JP2719326B2 - Parts supply method and device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is used in an automatic assembling line, and is intended to supply each part sequentially sent by a parts transfer device to a transfer body on a conveyor device by a supply robot device. Method and apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in an automatic assembly line, parts sequentially sent by a parts transfer device (parts feeder) are carried and held by a supply robot device operating in a three-dimensional direction, and are conveyed by a conveyor device such as a belt conveyor. It is known that each of the parts is supplied to a carrier (specifically, a pallet, an assembly jig, or a combination thereof) that is sequentially transported.

[0003]

In such a conventional parts supply method and apparatus, if any drabble occurs in the parts supply by the parts transport apparatus, the parts supply depends only on the parts transport apparatus. Automatic assembly lines must be stopped immediately. In particular, since the trouble of parts supply by the parts transfer device occurs at a very high frequency, the emergency stop of the assembly line is frequent, but it is impossible to eliminate the parts supply trouble, so some improvement is desired. ing.

[0004] Even if there is no trouble in parts supply as described above, if a trouble such as a conveyor not being transported to a predetermined position occurs in the conveyor device, the automatic assembly line must be stopped. Conveyor troubles are generally less common than in the case of parts transfer equipment.However, once the conveyor equipment is stopped, the part transfer equipment that is operating at an angle must also be stopped, further reducing the machine operation rate of the assembly line. Will be done.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and takes advantage of the fact that each device such as a parts transport device, a supply robot device, and a conveyor device operates independently of each other.
Even if a trouble occurs in the parts transfer device or the conveyor device, the other device is devised to continue to operate, thereby preventing a decrease in the machine operation rate.

[0006]

According to the invention described in the first aspect of the present invention, each part sent by the parts transfer device is supplied by a supply robot device to a transfer member located at a predetermined position on the conveyor device. A magazine in which a plurality of parts can be placed in an operation area of the supply robot device, and the parts cannot be appropriately supplied to the carrier such as when the carrier is not transported to a predetermined position. When the conveyor device generates a parts supply stop signal,
Based on this stop signal, the supply robot device is thereafter
This is a parts supply method that operates so as to successively convey parts sent by a parts conveying device to a magazine.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the above-mentioned feeding robot, wherein each of the parts sent by the parts transfer device is supplied to a transfer body located at a predetermined position on a conveyor device by a supply robot device. A magazine for parts placement is arranged in the operation area of the apparatus, and the control device of the supply robot device provides a command for an operation in which the robot holding unit repeatedly supplies parts of the parts transportation device to the transportation body and supplies the parts. And a second control unit for giving an instruction for an operation in which the robot holding unit repeatedly supplies a part on the magazine to the transport body, and the parts transport apparatus further comprises: A part supply device configured to include a sensor unit that determines whether or not a part is sent, and the first and second control units are selectively operated based on a signal from the sensor unit. A.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the invention wherein the supply robot device supplies each part sent by the parts transfer device to a transfer member located at a predetermined position on the conveyor device. A magazine for parts placement is arranged in the operation area of the apparatus, and the control device of the supply robot device provides a command for an operation in which the robot holding unit repeatedly supplies parts of the parts transportation device to the transportation body and supplies the parts. A second control unit for giving an instruction for an operation in which the robot holding unit repeatedly supplies a part on the magazine to the carrier, and the robot holding unit includes a part for the part transfer device. A third control unit for giving a command for an operation of repeatedly supplying the magazine with
Further, the parts transport device includes a sensor unit that determines whether a part is sent or not, while the conveyor device includes a sensor unit that determines whether the transport body is transported to a predetermined position. And a part supply device configured to selectively operate one of the first, second, and third control units based on signals from the sensor units.

[0009] A parts transport device, B the conveyor device,
Assuming that a magazine on which a plurality of parts are placed is C, the parts are usually supplied from A to B by a supply robot apparatus. That is, in the normal case, (A → B).

[0010] Trouble occurs in A, or parts are chucked incorrectly (pickup mistake) by the supply robot device.
Then, when the part supply stop signal is transmitted, the supply robot apparatus supplies the part C to the carrier B. That is, in this case, (C → B).

In the normal case, in other words, (A →
In the case of B) (if the above-mentioned parts supply stop signal is sent out and is canceled), if a trouble occurs in B, for example, the carrier is not transported to a predetermined position, a stop signal is sent from B. The delivery robot device then sends the parts of A to C. That is, in this case, (A → C).

In the case of the above (C → B) or (A → C), if the respective stop signals are released, the supply robot device returns to the normal mode of (A → B) to proceed with the operation. .

[0013]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a parts supply apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a view taken along a line II in FIG. 1, in which a supply robot apparatus 11 is installed close to a conveyor apparatus 1. The parts transfer device 3 is mounted on the opposite side of the robot device 11.
In the vicinity of the transport device 31, a magazine 61 for mounting parts is disposed.

