JP3402986B2 - Article conveying device and article conveying method - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to the transportation of articles, or
The present invention relates to a transportation method and a transportation device for a pallet on which articles are placed.

In particular, the present invention relates to the transportation of articles for assembling and processing the articles.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when an article is transferred from a first position to a second position for processing or assembling, as shown in FIG. 9, a forward feeding direction is provided between the first position and the second position. Stretched the upper conveyor and the return conveyor in the reverse feed direction,
Front and rear lifters were arranged at both ends of the conveyor.

In the case of the above construction, there are problems that the structure of the mechanical parts of the front and rear lifters becomes complicated, the apparatus such as the installation of a plurality of conveyors becomes large, and the installation volume becomes large.

Further, it is necessary to separately provide a drive source for each conveyor.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, the present invention is directed to a carrying method and a carrying method for narrowing the installation volume by carrying out the pallet transfer in the forward and return directions on the same plane. Suggest a device.

Furthermore, the present invention contributes to cost reduction by not using the forward and reverse feeding means as in the prior art as individual means but using means for sharing a rotating body such as a roller and a roller for conveyance. We propose a transport device that can do this.

Further, the present invention is to propose a carrying method for carrying a pallet on which an article is placed from a replenishment position of the article to a supply position.

[0009]

[0010]

According to the present invention, a single rotating body having a large diameter portion and a small diameter portion each having a diameter dimension is arranged in plural with the large diameter portion and the small diameter portion being staggered to rotate from a drive source. A transport device is proposed, which includes a drive shaft that transmits force and in which the rotation direction of the rotating body is alternately switched via a transmission belt between the drive shaft and each of the rotating bodies.

Further, a mode of the carrying device is proposed in which the carrying device is provided with switching means for switching the feeding direction of the pallet at both ends or one end side of the rotating body.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall construction of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of the essential configuration of a side portion of FIG. 1, and FIG.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 is a frame frame of the base of the apparatus, and the frame 1 is stretched in the feeding direction.
A, 1B and legs 1C, 1D, 1E (not shown), 1F, etc.

2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, ----- 2
Q and 2R are rotatably supported between the frames 1A and 1B 18
It is a rotating body in which pieces are arranged in parallel.

The rotating body is a cylindrical shape made of a plastic material or a metal material, the white portion in the drawing is the diameter of the material, and the black portion is a hollow diameter portion with a rubber material lining. The portion is a large diameter portion 1x and the white portion is a small diameter portion 1y.

The diameter part size (small diameter part) of the rotating body is 4
2.7mm, diameter of the lining part (large diameter part) is 5
It is 2.7 mm.

Each of the rotating bodies has a large diameter portion 1x and a small diameter portion 1
The frame 1 is formed by alternately arranging y and y.
It is axially supported by A and 1B.

Reference numeral 1G is a central partition member attached at an intermediate position between the two frames 1A and 1B.

Rotating bodies 2A to 2R arranged in a line
Is one of the progressive regions by the central partition member 1G,
The other is divided into return and feed areas.

In this embodiment, the arrow A direction in the figure is defined as the forward feed direction, and the arrow B direction is defined as the return feed direction.

Reference numeral 4 (FIG. 2) is a drive shaft rotatably supported by the constituent members of the frame 1.
The shaft 4 is axially arranged along the transport direction A and is rotatably supported by a frame member (not shown).

Reference numeral 6 denotes a drive source motor, which is attached to the frame member.

The rotary motion of the motor 6 is transmitted to a chain wheel 12 coaxial with the drive shaft 4 via a speed reducer 8 and a chain 10.

As shown in FIG. 1, each of the rotating bodies 2A to 2r is formed with a belt-hanging groove 2g on the return feed direction side.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, pulleys 4A, 4B and 4R are attached to the drive shaft 4 at positions corresponding to the rotating bodies 2A to 2R.

Rotation transmission belts 14 are respectively stretched between the pulleys fixed to the drive shaft 4 and the grooves 2g of the rotating bodies 2.

Description of Belt Stretching As described above, the belt 14 for transmitting rotation is stretched between each pulley of the drive shaft 4 and the groove of each retracting member, but as shown in FIG. The belts 14 of the adjacent rotating bodies are stretched so that the rotating bodies rotate in opposite directions.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an essential part for facilitating understanding of the stretching of the belt 14.

First and second pusher cylinders 16 and 18 held by the frame are attached to both ends of a conveying path formed of an array of the rotating bodies.

A pallet 20 is placed on the rotating body and is conveyed in the direction of the arrow by the rotation of the rotating body, and conveys parts for assembly or processing not shown.

Reference numeral 22 is a first robot installed on the start side of the transport path composed of rotating bodies, and 24 is a second robot installed on the end terminal side of the transport path.

Next, the operation of the apparatus of the above embodiment will be described with reference to the control block diagrams and flowcharts of FIGS.

It is confirmed that the motor 6 is in a rotation stop state as the start-up state of the apparatus and that the first pallet is waiting at the start position of the conveying path of the rotating body. Step 1

This confirmation operation is performed by the rotation stop signal of the motor 6 and the signal of the pallet confirmation detection sensor 28A that the pallet is present at the start position of the conveying path.

A stocker (not shown) is arranged in the vicinity of the first robot 22, and a stocker to be processed or assembled is stored in the stocker.
In response to an instruction from the controller of the control device, the parts are picked up from the stocker and placed on the pallet waiting at the start position. Step two

The motor drive control means is started by the article placing operation of the first robot 22, the motor 6 is energized by the motor control means 30 and rotates at a predetermined rotation speed, and the rotation is performed by the speed reducer 8. It is transmitted to the drive shaft 4 via the chain 10 and the chain wheel 12.

The rotation of the drive shaft 4 is transmitted to the rotating bodies 2A, 2B, 2C, 2R via the pulleys 4A, 4B, ... And the transmission belt 14.

The rotation of each of the rotating bodies is 14
Are arranged so that the rotating directions of the adjacent rotating bodies are opposite to each other.

Further, as described above, the large diameter portion and the small diameter portion of each rotating body are arranged alternately, and the pallet 2
The length dimension of 0 is set so as to extend over a plurality of rotating bodies, in other words, the length of 0 lies on the plurality of rotating bodies.

In this example, the length of the pallet is set to a length corresponding to three rotating bodies.

As described above, the rotation of the motor 6 causes the respective rotating bodies to rotate at the same time, whereby the pallet 20A in which the articles are first loaded starts to be conveyed.

That is, the pallet 20a placed on the rotating body in the forward feeding direction (arrow A) is at the start position and the rotating body 2
The large diameter portion 2X of B is in contact with the small diameter portions 2Y of the rotating bodies 2A and 2C on both sides of the rotating body 2B.

The rotating body 2b rotates in the pallet feeding direction and the rotating bodies 2a and 2b rotate in the pallet returning direction due to the difference in the method of bridging the transmission belt 14. Step 3

After a lapse of a predetermined time after the rotation of the motor 6 is started, the first pallet 20A is transported by a predetermined distance, and the second pallet 20B is at the end position of the transport path in the return direction (arrow B). Step 4

A pallet detecting sensor 2 is provided at the end position.
8B is arranged, and the first pusher is detected by the sensor signal.
The cylinder 16 is operated to move the second pallet 20B from the return direction conveyance path (B) to the forward (A) conveyance path. Step 5

When the transfer path of the second pallet 20B is changed, articles are loaded by the first robot 22 based on the signal of the pallet sensor 28A. Step 6

Subsequently, as the rotating body rotates, the transfer path of the pallet in the return direction is changed and the articles are loaded.

When the first first pallet 20A reaches the end position of the transport path in the forward feeding direction, the pickup operation by the second robot 24 is performed based on the signal from the sensor 28A. Step 7

The article picked up by the second robot 24 is sent by the robot 24 to the next step such as a processing step or an assembling step.

After that, the pallets on which the articles are placed are sequentially conveyed on the conveying path in the forward feeding direction, and the pickup operation is performed by the second robot.

As described above, according to the present invention, the single drive shaft 4 is provided in the arrangement direction of the plurality of rotating bodies, and the rotation transmission drive of the drive shaft and each rotating body is carried by the belt so that the rotation direction of the adjacent rotating bodies is increased. The pallets can be conveyed in the forward feed direction and the return feed direction by forming the large diameter part where the pallet comes into contact and the small diameter part where the pallet does not come into contact with each other It is a thing.

