JP3000376B2 - Paint hardening prevention device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A. Objects of the Invention (1) Industrial Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a paint hardening prevention device for preventing hardening of paint adhered to a coating nozzle attached to a robot arm.

(2) Prior Art When assembling a window glass of an automobile to a vehicle body with an adhesive, an adhesive is applied to a primer previously applied to the window glass to enhance an adhesive effect. The primer is applied to the periphery of the window glass by an application nozzle mounted on the tip of the robot arm.If the primer attached to the application nozzle is hardened during the suspension of the application operation, the application nozzle is restarted when the application operation is resumed. Does not flow smoothly, and as a result, there is a possibility that the application of the primer becomes non-uniform and the adhesive performance is reduced. In order to avoid such inconveniences, it has been proposed that the coating nozzle is inserted into a container to which a curing inhibitor is supplied while the coating operation is stopped, thereby preventing the primer attached to the coating nozzle from being cured. (See Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-23613).

(3) Problems to be Solved by the Invention By the way, the above-mentioned conventional paint hardening prevention device has a state in which the opening of the container is opened during the application of the primer and the vapor of the hardening agent inside is released to the atmosphere. Each time an application nozzle is inserted into a container, a large amount of a curing inhibitor is directly sprayed on the application nozzle to prevent the primer from being cured. However, when a large amount of the curing inhibitor is directly sprayed on the application nozzle as described above, there is a possibility that the primer undergoes a chemical change to deteriorate the performance.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and has as its object to provide a paint hardening preventing device capable of preventing hardening of a paint adhered to an application nozzle by supplying a small amount of a hardening inhibitor.

B. Configuration of the Invention (1) Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, a paint hardening prevention device of the present invention comprises a container in which a paint hardener is supplied, and an opening of the container. And a closing member provided on a paint application nozzle mounted on the end of the robot arm, the closing member closing the opening of the coupling member when the application nozzle is inserted into the container through the opening of the coupling member. And a lid member that is provided on the coupling member so as to be openable and closable, and closes the opening of the coupling member when the application nozzle separates from the container, and removes the paint adhered to the application nozzle by contacting the application nozzle. A dripping preventing device having a water-absorbing member.

(2) Operation According to the above feature, during the suspension of the paint application operation by the application nozzle, the paint is applied into the container from the opening of the coupling member that supports the opening of the container into which the curing agent for the paint is supplied. By inserting the nozzle, curing of the paint adhered to the application nozzle is prevented. At this time, the opening of the coupling member is closed by the closing member provided in the application nozzle, and the inside of the container is kept in a sealed state. On the other hand, when the application nozzle is in use, the opening of the coupling member is closed by the lid member provided on the coupling member, so that the inside of the container is maintained in a closed state as in the case where the application nozzle is at rest.

Further, when the use of the application nozzle inserted into the container is started, the excess paint adhered to the application nozzle is removed by bringing the application nozzle into contact with the water absorbing member of the dripping prevention device.

(3) Example Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a primer coating station, in which a periphery of a window glass W carried into a working position by a conveyor C is connected to a tip of an arm A driven by a robot R via a nozzle support described later. The primer is applied by the applied application nozzle. In the vicinity of the robot R, a curing prevention device P of the present invention is provided so as to adhere to the coating nozzle and prevent the curing of the primer when the primer coating operation is stopped.

Next, the structure of the nozzle support H will be described with reference to FIGS. A slide guide 4 is fixed to a lower end of a rotating shaft 1 protruding downward from a distal end of the robot arm A via a ring-shaped spacer 2 and a cylindrical support member 3. On the slide guide 4, a rod-shaped slider 5 in which a protrusion 5a formed in the longitudinal direction is engaged with the inner surface of the slide guide 4 is supported so as to be vertically slidable and relatively non-rotatable. A flange-shaped stopper 6 for preventing falling of the lower part is fixed. Above the flange member 7 fixed to the lower end of the slider 5, two bolts 8
A ring-shaped spring seat 9 is fixed through the spring seat 9.
And the other spring seat 10 fixed to the slide guide 4
The slider 5 is connected to the slider 5
Are floating supported by the slide guide 4. Outer cylindrical member fixed to the lower surface of the flange member 7
Inside 12 is a cylindrical member inside through a ball bearing 13
The upper portion of the application nozzle N is supported at the center of the inner cylindrical member 14 via a mounting bracket 15. Projection extending laterally from mounting bracket 15
A leaf spring 16 is fixed upward at the tip of 15a. Also,
A pair of rollers 19 is rotatably supported at the lower end of a bracket 18 fixed to the end of the robot arm A via a fastening member 17, and the side surface of the leaf spring 16 is sandwiched between the rollers 19. Then, the window glass W is applied to the bracket 20 provided on the side surface of the outer cylindrical member 12 by the application nozzle N.
A sensor 21 for detecting the application state of the primer applied to the substrate is supported. Therefore, the rotation of the rotating shaft 1 is
Can be rotated to an arbitrary position on the outer periphery of the application nozzle N, and the application nozzle N which has received the reaction force from the window glass W can freely move up and down while guiding the leaf spring 16 by the roller 19.

