JP2748305B2 - Article detection device on moving substrate - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an article for detecting an article at a placement position when a worker places a plurality of articles on a moving substrate and sends the article to a next step in a flow operation such as a manufacturing process. The present invention relates to a detection device, and is an article detection device having a function of a work instruction lamp for turning on a display for notifying an operator of a placement position of an article and turning off a display when the placement is completed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a flow operation such as a manufacturing process, when an article to be processed is inserted / placed on a jig on a moving base moving on a conveyor line or the like, such an article can be accurately inserted into the jig. Normally, the operator confirms that the placement has been performed.However, when a large number of articles are handled, such as when inserting a large number of tacks for caulking work, it takes time and effort to confirm and significantly lowers the efficiency. I do.

[0003] Further, it is difficult to automate the line and increase the speed because the operator is required to confirm the placement of the articles.

For this reason, a method of detecting the presence or absence of an article by a photoelectric switch including an optical fiber cable or the like from the outside at the stop position of the jig or detecting the presence or absence of the article by an electromagnetic coupling transmission type proximity switch has been adopted. Was.

[0005]

However, in the case of the detection method using the photoelectric switch, it is impossible to detect when the detected article has a complicated shape or a large number of articles. In addition, in the case of a proximity switch of the electromagnetic coupling transmission type, since it is performed in a non-contact manner,
Depending on the shape of the jig, it is possible to detect articles with complicated shapes, but there is a problem in that the shape and dimensions of both the detection unit and the transmission unit are large, there is a limit in incorporating them on a moving base, and the price is high. .

Further, when a work instruction lamp or an article detection lamp is mounted on the movable base, power supply is indispensable, and it is impossible to make the power supply non-contact. An electrode is provided on the jig side and the machine is stopped at the stop position. A method of receiving power supply by making contact with a typical moving electrode has been adopted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and provides a detection device for detecting the presence or absence of an article on a moving base with a simple configuration without having a contact portion with a fixed side.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an article detection device having a function of a work instruction light for notifying an operator of an article placement position and the like.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention relates to a light receiving device which receives light reflected from an article when the article is placed on an article mounting table . Will receive
In such an arrangement, the article mounting table, the floodlight and the receiver
An optical device is provided, and an optical fiber cable is connected to each of the light emitting device and the light receiving device. An article detection device on a moving base, comprising:

[0009] In addition, by using the article detection equipment, mobile
Separately to the position opposite to the projector on the base
With no receiver placed on the article mounting table
To allow the light from the projector to reach the receiver.
Connect the optical fiber cable to the optical device, this optical fiber
-A light emitting section is provided at the end of the cable and used as a work instruction light.

[0010]

According to the present invention, the light sent from the fixed side is transmitted in the air in a contactless manner, received by the light receiver on the movable base, and sent to the light emitter provided near the article mounting position by the optical fiber cable, where the article is present. In this case, the light reflected by this article is received by the light receiver, and this light is sent to the light emitter by an optical fiber cable, and the light is sent from the light emitter to the fixed side by air transmission, and when the light returns to the fixed side. Can detect that there is no article, and if no light returns, it can detect that there is no article. The light returning to the fixed side is converted into an electric signal by an appropriate means such as a light receiving element and sent to the control circuit.

In addition, a light receiver is provided at a position for receiving light from the projector near the article mounting position when there is no article, and the light received by the light receiver is connected by an optical fiber cable, and the tip of the light is connected to a work indicator. If used, the operator can be urged to place the article, and when the article is placed, the article is shielded from light, and the light is automatically turned off without light reaching the light receiver.

[0012]

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, an article mounting table 12 is provided on a movable base 1 which moves by a conveyor line or the like.
And the light receiver 6 are integrally formed. Also,
The optical fiber cables 4 and 7 are connected to the light emitter 5 and the light receiver 6, respectively. The distal end of the cable 4 is a light receiver 3 having a lens, and the distal end of the cable 7 is a light emitter 8 having a lens.

Further, from the above-mentioned light projector 5 to the article mounting table 1
An optical receiver 9 is provided at an opposing position with respect to 2, and an optical fiber cable 10 is connected to the optical receiver 9,
The other end is a light emitting unit 11.

On the other hand, a light emitting element 15 and a light receiving element 20 are provided in the control circuit 14 on the fixed side, and the light emitting element 15 and the light receiving element 20 are respectively connected to the light emitting device 17 and the light receiving device by optical fiber cables 16 and 19. It is connected to 18.

First, in FIG. 1A, the control circuit 14
When a light-emitting element 15 such as a light-emitting diode emits light by an electric signal sent from the light source, light is transmitted through an optical fiber cable 16 attached to the end of the element 15, and the light is guided to a light projector 17 at the end of the fiber. Floodlight 17
The light 2 is transmitted through the air from the lens of (1).

Next, at the stop position of the movable base 1, the light receiver 3 lens located at a position opposite to the lens position of the light projector 17 on the fixed side receives the light 2 transmitted in the air, and the light 2
The light is transmitted from the light receiver 3 through the optical fiber cable 4 to the air from the light projector 5 at the end.

When no articles are placed on the article mounting table 12, the light 2 'from the projector 5 travels through the air to reach the light receiver 9 having a lens at the opposite part, and passes through the optical fiber cable 10 to the tip. Illuminate the light emitting unit 11 to urge the worker to place an article as a work instruction light.

As shown in FIG. 1 (B), the worker
When the device 3 is placed on a predetermined article mounting table 12, the light is emitted from the light emitting element 15 → the optical fiber cable 16 → the light projector 17
→ Aerial transmission as light 2 → receiver 3 → optical fiber cable 4 → transmitter 5, and light 2 ′ transmitted in the air from projector 5 is reflected by article 13 and transmitted to receiver 6.

In this case, the light 13 is shielded by the article 13 from the light emitter 5 to the light receiver 9 at the position opposite to the article mounting table 12, so that the transmission of the light 2 'is eliminated.
1 extinguishes.

The light 2 'received by the light receiver 6 is guided through the air as an optical fiber cable 7 → light emitter 8 → light 2 ″ → light receiver 18 → optical fiber cable 19 → light receiving element 20 and controlled as an article detection signal. It is taken into the circuit 14.

The above-described article detecting apparatus of the present invention can be used for an article placing operation on a conveyor line or an article placing operation on an index table in a manufacturing process, but is not limited to these uses. In a stop position of a moving object, it can be used for various applications on which articles should be placed, and the range of application is expanded.

[0023]

As described above, in the process using the moving base, it has been conventionally difficult to detect a large number of articles having complicated shapes in terms of the mounting position and dimensions of the detection sensor. The reflected light is received, and it is guided to the fixed side by aerial transmission and taken out as an electric signal. Article detection can be performed.Therefore, there is no contact part for article detection, and a simple and inexpensive detection system is completed. Cost reduction and reliability As long as the space for the optical fiber cable can be secured on the movable base, it is possible to install a large number of article detection devices at low cost.

Further, in using the article detecting device,
By simply adding a receiver and an optical fiber cable, it receives light transmitted in the air from a projector near the article placement position,
Since the light can be displayed, the function of a work instruction lamp can be added at low cost.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an article detection device of the present invention, where (A) shows a state where no article is placed,
(B) shows a state where the article is placed.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Moving base 2,2 ', 2 "Light 3,6,9,18 Light receiver 4,7,10,16,19 Optical fiber cable 5,8,7,17 Light emitter 11 Light emitting part 12 Article mounting table 13 Article 14 Control Circuit 15 Light emitting element 16 Light receiving element

Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FI B65G 43/08 B65G 43/08 F G01V 8/16 G01V 9/04 F

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] A light receiving device for receiving light reflected from the article when the article is placed on the article mounting table;
In a simple arrangement, the article mounting table, light transmitter and light receiver
An optical fiber cable is connected to each of the light emitter and the light receiver, and a light receiver for receiving the light sent from the fixed side at the stop position of the moving base, and a light to the fixed side at the other end of each of the optical fiber cables. An article detection device on a moving base, comprising a light projector for sending. 2. The article detecting device according to claim 1, wherein
Opposing position on the moving base with the article mounting table in front of the projector
Is installed on the product mounting table and another product is not placed
The light from the light emitter reaches the light receiver in this state, an optical fiber cable is connected to the light receiver, and a light emitting part is provided at the end of the optical fiber cable to be used as a work indicator light. An apparatus for detecting an article on a moving substrate according to claim 1.