JP4092487B2 - Adsorption device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a suction device used for supplying or carrying out two or more types of workpieces having different suctionable areas.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For supplying and unloading two or more types of workpieces that have different suction areas, a suction device that selects a suction pad to be operated according to the size of the workpiece, equipped with a large number of small-diameter suction pads arranged on the workpiece hand. Has been proposed (see Patent Document 1).
[0003]
This is because the size and shape of the workpiece are detected or stored in advance, and when the workpiece is sucked, the open / close valve provided for each suction pad is operated to operate the suction pad that matches the size of the workpiece. is there.
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-120354
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above conventional example, a control device for controlling opening / closing of the opening / closing valves provided for each of the plurality of suction pads in accordance with the work shape is required, and the size or shape of the work is required to determine the suction pad to be operated. Therefore, there is a problem that the detection device for detecting the device in advance is required and the device becomes complicated.
[0006]
Then, this invention was made | formed in view of the said problem, and it aims at providing the simple adsorption | suction apparatus applicable to two or more types of workpiece | work.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In the present invention , suction occurs when air is circulated through a suction pad that sucks a workpiece by negative pressure, and a cylindrical member arranged on the outer periphery of the suction pad and the outer periphery of the suction pad, and the suction pad comes into contact with the workpiece. Detecting means for detecting a deformation state of the suction pad that occurs when contacting the work piece due to a change in the pressure of the passing air that occurs when the outer periphery of the suction pad comes into contact with the cylindrical member all around due to the outward deflection of the pad ; the suction pad is disposed a negative pressure generation source in a passage communicating the suction negative pressure from being opened operated vacuum source when the deformation of the entire periphery of the suction pad is detected by the pressure change of the detection means With the negative pressure valve introduced into the pad, the suction pad is selectively operated according to the presence or absence of the workpiece suction surface.
[0008]
【The invention's effect】
Therefore, in the present invention, when the deformation of the entire suction pad is detected by the detection means for detecting the deformation state of the suction pad that occurs when contacting the workpiece, the suction is performed via the negative pressure valve that opens. A negative pressure is introduced into the pad so that the suction pad is selectively operated according to the presence or absence of the workpiece suction surface. Therefore, a control device that controls the opening and closing of the negative pressure valve according to the workpiece shape and the workpiece shape are detected in advance. Therefore, it is possible to make a simple adsorption device. For example, when this suction device is mounted on a work hand, it is possible to suck and hold workpieces of various shapes without requiring control.
Moreover, as a detecting means for detecting the deformation state of the suction pad that occurs when contacting the workpiece, air is circulated through the gap between the cylindrical member disposed on the outer periphery of the suction pad and the outer periphery of the suction pad, so that the suction pad is directed to the workpiece. It is configured to detect the pressure change of the passing air (in this case, the pressure rise) that occurs when the outer periphery of the suction pad comes into contact with the tubular member due to the outward deflection of the suction pad that occurs when abutting, Because the negative pressure valve is operated in the opening direction by the pressure change of this detection means, it can be accurately detected whether or not the suction pad is in contact with the workpiece all around its circumference, and it can be operated according to the workpiece shape accurately. Can do. In particular, it is possible to accurately handle workpieces with steps.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0010]
1 to 7 show an embodiment of an adsorption apparatus to which the present invention is applied, FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the entire structure of the adsorption apparatus, FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a valve structure, and FIG. FIG. 4 to FIG. 7 are sectional views showing an operating state.
[0011]
In FIG. 1, the suction device 1 of the present embodiment includes a small-diameter pad 2 and a large-diameter pad 3 that are double inside and outside, a negative pressure passage 4 that supplies negative pressure into the small-diameter pad 2, and a negative pressure passage. 4, a branch passage 5 that supplies negative pressure into the large-diameter pad 3 on the outer peripheral side of the small-diameter pad 2, a negative-pressure valve 6 provided in the branch passage 5, and a large-diameter pad that contacts the workpiece W 3 and detecting means 7 for detecting the bending state and operating the negative pressure valve 6 in the opening direction.
