JP2615154B2 - Paint gun cleaning equipment - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a coating gun cleaning apparatus, and more particularly to a coating gun cleaning apparatus suitable for cleaning a coating gun mounted on a coating robot.

2. Description of the Related Art In a painting process in which a painting gun is applied to a work using a painting robot mounted on a movable portion such as an arm tip, the color of the paint may be changed during a painting operation. After the paint is sprayed from the paint gun, the painting operation may be performed using the red paint. When the color of the paint is changed in this manner, the paint gun is inserted into the paint gun cleaning device before the next paint is used, and remains in the paint supply pipe for feeding the paint to the paint gun and the paint gun. A cleaning step of purging the previous paint with a cleaning liquid such as a thinner and cleaning the previous paint adhered to the outer periphery of the coating gun is performed.

As a conventional coating gun cleaning device, for example, a cleaning container for collecting a cleaning liquid that purges the inside of the coating gun is fixed to a floor or the like, and a cleaning nozzle for cleaning the outer periphery of the coating gun is provided in the cleaning container. There is.

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION In the conventional coating gun cleaning apparatus, since the cleaning container is fixed as described above, the insertion direction and the pull-out direction of the coating gun with respect to the cleaning container are determined in one direction. Therefore, the painting robot not only moves the movable part having the painting gun to the place where the cleaning device is installed, but also inserts the painting gun into the cleaning container according to the direction of the cleaning container, and performs the cleaning operation. A withdrawal operation must be performed to remove the post-paint gun from the cleaning container. Therefore, when the conventional cleaning device is used, the painting robot needs to perform the complicated operation as described above, and the existing teaching data does not allow the movable portion such as the arm or the support column to perform the insertion operation and the extraction operation. Therefore, there is a problem that a teaching correction operation is required again, and a great deal of labor is required. Furthermore, in the above-mentioned cleaning process, since the inserting operation and the pulling-out operation of the painting robot are required, the cleaning process takes a long time, and the start of painting with the next paint is delayed when changing the paint, thereby increasing the work efficiency. There is also a problem that it is not possible.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a coating gun cleaning device that solves the above-mentioned problems.

Means for Solving the Problems The present invention is capable of being divided into a plurality of parts, a guide container for accommodating a coating gun mounted on a coating robot therein, and a coating container provided on an inner wall of the guide container. A cleaning nozzle for injecting a cleaning liquid; and an opening / closing mechanism that opens and closes the guide container when the coating gun is moved and opens and closes the guide container when the coating nozzle is washed by the cleaning nozzle. It is characterized by the following.

According to the present invention, the guide container provided with the cleaning nozzle for spraying the cleaning liquid onto the coating gun is opened in a divided state when the coating gun moves, and is driven to open and close so as to close the guide container when cleaning the coating gun. The moving direction of the coating gun to the cleaning position and the moving direction after the cleaning are not limited to one direction, and the coating gun can directly move from the painting position to the cleaning position or from the cleaning position to the painting position.

1 and 2 show an embodiment of a coating robot and a coating gun cleaning apparatus according to the present invention.

In both figures, a coating gun cleaning device 1 is installed on a floor 3 near a coating robot 2. The painting robot 2 has a base 4 installed on the floor 3 and a turning table 5 on the base 4.
, The movable parts on the turntable 5, ie, the support 6, the arm 7, and the wrist mechanism 8, rotate in the horizontal direction. A coating gun 9 is mounted on the tip of the wrist mechanism 8.

In the painting process, as the painting robot 2 is preliminarily taught as shown by the solid line in FIG. 2, each movable part operates in accordance with the transfer of the work 11 in the arrow X direction by the transfer line 10. Then, paint is sprayed from the paint gun 9 and the work 11 is painted.

In the painting robot Z performing such a painting operation, the color of the paint may be changed on the way. That is, in the above-mentioned coating process, when the coating with one paint is completed, the coating operation with another color paint may be continued. As described above, when the color of the paint is changed, the paint used previously remains in the paint gun 9 and the paint supply pipe for feeding the paint to the paint gun 9, and scattered around the outer periphery of the paint gun 9. Paint is attached.

Therefore, before the paint change, the paint gun 9 is purged using the coating gun cleaning device 1 and the coating gun 9 is cleaned. At this time, the painting robot 2 changes its posture from the painting work position shown by the solid line in FIGS. 1 and 2 to the washing position shown by the one-dot chain line.