Next, the structure of the application nozzle N will be described with reference to FIG. The coating nozzle N includes a cup-shaped upper casing 22 having an open lower surface, a substantially cylindrical main casing 23 screwed into a lower opening thereof, and a lower casing 25 holding a felt-made coating member 24 at a lower end. Upper casing 22
Inside the piston 27 urged downward by a spring 26
The piston 27 is driven upward against the spring 26 by supplying high-pressure air from an air supply port 23a formed in the main body casing 23. Primer supply port 23b formed in main body casing 23 and coating member 24
And an opening / closing valve 28 for supplying and shutting off the primer, and a nozzle hole for guiding the primer passing through the opening / closing valve 28 to the coating member 24.
A nozzle member 29 having 29a is provided.

The opening / closing valve 28 includes a rod 31 fixed to the piston 27 and supported slidably up and down on a guide member 30 screwed on the upper surface of the main body casing 23, and a packing 32 disposed on an outer periphery of the rod 31 is provided. It is compressed by a spring 33 contracted between the guide member 30 to enhance the sealing performance. The lower end of the rod 31 faces the valve seat 35 provided on the housing 34 of the on-off valve 28 so as to be able to be seated. The detection dog 36 formed at the upper end of the rod 31 extends through the upper casing 22 to the outside, and detects the open / closed state of the on-off valve 28 by a sensor (not shown).

A circular closing member 23c is provided on the outer periphery of the lower end of the main casing 23.
Are formed so as to project, and an opening of a container described later is closed by the closing member 23c.

Next, based on FIG. 5 and FIG.
The structure of will be described. The hardening prevention device P includes a base 42 fixed to a stand 41 erected on the floor surface, and a receiving base 44 supported on the upper end of a guide rod 43 that penetrates the base 42 so as to be movable up and down, and the base 42 A spring 45 for urging the pedestal 44 upward is contracted between the spring 42 and the spring 42. A support plate 47 is horizontally fixed to an upper end of a column 46 having a U-shaped cross section standing on the upper surface of the base 42, and a circular groove is formed on the lower surface of the opening of the support plate 47.
An opening 48b that penetrates vertically in the center while forming 48a
The substantially cylindrical coupling member 48 having the shape is fixed. A hardening agent made of liquid butane is accommodated in a container 49 whose bottom is supported by the receiving base 44 and whose opening is fitted and supported in the groove 48a of the connecting member 48. On the side surface of the connecting member 48, two joints 50 for supplying the hardening agent in a gaseous state to the inside of the container 49 are provided, and the support column 46 has a sensor 51 for detecting the amount of the hardening agent inside the container 49. Is provided.

A packing 54 made of an elastic material is sandwiched between an annular packing seat 52 screwed to the inner surface and the outer surface of the upper end of the coupling member 48, respectively, and the pressing member 53. The tip of an L-shaped lid member 57 rotatably supported via a pin 56 on a bracket 55 provided on one side of a support plate 47 is brought into contact with the packing 54 and the container.
A packing 58 that seals the inside of 49 is fixed. The lid member 57 is coupled to a rod 61 of a cylinder 60 pivotally supported by a bracket 59 projecting from a side surface of the column 46, and is driven to open and close.

The anti-drip device 63 mounted on the support plate 47 via the bracket 62 includes a felt cloth 65 as a water-absorbing member placed on the upper surface of a dish-shaped base plate 64, and the outer periphery thereof is a frame-shaped pressing member.
It has the structure held at 66.

Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention having the above-described configuration will be described.

