JP2023071315A - Work-piece alignment conveyance device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a work-piece alignment conveyance device capable of: stably conveying even a work-piece that cannot stand on its own or is unstable while controlling its attitude; reducing the number of the processing steps and the number of conveyances from receiving to sending out the work-piece; and also reducing the risk of handling error.SOLUTION: A conveyance jig 21 has a pair of work-piece storage bodies 23 that can be freely opened and closed in a hinge stage, a storage part 24 is formed in each work-piece storage body 23, a jig-side opening/closing mechanism 31 is provided for switching between an open state in which the work-piece storage part 24 is directed upward and a closed state opposed, a conveyance path of a conveyance part 11 is provided with a standing position changing conveyance part 11c that changes an inverted state to an upright state when guiding the work-piece from a receiving position RP to a carry-out position COP, the conveyance part 11 is provided with a conveyance part-side opening/closing mechanism 51 that switches between the open and closed states of the work-piece storage body 23 depending on an engagement state with the jig-side opening/closing mechanism 31 at the receiving position RP and the carry-out position COP.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a work aligning and conveying apparatus for aligning a work supplied from a previous process in a predetermined posture and conveying the work toward the next process, and more particularly to a work aligning and conveying apparatus suitable for aligning and conveying trigger caps.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a cap provided with a trigger pump type discharge mechanism (hereinafter referred to as a trigger cap) has been attached to a bottle container filled with a household detergent or the like for commercialization.

The trigger cap consists of a cap body that is tightened around the mouth of the bottle container, a pump part that is horizontally and rotatably attached to the cap body, a nozzle that is attached to the discharge side of the pump part, and the pump. It is composed of a cap part having a trigger part which is linked and hooked with a finger, and a suction tube attached so as to hang down from the cap part to the liquid suction side of the pump part.

The trigger cap is rigid enough to resist deformation during transportation, but the suction tube is a flexible, non-rigid portion that is easily deformed during transportation, and is suspended from the cap. Therefore, it is necessary to devise a method for aligning and conveying the trigger cap to the assembly process for the bottle container in a predetermined posture while avoiding damage such as deformation of the suction tube. A transportation method and an apparatus therefor have been proposed (see Patent Document 1).

For example, when transporting the above-mentioned trigger caps to the subsequent cap tightening process, there are a process of cutting off the individual trigger caps, an inverted reversal process of aligning the suction tubes with the suction tubes facing upward, and a direction of the nozzle. A separate device is installed for each process, such as the process of arranging in one direction, the process of reversing the upright position in which the suction tubes are aligned downward, and the process of conveying the upright trigger cap to the tightening process, While transferring the trigger caps between the devices, the caps are also aligned in a certain direction and conveyed.

The device for aligning the direction of the caps of Patent Document 2 travels in the same direction along the conveying path of the work, is arranged so as to sandwich the shaft of the work from both sides, rotates the shaft at different traveling speeds, and moves the work. and a regulating member that extends along the conveying path and locks the main body of the work rotated by the actuating belt to regulate the rotation of the work and align it. The cap body of the trigger cap carried in upside down is placed on the conveyor belt, the direction of the trigger cap is aligned in one direction, and the upside down state is conveyed to the next process.

The work aligning and feeding device of Patent Document 3 performs a first process of attitude change and a second process of attitude change on a trigger cap conveyed while transferring between first to third conveyer sections. While using , it is sent to the next process in a desired posture.

JP-A-2002-211740 JP-A-11-139543 JP 2017-88362 A

However, the apparatus described in Patent Document 2 is based on the premise that the workpiece can take an inverted posture first, and cannot cope with a workpiece that does not stand on its own in an inverted posture. In addition, means for preventing the self-supporting work from falling down is also required.

In the apparatus of Patent Document 3, it is essential to transfer the work while changing the posture of the work, but it goes without saying that it is desirable to reduce the number of times from the viewpoint of suppressing the occurrence of transfer errors. do not have.

Also, if the pick-and-place device, which is used as a posture change processing device, is required to make complicated judgments and actions for the robot that performs the pick-and-place, the cost will naturally increase according to the processing capacity, and the cost of each robot will increase. There is also a risk that the entire system will be enlarged due to the need to secure installation space and operation space.

Further, the working process in which the works supplied from the previous process are aligned in a predetermined posture and conveyed toward the next process is not limited to the case where the works are trigger caps.

The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and it is possible to stably convey even a work that cannot stand on its own or is unstable while performing posture control. To provide a workpiece aligning and conveying device capable of conveying individual workpieces to the next process while reducing the risk of handling errors by reducing the number of processes from receiving to sending out workpieces and the number of times of delivery of workpieces. aim.

In order to achieve the above object, the work aligning and conveying apparatus of the present invention orients a plurality of works in a predetermined direction, aligns them in an upright posture, and continuously delivers them to the next process. An apparatus comprising: a conveying jig configured to hold and convey works one by one; Each work container is hinged and can be opened and closed with a pivot shaft, and each work container is formed with a work container for accommodating the overturned work, with the upper side of the work container approaching the pivot shaft when unloading. and an open state in which the work accommodating portion is directed upward so that a work can be accommodated in either one of the two work accommodating portions formed in a pair of work accommodating bodies, and an open state in which the work accommodating portion is directed upward. It is equipped with a jig-side opening/closing mechanism that switches between a closed state and a closed state in which a work can be gripped by a pair of opposed work containers. An upper transfer part provided with a receiving position for receiving a work in one of the work containers of the transfer jig, and a lower part provided with an unloading position where the transfer surface is oriented downward and the work is released in a posture to send it out to the next process. a conveying section, a standing position changing conveying section that connects one end of the upper conveying section and the lower conveying section and changes the posture of the work from an inverted state to an upright state when guiding the work from the receiving position to the unloading position; It is composed of a return conveying section that connects the conveying section and the other end of the upper conveying section. It is characterized in that a conveying section side opening/closing mechanism for switching between a state and a closed state is provided.

According to the work aligning and conveying apparatus having such a configuration, the conveying jigs are circulated on the conveying path, and at the receiving position on the path, the pair of conveying jigs in the open state accommodates the work. A workpiece is mechanically or manually accommodated in either one of two workpiece accommodating portions formed in the body, and thereafter, the pair of workpiece accommodating bodies are hinged with a rotating shaft while the upper conveying portion is running. After closing, the work is clipped in an inverted state, the work is erected through the position change transfer section, the work is transferred to the unloading position in the lower conveying section, and the work is erected at the unloading position by opening the pair of work containers. state can be opened. As described above, according to the present invention, even if a work cannot stand on its own or is unstable, it can be stably conveyed by clipping it to a pair of work containers while controlling the attitude of upside down and standing. becomes possible.

In addition, the work accommodating section is arranged on a shaft vertically provided on the conveying surface of the conveying section, and the shaft is provided with a jig side direction changing mechanism. and a conveying section side direction changing mechanism that rotates the work accommodating section.

Specifically, the conveying path from the receiving position to the unloading position of the conveying section is provided with a work accommodating section that rotates around the axis to change the orientation of the work to a desired direction for conveying to the next process. Further, a receiving direction changing mechanism for rotating the work accommodating portion around the axis to return to the direction for receiving the next work is provided on the path from the carrying out position to the receiving position. A mechanism is provided.

According to the workpiece aligning and conveying device having such a configuration, it is possible to align not only the inverted/upright position of the workpiece, but also the unloading direction toward a fixed direction (posture control), and unload the workpiece to the post-process. Become. Further, according to the present invention, since the posture control of the work can be executed without transferring the work between devices, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of handling errors.

The pair of work containers is characterized in that the molds can be changed according to the shape of the work to be conveyed.

According to the work aligning and conveying device having such a configuration, it is possible to carry out various kinds of works while performing attitude control.

Further, at the receiving position, a detecting means for detecting the posture of the workpieces supplied for alignment and conveyance, and two workpiece accommodating bodies formed in a pair of workpiece accommodating bodies for holding the workpieces based on the detection result of the detecting means. A pick-up robot is arranged in one of the parts so that the side of the work that is to be placed at the top when unloading the work is brought close to the rotation shaft.

According to the workpiece aligning and conveying apparatus having such a configuration, even if there are many workpieces that are put in a box or the like at random, the pickup robot can pick up the workpieces based on the detection result of the detecting means. , by aligning the direction of the picked-up work with one of the two work accommodating portions formed in the pair of work accommodating bodies, the work can be easily carried out to the post-process. It becomes possible to serve for control.

Alternatively, a workpiece supply conveyor is disposed at the receiving position, the detection means detects the posture of the workpiece supplied on the supply conveyor in a sideways state, and the pick-up robot detects the detection result of the detection means. Based on this, the held workpiece is rotated in a horizontal plane so that one of the two workpiece accommodating portions formed in the pair of workpiece accommodating bodies is positioned so that the upper side when the workpiece is unloaded is brought close to the rotating shaft. It is characterized by housing.

According to the work aligning and conveying apparatus having such a configuration, the work to be subjected to the attitude control for carrying out to the post-process is in a state of being overturned on the supply conveyor in advance. When the robot picks up a workpiece and aligns the orientation of the picked-up workpiece with one of the two workpiece storage sections formed in the pair of workpiece storage bodies, the pickup robot operates to pick up the workpiece. Since only the movement from the pick-up position to the receiving position and the rotational movement in the horizontal plane during the movement are performed, the pick-up robot can be relatively inexpensive and can perform a small number of movements. It is possible to use it for attitude control of unloading.

The work includes a cap body to be tightened around the mouth of the bottle container, a pump section horizontally and rotatably attached to the cap body, a nozzle attached to the discharge side of the pump section, The trigger cap is characterized by having a cap part having a trigger part that is linked to a pump and hooked with a finger, and a suction tube attached so as to hang down from the cap part to the liquid suction side of the pump part. and

Further, at the carry-out position, there is provided a carry-out means that directs the trigger part to one side in the carrying direction, receives the trigger cap in a posture in which the suction tube is suspended from the pump part, aligns them, and sends them to the next process. It is characterized by being

According to the work aligning and conveying device having such a configuration, even a trigger cap that cannot stand on its own can be stably conveyed to the next process while controlling its attitude.

As described above, according to the work aligning and conveying apparatus of the present invention, even works that cannot stand on their own or are unstable can be stably conveyed to the next process while being arranged in a desired posture. It is possible to reduce the number of processes from receiving to sending out the work for control and the number of transfer times of the work, and to reduce the risk of handling errors while transferring each work to the next process.

FIG. 1 is an overall block diagram of one embodiment of a work aligning and conveying device of the present invention; Explanatory drawing of the configuration of the transfer jig in the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of the transport jig in the present embodiment, where (A) shows a state in which the pair of work containers are opened, and (B) shows a state in which the pair of work containers is closed. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of the principal part of the direction changing mechanism in this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a configuration explanatory diagram of the swinging portion of the direction changing mechanism according to the present embodiment, where (A) shows the angle regulating means and (B) shows the swinging means; Explanatory diagram 1 of the main configuration and the operation of the work aligning and conveying device of the present embodiment Explanatory diagram 2 of the main configuration and operation of the work aligning and conveying device of the present embodiment Explanatory diagram 3 of the main configuration and operation of the work aligning and conveying device of the present embodiment

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. FIG.
A work aligning and conveying apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is configured as a whole as shown in FIG. It is a device for aligning and feeding one by one toward the next process in a posture (upright posture) in which the suction tubes 5 are directed to one side and suspended from the pump portion (not shown) of the cap portion 3 . be.

The work aligning and conveying apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes a conveying section 11 forming an endless circulation path. The conveying unit 11 includes a driving-side chain wheel 12a and a driven-side chain wheel 12b, which are provided as a driving unit, with their respective rotation axes (rotation centers) horizontal and parallel, and a leg portion 14 erected on a base 13. are spaced apart from the body frame 15 supported by the body frame 15. Between the pair of chain wheels 12a and 12b is a linear upper transport section 11a provided with a receiving position RP where the roller chain 16 directs the transport surface upward and receives the trigger cap 2 to be aligned and transported. A linear lower conveying portion 11b is provided with a carry-out position COP for opening the trigger cap 2 in a posture of sending the trigger cap 2 to the next process, and an upper portion. It is composed of an arcuate standing position changing conveying portion 11c that connects one end of the conveying portion 11a and the lower conveying portion 11b, and an arcuate return conveying portion 11d that connects the other end of the lower conveying portion 11b and the upper conveying portion 11a. It is suspended so as to circulate on the conveying route.

Here, the roller chain 16 is a single body in which a plate-like main body 16a formed in a planar shape and a chain portion 16b that meshes with tooth portions (not shown) formed on the outer periphery of a pair of chain wheels 12 are integrally formed. The belt member 16c is connected with a joint pin (not shown) to form an endless belt member 16c. In this embodiment, a plurality of conveying jigs 21 configured to hold and convey the trigger caps 2 one by one are arranged on the plate-like body 16a at equal intervals along the conveying path. . 6 and 7, the illustration of the plate-like main body 16a on which the conveying jig 21 is mounted is partially omitted.