Here, the coating gun cleaning apparatus 1 according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6.

In the coating gun cleaning apparatus 1, as shown in FIG. 1, the coating robot 1 corresponds to the posture at the time of cleaning the coating gun 9, and also moves the coating gun 9 from the coating position to the cleaning position or from the cleaning position to the coating position. Guide container for easy movement
12 is the angle α with respect to the floor 3 (approximately α = 45 in this embodiment).
Ii) It is provided at an angle.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the coating gun cleaning apparatus 1 can be divided into a plurality (a pair in the present embodiment) and has a guide container 12 (the guide container halves 12A and 12A) accommodating the coating gun 9 therein.
2B), and the guide container half 12 of the guide container 12
A, 12B and hinge 13 for openably supporting the, the cleaning nozzle 14 _{1-14 4} more on the inner wall of the guide chamber 12 (four in this embodiment), the opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing the guide container 12 15 And

Since the guide container 12 is installed obliquely, it is formed by combining a pair of guide container halves 12A and 12B that are each divided into a semicircular shape when viewed from obliquely above (in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 3). First, the guide container half 12A on the left side in FIG. 4 will be described. The guide container half 12A has an arc-shaped frame 16A, and the frame 16A has a hollow holder 1 as shown in FIG.
7A ₁ and 17A ₂ penetrate and are fixed. The aforementioned cleaning nozzle
14 ₁ and 14 ₂ are held in the guide container 12 by the holders 17A ₁ and 17A ₂ . Although the cleaning nozzles 14 ₁ and 14 ₂ have a crank shape, their tip portions, that is, nozzle ports 14 a ₁ and 14 a ₂
Are positioned toward the center of the guide container 12, respectively.

The other ends 14b ₁ and 14b ₂ of the cleaning nozzles 14 ₁ and 14 ₂ are
A ₁ , 17A ₂ penetrates through the hollow part and protrudes to the outer periphery of the frame 16A,
The cleaning liquid supply pipe 18A for supplying the cleaning liquid is connected.
A pair of shaft holes 1 forming a hinge 13 are formed at the arc-shaped end of the frame 16A.
A mounting portion 19A having 9A ₁ and 19A ₂ is fixed via a bracket 20A. A connecting portion 21A that is connected to an opening / closing mechanism 15 described later is provided at a position slightly shifted from the mounting portion 19A. The arc-shaped other end of the frame 16A is a bent contact portion 22A, and the contact portion 22A functions as a stopper when the guide container 12 is closed as described later.

At the lower end of the frame 16A, a recovery container half 23A of a recovery container 23 for recovering the cleaning liquid is fixed. As shown in FIG. 3, the collecting container halves 23A and arcuate portion 23A ₁ which is a circular arc shape when viewed from the frame body 16A as well as the direction of the arrow A, diaphragm tapered lower portion of the arcuate portion 23A ₁ It was made more with the tapered portion 23A _2.

A wide flange portion 24A is fixed to the upper end of the frame 16A, and an approximately semicircular rubber cover 25A is screwed to the flange portion 24A. This rubber cover 2
5A is intended to prevent the scattering of the cleaning time of the cleaning liquid, semi-circular in the center to accommodate the external shape of the spray gun 9 as a clearance portion 25A _1, a plurality of cut radially from the relief portion 25A ₁ a notch portion 25A ₂ is provided.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 6, the other guide container half 12B of the guide container 12 has substantially the same symmetrical shape with the guide container half 12A having the above-mentioned configuration turned upside down.
Corresponding identical portions are denoted by the same reference characters with "B" appended, and description thereof is omitted.

The guide container halves 12A and 12B are provided with respective shaft holes of the mounting portions 19A and 19B.
19A _1, 19A _2, 19B _1, so 19B ₂ are identical coaxially, assembled with the mounting portion 19A and 19B by alternately superimposed.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the pair of container halves 12A and 12B, which can be divided, are mounted on a base 26 placed on the floor surface 3.
It is supported by a bracket 27 standing upright. The bracket 27 has upper support portions 27a and 27b each having an axial hole inclined at an angle α (shown in FIG. 3) with respect to the floor surface 3. Then, the pair of container halves 12A and 12B have the mounting portions 19A and 19B aligned with the support portions 27a and 27b of the bracket 27, and are supported by hinges 13 in which bolts 28 as shafts are inserted into respective shaft holes so as to be freely opened and closed. Is done. A nut 29 for preventing the bolt 28 from coming off is screwed into the lower end of the bolt 28.