The conveyor device 1 includes a pair of belts 3,
A pallet 5 travels from right to left in FIG. 1. Pallets 5, 5 are placed on the belts 3, 3, and two assembling jigs 7, 7 are placed on the pallets. ing.

The supply robot device 11 includes a belt 13
A guide rail 17 and a slider driving device 19 which move in the left-right direction by the cursor 15; a slider 21 which moves in the guide rail in the front-rear direction by the driving device 19;
Robot holder 2 provided at the tip of the robot and moving vertically
3 is provided. In the case of the embodiment, the robot holding unit 23 sucks or grips the part n by a vacuum device or a gripping tool (not shown). The parts are supplied by releasing.

The parts transfer device 31 transfers a part n from a supply source such as a parts feeder (not shown) to the vicinity of the supply robot device 11, and the parts n, n
Is guided to the supply rail 33 and sent to the separation device 35 at the tip.

The parts separating apparatus 35 is shown in FIGS.
As shown in the figure, a pneumatic cylinder 39 is attached to one end of the casing 37, and a separation piece 43 having two part grooves 45, 45 is fixed to the tip of the operating rod 41 of the pneumatic cylinder 39, By the operation of the pressure cylinder 39, the separation piece 4
3 is configured to intermittently perform the reciprocating movement. The supply rail 33 is connected to the introduction groove 49 of the introduction plate 47, and the two part grooves 45 of the separation piece 43 alternately face the introduction groove 49, and pass through the supply rail 33 and the introduction groove 49. This part groove 4
5 The introduction plate 47 is attached to the casing 37 by bolts 47a, and can be slightly moved in the left-right direction. That is, the introduction plate 47 is configured to be finely adjusted in the left-right direction. A screw 51 is screwed to the other end of the casing 37 so as to be able to advance and retreat, and a nut 53 is fitted to the screw 51. By loosening the nut 53, turning the screw 51, and retightening the nut 53, the separation piece 43 can be stopped and positioned. When the left edge of the separation piece 43 is brought into contact with one end of the casing 37, the introduction groove 49 of the introduction plate 47 is aligned with the right part groove 45, and the introduction plate 47 is fixed with bolts 47a. Thereafter, the separating piece 43 is moved to the right (FIG. 5) so that the left part groove 45 is aligned with the introduction groove 49, and the screw 5 is inserted at that position.
The nut is tightened by bringing the left end edge of 1 into contact with the separation piece 43.

At a position where the part groove 45 coincides with the introduction groove 49, a set of photosensors S1 composed of a light emitting and a light receiving element are provided in the vertical direction of the part groove 45. In the groove 45, a through hole 45a penetrating in the vertical direction of the separation piece 43 is formed. In the sensor S1, the part n is in the part groove 45 at the above position.
It is determined whether or not there is a part. If there is no part, a part supply stop signal is generated.

In FIG. 1, the supply robot device 11
A magazine 61 for placing parts is arranged in the operating area of the above. This magazine 61 has a large number of parts storage grooves 6.
3,63. In the embodiment, one magazine 61 is used, but it goes without saying that a plurality of magazines may be arranged.

Further, the supply robot device 11 is provided with a sensor S2 (not shown) for judging whether or not the part n is held by the holding portion 23 by suction or holding means. As the sensor S2, a photo sensor provided on the holding unit 23, a pressure switch for detecting a suction negative pressure at the time of parts suction, and the like are used. With this sensor S2,
When it is determined that there is no chuck in the robot holding unit 23 where there is no part, a part supply stop signal is transmitted. Similarly, the conveyor device 1 is provided with a photosensor S3 for determining whether or not the assembling jig 7 as a carrier has been sent, and the magazine 61 has a CCD.
And a sensor S4 comprising a TV camera, and these sensors S2, S3, S4 send out a detection signal as to whether or not each detected object exists.

Incidentally, as a method for determining the presence of an object to be detected in the magazine 61, there is a positional relationship between the vacant parts storage groove 63 carried out by the robot holding part 23 and the parts storage groove 63 remaining without being carried out. Can also be set by setting an operation program of the robot holding unit 23 so that can be stored. Then, the sensors S1 to S4
Are connected to the first, second, and third control units and the alarm generation unit of the supply robot device 11, respectively, as shown in FIG.

The first control unit 65 includes the supply robot device 1
1, the robot holding unit 23 gives an instruction to perform an operation of repeatedly supplying the parts n of the parts transport device 31 to the assembling jig 7 (transportation body).
Is a robot holding unit 23 for the supply robot device 11.
Gives an instruction to perform an operation of repeatedly supplying the parts n on the magazine 61 to the assembling jig 7. The third controller 69 controls the supply robot device 11 so that the robot holding unit 23 transfers the part n of the parts transfer device 31, in this embodiment, the part n of the parts separation device 35, to the magazine 6.
The alarm generating unit 47 gives an instruction to perform the operation of repeatedly supplying the alarm to the unit 1 and generates an alarm when the magazine 61 is empty based on the signal of the sensor S4.