[0012]
The small-diameter pad 2 is integrated with the mounting bracket 10 of the small-diameter pad 2 by vulcanization bonding or the like, and the large-diameter pad 3 is integrated with the mounting bracket 11 of the large-diameter pad 3 by vulcanization bonding or the like. 2 and 3 are positioned on substantially the same plane and fixed to the tip of the mounting rod 12 to the work hand by the respective mounting brackets 10 and 11. A cup member 13 surrounding and covering the mounting bracket 11 of the large-diameter pad 3 is integrally fixed to the mounting rod 12. In the small-diameter pad 2, a stopper 14 is provided that abuts against the workpiece W when the workpiece is attracted to regulate further approach of the workpiece W and regulates the deflection of the small-diameter pad 2. The large-diameter pad 3 is positioned so as to surround the small-diameter pad 2, and the tip of the suction pad 3 is positioned slightly projecting toward the workpiece W from the tip of the small-diameter pad 2. Therefore, when approaching the workpiece W, first, the tip of the large-diameter pad 3 comes into contact with the workpiece W, and when approaching the workpiece W, the tip of the small-diameter pad 2 comes into contact with the workpiece W.
[0013]
The negative pressure passage 4 for introducing a negative pressure into the small-diameter pad 2 is constituted by a through-hole that penetrates the attachment rod 12 to the work hand and opens into the small-diameter pad 4. A negative pressure generated by the negative pressure generating device 16 is introduced when the suction operation valve 17 provided in the introduction pipe line 15 is opened and connected to the negative pressure generating device 16.
[0014]
The branch passage 5 branches the negative pressure passage 4 through a radial hole and a through hole that passes through the mounting bracket 11 of the large-diameter suction pad 3 and is inside the large-diameter pad 3 and opens to the outside of the small-diameter pad 2. Let me configure. The branch passage 5 can branch the negative pressure introduced into the negative pressure passage 4 into a space surrounded by the small-diameter pad 2 and the large-diameter pad 3.
[0015]
As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 2, the negative pressure valve 6 has a stepped valve hole 20 provided in the mounting bracket 11 of the large-diameter pad 3 so as to open the branch passage 5 from the outer peripheral side to the end surface and the wall surface. Inserted into. The negative pressure valve 6 is arranged to be engaged with the stepped portion 21 of the valve hole 20, and includes a through hole 23 that communicates with the branch passage 5, and a seat member 22 having the end portion of the through hole 23 as a valve seat 24. And a plug 25 that is inserted into the valve hole 20 from the outer peripheral side and presses and fixes the seat member 22 to the stepped portion 21 of the valve hole 20. A valve 26 is disposed so as to be seated on the valve seat 24 of the seat member 22. The valve 26 blocks communication of the branch passage 5 when seated, and can communicate with the branch passage 5 when detached from the valve seat 24. And
[0016]
A piston 27 is slidably inserted into the plug 25, and a stem 28 of the valve 26 protruding through the through hole 23 of the seat member 22 is connected to the piston 27 by a pin 29. The piston 27 is urged in a direction to seat the valve 26 on the valve seat 24 by a return spring 30 seated on the seat member 22, and will be described later through a hole 31 provided in the plug 25 on the back side connected to the stem 28. When the detected pressure to be introduced is introduced, the valve 26 is operated to be separated from the seated state on the valve seat 24 against the return spring 30. The setting force of the return spring 30 is that the valve 26 opens when the detected pressure does not increase and the inside of the small-diameter pad 2 becomes a negative pressure and the negative pressure sucks the end face of the valve 26. Set to a preventable value. That is, the setting force is set to be stronger than the suction force due to the negative pressure.
[0017]
As shown in FIG. 1, the detection means 7 includes a cup member 13 that detects the bending state of the large-diameter pad 3 that contacts the workpiece W. The open end 34 of the cup member 13 is located radially outward of the large-diameter pad 3 and contacts the large-diameter pad 3 when the large-diameter pad 3 abuts against the workpiece W and bends outward. When this contact is made on the entire circumference of the large-diameter pad 3 and the open end 34 of the cup member 13, it is determined that the large-diameter pad 3 has contacted the workpiece W all over the circumference, and the contact is only part of the entire circumference. However, if no contact is made, it can be determined that the large-diameter pad 3 is not in contact with the workpiece W all around. In the latter state, there is no workpiece W that contacts the large-diameter pad 3, that is, when the size of the workpiece W is a size corresponding to only the small-diameter pad 2, or there is a large step on the surface of the workpiece W. A part of the caliber pad 3 may not be bent by the workpiece W.
[0018]
The contact state of the large-diameter pad 3 to the open end 34 of the cup member 13 is a low-compressed air pressure (for example, supplied from the positive pressure generator 35 between the cup member 13 and the mounting bracket 11 of the large-diameter pad 3. The pressure is converted into a change of about 0.1 MPa, and is introduced to the back surface of the piston 27 of the negative pressure valve 6 as a detection pressure. The detected pressure is increased when the contact between the large-diameter pad 3 and the open end 34 of the cup member 11 is made all around, and is not increased when even a part of the detected pressure is not contacted. That is, only when the entire circumference of the large-diameter pad 3 is in contact with the workpiece W and the entire circumference is bent and the entire circumference is in contact with the open end 34 of the cup member 13, the detected pressure is increased and the negative pressure valve 6 is turned on. It is opened and negative pressure is introduced into the large-diameter pad 3 via the branch passage 5.
[0019]
The cup member 13 is slidably fitted to the outer periphery of the cup member 13 in order to allow the large-diameter pad 3 to bend due to further approach to the work W after contact with the large-diameter pad 3, and its tip The open end 34 of the cup member 13 is formed by a cylindrical shielding plate 37 projecting and urged by a spring 36 so as to be positioned in the vicinity of the outer periphery of the large-diameter pad 3. Accordingly, the cylindrical shielding plate 37 abuts against the shielding plate 37 when the large-diameter pad 3 abuts against the workpiece W and bends, and further recedes against the spring 36 when the large-diameter pad 3 bends. It is movable.
[0020]
The operation of the suction device 1 having the above configuration will be described below with reference to FIGS.
[0021]
As shown in FIG. 3, in the suction device 1 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3A, a suction operation in which both the small-diameter pad 2 and the large-diameter pad 3 are brought into contact with the workpiece W, and (B As shown in the figure, the suction operation with only the small-diameter pad 2 can be performed.
[0022]
First, the suction operation when both the small-diameter pad 2 and the large-diameter pad 3 are brought into contact with the workpiece W will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0023]
FIG. 1 shows a state in which the suction device 1 approaches the workpiece W by the workpiece hand and the tip of the large-diameter pad 3 is in contact with the workpiece W. The low-compressed air supplied from the positive pressure generator 35 is a cup member. 13 and the fitting 11 of the large-diameter pad 3 passes through the gap between the shielding plate 37 and the large-diameter pad 3 and is discharged to the outside air, the detected pressure does not increase, and the negative pressure valve 6 is closed. The branch passage 5 is blocked. In this state, when the suction operation valve 17 is opened and the negative pressure from the negative pressure generator 16 is introduced into the small-diameter pad 2 via the negative pressure passage 4, the inside of the small-diameter pad 2 in contact with the workpiece W is Although the workpiece W is attracted by being filled with the negative pressure, the negative pressure is not introduced into the large-diameter pad 3 from the branch passage 5 because the negative pressure valve 6 is closed.
[0024]
When the suction device 1 is brought close to the work W by the work hand, as shown in FIG. 4, the tip of the small-diameter pad 2 also comes into contact with the work W, and the large-diameter pad 3 bends when approaching the work W, and its outer periphery The part is brought into contact with the shielding plate 37. This contact eliminates the gap between the shielding plate 37 and the large-diameter pad 3, and the compressed air is not discharged to the outside air. Therefore, the detected pressure rises and the piston 27 of the negative pressure valve 6 is pushed to press the valve 26 of the negative pressure valve 6. However, the seating state of the valve seat 24 is released and the negative pressure valve 6 is opened.
[0025]
In this state, when the suction operation valve 17 is opened and the negative pressure from the negative pressure generator 16 is introduced into the small-diameter pad 2 via the negative pressure passage 4, the inside of the small-diameter pad 2 in contact with the workpiece W is While being filled with negative pressure, the large-diameter pad 3 is also filled with negative pressure via the branch passage 5 and the negative-pressure valve 6, and the small-diameter pad 2 and the large-diameter pad 3 are respectively shown in FIG. The workpiece W is adsorbed.
[0026]
Due to the suction of the workpiece W, the suction device 1 gets closer to the workpiece W, both the small-diameter pad 2 and the large-diameter pad 3 bend outward, and the outward deflection of the large-diameter pad 3 resists the return spring 36. Then, the shielding plate 37 is pushed up and absorbed.
[0027]
If the work hand is lifted in this state, the work W adsorbed by both the large-diameter pad 3 and the small-diameter pad 2 can be lifted and conveyed. The weight of the workpiece W in this case can be adsorbed up to about 40 kg when the diameter of the small-diameter pad 2 is 60 mm and the diameter of the large-diameter pad 3 is 100 mm, and up to about 14 kg with the small-diameter pad 2 alone. Become.
[0028]
Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, a case where the workpiece W is sucked using only the small-diameter pad 2 will be described.
[0029]
In this case, only the small-diameter pad 2 is in contact with the workpiece W, and the large-diameter pad 3 is not in contact with the workpiece W. For this reason, since the low-compressed air supplied from the positive pressure generator 35 is discharged to the atmosphere via a gap with the shielding plate 37 on the outer periphery of the large-diameter pad 3, the detection pressure does not increase and is negative. The pressure valve 6 is kept closed.
[0030]
Accordingly, the negative pressure from the negative pressure supply device 16 is introduced only into the small-diameter pad 2, and the workpiece W is sucked and conveyed only by the small-diameter pad 2.
[0031]
6 and 7 show the operating state of the suction device 1 when a workpiece W having a step on the surface to be sucked is sucked.
[0032]
In this case, as shown in FIG. 6, a part of the pad portion of the large-diameter pad 3 located at the step portion of the workpiece W is not in contact with the workpiece W. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, even if a negative pressure is introduced into the small-diameter pad 2 and the work W is attracted by the small-diameter pad 2 and the work hand is brought close to the work W, the pad of the large-diameter pad 3 is used. Most of the portion is bent by the workpiece W, but the pad portion facing the portion where the step is present is still not bent by the workpiece W.
[0033]
Therefore, since the low-compressed air supplied from the positive pressure generator 35 is discharged to the atmosphere via the gap with the shielding plate 37 on the outer periphery of the large-diameter pad 3, the detection pressure does not increase, and the negative pressure The valve 6 is kept closed. For this reason, the negative pressure from the negative pressure supply device 16 is introduced only into the small-diameter pad 2, and the workpiece W is sucked and conveyed only by the small-diameter pad 2.
[0034]
In addition, although the above structure and operation | movement demonstrated the action | operation of the suction device 1 of 1 set of the small caliber pad 2 and the large caliber pad 3, the large and small caliber suction pads 2 and 3 which became these sets, When two or more workpiece hands are arranged in a straight line, the large-diameter pad 3 automatically activates / deactivates corresponding to the narrow workpiece W and the wide workpiece W. Can be adsorbed. Also, if the large and small sized suction pads 2 and 3 are arranged in a work hand so that the respective corners of the work W can be sucked, the work W that can be sucked only by the small caliber pads 2 and slightly The large-diameter pad 3 automatically activates / deactivates corresponding to the larger workpiece W and the workpiece W can be adsorbed.
[0035]
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the suction device 1 is described in which the large-diameter pad 3 and the small-diameter pad 2 are concentrically arranged as a set. The caliber pads 3 are arranged side by side (in this case, it is not always necessary to provide a difference in the size of the suction pads), and the workpiece W, the detection means 7 and the negative pressure valve that can be sucked only by the suction device 1 that is always operated. The workpieces W that can be attracted by both of the selectively operated suction devices 1 having 6 may be sucked, and two sets of these may be arranged so as to suck the workpieces W having different widths. Further, the suction pad 2 of the suction device 1 that is always operated is arranged on the inner side, and the suction pad 3 of the suction device 1 that is selectively operated is arranged on the outer side, so that the workpieces W of different sizes are sucked. like It may be.
[0036]
Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated what used the adsorption pad 2 of the adsorption apparatus 1 which always operates, and the adsorption pad 3 of the adsorption apparatus 1 of a selective operation as a set, although not shown in figure, the adsorption apparatus of a selective operation One to a plurality of suction pads 3 may be used to suck the workpiece W, and one to a plurality of suction pads 2 of a normal operation suction device 1 and one to a plurality of selection operation suction devices 1 may be used. The suction pad 3 may be combined.
[0037]
In the present embodiment, the following effects can be achieved.
[0038]
(A) When the deformation of the entire circumference of the suction pad 3 is detected by the detection means 7 that detects the deformation state of the suction pad 3 generated when contacting the workpiece W, the negative pressure valve 6 is opened. Thus, a negative pressure is introduced into the suction pad 3 so that the suction pad 3 is selectively operated according to the presence or absence of the workpiece suction surface. A detection device that detects the shape in advance can be dispensed with, and the simple adsorption device 1 can be obtained. For example, when the suction device 1 is mounted side by side on a work hand, the workpiece W having various shapes can be sucked and held without requiring control.
[0039]
(A) Further, at least one of the large-diameter pads 3 as the suction device 1 that operates selectively includes the small-diameter pad 2 as the suction pad that sucks the workpiece W when the negative pressure is introduced; Since the two suction devices 1 are separated and installed in the work hand, the selective operation is performed based on the suction position of the small-diameter pad 2 as the normal operation suction device 1 on the workpiece W. By arranging the large-diameter pad 3 as the suction device 1 on the work hand corresponding to the workpiece W of various shapes, the types of the work W that can be sucked can be increased.
[0040]
(C) A large-diameter pad 3 as the suction device 1 that operates selectively and a small-diameter pad 2 as the suction device 1 in the normal operation are used as a small-diameter pad as the suction pad in the normal operation suction device 1. When the large-diameter pad 3 as the suction pad of the suction device 1 that selectively operates including the inner side 2 is disposed, suction corresponding to the planar size and weight of the workpiece W can be performed.
[0041]
(D) A gap between the cylindrical member (shielding plate 37) disposed on the outer periphery of the suction pad 3 and the outer periphery of the suction pad 3 as the detection means 7 for detecting the deformation state of the suction pad 3 generated when contacting the workpiece W The pressure change of the passing air that occurs when the outer periphery of the suction pad 3 comes into contact with the cylindrical member 37 due to the outward deflection of the suction pad 3 that occurs when the suction pad 3 comes into contact with the workpiece W. (In this case, the pressure is increased), and the negative pressure valve 6 is operated in the opening direction by the pressure change of the detection means 7, so that the suction pad 3 contacts the work W on the entire circumference. Can be detected with high accuracy, and can be operated in correspondence with the workpiece shape accurately. In particular, it is possible to accurately cope with a workpiece W having a step.
[0042]
In the above embodiment, as the detection means 7 for detecting the deformation state of the suction pad 3 that occurs when contacting the work W, the gap between the shielding plate 37 arranged on the outer periphery of the suction pad 3 and the outer periphery of the suction pad 3 is used. The pressure of the passing air generated when the outer periphery of the suction pad 3 comes into contact with the shielding plate 37 in the entire circumference due to the outward deflection of the suction pad 3 that occurs when low-compressed air is circulated and the suction pad 3 comes into contact with the workpiece W. Although it is configured to detect by raising, although not shown, a negative pressure is raised instead of low-compressed air, and the negative pressure value rises when the outer periphery of the suction pad 3 contacts the shielding plate 37 on the entire circumference. And the negative pressure valve 6 may be switched in the opening direction.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall structure of an adsorption device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the valve structure.
FIGS. 3A and 3B are explanatory views showing the operation procedure of the adsorption device separately shown in FIGS.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a suction operation of a suction device on a planar workpiece suction surface.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the suction operation of the suction device to the planar workpiece suction surface following FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the suction operation of the suction device for a workpiece having a step on the workpiece surface.
7 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the suction operation of the suction device for a workpiece having a step on the workpiece surface subsequent to FIG. 6;
[Explanation of symbols]
W Work 1 Suction device 2 Small-diameter pad (Suction pad, normal operation suction device)
3 Large-diameter pad (adsorption pad, selective operation adsorption device)
6 Negative pressure valve 7 Detection means 16 Negative pressure generating device, negative pressure generating source 24 Valve seat 26 Valve 27 Piston 28 Stem 30 Return spring 34 Open end 37 Shielding plate as a cylindrical member

Claims (3)

A suction pad that sucks workpieces under negative pressure;
Air is circulated through the gap between the cylindrical member arranged on the outer periphery of the suction pad and the outer periphery of the suction pad, and the suction pad outer periphery is entirely around due to the outward deflection of the suction pad that occurs when the suction pad contacts the workpiece. A detecting means for detecting a deformation state of the suction pad generated when contacting the workpiece by a pressure change of the passing air generated when contacting the cylindrical member ;
The suction pad is disposed a negative pressure generation source in a passage communicating the suction negative pressure from being opened operated vacuum source when the deformation of the entire periphery of the suction pad is detected by the pressure change of the detection means A negative pressure valve introduced into the pad,
A suction device that selectively operates according to the presence or absence of a workpiece suction surface.   The suction device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the selectively operated suction devices is configured in combination with a normal operation suction device including a suction pad that sucks a workpiece when negative pressure is introduced. .   The suction device that operates selectively and the suction device that operates normally include the suction pad of the suction device that selectively operates including the suction pad of the suction device of normal operation inside. The adsorption device according to claim 2.

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