Reference numerals 30 and 31 denote air cylinders in which the piston rod is displaced in the direction of expansion and contraction by the supply of compressed air. The end of the cylinder body 30a of one air cylinder 30 is connected to a bracket 32 that stands on the base 26,
The distal end of the piston rod 30b is connected to the connecting portion 21A of the frame 16A. The other air cylinder 31 is the cylinder body
The end of 31a is connected to the bracket 33 on the base 26, and the tip of the piston rod 31b is connected to the connection 21B of the frame 16B.

The reason why the air cylinder 31 is provided at a position higher than 30 in FIG. 3 is that the connecting portion 21B on the container half 12B side is at a position higher than 21A. Also, air cylinders 30, 31
Around the piston rods 30b, 31b
c, 31c are attached.

As shown in FIG. 3, the periphery of the opening / closing mechanism 15 having the above configuration is covered with a box-shaped cover 34, and the peripheral edge of the cover 34 is screwed to the base 26. The cover 34 is formed in such a shape that the guide container halves 12A and 12B do not collide when opened, as indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG.

Reference numeral 35 denotes a pipe for feeding the collected cleaning liquid and the like to a processing device (not shown), and has a tapered inlet 35a at an upper end thereof.
Is provided. The inflow port 35a is disposed below the bottom opening 23C of the collection container 23 when the guide container 12 is closed.

As described above, the coating gun cleaning apparatus 1 is relatively compact because the guide container 12 is inclined and the air cylinders 30 and 31 of the opening / closing mechanism 15 are three-dimensionally provided. Installation space has also been reduced. Therefore, the coating gun cleaning device 1 can be installed near the already installed coating robot. Further, since the air cylinders 30, 31 are used for the opening / closing mechanism 15, they can be used safely in a coating process of spraying a flammable solvent such as thinner.

Next, the operation when the coating gun cleaning device 1 having the above configuration is used will be described.

As shown in FIG. 2, a guide container of the coating gun cleaning device 1
Numeral 12 usually stands by with the guide container halves 12A and 12B opened 180 degrees. That is, the air cylinders 30, 31 are in a state in which the piston rods 30b, 31b are retracted into the cylinder bodies 30a, 31a, whereby the pair of guide container halves 12A
And 12B are open in a divided state about hinge 13 as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG.

Further, since the guide container 12 is supported by the hinge 13 inclined at an angle α with respect to the floor surface 3, the opened guide container halves 12A and 12B are in the washing position of the coating gun 9 (shown in FIG. 3). Instead of opening more horizontally, it will open 180 degrees diagonally downward. Accordingly, the guide container halves 12A and 12B are pivoted not only in the horizontal direction but also in the height direction to the standby position apart from the washing position of the coating gun 9. Therefore, there is no obstacle around the cleaning position, and the coating gun 9 can move to the cleaning position from any direction.

For this reason, as shown in FIG. 2, the painting robot 2 completes a series of painting programs for the workpiece 11, and when changing the paint color to another color, for example, the swivel table 5 is rotated and the painting gun 9 is moved. It is moved from the painting operation position shown by the solid line to the washing position shown by the dashed line. As described above, when the coating gun 9 is washed and moved, the pair of guide container halves 12A and 12B
Is rotated obliquely downward as described above.
Can move without colliding with the guide container 12. Therefore, even if the turning table 5 is rotated while the coating gun 9 is at a low position corresponding to the cleaning position as shown by the one-dot chain line in FIG. You can move in the shortest distance to.

When the paint gun 9 moves to the cleaning position, the air cylinder 3
At 0 and 31, the piston rods 30b and 31b are extended by the supply of compressed air. Therefore, the pair of guide container halves 12A and 12B that have been opened by 180 degrees are driven by the air cylinders 30 and 31 of the opening and closing mechanism 15 to rotate in the closing direction. A pair of guide container halves 12
A and 12B stop when the contact portions 22A and 22B at the tips come into contact with each other, and accommodate the coating gun 9 in the guide container 12.

The upper portion of the guide container 12 is closed by covers 25A and 25B, and the lower portion of the guide container 12 is formed by a closed recovery container 23 to form a cleaning liquid recovery path.

