JP3524898B2 - Parts feeder - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention mainly relates to a parts feeder most suitable for aligning and discharging cylindrical parts such as rollers, and particularly discharging parts which are difficult to align due to oil or the like. Regarding the parts feeder that can be done.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A parts feeder for aligning and discharging parts such as rollers in a line is used, for example, in a manufacturing process of bearings. In the parts feeder used for this purpose, parts to which oil or the like is attached need to be arranged in a line and discharged. However, if oil adheres to the parts, this oil makes alignment of the parts very difficult. This is because the stickiness of oil hinders smooth movement of parts. For this reason, the most commonly used parts feeder that vibrates the entire cylindrical hopper and aligns and discharges the parts with the discharge guide provided along the inner circumference of the hopper is not suitable for this type of application. I can not use it. This is because the adhesive force of oil prevents the parts from being separated from each other and arranged in a line on the discharge guide to be discharged. As a parts feeder used for this type of application, a hopper having a tapered bottom and a parts discharge port at the center thereof is used.

[0003]

In the parts feeder of this structure, the entire hopper is vibrated and the parts are aligned and discharged at the bottom discharge port. Therefore, parts to which oil is attached can be discharged. However, the parts feeder of this structure is
It takes time to put one part in the outlet and line it up. In other words, the number of parts that can be discharged per unit time cannot be increased. This is because the postures of the individual parts are aligned in the narrow region of the boundary between the bottom of the hopper and the discharge port. For this reason, there is a drawback that many parts cannot be efficiently arranged in a line in a short time and discharged.

Further, in the parts feeder of this structure, the parts may be clogged at the discharge port. In addition, if the parts are clogged at the bottom and cannot be discharged, it is troublesome to remove the clogged parts. Furthermore, in the parts feeder of this structure, it is necessary to change the size of the discharge port to an optimum size according to the size of the parts to be aligned and discharged.
This is because if small parts are discharged through the large discharge port, they cannot be discharged in a line, and large parts cannot be discharged through the small discharge port. Therefore, it is necessary to change the size of the discharge port depending on the parts to be discharged. In reality, it is extremely difficult to change the size of the outlet. For this reason, it is necessary to use a dedicated parts feeder for each part, and there is a drawback that parts of various sizes cannot be arranged and discharged by one unit.

Also, the biggest drawback of the parts feeder of this structure is that it damages the ejected parts. This is because the hopper containing a predetermined amount of parts is vibrated and discharged from the bottom discharge port. In this state, the parts discharged from the bottom discharge port are vibrated while being pressed by the upper parts. The vibrations may cause the parts to collide with each other, or may collide with the corners of the discharge port and scratch the surface.
It is required that the roller of the bearing and the like be minimized in damage as much as possible. This is because extremely slight scratches on the roller surface significantly shorten the life of the bearing and cause noise.

The present invention was developed for the purpose of solving this drawback. An important object of the present invention is to provide a parts feeder capable of promptly aligning parts in various states in a line and smoothly ejecting them so as not to be jammed. Another important object of the present invention is that even if the parts to be arranged and ejected are changed, the corresponding adjustment can be easily performed.
It is to provide a parts feeder that can neatly arrange and discharge various parts with one unit. Still another important object of the present invention is to provide a parts feeder which can minimize the damage of the parts to be transferred and eject the parts in a line.

[0007]

The parts feeder of the present invention comprises an alignment ring 1 having a circular alignment groove 6 on the upper surface for aligning the parts P and arranging them in a circular orbit, and a rotating mechanism 2 for rotating the alignment ring 1. A feed mechanism 3 for supplying the part P to the upper surface of the alignment ring 1 and an in-groove part P0 located near the alignment groove 6 of the alignment ring 1 and guided and transferred to the alignment groove 6 of the alignment ring 1. , The separator 4 for separating the out-of-groove parts P1 and P2 transferred without being guided to the alignment groove 6 and the bottom of the alignment groove 6 of the alignment ring 1, the tip of which is protruded to form the alignment groove 6
The pick-up claw 5 is provided for taking out the component P transferred by the above from the alignment groove 6 to the transfer duct 8. This parts feeder aligns the parts P supplied on the alignment ring 1 rotating from the supply mechanism 3 in the alignment groove 6, and transfers the out-groove parts P1 and P2 which are not guided by the alignment groove 6 into the in-groove parts. Separated from P0,
The component P transferred in the alignment groove 6 is taken out by the scraping claw 5 and supplied to the transfer duct 8.

The alignment ring 1 can be arranged such that the upper surface of the alignment ring 6 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. The inclined alignment ring 1 supplies the part P from the supply mechanism 3 to the lower part, and the lower part of the inclined alignment ring 1 is supplied to the part P.
Can be the supply position 13. Further, the tilting alignment ring 1 can have the scraping claws 5 take out the parts P from the alignment groove 6 at the upper part, and the upper part of the tilting alignment ring 1 can be set to the extraction position 14. The upper surface of the alignment ring 1 can be inclined at 5 to 20 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0009] supply mechanism 3 includes a rotating body 17 formed by arranging for rotation inside the Alignment ring 1, the rotator 1
7, a hopper 18 having a discharge gap 19 for discharging the component P from the rotating body 17, a drive mechanism 20 for rotating the rotating body 17, and an arrangement on the alignment ring 1. And a component sensor 21 that detects the component P to be installed and drives the drive mechanism 20. In the supply mechanism 3, when the drive mechanism 20 rotates the rotating body 17 by the signal from the component sensor 21, the component P supplied to the hopper 18 passes through the discharge gap 19 and is supplied onto the alignment ring 1. .
The rotating body 17 may have a conical shape. Rotating body 17
And the alignment ring 1 between the groove 4 and the separator P0.
A discharge ring 22 may be provided to transfer the out-of-groove components P1 and P2 separated from the above to the supply position 13.

The separator 4 is provided with an upper separator 4A arranged above the alignment groove 6 and a horizontal separator 4B arranged on a side portion of the alignment groove 6 so that the upper separator 4A and the horizontal separator 4B can be formed. As a result, the parts P1 and P2 outside the groove can be separated from the part P0 inside the groove. Furthermore, the alignment ring 1
The buffer layer 7 can be provided on the upper surface. Buffer layer 7
Can be a plastic layer.

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below exemplify the parts feeder for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the present invention does not specify the parts feeder as follows.

Further, in this specification, in order to facilitate understanding of the claims, the numbers corresponding to the members shown in the embodiments are referred to as "the claims column" and "to solve the problems. It is added to the members shown in "Means column". However, the members shown in the claims are not limited to the members of the embodiment.

Furthermore, the parts feeder of the present invention is
Since the parts P to which an adherent substance such as oil adheres can be efficiently arranged in a line and discharged, it is optimal for discharging bearing rollers, for example. Therefore, in the following, the parts feeder will be described in detail by using the parts P that are arranged in a line and discharged as a roller of the bearing. However, since the parts feeder of the present invention is capable of transferring various parts P, not limited to the bearing rollers, the parts P to be transferred are not specified as bearing rollers.

The parts feeder shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is
Alignment ring 1 for arranging the rollers of the bearing, which is part P, in a line, and rotation mechanism 2 for rotating this alignment ring 1.
And a supply mechanism 3 for supplying the parts P to the upper surface of the alignment ring 1.
And a separator 4 for separating the parts outside the groove from the parts inside the groove,
The pick-up claw 5 is provided that takes out the component P transferred in the alignment groove 6 of the alignment ring 1 from the alignment groove 6 and supplies it to the transfer duct 8.

The alignment ring 1 is manufactured by cutting a metal into a circular ring shape. This alignment ring 1 is
A circular alignment groove 6 is formed on the upper surface so as to line up in a circular orbit. The alignment groove 6 is disposed on the upper surface of the alignment ring 1 near the outer peripheral edge. An enlarged sectional view of the alignment groove 6 is shown in FIG. The alignment groove 6 includes a bottom groove 6A on the lower side and an upper groove 6B on the upper side. The bottom groove 6A is a groove whose opposing surface is a vertical surface, and has a groove width (D) smaller than the outer diameter of the component P so that the component P does not fall therein. The upper groove 6B has a groove width gradually increasing upward so that the component P can be smoothly guided to the alignment groove 6. In the alignment groove 6, the upper groove 6B is used as a V groove, and a U-shaped bottom groove 6A is provided at the bottom of the V groove. The maximum width (W) of the upper groove 6B is preferably larger than the outer diameter of the component P. However, if the width of the upper groove 6B is too wide, the plurality of parts P enter the alignment groove 6 side by side, so that the upper groove 6B
The maximum width (W) of B is smaller than twice the outer diameter of the component P.

The alignment ring 1 has a buffer layer 7 on its upper surface. The buffer layer 7 is a plastic layer such as urethane. The alignment ring 1 with the buffer layer 7 can be aligned in the alignment groove 6 with less damage to the part P. This is because the metal does not directly contact the component P but the buffer layer 7 contacts the component P.

The alignment ring 1 is arranged such that the upper surface of the alignment groove 6 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. That is, the alignment groove 6 is rotated within the inclined plane. Alignment ring 1
Is fixed around the rotating shaft 10 protruding downward.
The rotating shaft 10 is rotatably supported by bearings 11, and the alignment ring 1 is rotatably supported by the frame 9
Connected to. The bearing 11 does not connect the rotating shaft 10 of the alignment ring 1 to the frame 9 in a vertical posture. The alignment ring 1 is connected to the frame 9 so that the rotation center axis M of the rotation shaft 10 is inclined with respect to the vertical plane. The inclination angle of the rotation center axis M is preferably about 10 degrees. However, this inclination angle can be set in the range of 5 to 20 degrees. If the inclination angle is too large, the component P guided in the alignment groove 6 cannot be transferred. This is because the component P slides along the alignment groove 6. Therefore, the inclination angle of the alignment ring 1 is determined by the alignment groove 6
The angle is set so that the parts P can be transferred without slipping. The slanting alignment ring 1 rotates in the direction of the upslope and guides the part P at the supply position 13 to the alignment groove 6 so that it can be efficiently taken out. However, the parts feeder of the present invention can also rotate the alignment groove provided on the upper surface of the alignment ring in the horizontal plane.

The rotating mechanism 2 includes a reduction motor 12 capable of changing the rotation speed. The reduction motor 12 is connected to the rotation shaft 10 of the alignment ring 1 to rotate the alignment ring 1 in a fixed direction.

The supply mechanism 3 supplies the part P to the supply position 13 below the inclined alignment ring 1. The component P supplied to the supply position 13 is placed on the rotating alignment ring 1 and discharged from the extraction position 14. As shown in FIG. 5, a partition wall 15 is provided on the discharge side of the supply position 13 in order to prevent the parts P that are not placed on the alignment ring 1 from being discharged. The partition wall 15 is not disposed on the alignment ring 1,
The part P can be discharged by the alignment ring 1. Further, a peripheral wall 16 that does not rotate is fixed to the outside of the alignment ring 1. The peripheral wall 16 prevents the parts P, which are carried on the alignment ring 1 and transferred, from falling out.

The supply mechanism 3 shown in the figure is arranged inside the alignment ring 1 and a rotating body 17 arranged above the rotating body 17 so that the parts P can be discharged between the rotating body 17. A hopper 18 having a discharge gap 19 is provided, a drive mechanism 20 that rotates the rotating body 17, and a component sensor 21 that detects the component P disposed on the alignment ring 1 and drives the drive mechanism 20. . The rotating body 17 has a conical shape with a center protruding, and slides the component P on the inclined surface 17A to transfer the component P.

Further, the parts feeder shown in the drawing is a rotary member 1.
A discharge ring 22 is provided between the arrangement ring 7 and the alignment ring 1. The discharge ring 22 is rotated together with the alignment ring 1 so that the outside-groove component separated from the inside-groove component by the separator 4 is placed thereon and transferred to the supply position 13. Alignment ring 1
The discharge ring 22 which rotates with it can be made in one piece with the alignment ring 1. This structure is the alignment ring 1
The width is increased so that the outside is the alignment ring 1 and the inside is the discharge ring 22. However, the discharge ring can also rotate faster or slower than the alignment ring to transfer the out-of-groove component to the feed position, so that it can be rotated outside the alignment ring so that it does not rotate together. It can also be installed. The discharge ring is rotated in the same direction as the alignment ring by a driving mechanism (not shown). The partition wall 15 at the supply position 13 is provided only on the delivery side so that the exhaust ring 22 can transfer the out-of-groove components separated by the separator 4 to the supply position 13. Therefore, the part P mounted on the discharge ring 22 is transferred to the supply position 13 when the discharge ring 22 rotates. The parts P transferred to the supply position 13
Are placed on the alignment ring 1 and discharged from the supply position 13.

In the supply mechanism 3, the component sensor 21 detects the presence or the amount of the component P, and when the component P is reduced, the drive mechanism 20 rotates the rotating body 17. When the rotating body 17 is rotated, the part P of the hopper 18 passes through the discharge gap 19 and is supplied onto the alignment ring 1. When the rotation of the rotating body 17 is stopped, the component P of the hopper 18 is discharged into the discharge gap 19
It becomes a bridge state and is not supplied on the alignment ring 1. Therefore, the discharge gap 19 is opened in a gap that allows the component P of the hopper 18 to pass when the rotating body 17 is rotated, but does not pass the component P when the rotation is stopped.

The separator 4 separates the in-groove component guided and transferred by the alignment groove 6 from the out-of-groove component that moves in the vicinity of the in-groove component without being guided by the alignment groove 6. The rotating alignment ring 1 carries both in-groove and out-groove components on top for transport. The separator 4 transfers the in-groove components as they are and separates the out-groove components from the in-groove components. The separator 4 of FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 has an upper separator 4A located above the alignment groove 6.
And a lateral separator 4B on the side of the alignment groove 6. The part P outside the alignment groove 6 is removed by the upper separator 4A and the horizontal separator 4B.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show the positional relationship between the upper separator 4A and the lateral separator 4B for separating the outside-groove component from the inside-groove component. As shown in these figures, the part P mounted and transferred on the alignment ring 1 is arranged side by side with the part P1 outside groove and the part P0 inside groove which is transferred on the part P0 inside groove. There is an out-of-groove component P2 to be transferred. The out-of-groove component P1 placed and transferred is placed between the in-groove component P0 and the peripheral wall 16 or transferred on the in-groove component P0 and the out-groove component P2. is there. Outer groove parts P1
Is separated from the grooved part P0 by the upper separator 4A.
Since the upper separator 4A cannot separate the outside-groove component P2 transferred alongside the inside-groove component P0, this outside-groove component P2
Are separated by a horizontal separator 4B.

The upper separator 4A is a plate whose one end is fixed to the peripheral wall 16. The upper separator 4A is fixed to a height at which the in-groove component P0 does not collide, but the out-groove component P1 placed on the in-groove component P0 and transported collides. In other words, a gap is provided between the lower edge of the upper separator 4A and the alignment groove 6 of the alignment ring 1 to allow only the in-groove component P0 to pass. The upper separator 4A is inclined from the peripheral wall 16 toward the discharge ring 22 in the rotation direction so as to transfer the removed outside-groove component P1 toward the discharge ring 22. The upper separator 4A separates the outside-groove component P1 placed on the inside-groove component P0 and transferred, as indicated by an arrow A in FIG. The upper separator 4A can smoothly transfer the out-groove component P1 separated from the in-groove component P0 onto the discharge ring 22.