The application operation of the primer by the robot R is performed by moving the application nozzle N attached to the tip of the robot arm A via the holder H, and applying the primer impregnated to the application member 24 provided at the lower end of the application nozzle N to the window glass. This is performed by coating the periphery of W. At that time, the supply of the primer from the primer supply port 23b to the coating member 24 is performed by supplying high-pressure air from the air supply port 23a to raise the piston 27 and the rod 31, and to separate the tip of the rod 31 from the valve seat 35. This operation is performed by opening the on-off valve 28 (see FIG. 4).

When the primer coating operation is interrupted, the on-off valve 28 is closed to shut off the supply of the primer, but since the remaining primer is still impregnated in the coating member 24, the coating is performed to prevent the primer from hardening. Nozzle N is hardening prevention device P
Is inserted into. At this time, as shown in FIG. 3, the application nozzle N attached to the robot arm A via the nozzle support member H is connected to the coupling member 48 to which the upper end of the container 49 storing the curing inhibitor fits, from above. Approach and its closing member
23c is brought into contact with packing 54 provided in opening 48b of coupling member 48. Thereby, the coating member 24 at the tip of the coating nozzle N
The container 49 is sealed in a state in which is inserted into the container 49,
The curing of the primer impregnated in the application member 24 is prevented by the vapor of the curing inhibitor filling the inside.

When the application nozzle N is detached from the coupling member 48 in order to resume the application operation of the primer, the application member 24 is moved to the felt cloth 65 of the anti-drip device 63 in order to prevent the primer attached to the application member 24 from dripping. This prevents excess primer from being absorbed by the felt cloth 65 and adhering to the window glass W.

By the way, when the application operation of the primer is performed using the application nozzle N, the cylinder
57 rotates from the dashed line position to the solid line position in FIG. 5, and the packing 58 comes into close contact with the packing 54 of the coupling member 48, thereby sealing the container 49. As a result, the diffusion of the curing agent vapor stored in the container 49 is prevented, and the interior of the container 49 can be kept filled with the curing agent vapor when the application nozzle N is next inserted. Then, when the hardening agent inside the container 49 decreases due to the steam that escapes slightly when the lid member 57 is opened and closed, the gaseous hardening agent is appropriately supplied from the joint 50 provided on the connecting member.

As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments, and various small design changes may be made without departing from the present invention described in the claims. It is possible to do.

For example, the paint targeted by the present invention is not limited to the primer of the embodiment, and may be any other paint.

C. Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, while the application nozzle is at rest, the opening of the coupling member that supports the container to which the paint curing inhibitor is supplied is connected to the application nozzle. When the application nozzle is in use, the opening of the connecting member is closed by a cover member provided on the connecting member. This keeps the inside of the container constantly filled with the vapor of the curing inhibitor, so that the paint adhered to the application nozzle can be prevented from being cured only by supplying a small amount of the curing inhibitor.

Further, according to the second feature of the present invention, when starting to use the application nozzle, the excess paint is removed by bringing the application nozzle into contact with the water-absorbing member of the liquid dripping prevention device. Can be applied uniformly.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a primer coating station, FIG.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the nozzle support, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle support, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the coating nozzle, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the curing prevention device, and FIG. It is a direction arrow view. 23c ... closing member, 48 ... connecting member, 48b ... opening, 49 ...
... Container, 57 ... Lid member, 63 ... Drip prevention device, 65 ...
Felt cloth (water-absorbing member), A ... Robot arm, N
…… Coating nozzle

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B05C 5/00-5/02 B05B 15/02

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A container (49) into which a paint hardening agent is supplied, a coupling member (48) for supporting an opening of the container (49), and a robot arm (A) mounted on the distal end. The coating nozzle (N) is provided at the coating nozzle (N) of the paint.
Is inserted into the container (49) through the opening (48b) of the coupling member (48), and the opening (48b) of the coupling member (48) is inserted.
A closing member (23c) for closing the container and the connecting member (48) are provided so as to be openable and closable, and the coating nozzle (N) is provided in the container (4).
9) Opening (48b) of the connecting member (48) when detached from
A lid member (57) for closing the nozzle and a dripping preventing device (63) having a water-absorbing member (65) capable of contacting the application nozzle (N) and removing the paint adhered to the application nozzle (N). A paint curing prevention device, comprising: