ring 2a is blown into the hopper body 3. To do. Therefore, the O-rings 2b are surely supplied one by one. In the case of washers, there is no withdrawal by the withdrawal mechanism.

After the pay-off operation of the pay-off mechanism 6, it is determined whether the cut-out supply of the O-ring is successful or unsuccessful with a camera at a predetermined position (not shown). If it is determined to be a failure (when the O-ring 2 is not in the fitting portion), the part cutting member 4 is lowered, and after air stirring by the air supply nozzle 7, the part cutting member 4 is raised again and the O-ring 2 is raised. Cut out (repeated until successful). If it is determined to be successful (when the O-ring 2 is in the fitting portion), one O-ring is surely cut out, and the O-ring is supplied to the next step. In the case of a washer, the camera determination may be omitted.

The small-diameter annular part 2 (O-ring washer) cut out and supplied is conveyed to the next process by a dedicated transfer machine or a robot. When transporting the O-ring with a dedicated transport device, for example, the O-ring is chucked by the picking portion of the dedicated machine, and the O-ring is transported to a dedicated temporary storage place. In the next step, the O-ring placed in this temporary storage place is picked up and conveyed, and is assembled to the stem, which is a valve component, by the stem assembling machine. When the washer is conveyed by the robot, for example, it is chucked by the three claws of the end effector of the robot arm, the washer is conveyed in the next process, and the washer is assembled to the stem, which is a valve component, by the stem assembling machine. .. After the parts are transferred to the next step, the parts cutting member 4 is lowered, the push-up member 4 is raised again at a predetermined timing, and the supply and transportation of the small-diameter annular part 2 (O-ring washer) are repeated.

In this way, the small-diameter annular component 2 is supplied and conveyed to the next process, and the valve component is automatically assembled in the valve automatic assembly system 100. The small-diameter annular component supply device 1 according to the present invention is suitable for supplying a small-diameter O-ring or washer to be attached to a stem which is a component of a valve.

Although the actual embodiment of the present invention has been described, the small diameter annular component supply device of the present invention can be used not only for the component supply device in the valve automatic assembly system but also for other assembly devices and assembly systems. Further, even if a part of the configuration described in the claims is changed or modified, it is equal as long as it does not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

1 Small diameter annular parts supply device 2 Small diameter annular parts (O-ring washer)
3 Hopper body 4 Parts cutting member 5 Fitting part 6 Discharge mechanism 7 Air supply nozzle 8 Opening 100 Valve automatic assembly system

Claims (7)

A hopper body having an opening at the top and accommodating a large number of small-diameter annular parts, and a part cutting member that moves up and down in the hopper body from the bottom of the hopper body toward the opening are provided. A fitting portion for fitting and guiding the small-diameter annular component is provided at the upper end, and when the component cutting member rises toward the opening side, the small-diameter annular component is fitted and guided to the fitting portion on the opening side. A small-diameter annular component supply device characterized in that it is pushed up and supplied. It is provided with a hopper body that can move up and down, has an opening at the top, and stores a large number of small-diameter annular parts, and a parts cutting member that cuts out parts from the bottom of the hopper body toward the opening in the hopper body. A fitting portion for fitting and guiding the small-diameter annular component is provided at the upper end of the component cutting member, and when the hopper body moves up and down, the small-diameter annular component is pushed toward the opening while being fitted and guided to the fitting portion. A small-diameter annular parts supply device characterized by being raised and supplied. The small-diameter annular component supply device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fitting portion is a conical shape or a fitting portion formed by a part of the conical shape. Claim 1 to any one of claims 1 to 3 provided with a wiping mechanism for wiping off unnecessary small-diameter annular parts when the part cutting member is raised or the hopper main body moves up and down. The small-diameter annular component supply device described in. The small-diameter annular component supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the hopper main body is provided with an air supply nozzle that ejects air toward the small-diameter annular component. The small-diameter annular component supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the small-diameter annular component is an O-ring or washer that is a valve component. The small-diameter annular component fitted in the fitting portion of the small-diameter annular component supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is conveyed to the next process by a robot or a dedicated machine to automatically assemble the valve component. An automatic valve assembly system featuring the above.

Images