The conveying jig 21 has a pair of work containers 23 that are arranged in a hinged manner so as to be openable and closable with a rotating shaft 22. Each work container 23 has an upper position when the overturned trigger cap 2 is carried out. A recessed work accommodating portion 24 that accommodates the cap portion 3 close to the rotating shaft 22 is formed so as to be axially symmetrical with respect to the rotating shaft 22 . Note that the work container 23 can be used by changing the type of the work container 23 to one in which the work container 24 having an appropriate shape is formed according to the type and shape of the works to be aligned and conveyed.

In addition, the conveying jig 21 has two work accommodating portions 24 formed in a pair of work accommodating bodies 23 so that the cap portion 3 of the trigger cap 2 can be accommodated in either one of the work accommodating portions 24 . A jig-side opening/closing mechanism 31 for switching between an open state directed upward and a closed state in which the trigger cap 2 can be clipped and gripped by a pair of work containers 23 facing each other. I have.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the conveying jig 21 has a rod shaft 32 which penetrates the plate-shaped main body 16a of the roller chain 16 and is rotatably vertically provided from the conveying surface using a ball bearing or the like. At the distal end of the rod shaft 32, a container unit 25 in which a pair of workpiece containers 23 are assembled in a hinged manner with a rotating shaft 22 so as to be openable and closable is attached to the longitudinal direction of the rotating shaft 22. It is connected so as to support the direction central part.

The pair of work containers 23 are configured to swing about the rotary shaft 22 and switch between open and closed states by engaging the jig-side opening/closing mechanism 31 with the transfer unit-side opening/closing mechanism 51, which will be described later.

That is, in the present embodiment, the jig-side opening/closing mechanism 31 has roller followers 33 formed at symmetrical positions on the outer circumference thereof to engage with the conveying unit-side opening/closing mechanism 51 , and an elevating holder that can be raised and lowered along the rod shaft 32 . 34. A shaft hole portion 35 is formed in the center of the elevation holder 34 . The shaft hole portion 35 is formed in two stages, a first hole portion 35a having a smaller diameter and a second hole portion 35b having a larger diameter. , the rod shaft 32 is inserted. A tubular base portion 36a of the link holder 36 is inserted into the second hole portion 35b so as to be slidable and rotatable between the rod shaft 32 and the lifting holder 34. As shown in FIG.

The link holder 36 is connected to the upper end edge of a tubular base portion 36a into which the rod shaft 32 is inserted. have. The link connecting portions 36b are provided at two locations facing each other across the rod shaft 32. One end of the link bar 37 is connected to each link connecting portion 36b by a shaft member 38, and the other end of the link bar 37 is , and the link connecting portions 26 formed in the corresponding workpiece containers 23 and the shaft members 38 . In this embodiment, the link connecting portion 26 of the work container 24 is formed on the surface forming the front and back of the work container 24 of the pair of work containers 23 .

The lift holder 34 is formed with a cylindrical coil receiving portion 39 protruding downward so as to surround the rod shaft 32, and protrudes so as to surround the rod shaft 32 from the upper surface of the plate-like main body 16a. A coil spring 41 is interposed between it and the cylindrical coil receiving portion 40 .

When the coil spring 41 is contracted and the elevating holder 34 slides on the rod shaft 32 together with the link holder 36 and is positioned at the low position, as shown in FIG. , the pair of work containers 23 are connected to each other by a link mechanism consisting of the link connecting portion 36b of the link holder 36, the link bar 37, the link connecting portion 26 of each work container 23, and the shaft member 38 connecting them. With the rotating shaft 22, the work accommodating portion 24 is opened to face upward.

In addition, when the coil spring 41 expands and the elevating holder 34 slides on the rod shaft together with the link holder 36 and is pushed to a high position, as shown in FIG. The distance between them is shortened, and the pair of work containers 23 are brought into a closed state in which the work containing portions 24 are opposed to each other with the rotation shafts 22 by the link mechanism.

The transport unit 11 is provided with a transport unit-side opening/closing mechanism 51 that switches the opening/closing state of the pair of work containers 23 according to the engagement state with the jig-side opening/closing mechanism 31 at the receiving position RP and the unloading position COP. It is

In this embodiment, the opening/closing mechanism 51 on the conveying section side is specifically designed to move from the unloading position COP of the conveying path through the return conveying section 11d to the standing position changing conveying section 11c on the downstream side of the receiving position RP. A rail portion 53 is formed as a rail portion 53 that extends from the body frame 15 toward the conveying surface side and is supported by the stay 52 along the conveying route having a track shape in cross section along the route extending substantially half the circumference.

An intermediate portion of the rail portion 53 is engaged with the roller follower 33 of the jig-side opening/closing mechanism 31 to hold the lifting holder 34 at a fixed position, thereby opening the pair of work containers 23 of the conveying jig 21. placed in a height position. The open end of the rail portion 53 on the receiving position RP side is inclined in a direction away from the conveying surface so that the engagement position of the jig-side opening/closing mechanism 31 with the roller follower 33 is gradually moved to a higher position of the rod shaft 32. , and is formed so that the jig side opening/closing mechanism 31 is disengaged from the roller follower 33 at the height position where the work container 23 is in the closed state. Conversely, the open end portion of the rail portion 53 on the carry-out position COP side is inclined in the direction of approaching the conveying surface, and the engagement position with the roller follower 33 of the jig-side opening/closing mechanism 31 gradually shifts to the position of the rod shaft 32 . It is formed so as to be formed in a low position.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, in order to control the orientation of the nozzle 4 in a certain direction, the rod shaft 32 vertically provided with respect to the conveying surface is rotated, and the container unit is rotated together with the link holder 36 and the link mechanism. 25, a direction changing mechanism 61 for rotating the work accommodating portion 24 is provided. In this embodiment, the rod shaft 32 is provided with a jig-side direction changing mechanism 61a, and the conveying portion 11 engages with the jig-side direction changing mechanism 61a to rotate the work accommodating portion 24 together with the rod shaft 32. A transport section side direction changing mechanism 61b is provided.

More specifically, the jig-side direction changing mechanism 61a moves horizontally from the side surface of an annular member 65 fitted to the lower end of the rod shaft 32 on the back side of the plate-like main body 16a on which the rod shaft 32 is vertically provided. a lever 62 extending in a direction and connected thereto; a pusher 63 disposed on the rod shaft 32 to regulate the rotation angle; It is composed of a stopper 64 that restricts the rotation angle by contacting the rotating pusher 63 at a predetermined angle.

Then, as the transport section side direction changing mechanism 61b, the orientation of the trigger cap 2 in the transport path from the receiving position RP to the unloading position COP of the transport section 11 can be changed to a desired direction for transporting to the next process. A roller member as the receiving direction changing mechanism 61ba, and a roller as the receiving direction changing mechanism 61bb that returns the trigger cap 2 to the direction for receiving it to either one of the pair of work containers 23 on the path from the unloading position to the receiving position. A member is provided.

In the present embodiment, the direction changing mechanism 61 changes the direction of the container unit 25 in two directions: one along the transport direction of the transport unit 11 (when receiving) and another direction orthogonal to the transport direction (when unloading). , the change angle is set to 90° for each change.

In this embodiment, a coil spring 66 is arranged between the pusher 63 and the annular member 65 by inserting the rod shaft 32 therebetween. It is configured to press a friction plate 68 interposed between it and a base 67 formed on the rear surface to hold the rotation angle for direction change.

Further, in the present embodiment, a supply conveyor 71 is provided at the receiving position RP for the trigger cap 2 to transport the trigger cap 2 in a sideways state to the receiving position RP. Further, on a pedestal 72 adjacent to the supply conveyor 71, an imaging camera (not shown) as detection means (not shown) for detecting the attitude of the trigger cap 2 supplied on the supply conveyor 71 in a sideways state is mounted. , a base 74 having a suction pad (not shown) for sucking and holding the trigger cap 2 placed on the supply conveyor 71, and a state in which the suction pad is brought into contact with the smooth surface of the cap portion 3 of the trigger cap 2. A pick-up robot 76 equipped with a vacuum (not shown) for turning on/off the adsorption by means of a vacuum (not shown), a base 74 that can move up and down, left and right, and an arm 75 that supports horizontal rotation is arranged and controlled. A device (not shown) is configured to drive and control based on the data received from the imaging camera and the timing at which the conveying jig 21 reaches the receiving position RP.

A detection means such as an imaging camera for detecting the state of the pair of workpiece containers 23 of the transfer jig 21 at the receiving position RP is provided, and the drive control of the pick-up robot is performed in consideration of the data from the detection means. It may be done. The timing at which the conveying jig 21 reaches the receiving position RP may be determined by detecting the conveying jig 21 with a camera or a sensor as a detecting means arranged on the conveying path.

In addition, at the transport-out position COP of the trigger cap 2, the trigger cap 2 in an upright posture with the nozzle 4 of the cap portion 3 directed to one side in the transport direction and the suction tube 5 suspended from the pump portion is received. A carrying-out means 81 for aligning and sending to the next process is provided.

In the present embodiment, the carrying-out means 81 extend in the carrying direction of the lower carrying portion 11b below the carry-out position COP and are arranged to face each other, and the suction tube 5 hanging down from the cap portion 3 is placed in the opposing gap. Two elongated support walls 82 are provided for receiving the lower surface of the cap portion 3 of the trigger cap 2 opened at the unloading position COP while passing through, on both the nozzle 4 side and the trigger portion side.

Here, the two support walls 82 need to have a mechanism for feeding the opened trigger cap 2 under controlled posture to the next process. By driving this belt conveyor, the trigger cap 2 can be conveyed in the same direction as the lower conveying portion 11b. The trigger caps 2 may be placed in such a manner that they are arranged in a vertical direction, and the posture of the opened trigger caps 2 may be controlled so that they slide down one by one under their own weight.

Next, the operation of the work aligning and conveying device 1 of this embodiment will be described. 6 to 8 are for explaining in detail the orientation of the container unit and the open/closed state of the pair of workpiece containers, and a part of the structure of the transport jig is omitted. showing. Moreover, illustration of the rail portion is also omitted in FIG.

When the trigger cap 2 to be transported is placed on the supply conveyor 71 in a sideways state and supplied to the receiving position RP, the pick-up robot 76 is operated based on the data regarding the position and orientation of the trigger cap 2 detected by the imaging camera. drive.

That is, the pickup robot 76 tracks the trigger cap 2 placed on the supply conveyor and transported toward the receiving position RP with the image capturing camera, and turns ON the vacuum connected to the suction pad of the base to trigger the trigger cap 2 . The cap 2 is sucked and held. Subsequently, in accordance with the timing when the conveying jig 21 travels along the conveying path of the conveying unit 11 and reaches the receiving position RP, the two workpiece containers formed in the pair of work containers 23 of the conveying jig 21 in the open state are moved. The suctioned trigger cap 2 is accommodated in one of the work accommodating portions 24 while being rotated in the horizontal direction, and then the vacuum is turned off to release the trigger cap 2.例文帳に追加After the trigger cap 2 is placed on the predetermined workpiece storage section 24 , the pickup robot 76 makes preparations for transporting the next trigger cap 2 . In this embodiment, the pick-up robot 76 can place the trigger cap 2 on the workpiece holder only by moving up, down, left and right, and rotating in the horizontal direction, so that work efficiency can be improved. I can expect it.

In this embodiment, the pair of work containers 23 of the transport jig 21 are driven by the drive unit of the transport unit 11 so that the rotating shafts 22 are moved along the transport direction of the transport path as indicated by the arrow A in FIG. The upper part of the roller follower 33 is slidably contacted with the lower surface of the intermediate part of the rail part 53 of the transfer part side opening/closing mechanism 51, and the pair of work containers 23 of the transfer jig 21 is lifted to the low position in the open state. The holder 34 is held, and the pair of workpiece containers 23 are opened to reach the receiving position RP.

Therefore, the pickup robot 76 selects one of the pair of workpiece containers 23 that can be placed by rotating the attracted trigger cap 2 in the horizontal direction, and moves the base 74 vertically and horizontally. , and the cap portion 3 of the trigger cap 2 is placed. Arrows B and C in FIG. 6 show a state in which the suction tubes 5 are extended in different directions on both sides in the transport direction, and the trigger cap 2 is placed.

Subsequently, while the upper transport section 11a is running, the pair of workpiece containers 23 are hingedly closed by the pivot shaft 22, and the trigger cap 2 is clipped in an inverted state, as indicated by arrow D in FIG.

At this time, in the present embodiment, as indicated by an arrow D in FIG. At the end, the compression of the coil spring 41 is released and extended to hold the lifting holder 34 at a high position where the pair of work containers 23 of the conveying jig 21 are closed. As a result, the distance between the container unit 25 and the elevating holder 34 is shortened, and the pair of workpiece containers 23 are closed by the link mechanism so that the workpiece containers 24 face each other in a hinged manner with the pivot shafts 22 . state.

As a result, even if the suction tube 5 is placed on the work container 23 with the suction tube 5 extending in different directions as indicated by arrows B and C, the cap body can be oriented in the same direction as the shaft member. In other words, the nozzle 4 is positioned forward (or rearward depending on the shape of the container) in the conveying direction, and the inverted posture is taken.