Next, the operation of supplying parts according to the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

First, when the parts supply device is activated, in step P1, each register of the microcomputer and data in the RAM are initialized.
In 2, it is determined whether or not the sensor S1 of the parts transport device 31 has detected the part n, and when it is detected, in step P3, the robot holder 23 grips the part n. At this time, it is determined whether or not a part is detected by the sensor S2 of the supply robot device 11 (P
4) If detected, in step P5, it is determined whether or not the sensor S3 of the conveyor device 1 has detected the jig 7, and if detected, the robot holding unit 2 has been detected.
The part n of No. 3 is assembled into the jig 7 (Step P6), and thereafter, the process returns to Step P2. This step P2 to P6
Is performed by a command from the first control unit 65.

In step P4, if the sensor n does not detect the part n, it is determined in step P7 whether the part n exists on the magazine 61 by the operation program of the sensor S4 or the robot holding unit 23. When there is a part n, the part is gripped by the robot holding unit 23 (step P8), and when the jig 7 is detected by the sensor S3 (step P9), the part n is assembled into the jig 7 in step P6. These steps P2, P7, P8, P9,
The operation of P6 is performed by a command from the second control unit 67.

In step P5, if the jig 7 is not detected by the sensor S3, it is determined in step P12 whether or not the part n is full in the magazine 61, and if not, the magazine 61 is determined in step P13. The part n is supplied, and thereafter, the process returns to step P2. The operations of steps P5, P12, and P13 are performed by the third control unit 69.
Made by the directive.

In step P7, when the sensor S4 detects that the part n does not exist on the magazine 61, an alarm is generated in step P10, and in step P11, the trouble of the parts transport device 31 is cleared. Alternatively, the part n is placed on the magazine 61, the reset button is turned on, and thereafter, the process returns to Step P2.

[0028]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Each device such as a parts transfer device, a supply robot device, and a conveyor device can be operated in cooperation with other devices, respectively, in conjunction with preparing a magazine separately.
Even if a trouble occurs in one of the devices, the other device can be continuously operated, thereby making it possible to dramatically improve the machine operation rate. Further, since the present invention includes an operation for supplying parts to a magazine, the frequency of changing the magazine is extremely low as compared with a case where only parts are taken out of the magazine. And there is also an advantage that a separate magazine automatic replacement device is unnecessary.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a parts supply device.

FIG. 2 is a view taken along line II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a parts separating device.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional front view showing the parts separating apparatus.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a parts separating device.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a control concept of the supply robot device.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of parts supply.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Conveyor device 7 Assembly jig (transport body) 11 Supply robot device 23 Robot holding unit 31 Parts transport device 61 Magazine 65 First control unit 67 Second control unit 69 Third control unit n Parts S1 Sensor S2 Sensor S3 Sensor S4 Sensor

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A system in which each part sent by a parts transfer device is supplied to a transfer member located at a predetermined position on a conveyor device by a supply robot device, wherein a plurality of parts are provided within an operation area of the supply robot device. A magazine capable of being placed is arranged, and the conveyor device generates a parts supply stop signal when parts cannot be appropriately supplied to the carrier, such as when the carrier is not transported to a predetermined position. The parts supply method according to claim 1, wherein the supply robot device is operated to sequentially transfer the parts sent by the parts transfer device to the magazine. 2. A system for feeding each part sent by a parts transfer device to a transfer body located at a predetermined position on a conveyor device by a supply robot device, wherein the parts are placed in an operation area of the supply robot device. A magazine for the supply robot controller,
A first control unit for giving an instruction of an operation in which the robot holding unit repeatedly supplies the parts of the parts transfer device to the transfer body;
A second control unit for giving an instruction for an operation of repeatedly supplying the parts on the magazine to the carrier, wherein the robot holding unit further comprises: And a sensor unit for determining whether or not the first and second sensors are based on a signal from the sensor unit.
A part supply device characterized in that the control unit is selectively operated. 3. A system in which each part sent by a parts transfer device is supplied to a transfer body located at a predetermined position on a conveyor device by a supply robot device, wherein the parts are placed in an operation area of the supply robot device. A magazine for the supply robot controller,
A first control unit for giving an instruction of an operation in which the robot holding unit repeatedly supplies the parts of the parts transfer device to the transfer body;
A second control unit that gives an instruction for an operation in which the robot holding unit repeatedly supplies the parts on the magazine to the carrier, and the robot holding unit repeats the parts of the part transfer device in the magazine. And a third control unit for giving a command for an operation of supplying the parts. Further, while the parts transport device includes a sensor unit for determining whether or not a part is sent, the conveyor device includes the It is configured to include a sensor unit that determines whether or not the transport body is being transported to a predetermined position. Based on a signal from these sensor units, one of the first, second, and third control units is configured. A parts supply device characterized by selectively operating a control unit.