Here, the cleaning liquid from the cleaning nozzles 14 ₁ to 14 ₄ provided in the guide container 12 together with the cleaning liquid such as thinner is sprayed toward the spray gun 9 from the guide container 12 is sprayed toward the spray gun 9 . As a result, the previous paint remaining in the coating gun 9 is purged, and the paint attached to the outer periphery of the coating gun 9 is washed away. Incidentally, the four-order direction cleaning liquid simultaneously from the cleaning nozzle 14 _{1-14 4} is injected, large cleaning effect, less consumption of cleaning liquid since it washed in a short time.

Cleaning solvent injected from the spray gun 9 and the cleaning nozzle 14 _{1-14 4} guide the container 12, the cover 25A, are prevented from scattering by 25B and collection container 23, an opening along the inner wall of the collection container 23 23
It flows into the inflow port 35a of the pipe 35 from c and is collected. After the previous paint is removed, the next paint is temporarily injected from the paint gun 9 to purge the cleaning liquid remaining in the paint gun 9. In this manner, when the cleaning process is completed, the air cylinders 30, 31 are again connected to the piston rods 30b, 31b by the cylinder body.
The pair of container halves 12A and 12B are displaced to the side of 30a and 31a, and are rotated in a state of being opened by 180 degrees as before cleaning.

Then, the painting robot 2 can return the painting gun 9 at the cleaning position to the painting work position only by rotating the swivel table 5, for example. Accordingly, since the guide container halves 12A and 12B of the coating gun cleaning device 1 are opened obliquely downward by 180 degrees, the coating robot 2 rotates the turning table 5 to move the coating gun 9 from the coating work position. It can be moved to the washing position or from the washing position to the working position. Therefore, since the coating gun 9 can move in a short time, the time of the cleaning step is shortened accordingly, and the efficiency of the cleaning step is increased.

Therefore, the painting robot 2 can restart the painting operation with the next paint in a shorter time than before. This means that the stop time of the transfer line 10 of the work 11 due to the color change of the paint becomes shorter, and the loss time in the painting process is reduced, and the production efficiency is improved accordingly.

In addition, since the operation of the coating robot 2 in the cleaning process is simplified, the time and labor required for teaching are also simplified,
Effort during teaching operation is further reduced.

In the above embodiment, the guide container 12 can be divided into a pair of guide container halves 12A and 12B. However, the number of divisions is not limited to this. For example, the guide container 12 is configured by three divided portions. May be. In the above embodiment, the air cylinder is used as the opening / closing mechanism. However, the invention is not limited to this, and other actuators such as a hydraulic cylinder may be used. Although the number of cleaning nozzles is four in this embodiment, the number is not limited to this, and it is sufficient that at least one cleaning nozzle is provided on each side.

As described above, since the guide container is opened in a divided state when the coating gun is moved, the moving direction of the coating gun with respect to the cleaning position is not limited. In the robot, the painting gun can be moved from the painting work position to the washing position by a simple operation just by rotating the swivel table, so that the teaching operation in the washing process becomes easy. In addition, the coating gun moves to the cleaning position and can be moved in a shorter time when returning to the coating work position, improving the work efficiency of the cleaning process and shortening the loss time required for changing the paint, It has features such as the ability to quickly resume the next painting operation on the line.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of a coating gun cleaning apparatus according to the present invention and a coating robot, FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the coating gun cleaning apparatus and the coating robot, and FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view for explaining the operation at the time, FIG. 4 is a view for explaining a main part of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a view as seen from the direction of arrow A, and FIGS. FIG. 4 is a view for explaining a frame forming the container half. 1 ... paint gun cleaning device, 2 ... painting robot, 9 ...
… Coating gun, 10… Transfer line, 12 …… Guide container, 12
A, 12B …… Guide container half, 13 …… Hinges, 14 ₁ -14 ₄ ……
Cleaning nozzle, 15… Opening / closing mechanism, 16A, 16B …… Frame, 23…
… Recovery container, 25A, 25B …… Cover, 27 …… Bracket, 3
0,31 …… Air cylinder, 35 …… Piping.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A guide container which can be divided into a plurality of parts and accommodates a coating gun mounted on a coating robot therein, and a cleaning nozzle provided on an inner wall of the guide container and spraying a cleaning liquid to the coating gun. An opening / closing mechanism that opens and closes the guide container when the coating gun moves and opens and closes the guide container when cleaning the coating gun with the cleaning nozzle. Gun cleaning device.