JP2023038408A - Suction tranport device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a suction transport device which can efficiently carry even a plate-like workpiece having a warp, a distortion, and irregularities on a rear surface into the device, fixedly suction the workpiece, and carry out the workpiece.SOLUTION: A suction transport device includes: a table for placing a workpiece; suctioning means each including suctioning parts which fixedly suction the workpiece and moving means which moves the suctioning parts vertically; transporting means each including a roller which transports the workpiece in a transport direction and moving means which moves the roller vertically; and control means which controls operation of the suctioning means and the transporting means. The control means sequentially conducts operation in which the workpiece is transported by the rollers, operation in which the rollers are moved to an area below a table surface to place the workpiece thereon, an operation in which the suctioning parts are moved to an area above the table surface to suction the workpiece and then moved to the area below the table surface in the suctioning state to fix the workpiece, and operation in which the rollers are moved to the area above the table surface to carry out the workpiece to the downstream in the transport direction by the rollers after suctioning of the workpiece is stopped.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sucking and conveying device for sucking, holding and conveying a plate-like work.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to perform a predetermined process such as printing on a plate-shaped work placed on a table, there are various known methods of fixing the work to the surface of the table so that the work does not move while the process is being performed. For example, a method is known in which a negative pressure is applied to the back surface of the workpiece and the workpiece is sucked to fix the workpiece to the table surface.

By the way, if the workpiece is warped or distorted due to its nature, such as steel plate, gypsum board, or wood, or if the back surface of the workpiece is uneven, air leakage may cause negative pressure when applying negative pressure to the back surface of the workpiece. In some cases, the pressure could not be applied appropriately, and the adsorption failure occurred in which the fixing to the table surface could not be performed sufficiently.

In particular, among the processes performed on the work, while scanning an inkjet head having a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink, ink is ejected onto the outer surface of the work, which is a recording medium, to the outer surface of the work. When performing inkjet printing to record an image, it is necessary to bring the outer surface of the workpiece and the inkjet head close to each other in units of several millimeters. there was a possibility of it. Various techniques for attracting and fixing such warped or distorted workpieces have been proposed.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-223650 Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 63-64442

Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 propose a method in which a plurality of suction pads are arranged on the table surface and the back surface of the workpiece is fixed by suction using the suction pads.

By the way, in order to efficiently process a plurality of workpieces, not only the workpieces are fixed by suction, but also the workpieces are efficiently carried in, placed and fixed, and after the treatment is completed, the workpieces are efficiently carried out. is important.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and is an adsorption and transfer apparatus capable of efficiently carrying in even a plate-shaped work having warpage, distortion, or irregularities on the back surface, fixing it by suction, and carrying it out. It provides

In order to achieve the above object, the inventor of the present invention discovered the following configuration as a result of diligent ingenuity.

That is, in the present invention, the suction transport device includes a table having a placement area for placing a work,
a first opening arranged in the mounting area;
a second opening arranged in the mounting area;
an adsorption unit including an adsorption unit for adsorbing and fixing the workpiece; and a first moving unit for vertically moving the adsorption unit in the first opening;
a conveying means comprising a roller for conveying the work in the conveying direction and a second moving means for moving the roller up and down in the second opening;
a control means for controlling the operation of the adsorption means and the transport means;
has
The control means is
a work loading operation of transporting the work to the placement area by the roller;
After the work loading operation, a work placing operation of moving the roller below the table surface by the second moving means to place the work on the placing area;
After the work placement operation, the suction part is moved above the table surface by the first moving means to come into contact with the work to suck the work. a work fixing operation of fixing the work to the mounting area by moving the suction part below the table surface;
After stopping the adsorption of the workpiece by the adsorption unit, the roller is moved above the surface of the table by the second moving means, and the roller carries out the workpiece from the placement area downstream in the transport direction. a work unloading operation;
It is a sucking and conveying device that sequentially performs

The suction transport device further includes a first abutting means for abutting the workpiece, which is disposed on the downstream end side of the placement area in the transport direction, and the first abutting means. a first abutting portion comprising a third moving means for moving up and down;
The control means is
During the work loading operation, the first abutting means is moved above the table surface by the third moving means, and during the work unloading operation, the first abutting means is moved by the third moving means. It is also possible to use a suction transport device that moves the table below the table surface.

Further, the control means
In the workpiece carrying-in operation, the adsorption conveying device may be configured such that the rotating speed of the roller is reduced before the workpiece contacts the first abutment means.

In addition, the suction transport device further includes a second abutment means for abutting the work, which is arranged on one end side of the placement area in a direction substantially orthogonal to the transport direction; a second abutting section comprising a fourth moving means for vertically moving the two abutting means;
The workpiece is brought into contact with the workpiece disposed on the other end side of the placement area in the direction opposite to the one in the direction substantially orthogonal to the conveying direction to move the workpiece from the other to the one to move the workpiece to the first. pushing means for pushing the abutting means of 2; fifth moving means for vertically moving the pushing means; and moving the pushing means in a direction substantially orthogonal to the conveying direction. a pusher comprising a sixth moving means for
has
The control means is
When carrying in the workpiece, the second abutting means and the pushing means are moved above the table surface by the fourth moving means and the pushing means by the fifth moving means. the moving means is further moved from the one to the other by the sixth moving means;
After the work placement operation is completed, the second abutting means and the pushing means are moved below the table surface by the fourth moving means and the pushing means by the fifth moving means, respectively;
a suction conveying device for moving the second abutting means and the pushing means by the fourth moving means and the pushing means by the fifth moving means respectively above the surface of the table when the workpiece is carried out; You can also

Further, the control means
After the work loading operation and before the work placing operation, the pushing means is moved from the other side to the one side by the sixth moving means to push the work toward the second abutment means. It can also be used as a suction transport device that performs a work pushing operation.

Further, the control means
Furthermore, it is also possible to adopt a suction transport device that performs the work pushing operation after the work placing operation.

Further, the second moving means includes a mechanism for moving the roller from above to below the table surface in an arc trajectory from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction,
The control means is
In the work placement operation, the work is placed in the placement area by moving the roller below the table surface while drawing an arc trajectory from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction by the second moving means. It can also be a suction transport device that performs an operation of placing the object on the substrate.

Further, the control means
In the work placement operation, the roller may be rotated when the roller is moved below the table surface by the second moving means.

Further, the suction part is a suction transfer device that is a suction pad that suctions and fixes the work by applying a negative pressure to the inside of an elastic member formed in an inverted cone shape with a large upper diameter and a small lower diameter. can also

Further, a process of causing actinic ray curable ink to land on the surface of the work fixed to the placement area by a recording head, and a process of irradiating actinic ray ray to the actinic ray curable ink that has landed. a processing means for performing processing including
The suction transport device further comprises: a first light shielding plate arranged on the upstream side in the transport direction in the outer peripheral area of the mounting area for inhibiting irradiation of the actinic light; and the first light shielding plate. a first light shielding part comprising a seventh moving means for moving up and down;
A second light shielding plate disposed on the downstream side in the conveying direction for inhibiting irradiation of the actinic ray, and an eighth moving means for vertically moving the second light shielding plate. and a light shielding part of
has
The control means is
During the work loading operation, the first light shielding plate is moved below the table surface by the seventh moving means,
At the time of the work unloading operation, the suction conveying device may be configured to move the second light shielding plate to the lower side of the table surface by the eighth moving means.

According to the present invention, by adopting the above configuration, the above problems are solved, and even a plate-shaped work having warpage, distortion, or unevenness on the back surface can be efficiently brought in, fixed by suction, and carried out. It was possible to provide an adsorption transport device that can

It is a perspective view showing an example of the adsorption conveyance device concerning this embodiment. It is a front view which shows an example of an adsorption mechanism. It is a side view which shows an example of a conveying mechanism. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining the vertical drive operation of the transport mechanism; It is a front view which shows an example of a 1st abutment part and a 2nd abutment part. It is a side view which shows an example of a pushing part. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of an inkjet printer to which a suction transport device according to the present embodiment is applied; FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating an operation example of an inkjet printer using actinic radiation curable ink to which the suction transport device according to the present embodiment is applied. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing how the conveying mechanism on which the work is placed is lowered to land the work on the table; 1 is a block diagram of an inkjet printer to which a suction transport device according to the present embodiment is applied; FIG. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the state of the work when the work is conveyed until it contacts the first abutting portion and the pushing state of the work by the pushing portion;

An embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11 as appropriate.

First, an overview of the suction transport device according to the present embodiment will be described.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a suction transport device according to this embodiment. The suction transport device 1 includes a table 11 having a placement area 77 indicated by broken lines for placing a work 76 thereon, and a plurality of first openings 12 and second openings 13 arranged on the table 11. a plurality of suction mechanisms 14 arranged in all or part of the plurality of first openings; a plurality of transport mechanisms 15 arranged in all or part of the plurality of second openings 13; A first abutment portion 16 disposed on the downstream end side of the placement area 77 in the transport direction, and a second abutment portion disposed on the one end side of the placement area 77 in a direction substantially orthogonal to the transport direction. 17, and a pushing portion 18 disposed on the other end side, which is opposite to one of the directions substantially orthogonal to the transport direction of the placing area 77. As shown in FIG.

The table 11 has a flat plate-like shape on which a plate-like work 76 is placed. As will be described later, the work 76 is sucked from the back side thereof by the sucking portions 21 of the plurality of sucking mechanisms 14, and the sucked work 76 moves the sucking portion 21 from above to below the surface of the table 11. It is preferable that the surface of the table 11 is smooth and rigid enough to withstand the fixation of the workpiece 76 because the workpiece 76 is fixed on the surface of the table 11 by moving to the surface of the table 11 . A placement area 77 indicated by a dotted line for placing a work 76 is provided on the surface of the table 11. In the example of FIG. Therefore, the entire surface of the table 11 serves as the placement area 77 .

In addition, the table 11 has a plurality of first openings 12 for arranging the suction mechanism 14 and a plurality of second openings 13 for arranging the transport mechanism 15 . In the example of FIG. 1, the first opening 12 has a square shape, and the second opening 13 has a rectangular shape extending from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction. ), the suction portion 21 of the suction mechanism 14 is connected to the first opening 12, and the roller 31 of the transport mechanism 15 is connected to the second opening 13 from above the table 11. It suffices if it is formed so as to be vertically movable downward.

A plurality of adsorption mechanisms 14 are arranged in some or all of the plurality of first openings 12 . In the example of FIG. 1, a plurality of first openings 12 are arranged at predetermined intervals from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction and from one end to the other end in a direction substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction. A plurality of adsorption mechanisms 14 are arranged in each of the first openings 12 .

FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of a suction mechanism. The suction mechanism 14 shown in FIG. 2 includes a suction portion 21 which is a portion that contacts the back surface of the work 76 and applies a negative pressure to suck the work 76 , and the suction mechanism 14 at the first opening 12 from above the table 11 . It is composed of a vertical drive mechanism 22 for moving downward.

Even if the back surface of the workpiece 76 is not smooth, for example, the back surface of the workpiece 76 is uneven, the adsorption unit 21 follows the shape of the back surface and adheres the workpiece 76 to the back surface. A suction pad made of elastic materials such as silicone rubber, urethane rubber, fluororubber (FKM), nitrile rubber (NBR), hydrogenated nitrile rubber (HNBR), ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM), etc. It is appropriately used according to the properties of 76 and the like. Further, a negative pressure imparting member such as a negative pressure pump (not shown) is connected to the adsorption section 21 so as to apply a negative pressure to the adsorption section 21 by sucking air. Furthermore, the suction part 21 is formed in an inverted conical shape with a large upper diameter and a small lower diameter so that the back surface of the workpiece 76 in contact with the suction part 21 can be efficiently applied with a negative pressure to be sucked. Note that the configuration of the suction portion 21 is not limited to the above, and it is also possible to have a different shape according to the properties of the workpiece 76, or to use a means such as an electromagnet that is different from the suction pad for the suction portion 21.

Further, the suction mechanism 14 further includes an action of causing the suction part 21 to protrude above the table 11 to bring the suction part 21 into contact with the back surface of the work 76, an action of pulling the sucked work 76 to the surface of the table 11, and an action of pulling the work 76 sucked to the surface of the table 11. A vertical driving mechanism 22 including a servomotor, an air cylinder, or the like that can be driven vertically is connected so that the suction unit 21 can be moved vertically. When a means different from the suction pad such as an electromagnet is used for the suction portion 21, the vertical drive mechanism 22 may be omitted, or the first opening 12 for arranging the suction mechanism 14 may be omitted and the table 11 may be mounted outside the table 11. A configuration in which the adsorption mechanism 14 is embedded in the surface is also conceivable.

Thus, the suction mechanism 14 has the suction portion 21 having the shape described above, so that even if the back surface of the work 76 is uneven, the suction mechanism 14 reliably sucks the portion where the back surface of the work 76 and the suction portion 21 are in contact with each other. By uniformly sucking the entire back surface of the workpiece 76 using a plurality of suction units 21 provided with a vertical drive mechanism 22, steel plates, gypsum boards, wood, etc., which are inherently warped and distorted. Even the work 76 can be brought into contact with and sucked by the suction unit 21 according to the warpage or distortion, and the work 76 is pulled to the surface of the table 11, and the warp or distortion is corrected. It can be fixed to the placement area 77 . The arrangement position of the suction mechanism 14 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. . In addition, it is not necessary to arrange the suction mechanism 14 in all of the arranged first openings 12, and the arrangement of the suction mechanism 14 may be omitted in some of the first openings 12 depending on the work 76 to be placed. It is also possible to further arrange another mechanism.

Further, a plurality of transport mechanisms 15 are arranged in some or all of the plurality of second openings 13 . In the example of FIG. 1, a plurality of second openings 13 are arranged at predetermined intervals from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction and from one end to the other end in a direction substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction. A plurality of transport mechanisms 15 are arranged in each of the second openings 13 .

FIG. 3 is a side view showing an example of the transport mechanism. In the example of FIG. 3 , the transport mechanism 15 includes a roller 31 for contacting the back side of the work 76 and transporting the work 76 from upstream to downstream in the transport direction by its own rotation, and the roller 31 at the second opening 13 . , and a vertical drive mechanism 32 for moving the table 11 from above to below. The roller 31 has an appropriate rotation drive mechanism such as a motor and a belt (not shown), and can rotate the roller 31 from upstream to downstream in the transport direction to transport the work 76 . Further, the roller 31 can be vertically driven so that the roller 31 can be protruded above the table 11 and brought into contact with the back surface of the workpiece 76, or the roller 31 can be retracted below the table 11. A vertical driving mechanism 32 including a servomotor, an air cylinder, a driving belt, etc. is connected, and the roller 31 is configured to be vertically movable.

The vertical driving mechanism 32 connected to the rollers 31 may be a mechanism that drives vertically in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the table 11. In the vertical driving mechanism 32 used in this embodiment, the rollers 31 move in the conveying direction. It is configured to drive up and down along an arc trajectory from upstream to downstream. In the example of FIG. 3, the roller 31 is supported by a first support member 33 configured to rotate the roller 31 while drawing an arc track in the conveying direction about the rotation shaft 34 . Furthermore, a second support member 35 that can be moved in the transport direction by driving a vertical drive mechanism 32 is provided at the end of the first support member 33 opposite to the end where the rollers 31 are provided with respect to the rotary shaft 34 . is connected.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining the vertical drive operation of the transport mechanism. As shown in FIG. 4, as the second support member 35 is driven by the vertical drive mechanism 32 to move upstream in the transport direction, the roller 31 supported by the first support member 33 rotates around the rotation shaft 34. At the center, a roller 31 draws an arc track and descends from above to below the table 11 so as to fall from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction. With this configuration, the work 76 placed in contact with the rollers 31 can be landed on the surface of the table 11 while following a trajectory for pressing the work 76 against the first abutting portion 16 described later. It is possible to achieve the effect of improving the placement positioning accuracy when the work 76 is placed and fixed.

The arrangement position of the conveying mechanism 15 is not limited to the example in FIG. 1, and a plurality of conveying mechanisms 15 may be arranged so that the work 76 can be conveyed from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction. Further, it is not necessary to arrange the transport mechanism 15 in all of the arranged second openings 13, and in some of the second openings 13, the arrangement of the transport mechanism 15 may be omitted or another mechanism may be further arranged. It is also possible to

Further, in the example of FIG. 1, a vertically movable plate for contacting and receiving a workpiece 76 conveyed from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction by the conveying mechanism 15 is provided on the downstream end portion side in the conveying direction of the placing area 77 of the table 11 . The possible first abutting portion 16 and one end portion side of the placing area 77 in the direction substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction are brought into contact with the work 76 pushed by the driving of the pushing portion 18 to be described later. and a vertically movable second abutting portion 17 for receiving the ball. In the example of FIG. 1, two each of the first abutment portions 16 and the second abutment portions 17 are arranged. If it is

FIG. 5 is a front view showing an example of the first abutting portion and the second abutting portion. In this embodiment, the first abutting portion 16 and the second abutting portion 17 each have the same configuration, and a rod-like pin 51 for fixing the mounting position by bringing the work 76 into contact with the work 76 . (pin 53) and a vertical driving mechanism 52 by a servomotor, an air cylinder, or the like for vertically driving the pin 51 (pin 53). For the convenience of the following description, the pin and the vertical drive mechanism that constitute the first abutment portion will be referred to as a pin 51 and the vertical drive mechanism 52, respectively, and the pin and the vertical drive mechanism that will constitute the second abutment portion. are referred to as a pin 53 and a vertical drive mechanism 54, respectively. The pins 51 (pins 53) are protruded from the surface of the table 11 by driving the vertical driving mechanism 52 (vertical driving mechanism 54) when the workpiece 76 needs to be brought into contact with the workpiece 76. At times, it can be retracted below the surface of the table 11 . By bringing the work 76 into contact with the pins 51 of the first abutment portion 16 and the pins 53 of the second abutment portion 17, the placement position of the work 76 on the table 11 can be determined.

Further, on the side of the other end of the placement area 77 which is opposite to the one in the direction substantially orthogonal to the conveying direction, the workpiece 76 is vertically movable and movable from the other to the one. A pushing portion 18 is arranged for pushing and contacting the abutment portion 17 of 2. As shown in FIG. Although the example of FIG. 1 shows an example in which two pushing portions 18 are arranged, the workpiece 76 is moved substantially parallel to the second abutting portion 17 from the other to the one and uniformly moved. Any configuration may be employed as long as it can be pushed.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing an example of the pushing portion. In the example of FIG. 6, the pushing portion 18 includes a rod-shaped pin 61 for contacting the workpiece 76, a vertical driving mechanism 62 such as a servo motor and an air cylinder for vertically driving the pin 61, and the pin 61 as described above. It is composed of a push drive mechanism 63 including a servomotor, an air cylinder, etc. for moving from the other to the one and pushing to the second abutting portion 17 . The pin 61 protrudes from the surface of the table 11 by driving the vertical drive mechanism 62 when the work 76 needs to be brought into contact with the pin 61 . can be evacuated to In addition, by driving the pushing drive mechanism 63 to push the workpiece 76 up to the pin 53 of the second abutment portion 17 and hit it against the pin 53, the placement position of the workpiece 76 can be determined at the intended position. .

The above is the description of the configuration example of the suction transport device according to the present embodiment. It should be noted that each of the members constituting the suction transport device described above can be appropriately replaced with a member having an equivalent function.

As described above, by applying the suction transfer device according to the present embodiment, the work 76 is transferred and carried out, and the work 76 that is fixed by suction is subjected to appropriate processing. As an example of processing for the work 76, arbitrary processing such as printing and cutting is assumed. explain. When performing an inkjet printing process, it is necessary to keep the distance between the inkjet head described later and the work 76 as close as possible in order to ensure the print image quality. As a result, the workpiece 76 is likely to come into contact with the inkjet head and damage the inkjet head.

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of an inkjet printing apparatus to which the suction transport device according to this embodiment is applied. An inkjet head 71 having a plurality of nozzles for carrying out an inkjet printing process of ejecting and imparting actinic radiation curable ink onto the surface of a workpiece 76, which is a recording medium, is located above the suction transport device 1 described above. , and a carriage 73 mounted with an actinic ray irradiation device 72 for irradiating the ink applied to the surface of the work 76 with an actinic ray is arranged. X-axis driving means for moving in the X direction) is connected. Further, Y-axis driving means for moving the suction and transfer device 1 in the one direction or the other direction (Y direction) is connected to the suction and transfer device 1 . In this embodiment, the ink is ejected by the inkjet head 71 while the workpiece 76 placed on the suction transport device 1 and the carriage 73 are relatively moved by driving the X-axis driving means and the Y-axis driving means. Alternatively, the actinic ray irradiation device 72 performs the actinic ray irradiation, thereby performing the inkjet printing process. If the ink used in the inkjet printing process is not the actinic radiation curable ink, the installation of the actinic radiation irradiation device 72 may be omitted.

In addition, a light shielding plate 74 for blocking irradiation of actinic rays is provided in the mounting area of the table 11 to prevent actinic rays from being irradiated to the surface on which the nozzles of the inkjet head 71 are arranged. A plurality of them are arranged in the outer peripheral area of 77 . Furthermore, among the plurality of light shielding plates 74, those that may pass above the light shielding plate 74 during transport and suction fixing of the work 76 (in this embodiment, the upstream side in the transport direction, the downstream side in the transport direction, and the other side) Each of the light shielding plates 74 arranged on the side) further performs an operation to avoid contact of the work 76 with the light shielding plate 74 when the work 76 is conveyed, and when performing the inkjet printing process, the irradiation of the actinic ray is ensured. A vertical driving mechanism 75 by a servomotor, an air cylinder, or the like is connected so that it can be moved to a position where it can be obstructed. If the ink used in the inkjet printing process is not actinic radiation curable ink, the light shielding plate 74 may be omitted.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an inkjet printer to which the suction transport device according to this embodiment is applied. Both the suction transport device and the ink jet printing part are controlled by various control means including a control personal computer 101 and a controller 102 . The controller 102 is connected to the suction mechanism 14, the transport mechanism 15, the first abutting section 16, the second abutting section 17, and the pushing section 18 via respective control drivers 103 to 107. Under the control of the controller 102 in accordance with commands from the control personal computer 101, the operation of each vertical drive mechanism, the adsorption operation of the adsorption unit 21, the rotation operation of the roller 31, and the like are performed. Further, the ink jet head 71 is controlled by the control board 104 and according to the command of the control personal computer 101 to perform ink discharge according to arbitrary image data. Actinic rays are applied according to instructions. The vertical driving mechanism 75 connected to the light shielding plate 74 is also connected to the controller 102 and performs vertical driving under the control of the controller 102 in accordance with commands from the control personal computer 101 via the control driver 109 . Similarly, the X-axis driving means and Y-axis driving means (not shown) are controlled by the controller 102 in accordance with commands from the control personal computer 101 via drivers to drive in the X direction and the Y direction. to implement.

In the following, using the example of the inkjet printing apparatus described with reference to FIG. An operation sequence example will be described.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating an operation example of an inkjet printer using actinic radiation curable ink to which the suction transport device according to the present embodiment is applied. The flowchart of FIG. 8 includes a work receiving operation in flow 81, a work loading operation in flow 82, a work placement operation in flow 83, a work fixing operation in flow 84, a work processing preparation operation in flow 85, a work processing operation in flow 86, and a work processing operation in flow 86. It is configured by the work unloading operation of flow 87 .

First, according to the flow 81, based on the command of the control PC 101, under the control of the controller 102, through the drivers 103 to 107 and 109, the operation of moving the adsorption portion 21 of the adsorption mechanism 14 below the table surface is performed. , the workpiece 76 is retracted so as not to come into contact with the adsorption mechanism 14 at the time of loading, and the roller 31 of the transport mechanism 15, the pin 51 of the first abutment part 16 and the pin 53 of the second abutment part 17, and the pushing part 18 An operation of moving the pin 61 above the surface of the table 11 is carried out, and while the loaded work 76 is placed on the roller 31, the pin 51 of the first abutment section 16 and the second abutment unit 16 move the workpiece 76 thereon. The pin 53 of the portion 17 and the pin 61 of the pushing portion 18 are brought into contact with each other and can be received, and the pushing portion 18 is further moved from one side to the other to secure a space for receiving the workpiece 76. Then, by moving the light shielding plates 74 arranged on the upstream side and the other side in the transport direction below the surface of the table 11, the work 76 is prevented from contacting the light shielding plate 74 when the work 76 is transported. to implement.

Next, according to the flow 82, based on the command of the control PC 101, under the control of the controller 102, through the driver 104, the workpiece 76 is conveyed from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction until it contacts the pin 51 of the first abutting section 16. During this time, the roller 31 of the transport mechanism 15 is rotated to perform a work loading operation for loading the work 76 onto the table 11 . Here, the position of the conveyed work 76 is monitored by, for example, a laser sensor or the like, and immediately before the work 76 contacts the pin 51 of the first abutting portion, the rotation speed of the roller 31 is changed to By making it slower, the impact when the work 76 comes into contact with the pin 51 of the first abutting portion 16 can be mitigated, and damage such as dents can be prevented from occurring in the work 76 .

Next, according to flow 83, based on the command of the control PC 101, under the control of the controller 102, via the drivers 104 and 107, the pin 61 of the pushing portion 18 is moved from the other to the one to move the work 76 to the second position. The work 76 is pushed to the pin 53 of the abutting portion 17 to correct the placement position of the work 76, and the roller 31 of the transport mechanism 15 is moved downward from the surface of the table 11, whereby the work The operation of landing the work 76 on the surface of the table 11 and moving the pin 61 of the pushing portion 18 again from the other to the one to push the work 76 to the second abutting portion A work placement operation for placing the work 76 on the placement area 77 is performed by the second pushing operation for correcting the placement position again.

Here, in the work placement operation of flow 83, by moving the roller 31 of the transport mechanism 15 below the surface of the table 11, the roller 31 is moved when the work 76 is landed on the surface of the table 11. It is effective for improving the positioning accuracy of the work 76 to also perform the operation of rotating from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing how the transfer mechanism on which the work is placed is lowered to land the work 76 on the table. The work 76 came into contact with the pin 51 of the first abutting section 16 downstream in the conveying direction due to the influence of vibration when the work 76 landed on the surface of the table 11 in response to the descent of the rollers 31 of the conveying mechanism 15. It is assumed that the work 76 is placed in a different position due to the separation from the state. Also, when the work 76 is carried in in flow 82 , the work 76 may move from the pin 51 of the first abutting portion 16 in the conveying direction due to factors such as the impact of the work 76 coming into contact with the pin 51 of the first abutting portion 16 . It is also assumed that the work 76 is moved away from the first abutting portion 16 by shifting to the upstream side, and the placement position of the work 76 is shifted. In particular, when a process that requires positional accuracy, such as the inkjet printing process in this embodiment, is performed on the work 76, the positioning accuracy of the mounting position of the work 76 is particularly important. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, by moving the roller 31 of the transport mechanism 15 below the surface of the table 11, the roller 31 is moved from upstream in the transport direction when the work 76 is landed on the surface of the table 11. An operation to rotate downstream is also performed. As a result, while the work 76 is descending, the work 76 is landed on the table 11 in order to take a trajectory downstream in the conveying direction, which is the direction in which the work 76 contacts the pins 51 of the first abutting portion 16. It is possible to prevent the workpiece 76 from being separated from the pin 51 of the first abutting portion 16, and achieve a high degree of positioning accuracy. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9, the operation of rotating the roller 31 can be combined with the configuration of moving the roller 31 up and down along an arc track from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction, which has been described using FIG. , the positioning accuracy of the workpiece 76 can be further improved.

In addition, in the flow 83, the purpose of performing the first pushing action and the second pushing action is as follows. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the state of the work when the work is transported until it contacts the first abutting portion and the state of pushing the work by the pushing portion. In an example in which two pins 53 of the second abutting portion 17 are provided upstream in the conveying direction and downstream in the conveying direction as in the suction conveying device of FIG. When the workpiece 76 is conveyed until it contacts the pin 51 of the portion 16, it is possible that the upstream side of the workpiece 76 in the conveying direction is tilted in one direction as in the example of FIG. 11(a). In such a case, when the pushing portion 18 performs the pushing operation, the workpiece 76 is tilted and pushed, so that the pin 53 of the second abutment portion 17 on the downstream side in the conveying direction first hits the pin 53 . from the pin 53 of the second abutting portion 17 on the downstream side in the conveying direction until it contacts the pin 53 of the second abutting portion 17 on the upstream side in the conveying direction. 11(a). By performing such an operation, when the pushing operation is completed, the work 76 conveyed to the pin 51 of the first abutment portion 16 is moved to the first abutment portion as shown in FIG. 11(b). The pin 51 of the contact portion 16 may be separated. Therefore, the roller 31 of the transport mechanism 15 is moved below the surface of the table 11 to land the work 76 on the surface of the table 11 while making the work 76 follow the trajectory downstream in the transport direction as described above. Previously, the work 76 conveyed in a tilted state by performing the first pushing operation separated from the state in which it was in contact with the pin 51 of the first abutting portion 16 by the first pushing operation. However, when the work 76 is landed on the surface of the table 11, the work 76 can be moved to contact the pin 51 of the first abutting portion 16 again. The deviation of the work 76 that has occurred can be eliminated. After the work 76 has landed on the surface of the table 11, the work 76 can be positioned more reliably by performing the second pushing operation.

Next, according to the flow 84, based on the command of the control PC 101, under the control of the controller 102, the suction part 21 of the suction mechanism 14 is moved above the table surface via the driver 104, and positioning is performed through the operations up to this point. The operation of contacting and sucking the back surface of the work 76 to which the work 76 has been applied and the operation of moving the suction part 21 downward to fix the work 76 to the mounting area 77 of the table 11 in the state of sucking the work 76 are sequentially performed. By doing so, the workpiece fixing operation for fixing the workpiece 76 to the table 11 is performed.

Next, in flow 85, the pin 51 of the first abutting section 16 and the pin 51 of the second abutting section 17 are driven through the drivers 105 to 107 and 109 under the control of the controller 102 based on the command of the control PC 101. 53 and the pin 61 of the pushing portion 18 are moved below the surface of the table 11 to avoid hindrance to the operation of the processing, and the light shielding plates 74 arranged on the upstream side and the other side in the conveying direction are moved to the table. 11, by moving above the surface, a workpiece processing preparatory operation is performed to move to a position suitable for blocking the irradiation of actinic rays. In the operation from flow 81 to flow 85, the light shielding plates 74 on the upstream and downstream sides in the transport direction do not interfere with the loading of the work 76, etc., so they are moved above the surface of the table 11 at the stage of flow 85. If so, it may be moved above the surface of the table 11 before flow 85 or may be moved below as appropriate.

Next, in flow 86, the appropriate processing to be performed on work 76 is performed. In the case of an example of the inkjet printing process using the actinic radiation curable ink in this embodiment, the work 76 placed on the suction transport device 1 and the carriage 73 are driven by the X-axis driving means and the Y-axis driving means. While moving relatively, the control of the control board 110 based on the command of the control PC 101 and the control of the controller 102 via the driver 108 control the ejection of ink by the inkjet head 71 and the actinic ray irradiation by the actinic ray irradiation device 72 An inkjet printing process is implemented by implementing each.

Then, after the processing of the work 76 in flow 86 is completed, in flow 87, based on the command of the control PC 101, under the control of the controller 102, the work 76 is sucked by the suction mechanism 14 via the drivers 103 to 107. An operation to stop, an operation to move the roller 31 of the transport mechanism 15 above the table 11, and a pin 53 of the second abutting portion 17 and a pin 61 of the pushing portion 18 to move above the surface of the table 11. Then, the roller 31 is rotated to carry out the workpiece 76 downstream in the carrying direction.

Through the above process, the work 76 is carried in by the suction transport apparatus according to the present embodiment, the work 76 is sucked and fixed with good placement accuracy, the work 76 is processed, and the work 76 is carried out. I was able to work efficiently.