The horizontal separator 4B is a rod whose one end is fixed to the peripheral wall 16. The tip of the rod is sharp,
The tip is located between the groove part P0 and the groove outside part P2. The lateral separator 4B separates the outside-groove component P2, which is transported side by side from the inside-groove component P0, as indicated by an arrow B in FIG. The separated out-of-groove component P2 is the alignment ring 1
Is transferred to the discharge ring 22. This horizontal separator 4
B is also fixed so as to incline from the peripheral wall 16 toward the discharge ring 22 in the direction of rotation of the alignment ring 1.
This is because the parts outside the groove are discharged in the direction indicated by arrow B in the figure.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the scraping claw 5 takes out the in-groove component transferred by the alignment groove 6 from the alignment groove 6 and guides it to the transfer duct 8. The parts feeder in Figure 1
The upper part of the inclined alignment ring 1 is set as the take-out position 14 of the component P, and the scraping claw 5 is arranged at the take-out position 14. The scraping claw 5 at the take-out position 14 takes out the in-groove component from the alignment groove 6 and transfers it to the transfer duct 8. The scraping claw 5 has a sharp tip inserted into the bottom of the alignment groove 6 and is inclined upward in the transfer direction of the component P so as to transfer the component P upward and guide it to the transfer duct 8. . The scraping claw 5 has a pointed tip extending below the bottom surface of the in-groove component so that the in-groove component can be placed and transferred. That is, the tip of the scraping claw 5 is projected to the bottom groove 6A which is the alignment groove 6. Furthermore, the scraping claws 5 are connected in the tangential direction of the alignment groove 6. The scraping claw 5 can smoothly push the components P, which are sequentially pushed by the rotating alignment ring 1, from the alignment groove 6 into the transfer duct 8.

The transfer duct 8 is a flexible tube, for example, a coil spring, inside which the part P can be transferred. The transfer duct 8 which is a coil spring separates oil and the like adhering to the parts P to be transferred, and further discharges the oil and the like from the gap to the outside. Therefore, the problem that the component P is not smoothly transferred due to the oil or the like attached to the component P is eliminated.

[0029]

The parts feeder of the present invention has a feature that parts in various states can be quickly arranged in a line and smoothly discharged without jamming. That is, the parts feeder of the present invention aligns the parts supplied on the rotating alignment ring with the alignment groove, separates the out-of-groove parts that are not guided by the alignment groove with the separator, and transfers them with the alignment groove. This is because the grooved component is taken out by the scraping claw. Since the parts feeder of this structure aligns the parts with the alignment groove provided on the upper surface of the rotating alignment ring, many parts can be efficiently arranged in a line in a short time, and many parts can be discharged per unit time. it can.

Further, since the parts feeder of the present invention discharges the parts aligned in a line by the alignment groove of the rotating alignment ring, it is different from the conventional parts feeder which aligns the parts at the outlet of the vibrating hopper. The damage of the transferred parts can be minimized and the quality of the discharged parts can be improved. Moreover,
Since the parts feeder of the present invention separates the parts not guided by the alignment groove of the alignment ring by the separator, it is possible to adjust correspondingly very easily even if the parts to be discharged are changed, and various parts can be neatly arranged and discharged. Therefore, without using a dedicated parts feeder for each part, it is possible to extremely efficiently arrange the parts of various sizes in a line by one unit.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a parts feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the parts feeder shown in FIG.

3 is a partial cross-sectional front view of the parts feeder shown in FIG. 2 as seen from the direction indicated by arrow C. FIG.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing an alignment groove of the alignment ring.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the vicinity of the supply position of the supply mechanism.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a state in which the separator separates the component outside the groove from the component inside the groove.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the separator separates the component outside the groove from the component inside the groove.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a state where the scraping claws take out the components in the alignment groove.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the scraping claws take out the components in the alignment groove.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Alignment ring 2 ... Rotation mechanism 3 ... Supply mechanism 4 ... Separator 4A ... Upper separator 4
B ... Horizontal separator 5 ... Raising claw 6 ... Alignment groove 6A ... Bottom groove 6
B ... Upper groove 7 ... Buffer layer 8 ... Transfer duct 9 ... Frame 10 ... Rotating shaft 11 ... Bearing 12 ... Reduction motor 13 ... Supply position 14 ... Extraction position 15 ... Partition wall 16 ... Peripheral wall 17 ... Rotating body 17A ... Slope 18 ... Hopper 19 ... Discharge gap 20 ... Drive mechanism 21 ... Component sensor 22 ... Discharge ring P ... Component P0 ... In-groove component P1 ... Outer groove component P2 ... Outer groove component M ... Rotation center axis

Claims (10)

(57) [Claims] 1. An alignment ring (1) having a circular alignment groove (6) on an upper surface for aligning parts (P) and arranging them in a circular orbit, and a rotation mechanism (2) for rotating the alignment ring (1). , Alignment ring (1)
Supply mechanism (3) that supplies parts (P) to the upper surface of the
In the vicinity of the alignment groove (6) of (1), from the in-groove component (P ₀ ) guided and transferred to the alignment groove (6) of the alignment ring (1), the alignment groove
Outer groove parts (P ₁ ) and (P ₂ ) transferred without being guided by (6)
The separator (4) that separates the
A tip is projected to the bottom of (6), and a part (P) transferred in the alignment groove (6) is provided with a scraping claw (5) for taking out from the alignment groove (6) to the transfer duct (8), The supply mechanism (3) supplies the parts (P) on the alignment ring (1) that rotates, and the supplied parts (P) are aligned in the alignment groove (6),
Outer groove parts (P ₁ ) that are transferred without being guided to the alignment groove (6),
(P ₂ ) is separated from the in-groove component (P ₀ ), and the component (P) transferred in the alignment groove (6) is taken out by the pick-up claw (5) and supplied to the transfer duct (8). A part feeder that allows the feeding mechanism (3) to rotate inside the alignment ring (1).
The rotating body (17) that is arranged and the upper side of the rotating body (17).
It is installed so that parts (P) can be discharged between it and the rotating body (17).
A hopper is provided with the gap (19) out (18), the rotary body (17)
A drive mechanism for rotating (20), disposed on the alignment ring (1)
Parts for driving the component detects (P) to the driving mechanism (20) to be
And a sensor (21), driven by a signal of the part sensors (21)
When mechanism (20) rotates the rotating body (17), the hopper (18)
Aligned parts (P) that have been supplied pass through the discharge gap (19)
Parts fee to be supplied on the ring (1)
Da. 2. The parts feeder according to claim 1, wherein the alignment ring (1) is arranged such that the upper surface of the alignment groove (6) is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. 3. A supply mechanism (3) supplies a part (P) to the lower part of the tilting alignment ring (1), and a lower part of the tilting alignment ring (1) feeds the part (P) to a supply position (13). The parts feeder according to claim 2. 4. Raising claws on top of the sloping alignment ring (1)
3. The component (P) is taken out from the alignment groove (6) by the (5), and the upper portion of the inclined alignment ring (1) is taken out as the extraction position (14).
Parts feeder described in. 5. The parts feeder according to claim 2, wherein the alignment ring (1) has an upper surface inclined at 5 to 20 degrees with respect to a horizontal plane. 6. The parts feeder according to claim 1 , wherein the rotating body (17) has a conical shape. 7. Between the rotating body (17) and the alignment ring (1),
Outer groove part separated from grooved part (P ₀ ) by separator (4)
Discharge ring (22) that transfers (P ₁ ) and (P ₂ ) to the supply position (13)
The parts feeder according to claim 1 , wherein the parts feeder is provided. 8. The separator 4 has an upper separator (4A) arranged above the alignment groove (6) and a horizontal separator (4B) arranged on the side of the alignment groove (6). Upper separator (4A)
The parts feeder according to claim 1, wherein the outside-groove parts (P ₁ ) and (P ₂ ) are separated from the inside-groove parts (P ₀ ) by a horizontal separator (4B). 9. The parts feeder according to claim 1, wherein a buffer layer (7) is provided on the upper surface of the alignment ring (1). 10. The parts feeder according to claim 9 , wherein the buffer layer (7) is a plastic layer.