FIG. 7 shows a modification of the rotating body.

Each of the rotary members of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 has a large diameter portion and a small diameter portion formed by applying rubber lining to a half side of a plastic rotation roller or a metal rotation roller. Is.

In this embodiment, instead of the rubber lining, spacer members 32A and 32B are fitted to form a large diameter portion and a small diameter portion of the rotating body.

According to this example, the spacer members 32A, 32
By using B as a rubber ring or the like, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

FIG. 8 shows another modification.

FIG. 8 shows an example in which the pallet conveying speed ratio between the forward conveying direction (A direction) and the returning direction conveying path (B direction) of the pallet conveying path is changed.

In FIG. 8, the motor 6, the speed reducer 8, the chain 10, and the drive shaft 4 are components for forward feeding of the pallet in the forward feeding direction, and the drive shaft 4 and the belt 14 are rotary members on the forward conveying path side. Of every other rotating body is bridged over the groove formed in the small diameter portion.

The motor 34, speed reducer 36, chain 38, drive shaft 40, chain wheel 4
2, another set of drive mechanism including a plurality of rotation transmission belts 44 and a pulley (not shown) fixed to the drive shaft 40 is provided. The rotation transmission belt 42 of the second set of drive mechanisms is the forward feed side. The transmission rails bridged over the bridge are alternately bridged over a groove formed at a predetermined position of the rotating body.

According to this example, the forward feed speed and the return feed speed can be arbitrarily changed by controlling the rotation speeds of the motors 6 and 34, respectively.

[0062]

[0063]

As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of single rotating bodies having a large diameter portion and a small diameter portion having a diameter dimension are arranged with the large diameter portion and the small diameter portion being staggered to rotate from a drive source. The cost reduction has been promoted by proposing a transporting device that includes a drive shaft that transmits force and that alternately switches the rotation direction of the rotating body via a transmission belt between the drive shaft and each of the rotating bodies.

Further, the proposal of the transporting device in which the moving speeds of the pallets transported by the plurality of arranged rotating bodies in the forward feeding direction and the returning direction are made different is excellent in versatility. .

Further, in the method of transporting a pallet for loading an article on it and transporting it from the article replenishment position to the supply position, a plurality of rotating bodies having a large diameter portion and a small diameter portion are adjacent to each other between the replenishment position and the supply position. As in the conventional apparatus, the article conveying method is characterized in that the rotating bodies are rotated so that the rotating directions of the rotating bodies are opposite to each other, and one side of the arrangement of the rotating bodies is a forward feeding direction and the other side is a returning direction. It was possible to make a device that does not require a three-dimensional installation volume.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a main part of a carrying device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a main part in the XX direction of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of bridging a belt.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of bridging a belt.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart diagram.

FIG. 6 is a control block diagram.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a modified example.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of an application example.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

2A, 2B rotating body 4 drive shaft 6,40 motor 7,36 reducer 10, 38 chains 8,42 chain wheel 44 rotation transmission belt 20A, 20B pallet

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A drive shaft for transmitting a rotational force from a drive source, wherein a plurality of single rotating bodies having a large-diameter portion and a small-diameter portion each having a diameter dimension are arranged with the large-diameter portion and the small-diameter portion staggered. A transporting device, wherein the rotation direction of the rotating body is alternately switched between the drive shaft and each of the rotating bodies via a transmission belt. 2. The transfer device according to claim 1, further comprising switching means for switching the feeding direction of the pallet at both ends or one end of the rotating body. 3. The transport device according to claim 3, wherein the pallets transported by the plurality of arranged rotating bodies have different moving speeds in the forward feeding direction and the returning direction. 4. A pallet carrying method for carrying an article on an article and carrying it from a replenishment position to a supply position, wherein a plurality of rotating bodies having a large diameter part and a small diameter part are provided between the replenishment position and the supply position. Is rotated so that the rotating directions of the adjacent rotating bodies are opposite to each other, and one side of the arrangement of the rotating bodies is set as the forward feeding direction and the other side is set as the returning direction.