1 Adsorption and Conveyance Device 11 Table 12 First Opening 13 Second Opening 14 Suction Mechanism 15 Conveyance Mechanism 16 First Abutting Part 17 Second Abutting Part 18 Pushing Part 21 Suction Part 22 Vertical Driving Mechanism 31 Roller 32 Vertical driving mechanism 51 Pin 52 Vertical driving mechanism 53 Pin 54 Vertical driving mechanism 61 Pin 62 Vertical driving mechanism 63 Pushing driving mechanism 71 Inkjet head 72 Actinic ray irradiation device 73 Carriage 74 Light shielding plate 75 Vertical driving mechanism 76 Work 77 Placement region

Claims (10)

a table having a placement area for placing the workpiece;
a first opening arranged in the mounting area;
a second opening arranged in the mounting area;
an adsorption unit including an adsorption unit for adsorbing and fixing the workpiece; and a first moving unit for vertically moving the adsorption unit in the first opening;
a conveying means comprising a roller for conveying the work in the conveying direction and a second moving means for moving the roller up and down in the second opening;
a control means for controlling the operation of the adsorption means and the transport means;
has
The control means is
a work loading operation of transporting the work to the placement area by the roller;
After the work loading operation, a work placing operation of moving the roller below the table surface by the second moving means to place the work on the placing area;
After the work placement operation, the suction part is moved above the table surface by the first moving means to come into contact with the work to suck the work. a work fixing operation of fixing the work to the mounting area by moving the suction part below the table surface;
After stopping the adsorption of the workpiece by the adsorption unit, the roller is moved above the table surface by the second moving means, and the roller carries out the workpiece downstream from the placement area in the transport direction. a work unloading operation;
Adsorption transport device that sequentially performs. The suction transport device further includes a first abutment means for abutting the workpiece, which is disposed on the downstream end side of the placement area in the transport direction, and which vertically moves the first abutment means. a first abutting portion comprising a third moving means for moving;
The control means is
During the work loading operation, the first abutting means is moved above the table surface by the third moving means, and during the work unloading operation, the first abutting means is moved by the third moving means. 2. The suction and transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the is moved below the table surface. The control means is
3. The suction transport device according to claim 2, wherein in said work carrying-in operation, the rotation speed of said roller is reduced before said work comes into contact with said first abutment means. The suction transport device further includes a second abutment means for abutting the work, which is disposed on one end side of the placement area in a direction substantially orthogonal to the transport direction; a second abutting section comprising fourth moving means for vertically moving the abutting means;
The workpiece is brought into contact with the workpiece disposed on the other end side of the placement area in the direction opposite to the one in the direction substantially orthogonal to the conveying direction to move the workpiece from the other to the one to move the workpiece to the first. pushing means for pushing the abutting means of 2; fifth moving means for vertically moving the pushing means; and moving the pushing means in a direction substantially orthogonal to the conveying direction. a pusher comprising a sixth moving means for
has
The control means is
When carrying in the workpiece, the second abutting means and the pushing means are moved above the table surface by the fourth moving means and the pushing means by the fifth moving means. the moving means is further moved from the one to the other by the sixth moving means;
After the work placement operation is completed, the second abutting means and the pushing means are moved below the table surface by the fourth moving means and the pushing means by the fifth moving means, respectively;
2. When carrying out said workpiece unloading operation, said second abutting means is moved above said table surface by said fourth moving means, and said pushing means is moved above said table surface by said fifth moving means. 4. The suction transport device according to any one of claims 3 to 4. The control means is
After the work loading operation and before the work placing operation, the pushing means is moved from the other side to the one side by the sixth moving means to push the work toward the second abutment means. 5. The sucking and conveying device according to claim 4, which performs a work pushing operation. The control means is
6. The sucking and conveying apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising performing said work pushing operation after said work placing operation. The second moving means includes a mechanism for moving the roller from above to below the table surface in an arc trajectory from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction,
The control means is
In the work placement operation, the work is placed in the placement area by moving the roller below the table surface while drawing an arc trajectory from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction by the second moving means. 7. The sucking and conveying device according to claim 1, which performs an operation of placing the object on the substrate. The control means is
8. The suction according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, in said work placing operation, said roller is rotated when said roller is moved below said table surface by said second moving means. Conveyor. 9. The suction part is a suction pad that suctions and fixes the workpiece by applying a negative pressure to the inside of an elastic member formed in an inverted conical shape with a large upper diameter and a small lower diameter. Adsorption conveying device given in any 1 paragraph. A process of causing actinic radiation-curable ink to land on the surface of the workpiece fixed to the mounting area by a recording head, and a process of irradiating actinic radiation to the actinic radiation-curable ink that has landed. a processing means for processing;
The suction transport device further comprises: a first light shielding plate arranged on the upstream side in the transport direction in the outer peripheral area of the mounting area for inhibiting irradiation of the actinic light; and the first light shielding plate. a first light shielding part comprising a seventh moving means for moving up and down;
A second light shielding plate disposed on the downstream side in the conveying direction for inhibiting irradiation of the actinic ray, and an eighth moving means for vertically moving the second light shielding plate. and a light shielding part of
has
The control means is
During the work loading operation, the first light shielding plate is moved below the table surface by the seventh moving means,
10. The suction transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein said second light shielding plate is moved below said table surface by said eighth moving means during said work unloading operation.

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