In the present embodiment, the trigger cap 2 in the inverted posture is further reversed by 90°, and the nozzle 4 is positioned on one side in the transport direction at the unloading position COP. That is, the lever 62 provided at the lower end of the rod shaft 32 of the traveling conveying jig 21 is moved to the conveying direction changing mechanism 61ba disposed on the conveying path from the receiving position RP of the conveying unit 11 to the conveying position COP. The pusher 63 and the stopper 64 restrict the rotation angle to 90° when the rod shaft 32 and the rod shaft 32 are brought into contact with each other, and the trigger cap 2 is rotated in the direction for conveying to the next process.

6 and 7, the trigger cap 2 is positioned on one side of the nozzle 4 in the conveying direction, and the cap portion 3 extends in the width direction of the conveying path. state can be

Furthermore, the pair of work containers 23 that are clipped with the trigger cap 2 inverted are formed in an arc-shaped standing position that connects one end of the upper conveying portion 11a and the lower conveying portion 11b by driving the driving portion of the conveying portion 11. It passes through the change conveying section 11c and reaches the lower conveying section 11b. As indicated by arrows F and G in FIG. 7, the posture is changed to the upright posture by passing through the standing position changing transport section 11c.

In this state, the pair of work containers 23 of the conveying jig 21 are driven by the driving section of the conveying section 11 to travel on the lower conveying section 11b and reach the unloading position COP. At the carry-out position COP, the pair of work containers 23 contact the open end of the rail portion 53 on the carry-out position COP side with the roller follower, as indicated by the arrow H in FIG. By sliding contact, the coil spring 41 is gradually compressed while traveling. As a result, the distance between the container unit 25 and the lift holder 34 is increased, and the pair of workpiece containers 23 are opened with the pivot shafts 22 by the link mechanism.

As a result, the grip of the trigger caps 2 of the pair of work containers 23 is released at the unloading position COP. The two long support walls 82 of the carry-out means receive the lower surface of the container unit 25 and the lower surface of the cap portion 3 at positions on both sides of the suction tube 5, and the suction tube 5 hanging down from the cap portion 3 is held in the opposing gap. , the nozzle 4 of the cap portion 3 is oriented to one side in the conveying direction, and the trigger cap 2 in an upright posture with the suction tube 5 suspended from the pump portion is received and aligned for the next step. send to

At the unloading position COP, the nozzle 4 of the trigger cap 2 is oriented in a predetermined direction, and the conveying jig 21 transferred to the conveying means in an upright posture is further arranged on a route from the unloading position COP to the receiving position RP. The received direction changing mechanism 61bb and the lever 62 are brought into sliding contact with each other to rotate the work accommodating portion 24 together with the rod shaft 32 and return it to the direction for receiving the next trigger cap 2 . Then, by further driving the drive unit of the transport unit 11, the sheet passes through the transport path consisting of the arcuate return transport unit 11d connecting the other end of the lower transport unit 11b and the upper transport unit 11a, and returns to the receiving position RP. On the other hand, it is supplied to the transport of the trigger cap 2.

As described above, according to the work aligning and conveying apparatus of the present embodiment, even works that cannot stand on their own or are unstable can be stably conveyed to the next process while being arranged in a desired posture. Moreover, the work can be received and delivered for posture control without using individual devices for each process, and can be performed with a single clip, reducing the risk of handling errors.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made as long as the features of the present invention are not impaired. Needless to say, the work is not limited to the trigger cap. In the present invention, the concept of inverted/upright is defined as an upright posture at the carry-out position COP and an upside-down posture. That is, in the present invention, when the work is carried out with the bottom portion facing upward, the posture is the upright posture, and the posture with the upper surface (upper portion) of the work itself facing upward is the inverted posture.

Further, as for the carrying-out means, an appropriate carrying-out means may be arranged according to the shape of the workpiece and the work contents in the next process, and the structure of the carrying-out means is not limited to that of the present embodiment.

The conveying section is not limited to a chain conveyor.

1 Work Aligning and Conveying Device 2 Trigger Cap 3 Cap Part 4 Nozzle 5 Suction Tube 11 Conveying Section 11a Upper Conveying Section 11b Lower Conveying Section 11c Standing Position Changing Conveying Section 11d Return Conveying Section 12 Chain Wheel 13 Base 14 Leg 15 Body Frame 16 Roller chain 16a Plate-shaped main body 16b Chain portion 16c Belt member 21 Transfer jig 22 Rotating shaft 23 Work container 24 Work container 25 Container unit 26 Link connecting portion 31 Jig-side opening/closing mechanism 32 Rod shaft 33 Roller follower 34 Elevation Holder 35 Shaft hole portion 35a First hole portion 35b Second hole portion 36 Link holder 36a Tubular base portion 36b Link connecting portion 37 Link bar 38 Shaft member 39 Coil receiving portion 40 Coil receiving portion 41 Coil spring 51 Conveyor side opening/closing mechanism 52 Stay 53 Rail portion 61 Direction changing mechanism 61a Jig side direction changing mechanism 61b Conveying portion side direction changing mechanism 61ba Unloading direction changing mechanism 61bb Receiving direction changing mechanism 62 Lever 63 Pusher 64 Stopper 65 Annular member 66 Coil spring 67 Base 68 Friction plate 71 supply conveyor 72 mount 74 base 75 arm 76 pickup robot 81 carry-out means 82 bearing wall portion RP receiving position COP carry-out position

Claims (8)

A workpiece aligning and conveying device that orients a plurality of workpieces in a predetermined direction, aligns them in an upright posture, and continuously delivers them to the next process,
a conveying jig configured to hold and convey works one by one;
a conveying unit having a conveying path for circulating a plurality of conveying jigs,
The conveying jig is
A pair of work containers can be freely opened and closed with a hinged rotation shaft, and each work container has a work container for accommodating the overturned work with the upper side of the work container approaching the rotation shaft when unloading. is formed and
An open state in which the work accommodating portion is directed upward so that a work can be accommodated in either one of two work accommodating portions formed in a pair of work accommodating bodies, and a pair of work accommodating portions in which the work accommodating portions face each other. Equipped with a jig-side opening/closing mechanism that switches between a closed state in which the workpiece can be gripped by the workpiece container,
The transport path of the transport section is
an upper conveying unit having a conveying surface directed upward and having a receiving position for receiving a work in one of the work containers of the open conveying jig;
a lower conveying section provided with a carry-out position that directs the conveying surface downward and releases the work in a posture that sends the work to the next process;
a standing position change conveying unit that connects one end of the upper conveying unit and the lower conveying unit and changes the posture of the work from an inverted state to an upright state when guiding the work from the receiving position to the unloading position;
Consists of a return conveying section that connects the other end of the lower conveying section and the upper conveying section,
The conveying unit is provided with a conveying unit-side opening/closing mechanism that switches between an open state and a closed state of the work container according to an engagement state with the jig-side opening/closing mechanism at the receiving position and the unloading position. Work aligning and conveying device. The work accommodating section is arranged on a shaft vertically provided on the conveying surface of the conveying section, the shaft is provided with a jig side direction changing mechanism, and the conveying section is engaged with the jig side direction changing mechanism. 2. The work aligning and conveying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a conveying section side direction changing mechanism for rotating the work accommodating section. As the conveying section side direction changing mechanism, the conveying path from the receiving position to the unloading position of the conveying section rotates the work accommodating section around the axis to change the orientation of the work to the desired direction for conveying to the next process. Further, the path from the carry-out position to the receiving position is provided with a mechanism for changing the direction of carrying-out, which rotates the work container around the axis to return it to the direction for receiving the next work. 3. The work aligning and conveying apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a receiving direction changing mechanism. 4. The work aligning and conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pair of work containers are changeable according to the shape of the work to be conveyed. At the receiving position, there are detecting means for detecting the orientation of the workpieces supplied for alignment and conveyance, and two workpiece accommodating portions formed in a pair of workpiece accommodating bodies for holding the workpieces based on the detection result of the detecting means. 5. A pick-up robot is disposed on one of the robots, the pick-up robot accommodating the workpiece with the side, which is the upper side when the workpiece is unloaded, close to the rotation shaft. Work aligning and conveying device according to . A workpiece supply conveyor is disposed at the receiving position, the detection means detects the posture of the workpiece supplied on the supply conveyor in a sideways state, and the pick-up robot detects the workpiece based on the detection result of the detection means. The held work is rotated in a horizontal plane and stored in either one of two work storage portions formed in a pair of work storage bodies, with the side which is the upper side when the work is unloaded is brought close to the rotating shaft. The work aligning and conveying device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The work includes a cap body to be tightened around the mouth of the bottle container, a pump portion horizontally and rotatably attached to the cap body, a nozzle attached to the discharge side of the pump portion, and the pump. The trigger cap is characterized by having a cap portion having a trigger portion which is linked and hooked with a finger, and a suction tube attached so as to hang down from the cap portion to the liquid suction side of the pump portion. The work aligning and conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. At the carrying-out position, a carrying-out means is provided in which the nozzle is oriented to one side in the carrying direction, and the trigger cap is received in a posture in which the suction tube is suspended from the pump, aligned, and sent to the next process. The work aligning and conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that:

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